| Saints up their bid for Gabbiadini | Southampton have reportedly increased their offer for Napoli striker Manolo Gabbiadini. According to a report from … 25-01-2017 |
Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier has been reminiscing about the 1987 League Cup semi-final against Liverpool, and his involvement as an 18-year-old in his debut season.
Liverpool great John Barnes says Daniel Sturridge must start the EFL Cup semi-final second leg against against Southampton.
The Reds go into the Anfield clash 1-0 down after the first leg and Barnes reckons that Sturridge is the best option for Jurgen Klopp’s side as they go looking for goals, report the Liverpool Echo .
“Klopp hasn’t (picked Sturridge). But Sadio Mane is not there," England legend Barnes said, speaking on behalf of Bonuscodebets.co.uk .
"A fit and motivated Daniel Sturridge is one of the best players in the country. And we’re hoping that is the Sturridge we will see, particularly as it’s to go through to a final and win a trophy.
“I’m hoping that we will see a motivated Daniel Sturridge. He is a handful for anyone. It’s a second leg, at home, everything to play for and they have got to go for it, so I don’t see why Daniel shouldn’t be as motivated as he can be.”
Klopp has often preferred to play Roberto Firmino in in a central striker role for Liverpool and in Philippe Coutinho’s absence has also played Divock Origi up front, but Barnes believes that Sturridge’s experience gives him the edge.
Barnes, who won the League Cup with Liverpool in 1995, suspects Klopp could in fact turn to both forwards as he looks to overcome Southampton and take Liverpool to the final on February 26.
He added: “I think, if you look at the way we play going forward, Adam Lallana, Philippe Coutinho and Sadio Mane have been our inspiration - supplement Origi into that and you can see him doing well.
“But Origi being the main striker to lead the line, without Mane or Sturridge, he is not quite there at the moment.
“So for me, Daniel Sturridge is still the player to play. As I said, as long as he’s motivated.
“But Klopp likes Origi. He is showing faith in him. He’s got pace, he’s strong and he does give you the option, and against Southampton it will be important because they defend deep and narrow which will allow us to get wide and get crosses into the box, Origi is big and powerful so he gives us something to aim at.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes that way, because there won’t be much space in behind for Daniel, and that’s where Origi is stronger than Daniel, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he does that - or goes for both of them."
A first-half strike from Nathan Redmond gives Southampton a slender advantage going into the second leg of the tie. The Reds put in a flat performance at St Mary’s in the first leg, and had Loris Karius to thank for keeping the score down.
Barnes says it was the first time this season he has seen Liverpool out-fought, and he has warned Liverpool they must ensure that doesn’t happen again at Anfield.
He said: “They will have to put in a better performance than they did down there, which was disappointing. Forget about the result, Southampton played with more intensity, more desire and more determination.
“That’s the first time I’ve seen a Liverpool team out-battled, because that has been a feature of Klopp’s reign - the intensity and determination with which they approach every game.”
Southampton have kept a clean sheet against Klopp’s Liverpool in both of their meetings so far this season, securing a 0-0 at St Mary’s in the Premier League, as well as that first leg victory.
Barnes says Southampton have shown Liverpool’s attack due respect and he says that the onus is on the Reds to break down the Saints’ stubborn defence and show they have what it takes to go to Wembley.
“They have respected Liverpool enough to defend deep, even at home,” said Barnes.
“If you watched the first 20 minutes of that match, Liverpool had all the possession and they showed no ambition whatsoever.
“When teams play deep against Liverpool, it’s difficult to break them down, particularly when Coutinho isn’t playing. You miss his invention and flair.
“Whenever a team opens up against Liverpool, then for me Liverpool are the best counter-attacking team in the country. Yes, they are missing Mane, so they will miss that injection of pace going forward, but nevertheless they still have Sturridge, Lallana and Coutinho.
“I think they will approach the game in the exact same way. I think they would have been happy with a 0-0 draw at home and they would have come into the second leg and tried to nick something.
“So 1-0 really gives them something to hold onto, so it’s up to Liverpool to break them down.”
