OptiNews - Friday 17 to Thursday 23 February 2017

Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article

Le Tissier: Any Wembley appearance is special

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Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier says the atmosphere at a Wembley final is something that will stay with everyone, as Saints prepare for their first trip there this weekend since 2010.

Le Tissier is one of a select few names to have scored a goal for Southampton at the home of football, and says that feeling is matched by knowing as a player that you’ll be backed by many thousands of supporters on the day.

Now working with Sky Sports, Le Tissier will be a keen spectator once more on Sunday and he can’t wait to see the Saints fans flock to Wembley in their numbers this weekend.

“Any Wembley appearance is special,” Le Tissier highlighted. “For players, as kids growing up you always want to go and play at Wembley whenever you possibly can, and no matter what competition that’s in.

“I was lucky enough to play there a few times with England, but also in 1992 in the Zenith Data Systems Cup which is not the most glamorous of cup competitions, but still, it was a Wembley appearance and to score was amazing. It was the only goal I ever scored at Wembley, and as a kid growing up that’s something you look forward to.

“That was a childhood dream come true and the players have a chance to do that on Sunday.”

Le Tissier watched on for Saints’ two most recent cup final appearances, the FA Cup Final in Cardiff during 2003, and more recently, the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy in 2010.

“I was in the Sky Sports studio that day as well and it was just fantastic to see the amount of supporters that we took up for that, it was incredible – over 40,000 fans there which was superb for a competition that is formed by the bottom two leagues of the divisions, so it was fantastic support.

“I remember being at Cardiff in 2003 too. I was at the opposite end to the Saints fans and I remember seeing the sea of yellow and blue at the other end which was incredible, and hopefully we’ll get that kind of atmosphere again.”

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Sourced from Daily Star article

You won’t believe which Prem star has played more matches than anybody else this season

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NOT a single Premier League player has featured in more matches this season than Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The Manchester United striker is 35 years old, and many questioned his ability to perform regularly in the Premier League when he arrived - but with 24 goals in 36 games so far, he has put all doubts to bed.

One player has level-pegged with Ibrahimovic for appearances, while two of the Swede’s United team-mates also make the top nine.

CLICK THROUGH THE GALLERY ABOVE TO SEE WHICH PLAYERS HAVE PLAYED MOST GAMES THIS SEASON.

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Sourced from Sky Sports article

Brees’ message to ‘Southampton Saints’

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Southampton have received a good luck message from an unlikely source ahead of their EFL Cup final against Manchester United on Sunday, NFL star Drew Brees.

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Sourced from A tweet by SouthamptonFC tweet

@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

GOAL: #SaintsFCU18s 2-0 #BHAFC U18s (Tyreke Johnson 63)

Substitute Johnson doubles the advantage. https://grabyo.com/g/v/Lmwp2dgKVCK

Retweets: 7

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Sourced from Sky Sports article

Will history repeat itself for Saints?

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Southampton will play Manchester United in a Wembley cup final 41 years on from the last time the two sides met there.

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@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

FULL TIME: #SaintsFCU18s 2-0 #BHAFC U18s

Craig Fleming’s men seal the win to make it back-to-back victories in the… https://twitter.com/i/web/status/834392001273614336

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Sourced from Sky Sports article

Forster: No special plan for Zlatan

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Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster says they have not worked on a plan to deal with the threat of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Sunday’s EFL Cup final.

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Sourced from Sky Sports article

Fraser Forster says tactical balance the key for Southampton against Man Utd in EFL Cup final

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Fraser Forster says tactical balance the key for Southampton against Man Utd in EFL Cup final

Fraser Forster says Southampton will look to strike the balance between defence and attack in their EFL Cup final against Manchester United on Sunday.

Southampton are looking for only the second major trophy in their history at Wembley on Sunday, live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 3.45pm.

Goalkeeper Forster says Saints sat back more than they would have liked in the semi-final second-leg win at Liverpool in January, and that defending for 90 minutes against Jose Mourinho’s side would be difficult.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Forster said: "It’s always hard. In the Liverpool game we probably ended up sitting in more than we wanted in reality, but when you come up against that calibre of team, Manchester United are similar with a lot of ball possession and a lot of quality players. If you go expansive, it gives them the opportunity and more space to work.

