OptiNews - Friday 24 to Thursday 30 March 2017

Southampton Football Club
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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article

Long features in Ireland draw

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Neither side could find a breakthrough in Dublin, but the draw was enough to move Ireland level on points with Dušan Tadić’s Serbia at the top of Group D, as the road to the 2018 finals in Russia reaches the halfway stage.

There was a shadow cast over the night for Ireland, however, as they lost Seamus Coleman to a serious injury following Neil Taylor’s tackle, which saw the Welsh player sent off.

In a touching moment, Long hugged and helped console his distressed teammate on the pitch before he was stretchered off, as the game ended on a sour note.

Martin O’Neill’s side will be in action again on Tuesday, when they welcome Iceland for a friendly match.

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 25/03/2017 02:06:02

| | Worrying Scenes As Seamus Coleman Victim Of Neil Taylor Horror TackleBALLSIE |
| | Shane Long’s rush to comfort his injured captain sums up the incredible spirit in the Irish teamIRISHINDEP |

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 25/03/2017 05:06:39

| | Watch: Shane Long’s Touching Hug Of Stricken Seamus ColemanBALLSIE |

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Sourced from Daily Mail article

Georgia 1-3 Serbia: Serbians top of Group D ahead of Ireland and Wales

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Serbia stayed on course to reach their first major tournament in eight years after goals from Dusan Tadic, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Mijat Gacinovic gave them a smash-and-grab 3-1 win over Georgia in their World Cup qualifier on Friday.

The result lifted the Serbians, who have not played on the big stage since the 2010 tournament in South Africa, to the top of Group D with 11 points from five games.

Second-placed Ireland missed the chance to regain top spot after being held to a 0-0 draw by Wales, meaning they stay second on goal difference.

Georgia thoroughly dominated the first half and missed several chances after Nika Kacharava gave them a sixth-minute lead with his first international goal following a howler by Aleksandar Kolarov.

The Manchester City defender, heavily criticised after poor recent performances for the Premier League club, gifted Kacharava a sitter with an awful back pass and the striker beat goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic with a crisp finish.

Valeri Qazaishvili missed a gilt-edged chance for the home side before Tadic equalised with a penalty on the stroke of halftime after winger Filip Kostic was fouled.

Stojkovic produced a triple save on the hour before Mitrovic fired Serbia ahead against the run of play.

The Newcastle United striker took Tadic’s pass in his stride and rifled in a spectacular shot on the turn from 18 metres, silencing a vociferous home crowd in the Boris Paichadze Arena.

Tadic, who has scored four and assisted seven of Serbia’s 12 goals in the campaign, was again instrumental as his deft touch released substitute and debutant Gacinovic to seal Serbia’s win with his first international goal.

Elsewhere in Group D, Marcel Sabitzer and Martin Harnik scored late in the second half to give Austria victory over Moldova.

Sabitzer deflected a Marko Arnautovic cross in with his right shoulder to surprise Moldova goalkeeper Stanislav Namasco in the 75th minute, and substitute Harnik doubled the lead in the last minute after Namasco failed to clear the ball following a long-range shot by Zlatko Junuzovic.

In the first half, captain David Alaba had hit the crossbar and Martin Hinteregger had a goal disallowed for offside in the one-sided match, as Austria stay in the hunt for a qualification place.

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Sourced from Sky Sports article

How did your international players do? Premier League stars in action…

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How did your international players do? Premier League stars in action…

During a week of World Cup Qualifiers and friendlies, we take a look to see how Premier League players are getting on.

With plenty of international games taking place around the world, there were important goals scored along with some significant injuries.

Here’s a round-up of how players from your Premier League team got on…

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was an unused substitute for England in their 1-0 defeat by Germany on Wednesday. Shkodran Mustafi was an unused substitute for Germany.

David Ospina kept a clean sheet as Colombia beat Bolivia 1-0 on Thursday night in World Cup Qualifying.

Alexis Sanchez played all 90 minutes as his Chile side were beaten 1-0 by Argentina in World Cup Qualifying on Thursday night.

Alex Iwobi played 61 mintues as Nigeria drew 1-1 with Senegal in a friendly on Thursday.

Aaron Ramsey played 90 minutes in Wales’ 0-0 draw with Republic of Ireland on Friday.

Brad Smith was an unused substitute as Australia drew 1-1 against Iraq in their World Cup Qualifier on Thursday night.