Arsene Wenger will risk upsetting Alexis Sanchez by leaving him out of the Arsenal team to face Southampton in the FA Cup.
Wenger is expected to rotate his starting XI for Saturday’s clash to allow the likes of Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck the chance to shine.
Mesut Ozil could also be left in the stands after enjoying a short trip to Sweden earlier this week.
But Sanchez’s omission from the squad will be the one that Arsenal fans will be most concerned about following the Chilean’s clear desire to play football in recent weeks.
He appeared inconsolable after being substituted off with ten minutes to play at Swansea earlier this month, despite his side already leading 4-0.
And his fighting spirit was clear for all to see when the Gunners failed to secure victory at Bournemouth - despite going 3-0 down at the Vitality Stadium.
Sanchez has already reacted badly to being left out of cup squads, after missing the EFL Cup quarter-final defeat to Southampton and FA Cup third round win at Preston North End.
The 28-year-old is currently locked in discussions with Arsenal over a new contract and club legend Robert Pires, who is now a first-team coach, says that the forward has told him that he does not know if he will remain at the club.
Sanchez is demanding club-record wages to remain at the Emirates.
But he will likely be left out for the trip to St Mary’s as Wenger looks to rotate his team.
Welbeck has only had minimal game time since his return from injury, while Walcott too requires a run out after recovering from a thigh problem.
Lucas Perez, a £17million summer buy from Deportivo La Coruna, is still adapting to the English game and a classic cup tie could see him appear.
Romeu, who arrived at St Mary’s ahead of the 2015/16 campaign, has extended his stay until 2021 following an excellent season so far under Claude Puel.
The former Barcelona player made 35 appearances during his first season at St Mary’s, scoring goals against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.
This season, Romeu has missed just one Premier League game since the start of the campaign, featuring on 30 occasions in all competitions under Puel.
Fans voted the midfielder as the club’s Under Armour Player of the Month in both September and October, following an excellent start to the campaign for the Spaniard.
Speaking about his new contract, Romeu said: “I couldn’t be any happier to have this new contract with the club.
“Ever since I came here I have felt very, very good. Everything has been positive for me. I have developed myself and been getting better every day.
“Looking forward, it’s a good thing for me, but hopefully there will be more to come and nice experiences to go through.”
Executive Director of Football Les Reed added: “We’re delighted that Oriol has extended his commitment to Southampton Football Club.
“We’re confident he will continue to build on what has been an impressive 18 months since he joined us from Chelsea.
“Since arriving at the club, Oriol has worked extremely hard to establish himself as an integral part of the team and we firmly believe he will continue to be a key pillar in our squad for many years to come.
“At the age of 25, Oriol still has the capacity to develop and progress as an individual, and we’re very pleased that he sees Southampton as the perfect environment for him to do just that.”
Lucky omen Joel Matip is expected to return to the heart of Liverpool’s defence against Saints.
The Cameroon international hasn’t started a game for the Reds since December 11 - but could replace Radnar Klavan in the League Cup semi final second leg at Anfield.
Matip was first sidelined with an ankle injury and, after returning to fitness, couldn’t play while his club were embroiled in a row with the Cameroon Football Federation.
Cameroon were adamant Matip shouldn’t be allowed to play for Liverpool for the duration of the Africa Cup of Nations as he turned down the chance to play in the tournament in Gabon after being named in their provisional 35-man squad.
However, the 25-year-old defender - who hasn’t played for Cameroon since 2015 - considers himself retired from international football and had always made it clear that he wasn’t available for selection.
Liverpool were left furious by FIFA’s failure to provide any clarity on the issue.
Eventually the confusion was cleared up and Matic made his return as a late sub in last weekend’s shock 3-2 home Premier League loss to Swansea.
He subsequently played an hour for Liverpool’s under-23s in a cup tie against Ipswich at Tranmere’s Prenton Park ground the following day.
Matip has started 14 games for Liverpool, and has never been on the losing side in any of them - winning ten and drawing four.
One of those draws was at St Mary’s in November when Liverpool restricted Saints to only a few efforts on goal in the 0-0 stalemate.
When he hasn’t played, Matip’s absence has been keenly felt.
