OptiNews - Friday 17 to Thursday 23 March 2017

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Revealed! Top 24 clubs with the best penalty conversion rate in Premier League history

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A footballer needs nerves of steel to step up to the penalty spot.

It’s one thing earning the opportunity, it’s a whole other story tucking the ball away.

And taking a look at the all-time stats, we’ve found out which clubs have been most successful from the spot in Premier League history.

Scroll through the gallery to check out the top 24.

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Should mid-season sackings be banned? Gary Neville has his say…

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Should mid-season sackings be banned? Gary Neville has his say…

Should mid-season manager sackings be banned? Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville said he would support the idea that managers could not be sacked during a campaign.

In a week where Aitor Karanka lost his job at Middlesbrough, Martin Tyler, who was co-commentating on Man City’s draw with Liverpool alongside Neville, asked the former Manchester United defender whether a transfer window for managers should be introduced.

Swansea, Crystal Palace, Hull and Leicester have all changed their managers and have seen an upturn in fortunes, while Arsene Wenger is under increasing pressure from Arsenal supporters after a number of poor results, but Neville wouldn’t be against stopping teams chopping and changing during the season in the future.

“I would support completely the idea that managers can’t be sacked during the season,” Neville told The Gary Neville Podcast.

"When you set off at the start of the season with a manager then he has to be your manager for the entire season. Football would support it, in terms of the professional side - I’m not sure whether the owners would.

“But it would mean the players would know you’re going to be the manager until the end of the season, they’d have to get on with it.”

Nearly all of the sides that have changed managers this season have enjoyed a turnaround in fortunes under their new regimes, and according to Neville, those success stories give other owners the confidence to keep changing managers.

“Teams are making changes at the bottom of the league and I’m almost sitting there thinking ‘I wish this doesn’t work’ because when it does, it gives others the confidence to change their manager,” he added.

"There have been examples where it’s worked when managers are sacked and where it hasn’t. I’m not sure there is a distinction between either. It seems to be more the done thing where you do sack the manager at the earliest point as the players respond.

“We’ve seen that at Leicester - what an incredible bounce they’ve had. It’s happened at Swansea and Hull.”

Should mid-season manager sackings be banned? You’ve heard Gary Neville’s view, now tell us what you think! Leave a comment in the comments section or tweet us @SkyFootball.

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 20/03/2017 19:43:23

| | Chelsea ready to include 22-year-old as part of a deal to sign Southampton defenderFOOTBALLFANCAST |
| | 's water-carrying XI: 11 quietly-brilliant stars who never really got the credit they deservedFOURFOURTWO |

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Chelsea linked with mega-money move for Premier League star - player could go other way

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Van Dijk has been linked with a move away from Southampton in the last two transfer windows and this summer looks to be a familiar story.

The Sun say Chelsea want to strengthen their defence and Van Dijk is on their wish-list.

Southampton are not keen on letting their star defender leave, who still has five years left on his contract and would cost more than £50m.

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Rashford, Henderson, Kane and co show off brand new blue England kit - this is different!

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Raheem Sterling, John Stones, Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford (left to right)

ENGLAND are launching their new blue away kit this week, and will wear it in Germany.

The Three Lions play their first match of 2017 away to the world champions in Dortmund on Wednesday night.

They will be wearing their brand new navy blue away kit for the first time, and hoping for a repeat of their friendly victory away to Germany a year ago.

Some star players from Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham, Southampton, Manchester City and Leicester all tried on the new kit for Nike’s official launch.

CLICK THROUGH THE GALLERY ABOVE TO SEE THE SNAPS.

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Revealed! Top 20 Premier League stars who have scored the most goals outside the box

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His low left-foot curler, which opened the scoring against Southampton was the 13 such goal in his Spurs career – and this total is the most of any player in the English top-flight since his arrival on these shores from Ajax in August 2013.

It’s quickly becoming a trademark, especially as he develops a knuckleball technique, which helped him score in the League Cup against Gillingham.

A haul of 13 is pretty good in just four campaigns, but he still has a few more to bag before he becomes one of the best in Premier League history.

So, who are the best? Click the right arrow above to find out the top 20 long-range goalscorers since 1992…

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James Ward-Prowse says it has been ‘a lifelong ambition’ to play for his country but is now ready to take his chance

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James Ward-Prowse admits it has always been ‘a lifelong ambition’ to play for his country but says he will be ready to take his chance if he is handed his first cap for England this week.

