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Saints Together: Senior Saints
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As our Saints Together campaign gets under way, we take a look at the work of Saints Foundation’s Senior Saints project.
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Claude Puel held his pre-#CFC press conference today.
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Ryan Bertrand returns to Chelsea having blossomed at Southampton
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Ryan Bertrand returns to his old stomping ground when Southampton face Chelsea live on Sky Sports on Tuesday night. We examine how the full-back has blossomed on the south coast.
Marcos Alonso’s late withdrawal from Chelsea’s recent defeat to Manchester United left Antonio Conte without a natural replacement at left wing-back. As he pondered his options at Old Trafford, he could have been forgiven for cursing the man in the opposite dugout.
Back in January 2015, it was Jose Mourinho who sanctioned Ryan Bertrand’s permanent move from Chelsea to Southampton. The academy product had been seen as a long-term replacement for Ashley Cole and started in the 2012 Champions League final, but he left Stamford Bridge having made just three appearances under Mourinho.
The 27-year-old does not rank as highly as Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne on the list of ones who got away during Mourinho’s time in charge, but Chelsea could use him now. In fact, the Evening Standard recently reported that Conte is keen to bring him back to the club this summer.
It would be no great surprise. Bertrand has gone from strength to strength in three seasons at Southampton, becoming a key player and an established England international. He has predominantly shone in his natural full-back position, but he even impressed on the left of a back three under Ronald Koeman. For Conte, that versatility is an added attraction.
In a defensive sense, Bertrand made his biggest strides under Koeman. Southampton finished the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons with the second and fifth-best defensive records in the Premier League, with Bertrand only missing 10 games out of 76 over the course of the two campaigns.
Bertrand found consistency with the regular football he was never afforded at Chelsea. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year in his first season on the south coast. Since then, both Koeman and his successor Claude Puel have allowed him to express himself, too.
His overlapping runs have become a feature of Southampton’s style, and few defenders have been so effective in the attacking third. Bertrand has contributed more assists (nine) than full-backs Kyle Walker, Antonio Valencia and Hector Bellerin in the last three seasons. West Ham’s Aaron Cresswell is the only defender to have provided more big chances.
Under Puel, Bertrand has been given more attacking licence than ever. “It’s a change - new tactics, new everything, to be honest,” he said in October. “He likes his full-backs to attack and we’re starting a lot higher up the pitch this season. He has a whole footballing philosophy, he likes possession and we have been controlling games more.”
Indeed, Southampton’s possession has risen from 49 per cent to 55 per cent this season. Bertrand is making fewer tackles and fewer interceptions, but he is more involved in their build-up play. According to Opta, almost 40 per cent of Southampton’s attacks are directed down their left flank. It’s the second highest ratio in the Premier League, and it’s a deliberate tactic to unleash Bertrand.
With holding midfielder Oriol Romeu dropping into the backline and left winger Nathan Redmond cutting inside to use his stronger foot, the full-back has the freedom of the flank. He is enjoying more touches, making more passes and creating more chances than in either of his previous seasons at Southampton.
For Redmond, though, Bertrand’s defensive influence is just as important. “He’s always in my ear if I do something good or bad,” said the 23-year-old recently. “To have someone strong behind you is a good feeling and you know defensively you have a little bit less to do. We’re building a strong relationship and it’s showing.”
Redmond is not the only one to have praised Bertrand’s character. Director of football Les Reed cited the defender’s “great leadership qualities both on and off the pitch” when he agreed a new long-term contract in July, and his increased importance to Southampton’s system suggests Puel feels the same way.
And so, two years on from cutting ties with Chelsea, Bertrand’s progress continues. He returns to Stamford Bridge hoping to give his former employers a first-hand reminder of what they let go. If Southampton end up stalling Chelsea’s title charge, Conte might find himself cursing his predecessor again.
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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 24/04/2017 15:14:29
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| Chelsea v Southampton: Visitors can take advantage of tired BluesNEWSLADBROKES |
|| Bertrand: 'Van Dijk best CB in world’SPORTSMOLE |
| | Antonio Conte targets £120m double signing to strengthen Chelsea squadIBTIMES |
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Puel: Romeu good enough for Spain
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Romeu has missed the last two games, as he served a ban for picking up ten yellow cards, but he is available again for tomorrow night’s visit to Chelsea.
If he features, he could come up against the newly-crowned PFA Player of the Season, N’Golo Kanté, and Puel believes there is not much between the two defensive midfielders.