He didn’t start any of the club’s three league losses at Burnley and Bournemouth and at home to Swansea - where Klopp’s team conceded nine goals to three of the top flight’s lesser lights.
Matip and Klavan were both signed last summer - from Bundesliga clubs Schalke and Augsburg respectively.
While the former has impressed, the 31-year Estonian international hasn’t.
Klavan, who has won over 100 caps for his country, was at fault for Saints’ winning goal in the first leg of the League Cup semi.
And in the 16 games he’s started, Liverpool have only kept five clean sheets - and two of those were in the League Cup against Championship pair Derby and Leeds.
Matip is expected to partner ex-Saint Dejan Lovren at Anfield in the second leg.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp is delighted with Matip’s return as he bids to cure his side’s defensive worries.
“Of course, it’s good because he is a really good player, but he was injured for six weeks,” he said.
“The other players had to play nearly all the time, that’s more the problem in this time - not that Joel cannot play all of the time.
“It is not about one player or something.
“It’s clear what we’ve done wrong and we really have to do better.”
JACK Stephens can be the next academy graduate to prove that he’s not overawed by big occasions.
Some fans have called for Claude Puel to draft Ryan Bertrand in to partner Maya Yoshida at central defence, if Virgil van Dijk’s is not fit for tonight’s huge League Cup semi-final second leg at Liverpool.
That would mean leaving the inexperienced Stephens on the bench, and putting fellow academy graduate Sam McQueen in at left-back.
There is some sense in that, with the more experienced Bertrand proving very solid in a central three last season.
But it is definitely not what Puel has in mind.
And it could well be the making of the rookie defender’s Saints career if he continues his solid start.
It is, of course, going to be an absolutely huge event in his fledgling career.
Stephens has started three times at right-back for Saints this season, has started once in the FA Cup draw at Norwich at centre-back, before replacing Van Dijk as he hobbled out of the 3-0 win over Leicester at the weekend.
But now he faces his first real crunch test, which, if he comes through his Anfield baptism of fire, then he’ll be, like McQueen before him, a bona fide option for Puel.
With Matt Targett and Bertrand injured, McQueen suddenly was thrust in to the spotlight back in October.
His first Saints start came at the San Siro against Inter Milan in the club’s centrepiece Europa League group game.
He then made his first Premier League start at giants Manchester City.
Both tests he passed with flying colours, and he is now considered a proper first team option.
The match at Anfield is high-pressure, there is no doubt.
It’s a massive game for the club – a rare chance to play at Wembley in a major final is up for grabs.
But Puel is not scared of putting trust in his youngsters, which clearly, like McQueen, helps them thrive.
Stephens must back himself, with his boss having faith in him.
Central defence, with its huge responsibility, is rarely a place where you see academy youngsters come through and thrive at an early age.
But the 22-year-old has done his time, and the glimpses of his ability so far suggest that he could well live up to his billing after all.
His Saints debut came in January 2012 in a 2-1 FA Cup victory at Coventry before a long wait of 45 months for his second appearance, which came at right-back in Saints’ League Cup home win over Sunderland last October.
Since arriving in 2011 from Plymouth Argyle as a 17-year-old, Stephens has made most impact for the academy and on loan.
The Cornishman, under contract until the summer of 2019, has certainly had to bide his time, with Saints always being well stocked at central defence.
England Under-21s boss Aidy Boothroyd recognised Stephens’ quality and urged Puel to see him as an option after he scored for at St Mary’s for the Young Lions against Italy in November.
“Jack’s a really good player,” he said. “He is right on the periphery of his club team and you hope something like that catches the eye of his club manager (Puel) and gets him some more starts, but he has a bit to do because he has some good competition in front of him.
“He came with us to Toulon (the tournament England U21s won last summer).
“He was playing as a holding midfielder at Swindon, he was really good, and then he went to Coventry … he’s been around a bit, he knows his way around the motorways.
“It’s just one of those where he just has to get some games.”
Stephens has made more than 70 appearances in the Football League and domestic cups.
In his first loan spell at Swindon in 2013/14 he played ten times, following that up a season later with 41 games for the Robins in League One.