The Southampton midfielder has been earning rave reviews for the south coast side this season and has been rewarded for his impressive form with a place in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the double-header against Germany and Lithuania.

Ward-Prowse, 22, is now determined to make his mark if he is selected in the starting line-up and hopes to repay the faith that the new England manager has shown towards him.

Ward-Prowse said: "It’s obviously an incredibly proud feeling for me. It’s always been a life-long ambition and a career ambition to reach the senior squad.

"I think it’s every young player’s dream to play for England and to be given that opportunity and chance to represent your country and do everyone proud is a great honour.

“Should the chance come this week, I’ll be ready to take it.”

Ward-Prowse has represented England at various youth levels - including captaining Southgate’s Under-21s side and is looking forward to learning from the senior players in the squad.

He added: "It’s a different environment in terms of the players that you’re with, but I think it’s a positive thing.

"I think for me, as a young player, it is different but I’m going to use it to benefit me as a player and increase my knowledge of the game.

“I can’t wait to draw every ounce of knowledge from other players who have been in the group before this week, to help me as a player as well.”

Southampton team-mate Nathan Redmond, who has represented England’s Under-21s 34 times, has also been called up by Southgate and Ward-Prowse is pleased to see there is a pathway from the youth sides to the first team.

“Having worked with Gareth before, he’s made it clear to us in the 21s that there is that pathway there,” Ward-Prowse added.

"It’s a positive thing. Not only for myself and Nathan but if you look throughout the squad as well, the likes of Raheem (Sterling), John Stones and Ross Barkley, they’re players who have come through as well.

“It’s positive that if you are doing well at a young age then you’ll be given a chance.”

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 20/03/2017 20:43:30

| | Ward-Prowse ready for actionTHEFACOM |
| | What are your old football programmes worth?WESTERNGAZETTE |
| | ‘2 fouls committed, 1 interception’ … Stats show Southampton star is struggling in new roleFOOTBALLFANCAST |

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:speaking_head: “We should play like we did in the second half from the beginning.” #saintsfc http://sfcne.ws/MYPostTHFCA

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Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse ready to take England chance

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James Ward-Prowse says he will use his time with the England squad to improve as a player but the midfielder also insists he is ready to take his chance if it comes this week.

The uncapped Southampton man has been named in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the matches against Germany and Lithuania and he is determined to make his mark should he be selected.

“It’s obviously an incredibly proud feeling for me,” Ward-Prowse told a news conference. "It’s always been a lifelong ambition and a career ambition to reach the senior squad. I think it’s every young player’s dream to play for England and to be given that opportunity and chance to represent your country and do everyone proud is a great honour.

"Should the chance come this week, I’ll be ready to take it.’’

The 22-year-old, who has represented England at various youth levels – including captaining Southgate’s under-21s side, is looking forward to learning from the other players during his time with the senior side.

He added: "It’s a different environment in terms of the players that you’re with, but I think it’s a positive thing. I think for me, as a young player, it is different but I’m going to use it to benefit me as a player and increase my knowledge of the game.

"I can’t wait to draw every ounce of knowledge from other players who have been in the group before this week, to help me as a player as well.’’

Southampton teammate Nathan Redmond, who has represented England’s U21s 34 times, has also been called up by Southgate and Ward-Prowse is pleased to see there is a pathway from the youth sides to the first team.

"Having worked with Gareth before, he’s made it clear to us in the 21s that there is that pathway there,’’ Ward-Prowse added.

"It’s a positive thing. Not only for myself and Nathan but if you look throughout the squad as well, the likes of Raheem [Sterling], John Stones and Ross Barkley, they’re players who have come through as well.

"It’s positive that if you are doing well at a young age then you’ll be given a chance.’’

Ahead of his first match in the permanent role, Southgate made a presentation to his players outlining his vision for the future, with those around the squad invited to Monday’s meeting subject to club commitments.

Wayne Rooney was chief among them but remained in Manchester to undergo treatment on an injury sustained in a collision with Phil Jones, missing a meeting that Ward-Prowse revealed underlined England’s lofty ambitions.