“Kanté is a very important player for this team, because he does fantastic work to recover the ball and start the play,” said Puel.
"For me, N’Golo has the same qualities and the same play as Romeu with us. He’s an important player. Without Kanté, it’s difficult for Chelsea and without Romeu it’s difficult for us. But I am happy of course for N’Golo.
“I think he’s not far from Kanté. We have seen the quality of his game since the beginning of the season.
"He’s very consistent and every game he gives always a good performance, with his consistency and quality. He’s strong in recovering the ball and has a lot of qualities to start with the ball.
“He’s a great player for me, but for the moment we cannot play for the first places of the table and he is not on the TV, but we will see for the future. For me he can go also to the selection with Spain for example."
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Southampton boss Claude Puel says Oriol Romeu ‘not far off’ N’Golo Kante’s quality
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Southampton manager Claude Puel has compared Oriol Romeu to PFA Player of the Year N’Golo Kante ahead of the Saints’ trip to Chelsea.
Romeu returns from suspension to take on his former side at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night, live on Sky Sports.
The Spaniard will be up against Kante, voted by his peers as English football’s best player this season, and Saints boss Puel believes Romeu is approaching the same standard.
“I think he’s not far off Kante,” Puel said at his pre-match press conference. "He is very important for us. He recovers the ball so well and is a technical player.
"If we see the quality of his games since the beginning of the season, N’Golo Kante brings the same qualities as Oriol for us because he’s very consistent and in every game he gives good performances, with consistency and quality.
“He’s an important player for this team because he can do fantastic work to recover the ball and start the play. Without Kante for Chelsea it’s difficult and the same with Romeu, it’s difficult for us without him.”
Romeu, capped at youth level, is yet to make his full Spain debut, but Puel said: “We will see for the future, we are confident in him and, for me, he can look to getting in the selection with Spain.”
Chelsea go into Tuesday’s game with a four-point lead at the top, and Puel said: "They are a fantastic team that want to win the title, but for us as well it is important to take points.
"I am confident with my players. They work very well in training. It’s important to play our game and enjoy it.
“The best team in the Premier League is the one with the most consistency and, for the moment, that is Chelsea.”
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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 24/04/2017 16:14:43
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| Chelsea vs Southampton Prediction, Betting Tips, Preview & Live Stream Info | SportslensSPORTSLENS |
| | Former striker James Beattie helps rescue children from yacht after it crashes into chain ferryDORSETECHO |
| | Virgil van Dijk hailed as Premier League’s best defender amid interest from Man City, Liverpool and ChelseaSQUAWKA |
| | SCOTZINECOM |
| | Should Liverpool target Pontus Jansson instead of Virgil van Dijk? | SportslensSPORTSLENS |
|| Chelsea to splash out on £120m for in-demand duoFOOTBALLFANCAST |
| | Southampton manager Claude Puel determined to keep Virgil van Dijk amid Chelsea interestIBTIMES | ...culturedly spawned by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!
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Newcastle ready to rival West Brom in race to sign Jay Rodriguez
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Newcastle United are showing interest in Southampton striker Jay Rodriguez. The 27-year-old, who has two years left on his contract, is a summer target for West Bromwich Albion with Tony Pulis a confirmed admirer.
Pulis tried to sign Rodriguez in January, ahead of competition from Sunderland, in a deal worth £12million only for Southampton to reject the offer following injury to Charlie Austin. The West Brom boss will try again this summer but faces competition.
Rodriguez, who has scored five goals this season, has grown frustrated at his lack of first team starts and is prepared to move to kickstart his career.
Newcastle hope to clinch promotion back to the Premier League on Monday night and manager Rafa Benitez has already drawn up a list of potential targets to help his squad consolidate their place in the top flight next season.
Stoke City’s Ryan Shawcross and Fulham’s Tom Cairney are among those targets while Rodriguez is also now under consideration.
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#SaintsFC were hard at work today, as they prepared for #CFC! View our full gallery from training here:… https://twitter.com/i/web/status/856553575383801856
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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 24/04/2017 17:14:56
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| Chelsea Team News: Injuries, suspensions & line-up vs SouthamptonGOALDOTCOM || Fantastic Left Foot, Amazing – Antonio Conte Showers Praise On Manolo GabbiadiniINSIDEFUTBOLCOM |
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Antonio Conte admits he would rather lose than have a selfish player
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Chelsea manager Antonio Conte says he would rather lose than have a selfish player in his team as he praised the ‘amazing’ ability of Southampton striker Manolo Gabbiadini.