Michael Keane made his debut and played 90 minutes while Tom Heaton was an unused substitute for England in their 1-0 defeat by Germany on Wednesday.

Scott Arfield started for Canada as they drew 1-1 in Scotland.

Jeff Hendrick and Stephen Ward played 90 minutes in Ireland’s 0-0 draw with Wales on Friday, while Sam Vokes played the second half for Wales.

Gary Cahill played 90 minutes for England in their 1-0 defeat by Germany on Wednesday.

Willian played five minutes as Brazil beat Uruguay 4-1 in World Cup Qualifying on Thursday night.

Nathaniel Chalobah played 90 minutes as England U21s were beaten 1-0 by Germany on Friday night, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek was a late substitute.

Diego Costa played the full 90 minutes and scored in Spain’s 4-1 win over Israel. Pedro was an unused substitute.

Nemanja Matic played 90 minutes as Serbia beat Georgia in World Cup Qualifying on Friday.

Wilfried Zaha scored a stunning goal as Ivory Coast won 2-0 in Russia in a friendly on Friday.

Luka Milivojevic played 90 minutes as Serbia beat Georgia in World Cup Qualifying on Friday.

Wayne Hennessey kept a clean sheet as Wales drew 0-0 in Ireland on Friday night. Joe Ledley played 72 minutes.

Seamus Coleman was brought off with an horrific leg break, while James McCarthy didn’t start because of a muscle injury in Republic of Ireland’s goalless draw with Wales on Friday night. Ashley Williams played 90 minutes.

Ross Barkley was an unused substitute for England in their 1-0 defeat by Germany on Wednesday.

Enner Valencia played 90 minutes as Ecuador lost 2-1 at Paraguay in their World Cup Qualifier on Thursday night.

Idrissa Gueye played 90 minutes as Senegal drew 1-1 with Nigeria in a friendly on Thursday.

Mason Holgate played 90 minutes as England U21s were beaten 1-0 by Germany on Friday night.

Andrew Robertson was a second-half substitute and David Marshall unused as Scotland drew 1-1 with Canada on Wednesday.

Abel Hernandez played 14 minutes as Uruguay lost 4-1 against Brazil on Thursday night in World Cup Qualifying.

Alfred N’Diaye was an unused substitute as Senegal drew 1-1 with Nigeria in a friendly on Thursday.

David Meyler played 79 minutes as Ireland drew 0-0 with Wales on Friday.

Jamie Vardy played 70 minutes for England in their 1-0 defeat by Germany on Wednesday.

Shinji Okazaki played eight minutes from the bench as Japan beat UAE 2-0 in World Cup Qualifying on Thursday night.

Ahmed Musa played 14 minutes and Wilfred Ndidi played all 90 as Nigeria drew 1-1 with Senegal in a friendly on Thursday.

Nathaniel Clyne and Adam Lallana both started for England in their 1-0 defeat by Germany on Wednesday, while Emre Can came on as a substitute for the hosts.

Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino both started and were brought off late on as Brazil beat Uruguay 4-1 in World Cup Qualifying on Thursday night.

Sadio Mane played 25 minutes as Senegal drew 1-1 with Nigeria in a friendly on Thursday.

Ben Chilwell played 90 minutes as England U21s were beaten 1-0 by Germany on Friday night, while Demarai Gray also played 58 minutes.

Andy King and Ben Woodburn were unused subs in Wales’ 0-0 draw with Ireland on Friday.

Leroy Sane started for Germany in their 1-0 win over England on Wednesday.

Fernandinho played nine minutes as Brazil beat Uruguay 4-1 in World Cup Qualifying on Thursday night.

Sergio Aguero played 57 minutes while Nicolas Otamendi played 90 minutes as Argentina gained a vital 1-0 win over Chile in World Cup Qualifying on Thursday night. Claudio Bravo played 90 minutes for Chile.

Kelechi Iheanacho scored a penalty as Nigeria drew 1-1 with Senegal in a friendly on Thursday.

David Silva scored Spain’s first goal as they beat Israel 4-1 in a World Cup qualifier in Gijon. The midfielder played the full 90 minutes.

Aleksandar Kolarov played 90 minutes as Serbia beat Georgia in World Cup Qualifying on Friday.

Chris Smalling started, while Jesse Lingard, Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford all came off the bench for England in their 1-0 defeat by Germany on Wednesday.