“It was a very powerful message,” Ward-Prowse said. "It is one that the under-21s have received before, sort of highlighted about the highs and lows of a career and the ambitions that he sees for us.

“And you know, we want to establish ourselves as a top team in the world. So it is all about plugging away at those goals and making sure that what we do now stands us in good stead for when we reach major tournaments.”

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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article

Puel waiting on Gabbiadini news

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Claude Puel hopes the injury sustained by Manolo Gabbiadini at Tottenham Hotspur will not be a significant one, but the striker will not link up with Italy on international duty this week.

Gabbiadini was forced off during the first half at White Hart Lane after suffering a groin issue, which will be fully assessed over the coming days.

The forward had won a recall to the Italy squad last week, after his scintillating form at Saints, which had seen him score in each of his first four matches for the club.

However, he has now had to withdraw from the squad, with the Azzurri replacing him with Atalanta’s Andrea Petagna.

Puel said: “It’s an injury to his groin and we will see when it’s examined in the next few days.

"I think and I hope it is not bad, but for his national team I think it is not possible for him to play.

“We will see for us how many times he will stay out.

“It’s an important player for us with his quality and his clinical edge but now it’s an opportunity for another player to show us their quality.”

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Head strong: Which Premier League clubs score the most headers?

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BEING strong in the air is a useful trait for any side, but which teams depend on headed goals most?

Incredibly, Sunderland are yet to score a single header in the Premier League this campaign, but every other side has at least two so far - according to data from EA Sports.

Seven clubs are into double figures for headers, but when it comes to percentage of their total goals, who is most header-dependent?

CLICK THROUGH THE GALLERY ABOVE TO FIND OUT.

Data Courtesy of EA SPORTS, the Lead Partner of the Premier League.

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Gabbiadini boom halted by injury

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James Ward-Prowse (£5.0m) earned the maximum Fantasy Premier League bonus points in Southampton’s 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Saints midfielder tallied 28 in the Bonus Point System (BPS) after netting his side’s consolation at White Hart Lane. Ward-Prowse also made three recoveries and completed 80% of 36 attempted passes, creating two scoring chances.

Spurs’ Christian Eriksen (£8.6m) received two bonus points, with 27 in the BPS.

Netting the hosts’ opener, the Denmark international also made two successful tackles and completed 78% of 33 attempted passes, with two of those leading to scoring opportunities.

Mousa Dembele (£5.4m) was awarded a single bonus point after scoring 25 in the BPS.

The Belgian made seven recoveries and completed three successful dribbles. He was also successful with 87% of 58 attempted passes, supplying the assist for Eriksen’s goal.

Dele Alli (£8.8m) failed to collect bonus points despite scoring Spurs’ second goal from the penalty spot. The midfielder’s BPS haul suffered as he was tackled on eight occasions.

Alli was ranked top of the ICT Index, though, thanks to a score of 10.6.

The midfielder produced two shots, both from inside the penalty box and on target, on his way to netting for the 11th time in 12 Gameweeks.

Fellow scorer Eriksen registered more shots on goal (four) than any player in the match, though all of his efforts were fired from range.

Despite failing to find the net, Son Heung-min (£6.9m) claimed the top ICT Threat haul, with 63.

Deputising for the injured Harry Kane (£11.2m) up front, Son recorded three shots on goal, all from inside the Southampton box, though managed only one on target.

Assuming spot-kick duties in Kane’s absence, Alli has moved to one point behind Chelsea’s Eden Hazard (£10.2m) in the FPL midfield standings.

With seven of Spurs’ remaining 10 matches scoring two in the Fixture Difficulty Rankings (FDR), acquiring at least one of Alli or Eriksen looks a worthy strategy for the run-in.

The fourth-most popular target ahead of the weekend with 132,000+ new owners, Alli has already been snapped up by more than 24,000 FPL managers since Sunday’s haul.

More than 14,000 have turned to Eriksen, who is fourth in the midfield rankings after netting for the first time since Gameweek 16.

Meanwhile, Ward-Prowse’s fine run of form suggests that he could emerge as a budget midfield contender as the Saints prepare to play 11 fixtures over the remaining nine Gameweeks.

Found in only 0.3% of FPL squads, he has produced two goals and an assist in his last five Gameweek appearances.