The Blues boss was speaking to the media ahead of his side’s game against Saints on Tuesday night when he was asked whether Eden Hazard could be as good as Lionel Messi if he played in a more selfish manner.
‘No, absolutely not,’ Conte said in response. 'I don’t think a player like Messi is a selfish player. The target for every great champion is to play for the team.
'The best players aren’t without the team. For me, it is sad when I listen to this, that one player must be more selfish to reach the top level.
‘It is sad because it is not my idea of football. I will never understand this. In my team, I don’t want selfish players. I prefer to lose a game than have selfish players. I don’t want that in my club. Never.’
Conte is preparing his side for the visit of Southampton on Tuesday night, where he will come up against a former player in Manolo Gabbiadini.
The Chelsea boss was in charge of the Italian national team between 2014 and 2016 at a time when the now-Saints man was on the fringes of the team.
In fact, Gabbiadini earned five of his six international caps under Conte, and the manager was full of praise for the striker’s ‘amazing’ left foot.
‘He is a really good player, a talented player,’ Conte said. 'A really good left foot, one of the best in the world. It’s amazing how he kicks the ball.
'If you don’t know him, you can’t understand the talent he has. I know him very well. He didn’t play a lot with Napoli, for this reason it’s very difficult for me to call him.
‘I have great respect for him. He’s a really good guy and his sister is a great striker for the national team, also. It is a family that was born with a ball, him and his sister.’
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Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu ‘not far off’ Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante, claims Claude Puel
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Claude Puel believes Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu is “not far off” the standard of newly-crowned PFA player of the year N’Golo Kante ahead of the Premier League trip to Chelsea.
Kante has become one of the most influential midfielders in the division, playing a huge role in Leicester’s memorable title win last season and looking good for a second successive championship, this time with Antonio Conte’s Chelsea.
Romeu, on the other hand, is now one of Saints’ most influential players, performing in the defensive midfield anchorman role admirably following Victor Wanyama’s summer departure to Tottenham.
The 25-year-old Spaniard came through the ranks at Barcelona before moving to Stamford Bridge in 2011. He was on the Chelsea books for four years but spent time on loan with Valencia and Stuttgart.
Ahead of Southampton’s trip to west London, Puel has compared Romeu, who is expected to start against his former club after missing Saints’ last two games through suspension, to Kante and the manager feels both men are almost equals in terms of quality.
“I think he’s not far off Kante,” Puel said at his pre-match press conference. "He is very important for us. He recovers the ball so well and is a technical player.
"If we see the quality of his games since the beginning of the season, N’Golo Kante brings the same qualities as Oriol for us because he’s very consistent and in every game he gives good performances, with consistency and quality.
"He’s an important player for this team because he can do fantastic work to recover the ball and start the play.
"Without (Kante) for Chelsea it’s difficult and the same with Romeu, it’s difficult for us without him.
“We will see for the future, we are confident in him and, for me, he can look to getting in the selection with Spain, for example.”
On Chelsea, he added: "They are a fantastic team that want to win the title, but for us as well it is important to take points.
"I am confident with my players. They work very well in training. It’s important to play our game and enjoy it.
“The best team in the Premier League is the one with the most consistency and, for the moment, that is Chelsea.”
Elsewhere, Matt Targett and Charlie Austin will return to training after recovering from respective hamstring and shoulder injuries but neither is available for the trip.
Sam McQueen is doubtful after sustaining a groin injury while Virgil van Dijk (foot) and Alex McCarthy (hamstring) remain absent.
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Ward-Prowse: Saints develop educated people
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With 132 Premier League appearances at the age of 22, James Ward-Prowse is one of the recent success stories in a long line of talents to develop at Southampton’s academy.
He says it is “The Southampton Way” - the core values instilled in the players’ education on and off the pitch - which is so integral to the youth system of the club who have developed current top-flight stars including Adam Lallana and Theo Walcott.
Speaking in the video above Ward-Prowse said: "The Southampton Way is a manifesto of how things are done here, and every player knows that and abides to it.
“It’s all about buying into that and making sure that every time you step out onto the grass you make the most of the day and make sure you improve.”
See: Austin and Targett set for return
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Antonio Conte reveals Chelsea’s team news ahead of Southampton clash
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Antonio Conte has confirmed Gary Cahill is fit again to return for Chelsea’s title charge.
England defender Cahill missed Chelsea’s FA Cup semi final after being hospitalised for two days with a bug.
But Cahill trained fully today and is fit to play against Southampton tomorrow night as Chelsea look to push seven points clear ahead of Tottenham.
