Manolo Gabbiadini has thanked his Southampton team-mates for welcoming him to English football after escaping from a “Taliban” coach at Napoli.
The Italy striker scored twice on his Wembley debut – and was wrongly denied a hat-trick – to take his tally to five goals in his first three games for the Saints.
It is a welcome return to form and favour for Gabbiadini, who joined for £15m in January after getting frozen out at Napoli by boss Maurizio Sarri.
He made only seven Serie A starts this season – and Gazzetta dello Sport yesterday criticised the sale and called Sarri a “Taliban” coach for excluding non-believers in his style.
The pair were not on speaking terms and Gabbiadini thanked only former boss Rafa Benitez and not Sarri on his departure. Now he is quickly feeling at home at St Mary’s.
“There are so many emotions that I feel, about the coach and teammates who have made me feel immediately at ease in a different league with a different language – everything is different,” Gabbiadini said.
“For someone who is shy and reserved, in truth I have not really found it difficult with my new team-mates because they are all good guys before being footballers.
"The national team will take care of itself, first I have to think about doing well with this shirt.”
Manolo Gabbiadini became the fourth Italian to score in a League Cup final, but can you guess who the others are?
Gabbiadini put two past David De Gea, but finished as a runner-up at Wembley, with Man United winning 3-2. The striker has enjoyed a blistering start to life in the Premier League, scoring five goals in his first three games following a £14m transfer from Napoli in the January transfer window.
The Southampton star was superb in yesterday’s EFL Cup defeat to Manchester United, scoring twice and having another wrongly chalked off for offside. The impressive Italian ended up on the losing side but made a huge impact on the Wembley clash. Mourinho congratulated him on his fine display after the game and Gabbiadini has now hailed the United boss in return.
“You don’t find big characters like him nowadays – he really is the Special One” The striker said: "Mourinho came and shook my hand at the end. It was a really nice gesture. “You don’t find big characters like him nowadays – he really is the Special One.” Zlatan Ibrahimovic headed home a late winner to secure the trophy for United.
Gabbiadini added: “Ibrahimovic is a natural-born winner. When someone has won something like 32 trophies, there is not a lot to add." Gabbiadini joined Southampton in January for £15m and has scored five goals in first three appearances for the club. On yesterday’s final, he said: "I had never played at Wembley. I had seen this fantastic stadium only on the television and to score twice on my debut gives me huge satisfaction.
"And we can say I really scored three, because that disallowed goal was clearly onside and the hurt for this wrong decision is same as losing the final. “We didn’t deserve the defeat. We were capable of coming back from two goals down and put under pressure a big team like Manchester United throughout the game.” Southampton, currently 13th in the Premier League table, face Watford at Vicarage Road next Saturday.
| Saints At Wembley 2017 ! Dan’s Report | Dan gives us his thoughts and reflections on a great day out at Wembley which was only one thing short of being … 27-02-2017 |
Southampton’s £25million flop striker Dani Osvaldo missed his former club’s epic Wembley EFL Cup final against Manchester United because he was performing at a rock festival in Argentina.
The Saints lost the controversial final to a late Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal and could have done with all the support possible.
But Osvaldo, who cost the club around £25million in transfer fees and wages after his 2013 move from Roma, spent just 166 days on the south coast before he was shipped out and is now a budding rock and roll star.
He sounded like he was still hitting all the wrong notes after a video emerged of him fronting his band Barrio Viejo at the Cosquin Rock Festival, in Argentinean city Maria de Pinilla at the weekend.
The Argentine-Italian striker has had bust-ups throughout his career and was sacked by last club Boca Juniors after manager Guillermo Barros caught him smoking in the changing rooms during a Copa Libertadores quarter-final.
Osvaldo, just 31, reportedly turned down a two-year contract with Chievo worth over £4million deadline day in order to pursue his musical career.
Rangers have identified Southampton director of scouting and recruitment Ross Wilson as their number one target for their director of football role.
BBC Scotland has learned that discussions have been held, but Wilson has much to consider before committing himself to the Ibrox club.
Rangers say they want to create this new role, as well as finding a new head coach, to replace Mark Warburton.