“Equally, it’s hard to go the other way and defend for 90 minutes, and try to hit them on the counter. It’s the manager’s decision what we do, and we’ll be 100 per cent at it when matchday comes.”

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is on fine form of late as he looks to win his first major trophy at the club, scoring five goals in his last four games and 24 times overall this term.

However, Forster says he won’t be preparing any differently for the Swede, and says the quality runs throughout the United side.

Asked if Forster prepares himself for specific players, he said: "Not really. We’ve all seen a lot of Zlatan since he’s come here and before that, we all know what a world-class player he is, but they’ve got world-class players in every position.

“You just prepare as if it was a league game against Man Utd, they’ve got quality all over the pitch, and it’s too important to just get focused on one individual.”

Southampton have had two weeks off having been knocked out of the Europa League and the FA Cup, and Forster says the extra preparation time has been a boost.

“If you look at the way the season has been for us, before Christmas we had European games and cup games, we’ve played pretty much every midweek, and January was a busy month, so it’s not often you get a week out without a game,” he said.

"It’s come along, and it’s probably given us the chance to get a couple of days rest that we needed due to the backlog, and hopefully it gives us the opportunity to get a couple of the lads fit, and gives us that time to prepare.

"It gives us a lot of time to work on what we need to, on every aspect of the game, before the final comes.

“It gives us a good window to work on what we need to, whichever philosophy the manager decides to go with.”

Watch Manchester United v Southampton in the EFL Cup final on Sky Sports 1 from 3.45pm on Sunday, and follow our live blog from 9am on SkySports.com.

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Sourced from Optimus trousers summary article summary

Summary of non-mainstream articles: 22/02/2017 13:40:10

| | Ward-Prowse On WembleyVITALFOOTBALL |
| | Lawrie McMenemy Meets Part 3 ! How I Signed Kevin Keegan - Southampton NewsTHEUGLYINSIDE |
| | Report: Celtic keen to finally land Southampton’s Ross Wilson, he held Rangers talks last weekHEREISTHECITY |
| | Redmond Relishing Manchester United ClashVITALFOOTBALL |
| | Central Defence Is The Key ! Does Claude Puel Have Something Up His Sleeve ? - Southampton NewsTHEUGLYINSIDE |

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Sourced from talkSPORT article

Every Premier League club’s current top scorer in all competitions

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Now Theo Walcott is on 100 goals for Arsenal, talkSPORT looks at the current top scoring player in all competitions at each Premier League club.

So, for example, Walcott would be the current goal-getter at the Emirates not Thierry Henry or Alexis Sanchez, even though Henry has scored a shed load more and Sanchez is leading the way this season.

Have a look at the players and tell us who you think will be next player to score 100 goals for their club.

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Read Southampton

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Sourced from A tweet by SouthamptonFC tweet

@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

:speaking_head: “It’s a club that trusts in my values.”

#MarchToWembley http://sfcne.ws/Cedric2EFLC

Retweets: 1

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Sourced from Sky Sports article

Drew Brees backing ‘Southampton Saints’ in EFL Cup final

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“Southampton Saints” have received an unlikely good luck message for Sunday’s EFL Cup final clash with Manchester United from NFL superstar Drew Brees.

The New Orleans Saints quarterback is one of the biggest names in American football, and he told fellow-Saints to stand up to United in what he says is a true “David and Goliath” showdown.

In a video message, he said: "This is to the Southampton Saints, coming from the New Orleans Saints quarterback here - we just want to let you know we are behind you.

“This is a good old fashioned David and Goliath story here. Man U - they may think that they are the greatest, they may think they are going to win - but we believe in Saints. Let’s go get it!”

Brees, 38, topped the NFL’s passing yards in 2016 season with 5,208, but the Saints finished the year with a disappointing 7-9 record as they failed to make the play-offs.

You can watch the game live on Sky Sports 1 HD, with our TV build-up kicking-off at 1pm where Phil Neville, Matt Le Tissier and Jamie Redknapp will be in the studio and Gary Neville is on co-commentary duty alongside Martin Tyler.

There is a whole range of options to complement and enhance your viewing experience with Sky Sports. You can watch the game on the move with Sky Go or follow our live match blog, where Sky Sports customers will be able to watch all the major incidents via our expanded mobile clips service on our live blog. But remember, you’ll need a Sky iD. To create one, click here.