Antonio Valencia played 90 minutes as Ecuador lost 2-1 at Paraguay in their World Cup Qualifier on Thursday night.

Sergio Romero and Marcos Rojo played 90 minutes and kept a clean sheet as Argentina gained a vital 1-0 win over Chile in World Cup Qualifying on Thursday night.

David De Gea played the full 90 minutes in Spain’s 4-1 World Cup qualifying win over Israel. Ander Herrera was an unused substitute in Gijon.

Matteo Darmian was an unused substitute in Italy’s 2-0 win over Albania.

Cristian Stuani played 33 minutes as Uruguay lost 4-1 against Brazil on Thursday night in World Cup Qualifying.

James Ward-Prowse made his England debut as a substitute as they lost 1-0 in Germany on Wednesday. Ryan Bertrand started, and Fraser Forster was an unused sub.

Maya Yoshida played 90 minutes and kept a clean sheet as Japan beat UAE 2-0 in World Cup Qualifying on Thursday night.

Jack Stephens played 90 minutes as England U21s were beaten 1-0 by Germany on Friday night.

Dusan Tadic scored a first-half penalty as Serbia beat Georgia in World Cup Qualifying on Friday.

Shane Long played 90 minutes in Ireland’s 0-0 draw with Wales on Friday.

Glenn Whelan and Jonathan Walters played 90 minutes in Ireland’s 0-0 draw with Wales on Friday. Joe Allen played 90 minutes for Wales.

Marko Arnautovic was substituted in injury time of Austria’s 2-0 win over Moldova.

Jermain Defoe was an unused substitute for England in their 1-0 defeat by Germany on Wednesday.

Jordan Pickford played 90 minutes and made several good saves as England U21s were beaten 1-0 by Germany on Friday night.

Jefferson Montero came on for four minutes as Ecuador lost 2-1 at Paraguay in their World Cup Qualifier on Thursday night.

Alfie Mawson played 90 minutes as England U21s were beaten 1-0 by Germany on Friday night.

Gylfi Sigurdsson scored from the spot as Iceland beat Kosovo 2-1 in World Cup qualifying.

Dele Alli, Eric Dier and Kyle Walker all started for England in their 1-0 defeat by Germany on Wednesday.

Harry Winks played 72 minutes as England U21s were beaten 1-0 by Germany on Friday night.

Ben Davies played 90 minutes in Wales’ 0-0 draw with Ireland on Friday.

Kevin Wimmer was an unused substitute in Austria’s 2-0 win over Moldova.

Isaac Success played half an hour as Nigeria drew 1-1 with Senegal in a friendly on Thursday.

Jake Livermore started and came off in the second half for England in their 1-0 defeat by Germany on Wednesday.

Darren Fletcher played 90 minutes for Scotland, and is now the third-highest cap-holder for the Scots, in their 1-1 draw with Canada on Wednesday.

Solomon Rondon played all 90 minutes but couldn’t get on the score sheet as Venezuela drew 2-2 with Peru in World Cup Qualifying on Thursday night.

Hal Robson-Kanu played the first half in Wales’ 0-0 draw with Irelan, while James McClean played 90 minutes.

Robert Snodgrass played 90 minutes as Scotland drew 1-1 with Canada on Wednesday in Edinburgh.

Cheikhou Kouyate played 90 minutes as Senegal drew 1-1 with Nigeria in a friendly on Thursday.

Darren Randolph kept a clean sheet for Ireland in the 0-0 draw with Wales on Friday.

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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article

Boufal comes on in Morocco win

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The Saints playmaker, who was back with his country after missing the Africa Cup of Nations through injury, started among the substitutes in Marrakesh.

Coach Hervé Renard introduced him in the 52nd minute, with the score at 1-0, after Fayçal Fajr’s first-half opener.

Morocco’s second arrived 12 minutes after Boufal entered the action, as Aziz Bouhaddouz fired in from an angle.

The Atlas Lions now welcome Tunisia for another friendly on Monday.

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Sourced from Mirror.co.uk article

Redmond’s old youth coach “gets goose-pimples” from his rise to the England team

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Nathan Redmond was just a small 16-year-old when he ran the length of the pitch, beat six players, and scored against Conference side Tamworth.

Birmingham City’s senior professional development coach Richard Beale still recalls the 56th-minute goal well.

It was the first round of the Birmingham Senior Cup and the then-Premier League visitors’ reserve side won 4-0 away on September 14, 2010.