The Englishman left his role as team manager more than two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, former Rangers captain Barry Ferguson would welcome a return to Ibrox after his resignation as Clyde manager on Sunday.
But there has been no contact between the former Scotland midfielder, whose side had gone 10 League Two games without a win, and his former club.
It is unlikely any appointment will be made by Rangers this week, which means caretaker manager Graeme Murty will be in charge for Wednesday’s visit by St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership.
Murty, who has presided over one win and two defeats, has backed the board’s right to take their time over a long-term appointment.
“If we appoint quickly and get it wrong, it would be much more damaging,” the club’s under-20s coach said.
"So we have to be respectful of the board’s wishes to go through their process, do their due diligence and get the right person in place.
“I’ve been told the process is ongoing, interviews are taking place and someone will be appointed. I don’t know when it will be.”
Murty has admitted he is not enjoying being thrust into the hotseat, although he is relishing the chance to gain experience.
“It’s not about me, it’s about the football club and the players,” he said.
“I’m here to facilitate the players playing well, hopefully, and making sure they know what they need to do on a match day. I’m here fulfilling the role I was asked to do.”
Rangers have slipped nine points behind second-placed Aberdeen after two successive league defeats and Murty said he would stand down if he did not think he could benefit the team.
“I’m content to look in the mirror and say that the practices we put on, the work that we’re doing, is of a good standard, it’s what the players need,” he said.
"If I felt I wasn’t being impactful to the players, I would feel more than comfortable going to the board and saying: ‘You need to replace me’.
"As it happens, the board have been fantastically supportive. All they are asking me again is: ‘Can we help you?’
"But I think, if you look at the Inverness game from the Dundee game, there was a definite impact, the players responded really, really well and there was an improvement in our performance levels.
“I reiterate, however, that we need to get points on the board to make sure that all people see that this is a positive and a step forward for the football club.”
Following the midweek league match, Rangers host Hamilton Academical in a Scottish Cup quarter-final on Saturday then face Premiership leaders Celtic on 12 March.
Barry Ferguson is a guest of BBC Radio Scotland 810MW’s Sportsound, starting at 18.30GMT on Monday 27 February.
Settling a team is crucial for consistency, just ask Antonio Conte.
But not all bosses in the Premier League have been able to enjoy making as little alterations to their teamsheet each week as the Chelsea manager.
It might be injuries that force changes, but an uncertainty in strongest starting line-ups can play a key part in the chopping and changing of personnel, too.
So, this season, which top flight club has used the highest number of players and who the least?
Scroll through the gallery above, starting with the team who have deployed the most, to find out.
You watched a Manolo Gabbiadini goal controversially disallowed, Zlatan Ibrahimovic respond and Jesse Lingard pile on the misery for Southampton.
You watched Gabbiadini keep the game alive moments before the break and grab it by the scruff of the neck in the second half as Manchester United looked to be fading.
And, of course, you saw Ibrahimovic win the Red Devils their fifth League Cup and shatter the dreams of the Saints supporters.
All in days work… but what goes into creating one of the biggest spectacles of the season? And just how big is the entire operation?
MirrorFootball went behind the scenes at Sky Sports and spoke to everyone from Goals on Sunday presenter Ben Shephard and reporter David Craig to Head of Football Gary Hughes to find out.
They played the game and now offer expert analysis on it.
So you’d be forgiven for thinking some Sky Sports pundits are sick to death of football, but that couldn’t be any further from the truth.
As Sunday’s EFL Cup final got under way Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier left the comfort - and warmth - of the Sky Sports studio and ventured into the terraces to be among the Saints fans.
Those nearby turned to snap the former England international and revelled in watching him kick every ball like he was himself down on the Wembley pitch.
When the Saints’ opener was ruled out, Le Tissier darted inside the studio to watch the replay on a monitor before he was back among the fans bemoaning the decision.
Phil Neville was also heavily invested in the match and erupted with joy at the sight of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s winner while Jamie Redknapp studied the game with the utmost concentration.
Goals on Sunday co-host Ben Shephard spoke to Man United legend Teddy Sheringham and injured Southampton forward Charlie Austin ahead of the EFL Cup final on Sunday.
We caught up with the presenter before kick-off and learned that despite years in the business - and preparation for every game being similar - there is nothing quite like working a final.