If you’re interested in purchasing a Now TV day pass to follow the action unfold, you can grab one for just £6.99. No contract needed.

Don’t forget to follow us skysports.com/NFL, our app for mobile devices and iPad or our Twitter account @skysportsNFL for news, reports and expert analysis.

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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article

Cédric: This is a club that I fight for

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Right-back Cédric has certainly showed that this season for Claude Puel’s men.

Signed from Sporting in the summer of 2015, the Portuguese international has now found his feet in England.

Cédric showed his commitment and progression with flawless defensive displays in both legs against Liverpool to help Saints reach their first major final since 2003.

Now he is hoping to make it a memorable double, having tasted success at EURO 2016 with Portugal last summer, and he can’t wait for Sunday’s final.

“It’s amazing. To be winning these kind of trophies and to be playing these kind of matches in the space of the year, to be playing two finals, it’s great,” Cédric said.

“To win a trophy with Southampton will feel amazing, because it’s a club that shows trust in my values.

“I will be trying to give everything back to them as well, with these games, these finals, it’s what all of the players want to achieve and where all the players want to be.”

Cédric knows just how big the final is to the city of Southampton, and says he’ll be giving everything to send supporters home happy on Sunday afternoon.

“Sometimes when you’re inside the pitch you don’t see how important it is once you’re playing,” he admitted.

“But once we went back to Portugal after the European Championships, you realise you really achieved something that was really special to the country – it makes you very proud.

“Of course we know if you don’t win you don’t die, but for sure we know it’s going to be massive for our fans, for the club and all of the players. We all want these trophies.”

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Sourced from A tweet by SouthamptonFC tweet

@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

“The younger lads have been tremendous.”

Craig Fleming was full of praise following #SaintsFCU18s’ win over #BHAFC: http://sfcne.ws/CFonBHAFCU18s

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 22/02/2017 15:12:25

| | More Reliable Than An Octopus 2016/17? (22/2/17)VITALFOOTBALL |

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Read Southampton

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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article

#MarchToWembley: In Numbers

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We take a look at some of the key statistics behind Southampton’s run to face Manchester United in the EFL Cup final at Wembley.

2 - Southampton are just the second side to reach the League Cup final without conceding a goal in the history of the competition, after Tottenham did so in 1981/82.

10 - Oriol Romeu’s impressive EFL Cup campaign has seen him make ten clearances, 2 blocks and 2 interceptions.

3 - Three is the magic number. As well as 3 clean sheets, Fraser Forster has averaged 3 saves per game in the competition.

7 - Saints have scored seven goals in the competition, with seven different scorers chipping in along the way.

44:11 - The average time of the first goal for both clubs is 38:30 for Manchester United and 44:11 for Southampton.

18 - Ryan Bertrand made 18 passes in the opposition half in the semi-final against Liverpool, with 77.3% success rate.

9 - Nine Academy graduates featured for Saints during the competition, with Olufela Olomola making his debut when he replaced Jay Rodriguez against Sunderland in Round 4.

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Spotify: Yoshida picks his #MarchToWembley song

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Sourced from Daily Echo article

Aboard the Claude Puel emotional rollercoaster, anything is possible.

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It’s certainly been a season of delightful highs and crushing lows for Claude Puel in his first season as Southampton FC manager.

Saints supporters have experienced the full range of emotions in 2016/17 - never really knowing what lies in store for them from one week to the next.

And never really knowing which version of Puel’s Saints will turn up.

Will it be the one capable of shackling free-scoring Liverpool over two legs of a League Cup semi final? The one capable of entering a footballing cathedral such as Anfield and stunning the home fans?

Or will it be the one who have turned in a handful of drab displays, sentencing fans to some kind of 90-minute long sporting purgatory?

Who really knows?

Aboard the Claude Puel emotional rollercoaster, anything is possible.

Here, the Daily Echo charts the highs and the lows of the Frenchman’s fascinating first few months at St Mary’s.

Fans have complained that the football has been dull at times.

Possibly so, but the season - one of Saints’ most gloriously inconsistent campaigns in living memory - certainly hasn’t been.

Having already failed to beat Watford at St Mary’s on the opening day, Saints required a late leveller from sub Jay Rodriguez to avoid an embarrassing home loss against the Black Cats.