Having teed up Ward-Prowse for the visitors’ consolation, Ryan Bertrand (£5.4m) has also improved his output of late.

The left-back has four assists, two clean sheets and five bonus points over his previous six Gameweeks.

Claude Puel has cause for concern further up the pitch, though, after Manolo Gabbiadini (£6.9m) limped off during the first half with a groin problem.

The Italian had soared to over 10% ownership prior to the weekend after scoring four goals in his first three Gameweek starts.

But with doubts now surrounding the Italian’s availability for the back-to-back home matches with AFC Bournemouth and Crystal Palace, the striker is the third-most sold player over the last 24 hours, with more than 13,000 FPL managers parting company.

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 20/03/2017 21:43:50

| | Spurs 2-1 Southampton: Vertonghen opens up the middle | Spurs ResultSPURSFANATIC |
| | James Ward-Prowse determined to make most of England callBTSPORT |
| | Jamie Redknapp defends Tottenham’s Dele AlliHEREISTHECITY |

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@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

:trophy:

#SaintsFC’s @Mgabbia23 has collected his @PFA Fans’ Premier League Player of the Month award for February:

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James Ward-Prowse says England call-up was ‘life-long ambition’

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Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse has revealed his call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad fulfilled a “life-long ambition”.

Ward-Prowse, who is the current England U21 captain, has featured 21 times for Saints in the Premier League this season, notching three goals.

The 22-year-old worked under current national boss Gareth Southgate with the U21 side and earned his first senior call-up last week, ahead of England’s friendly against Germany and World Cup ualifying game against Lithuania.

“It’s obviously an incredibly proud feeling for me,” said Ward-Prowse. "It’s always been a life-long ambition and a career ambition to reach the senior squad.

"I think it’s every young player’s dream to play for England and to be given that opportunity and chance to represent your country and do everyone proud is a great honour.

“Should the chance come this week, I’ll be ready to take it. I can’t wait to draw every ounce of knowledge from other players who have been in the group before this week, to help me as a player as well.”

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 20/03/2017 22:43:53

| | These Southampton players must return to Puel’s XI after 2-1 defeat to SpursFOOTBALLFANCAST |
| | Southampton send scout to FC Porto match; could be watching 25-year-old midfielderFOOTBALLFANCAST |

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@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

We can’t wait either, boss! #saintsfc http://sfcne.ws/CPSMReturn

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 20/03/2017 23:44:09

| | Chelsea keen to win Van Dijk race, willing to offer tempting star in exchange | | Where football transfer rumours …THETRANSFERTAVERN |
| | ‘Winks is better than Herrera & Ward-Prowse’ - Fans go wild for young Spurs starFOOTBALLLONDON |

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England’s ambition is to become ‘the best in the world’, Three Lions new boy James Ward-Prowse reveals

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England’s ambition to become the best in the world was laid out in a powerful presentation by manager Gareth Southgate, but Wayne Rooney was not there to hear it.

Bowing out at the group stage of the last World Cup and then to Iceland at Euro 2016 saw the Three Lions plummet to a low that the former defender is charged of dragging them up from.

Wednesday’s opponents Germany are role models for the improvements required if England are challenge for a major trophy - an ambition outlined by Southgate in a presentation at St George’s Park on Monday morning.

The 46-year-old invited those in his thoughts but not the squad to join the group and, while it was always subject to club commitments, only Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland - out since last March’s friendly in Germany - made the trip.

Rooney was conspicuous by his absence as he stayed at Manchester United to undergo treatment on an injury sustained in a collision with Phil Jones, missing a meeting in which new boy James Ward-Prowse revealed the lofty ambitions outlined.

“It was a very powerful message,” the Southampton midfielder said, before confirming Rooney was not there.

"It is one that the Under-21s have received before, sort of highlighted about the highs and lows of a career and the ambitions that he sees for us.

"And you know, we want to establish ourselves as a top team in the world.

“So it is all about plugging away at those goals and making sure that what we do now stands us in good stead for when we reach major tournaments.”

Asked what the goal is, Ward-Prowse added: "I think obviously we want to be the best in the world.

"If you want to win major tournaments, then you’ve got to become that sort of team.

“In every department - the medical side of it, technical and tactical, the operations and the way we things work - we all want to be the best and make sure we give ourselves a chance to succeed.”

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