“There’s always extra pressure when you’re out of the studio and it’s live, but that just makes it more exciting,” said Shephard.
"I think after many years of broadcasting live anything that adds a little bit of tension or thrill to the team and crew, and adrenaline, is a good thing.
"Being here at Wembley, and even though it’s empty, there’s still a real thrill being here, walking out and being pitch-side.
“As a young kid who would sit and watch League Cup finals and dream about being able to come and watch a team play a final here, the fact that I’m working here is a real honour, a real treat.”
“It’s our cup final too!”
These were the words Sky Sports Head of Football Gary Hughes used to describe the importance of the EFL Cup final for the staff that make the show happen.
Hughes spoke to us about the way in which Sky Sports is continually trying to push the boundaries of what it can provide as a service.
Whether it be the introduction of Polecam, Spidercam or broadcasting football in 4K, Hughes is passionate about enhancing a customer’s viewing experience.
And there is no better day to put on a spectacle like a cup final.
“This is the showpiece of our season, it’s our cup final too,” said Hughes.
"We give it the Sky Sports treatment, which means we throw all the toys at it and make it feel like the old traditional cup final day.
"We put our other programmes down here in the morning and give it a real sense of build up.
“We’re trying to make it into a real cup final experience all day. And yes, in that sense, we wake up in the morning, feel the buzz and know that it’s a big game.”
We’ve all watched a game of football and been stunned by a commentator’s apparent endless stream of knowledge or the perfect question being asked by a reporter down on the pitch.
But how much of this is first-hand knowledge, and do these individuals receive prompts?
We spoke to the very experienced Sky Sports reporter David Craig who explained the importance of the “stat-pack” - but warned stats must be used sparingly.
"We have a great team that do all that for us [create stat-packs], it’s incredible the stuff that they come up with and document from week to week and day to day.
"The guys in the stats department pick out the most interesting lines, but you have to look for the stats that add that bit of emotion to the story.
“You have to use them at the right time, and they have some sort of meaning and bring some added interest or knowledge to the game. It’s the quirky things that people like.”
Everyone knows things can go wrong on live TV.
But how many times can you remember a monumental mistake during the live broadcast of a game on Sky Sports?
We spoke to Sky Sports producer Amanda Pearsman, who took use from truck-to-truck to show us all the unsung heroes of the company - the ones responsible for pristine visuals and crystal-clear sound - and explained what is in place to ensure disaster is averted.
“Of course things can go wrong,” explained Pearsman.
"Generators can fail - although not for a long, long time - there are safety measures we put in place, so if the power was to completely go here (local stadium power) we have back up generators.
"But they take some time, so we have camera one, which is the main wide camera on the gantry, and our commentary directly fed into our truck that gets the satellite back to you (the viewer).
"So if everything dies we can still get commentary and camera one, so we can still do something, and usually a back-up generator will then kick-in.
“Cameras can also fail, and they break down, or you plug them in and they don’t work, and on a final it can be depressing, but that’s technology.”
Ultimately the key to professionalism though - as any musician who has ever hit a bum note will tell you - is playing through the mistake.
The show must go on, as they say, and invariably a strong recovery can prevent a viewer from even noticing the error in the first place.
There is of course extra pressure on the day of a cup final.
But if there is a one company used to broadcasting live football to thousands of people on a regular basis then it is Sky Sports.
So it is perhaps unsurprising that once the first whistle is blown and the pre-mach jitters slowly fade away - in the same way it does for the players - it’s business as usual.
Sky Sports Director Sarah Cheadle, who has the incredible job of picking and choosing everything you see while enjoying the game in your front room, spoke to us about the secrets of her trade.
“I always imagine my dad watching at home, thinking from the mind of a fan. Do I need to clear that up? Or, I don’t need to show that again,” said Cheadle.
“Obviously you want to show the game as much as possible and let it flow, not keep cutting away for various things.”
Cheadle, who has previously worked on play-off finals, explained that she is filled with a sense of excitement and nervousness on a big occasion.
Having to incorporate things like the national anthem at the start of the EFL Cup final is an added pressure to a job that already requires an incredible amount of concentration.