Last term he failed to make an impact with Middlesbrough in the Championship, but dropped down to League One and made 16 appearances for Coventry in the second half of the campaign before returning to Saints.
Now, with options limited, he could finally get the chance shine on Saints’ biggest night of the season.
Saints boss Claude Puel is putting all his focus into tonight’s League Cup semi-final with Liverpool rather than worrying about the transfer window.
Saints have been left in a tricky spot for the game at Anfield with Virgil van Dijk a major doubt after picking up an injury and Jose Fonte having been sold.
It is unfortunate timing, though Saints do still have Maya Yoshida, Jack Stephens and Florin Gardos as centre half options.
Puel felt the time was right for Fonte to leave for West Ham, and is moving on.
He said: “I think Jose chose the situation to leave the club.
“It was a difficult situation for him and for us since the beginning of the season with discussions about this contract.
“He was unhappy and it is always difficult.
“It was important for Jose to find a solution because he is 33 and I think for his career, for the last contract it was a strong thought for him and sometimes I think it’s not easy to play with all these things in his head.
“I wish of course all the best for Jose because he was a good captain for Southampton, he did strong work for this club and he can improve for all his career with Southampton.
“He stays with the memories of fans and this is important.
“It was important for this, for me, to consider his possibility for a last contract for him.
“I am happy if he find the good solution.”
There is inevitably talk over who might replace Fonte, with Everton’s Phil Jagielka the latest name to be linked.
With van Dijk’s injury thought to be a minor one, Puel insists Saints could still go through the window without a new addition.
“We study the possibility or not to replace him,” said Puel.
“It is important the possibility to the end of the market.
“We have for the moment at centre back van Dijk, Yoshida, Gardos and Stephens and we see if opportunity or no or we stay with our confidence with this player.
“I don’t know for the moment and we will see this until the end of the market.”
Puel has his eyes trained solely on making it to Wembley via tonight’s League Cup semi-final second leg at Anfield.
“Yes it’s an exciting game and a good result can do fantastic things,” he admitted.
“For me it’s important to play this game and to think just for the result because it would be a mistake just about the result.
“They lost their last game in the Premier League and they want to react and it’s an important game for them also.
“Just to put the problem for this team and with the ability, the good spirit in our play to find a solution to score, not just to defend this result.
“It will be very important to have the good mentality, the good attitude to score goals away.”
Liverpool outcast Mamadou Sakho is considering offers from Southampton and Spartak Moscow.
Sakho has been frozen out at Anfield under Jurgen Klopp and has not managed a single minute of senior team football this season, being restricted to turning out for the Under-23s.
Klopp is willing to let the 26-year-old go this month, but he is only prepared to depart for a club he is fully convinced about joining.
Two clubs meet his criteria, according to reports, and Sakho is debating between a move to Southampton or Spartak Moscow.
Southampton are understood to be the frontrunners to secure his signature, with the Frenchman settled in England and keen to continue playing in the Premier League.
But he has also been impressed with Spartak Moscow’s offer, which is more lucrative than the deal offered by the Saints.
Jurgen Klopp looks set to hand a start to Joel Matip for Liverpool 's EFL Cup semi-final second leg against Southampton.
The Cameroon international has been unavailable since withdrawing from the Africa Cup of Nations, but returned to the bench for Saturday’s defeat against Swansea.
However, Matip played an hour for the Under-23s the following day and looks set to be thrown into the starting XI against the Saints at Anfield.
Captain Jordan Henderson is a possible doubt with a persistent heel problem but he is expected to play.
Meanwhile, Southampton will await results of a scan on Virgil van DIjk to assess whether the defender will play.
The Saints captain hobbled off in the 55th minute during their 3-0 Premier League win over Leicester on Sunday and remains a doubt for their trip to Merseyside.
Should Van Dijk miss out, England Under-21 international Jack Stephens, who came on as a substitute for the Dutchman, could deputise for Claude Puel’s side.
Ryan Bertrand and Dusan Tadic should keep their places in the starting XI as Puel confirmed that he will play his strongest side at Anfield while Steven Davis could recover from a knock which has caused him to miss their last few games.
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