Chelsea boss Conte said on Monday: “Gary, yesterday, trained with us and also today. It’s normal to check his condition and, also, I want to speak very well with him tomorrow before taking the decision (as to whether he plays).
“But, in this case, I’m very happy if he’s able to play tomorrow. But also I want to underline the performance of Ake. I was pleased for his performance. He played a really good game and he’s very important for us.”
Former Italy boss Conte also warned his players that Southampton’s former Napoli striker Manolo Gabbiadini will be a major threat at Stamford Bridge.
Conte said: “We worked together with the national team. He’s a really good player, a talented player. A fantastic left foot. One of the best in the world. It’s amazing the way he kicks the ball. If someone doesn’t know him, he can’t understand the talent that this player has.
“We must pay great attention to him. I know him very well from my period in charge of the national team. He didn’t play a lot with Napoli so it’s hard for an international manager to call up a player who is not playing regularly for his club, but I have great respect for him.
“He’s a really good guy. His sister is a great striker in Italy for the national team, also. His family, they were born with a football. Him and his sister.”
“Yes, for sure (I’ve told my players). I had to talk, but my goalkeeping coach started to talk to the keepers to give advice to the players. But they have a lot of good players, Southampton.”
Conte has also told Eden Hazard to carry on being a team player and he must never become selfish.
Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas claimed after Hazard’s cameo role at Wembley that the Belgian could be as good as Lionel Messi if he became more selfish.
But Conte said: “I don’t think that a player like Messi is a selfish player. The first target for every great champion is to play for the team and to put your talent into the team. If you do this, the team exalts your talent. The best players in the world don’t exist without a team.
“They don’t exist without a team. For me, it’s sad to listen to this, that a player must ‘be more selfish’ to reach the top level. That’s very sad. It’s not my idea of football and I will never understand this. Never, never.
“In my team, I don’t want selfish players. I prefer to lose a game than to have a selfish player. For me, I don’t want this and I can’t accept this. I don’t want my club to buy me a selfish player one day. Never. No.”
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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 24/04/2017 18:15:10
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...sobbingly coined by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!| Chelsea Boss Ready To Splash £120m On Double Summer Swoop | Football Talk | Premier League NewsFOOTBALLTALK |
| | Newcastle eyeing move for Southampton forwardREADNEWCASTLE |
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Oriol Romeu ‘almost as good as Chelsea star N’Golo Kante’, says Puel
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Claude Puel believes Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu is ‘not far off’ the standard of newly-crowned PFA player of the year N’Golo Kante ahead of the Premier League trip to Chelsea.
Kante has become one of the most influential midfielders in the division, playing a huge role in Leicester’s memorable title win last season and looking good for a second successive championship, this time with Antonio Conte’s Chelsea.
Romeu, on the other hand, is now one of Saints’ most influential players, performing in the defensive midfield anchorman role admirably following Victor Wanyama’s summer departure to Tottenham.
The 25-year-old Spaniard came through the ranks at Barcelona before moving to Stamford Bridge in 2011. He was on the Chelsea books for four years but spent time on loan with Valencia and Stuttgart.
Ahead of Southampton’s trip to west London, Puel has compared Romeu, who is expected to start against his former club after missing Saints’ last two games through suspension, to Kante and the manager feels both men are almost equals in terms of quality.
‘I think he’s not far off Kante,’ Puel said at his pre-match press conference. 'He is very important for us. He recovers the ball so well and is a technical player.
'If we see the quality of his games since the beginning of the season, N’Golo Kante brings the same qualities as Oriol for us because he’s very consistent and in every game he gives good performances, with consistency and quality.
'He’s an important player for this team because he can do fantastic work to recover the ball and start the play.
'Without (Kante) for Chelsea it’s difficult and the same with Romeu, it’s difficult for us without him.
‘We will see for the future, we are confident in him and, for me, he can look to getting in the selection with Spain, for example.’
On Chelsea, he added: 'They are a fantastic team that want to win the title, but for us as well it is important to take points.
'I am confident with my players. They work very well in training. It’s important to play our game and enjoy it.
‘The best team in the Premier League is the one with the most consistency and, for the moment, that is Chelsea.’
Elsewhere, Matt Targett and Charlie Austin will return to training after recovering from respective hamstring and shoulder injuries but neither is available for the trip.
Sam McQueen is doubtful after sustaining a groin injury while Virgil van Dijk (foot) and Alex McCarthy (hamstring) remain absent.
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