But interestingly this pressure is lifted somewhat once the match kicks off, despite this being the moment in which her work is being truly scrutinised.
“The game has been plotted out weeks in advance, the camera plan,” said Cheadle.
"Every camera has a specific roll and I know what all the cameras - we have 23 cameras here today - are doing and what they should be doing.
"Then I just follow the play, cutting in the cameras as and when, calling the shots, asking for replays from VTs if it feels like it needs one to clear something up, or to show a goal.
“But you have got to sort of remember that while it is a cup final, it is still a game of football, and you have to do what you do every week, it’s a day job if you like.”
Goals are what bring enjoyment to the game.
It’s what fans want to see - if it’s their team that is - and it’s a topic of discussion for the Sky Sports pundits during the half-time analysis.
But interestingly two teams coming into the break level can be a springboard for something altogether more engaging, as Sky Sports TV Director Steve Livesey explained to us.
Livesey, who works closely with the pundits to cut sections of the game they wish to analyse at half-time and at the final whistle, said: "Sometimes you can make a better tactical point if it’s 0-0.
"You can try and look at why it’s still 0-0. If it’s four goals - because it’s quite a short part [half-time] - it’s trying to get everything in and making sure it’s covered properly.
"The guys will have a specific idea what they want to talk about and we steer it in a certain direction.
“The same at full-time, with the on-pitch interviews, we make sure it looks as good as it can really.”
This weekend on Sky Sports, tune in to see Manchester United v Bournemouth, Spurs v Everton, Sunderland v Manchester City and West Ham v Chelsea. All games are live and exclusive on Sky Sports 1.
Manchester City and Liverpool target Virgil van Dijk has been told he is going nowhere by Southampton chiefs.
Defender Van Dijk, 25, has set the Premier League alight since his £13m move to Saints from Celtic in 2015.
Van Dijk is currently crocked after having his ankle injured by Jamie Vardy - and could be out for the rest of the season.
The Netherlands international, who is also being watched by Everton and Manchester United, signed a contract last May to keep him at St Mary’s until 2022.
The Dutchman has had a £50m price tag put on his head by Saints - but chief executive Ralph Krueger insists their captain and star man is going nowhere.
“Virgil is committed to us for a long time and we don’t see anything but that in our future,” Krueger told talkSPORT.
"We will be sitting together in a few weeks to look at our summer transfer window and what the plans are.
“At the moment, Virgil is very committed to us. He is our team captain and we see him in our red and white stripes.”
Van Dijk missed Saints’ EFL Cup final defeat to Manchester United - which they lost to a heartbreaking late Zlatan Ibrahimovic winner.
But two-goal hero Manolo Gabbiadini has thanked his team-mates for welcoming him to English football after escaping from a “Taliban” coach at Napoli.
“There are so many emotions that I feel, about the coach and teammates who have made me feel immediately at ease in a different league with a different language – everything is different,” Gabbiadini said.
“For someone who is shy and reserved, in truth I have not really found it difficult with my new team-mates because they are all good guys before being footballers.
"The national team will take care of itself, first I have to think about doing well with this shirt.”
Southampton owner Katharina Liebherr delivered a rare personal address to the players following the heartbreak of their EFL Cup defeat by Manchester United and urged them to use Sunday’s experience as a springboard finally to end the club’s 41-year wait for major silverware.
Liebherr had arranged for all the club’s players, staff and families to stay in London on Sunday night whether they won or lost and, at dinner, she outlined her pride at their achievements.
There has been renewed recent doubt about the long-term ownership structure amid talks with potential Chinese investors but Liebherr, who inherited the club from her father Markus following his sudden death in 2010, has stressed that any “partnership” would not be allowed to jeopardise the club’s progress.
A giant banner of Markus was unveiled at Wembley by Southampton fans and she was said to be genuinely touched by the whole experience. Chairman Ralph Krueger also spoke at the dinner and told manager Claude Puel and his players that their Wembley experience should strengthen them for future challenges.
He is also adamant that they should now stick together and, amid interest from Manchester City in Virgil van Dijk, wants to avoid the sale of key players this summer.
| Steven Davis finds Southampton’s defeat hard to takeBTSPORT |
| /cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53441637/481296823.0.jpg)
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 