After collecting just two points from four league games, Claude Puel was in desperate need of a first win. And thanks to a first half double from European debutant Charlie Austin, and a late third from Jay Rodriguez, he got just that as Saints took an early foothold on their Europa League group.

A fourth straight league and cup win - all with clean sheets - was delivered through goals from Charlie Austin, Dusan Tadic and James Ward-Prowse.

After beating Swansea, this win made it back-to-back league successes - something Saints have been unable to match since.

On a historic night in the San Siro, Claude Puel again leaves skipper Jose Fonte out of his starting XI, while top scorer Charlie Austin is on the bench and Nathan Redmond left out of the squad altogether.

Saints still enjoy the bulk of the possession but fail to take their chances and concede relatively late on.

Club record signing Soufiane Boufal, who had missed the start of his first season at Saints due to injury, celebrates his first start with a stunning 20-yard wonder strike against Sunderland in the League Cup.

Saints come from behind to record a famous victory against one of the most famous names in European football.

Trailing at half-time, Virgil van Dijk levels on 64 minutes before Yuto Nagatomo needlessly puts through his own goal five minutes later.

The joy of beating Inter does not last long as Saints lose to a Hull side who entered the game having picked up only one point from their previous eight league games.

Charlie Austin puts Saints ahead early on but they concede twice in three second half minutes.

Jose Fonte is again left out and Charlie Austin is again on the bench as Saints turn in an insipid Europa League display to lose in the Czech Republic.

Saints sentence Ronald Koeman to defeat on his first return to St Mary’s as Everton manager.

Claude Puel throws in teenager Josh Sims for his first ever start and is rewarded when the rookie provides the assist for what turns out to be Charlie Austin’s first minute winner.

First half goals from Jordy Clasie, his first for the club, and Ryan Bertrand, send Saints through to what is only the club’s third ever League Cup semi final - and their first since 1987.

Palace went into the game having lost six league games in a row, yet they still easily beat Saints thanks to goals from Christian Benteke (2) and James Tomkins. It is one of only two Palace home league wins all season.

The worst night of the season so far, as Saints not only crash out of the Europa League - conceding a late goal to previously unfancied Israeli outfit Hapoel - but also losing top scorer Charlie Austin to a serious shoulder injury.

Desperately in need of a morale booster, Claude Puel gets one at the Vitality Stadium thanks to a Jay Rodriguez brace and one from Ryan Bertrand.

For the fourth time this season in the league, Saints lose after taking the lead - something which had previously happened at Arsenal and Hull and at home to Tottenham three days earlier.

Shane Long scores his first Saints goal since last May, but the Baggies are level within two minutes.

Saints are well beaten by Ronald Koeman’s men at Goodison Park, a defeat which comes just a few days after executive director of football Les Reed reveals that skipper Jose Fonte has handed in a transfer request.

Nathan Redmond gives Saints a League Cup semi final first leg lead against Liverpool, who had only lost two of their previous 25 league and cup games all season.

Days after selling Jose Fonte to West Ham, the joy of beating Leicester is overshadowed by key centre half Virgil van Dijk is seriously injured against Leicester.

Against all the odds, Saints reach only their second League Cup final - not only managing to keep out the Premier League’s top goalscorers, but then snatching an injury time winner through Shane Long.

The joy of reaching only the club’s fifth Wembley cup final is quickly forgotten. Claude Puel makes 10 changes for the FA Cup home tie with Arsenal, fielding a young and inexperienced XI. Saints are 3-0 down by half-time and eventually suffer the club’s heaviest ever post-war FA Cup defeat. Former Saint Theo Walcott hits a hat-trick.

Having already lost at lowly Hull and Palace, Saints are beaten 2-1 at another relegation threatened club - one which had lost their last three home games 4-1, 3-0 and 4-0.

For the fifth time this season, Saints take the lead in a league game and lose. In almost a carbon copy of their defeat to West Brom, Saints concede an equaliser shortly after taking the lead and go on to lose.

Manolo Gabbiadini, having previously scored on his debut, nets twice on his second appearance as Saints romp to a 4-0 win at rock bottom Sunderland.

Playing 4-2-3-1 for the first time - the system both his predecessors at St Mary’s favoured - Puel is rewarded with Saints’ joint-biggest Premier League away win - matching the 4-0 success at Leicester in December 2001.

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