Redmond, who had made his first-team debut as sub just two weeks earlier, scored the Blues’ second at The Lamb.

Beale left convinced the winger could become a future England international.

Six years on, after now- Southampton star Redmond’s debut as a second-half substitute in the midweek loss to Germany, Beale reflects with pride and admiration at the completion of his journey.

But he expects there will be plenty more to come too from the level-headed youngster, who at just 23 has already played more than 200 senior games.

After working with Redmond all the way from the Under-11s into the Birmingham first team, no one knows the Saints’ wideman better and Beale remains close to the star and his family.

Beale, 37, who has a UEFA Pro-Licence, told Mirror Sport: “Nathan is flourishing and it is fantastic to see.

“I took the Under-11 team when I first went into the club and Nathan was a member of that team as a schoolboy academy player. We trained Monday night, Wednesday night, Saturday morning and played matches Sundays.

“He always did stand out as a top performer, who caught the eye, because of the way he played as a tricky winger with an eye for goal. Nathan was integral to that team and always showed promise from a young age. There are so many bridges to cross before you make it as a professional.

“But I remember, aged 16, he scored a goal against Tamworth in the cup. He has picked it up from our goalkeeper, ran the length of the pitch and scored after beating six players.

“Tamworth were in the Conference, and were much more physical than him, with much more game experience. To see him do it on that stage – we knew he was something special. He has always affected games and will hopefully do that in years to come at international level.”

Beale expects more international recognition, following Redmond’s time in the Under-21s — also under Gareth Southgate.

And he added: “I am sure he will go on to have a distinguished England career, I have that much faith in his ability.

"As a coach, seeing a player go on to play for England is the pinnacle — I get goose-pimples thinking about it.

"It is fantastic to see the strides he has made.”

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Sourced from Daily Echo article

Tadic continues stunning World Cup qualifying form

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The Saints playmaker scored Serbia’s first goal from the penalty spot and assisted the other two in a 3-1 World Cup qualifying win in Georgia.

It was Tadic’s fourth World Cup goal in five games in 2016/17, after previous strikes against the Republic of Ireland, Moldova and Austria.

That compares with a record of just three goals for Saints in 34 league and cup appearances this season.

After falling behind in Tbilisi early on tonight, Tadic levelled from the penalty spot just before half-time.

He then set up Newcastle’s Aleksandar Mitrović to put the visitors ahead, and also provided the assist for Mijat Gaćinović to add a late third.

Serbia extended their lead at the top of their qualifying group as the Republic and Wales fought out a 0-0 draw.

Saints striker Shane Long played the entire 90 minutes for the hosts in the Dublin stalemate.

JACK Stephens tonight suffered the same fate as club colleagues Nathan Redmond and James Ward-Prowse.

The latter pair had made their senior England debuts in a 1-0 friendly loss in Germany on Wednesday.

Tonight it was Stephens’ turn to suffer the same scoreline for England under-21s against Germany in Wiesbaden as they continued their preparations for this summer’s Euro finals.

A first-half strike from Hoffenheim midfielder Nadiem Amiri was enough to separate the sides, as both nations looked to experiment ahead of June’s competition in Poland.

Stephens had the best chance to level in the second hald, but his low shot was gathered by sub keeper Marvin Schwabe.

Saints colleague Sam McQueen, called up to the U21s for the first time, was among the unused subs.

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Sourced from Daily Echo article

Hurting Hojbjerg out to prove a point to Puel

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A HURTING Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is desperate to prove to Claude Puel “he is a man that he can count on” after a long spell out the Saints team.

After not playing at club level Hojbjerg was overlooked for a call-up to the Denmark squad in this international break, which he confesses is “hurting” him.

“I would lie if I said I felt fantastic but football is sometimes like this,” he said, speaking about how he’s feeling at Saints currently.

“But I also know that we have 22 players in the squad, I also know that the coach [Puel] has to make decisions and me as a player, a part of the team, I have to respect the coach makes the decisions.

“I respect his decisions and know that it is 11 players who can play. I just try to show in training and the small opportunities that I get that I am a man that he can count on.

“I will keep showing him that and try to get better. I always say to myself that in every situation, it doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad, try to get the maximum out of it.”

The last time the 21-year-old started a match was back at the end of January, when Saints lost 5-0 to Arsenal in the FA Cup fourth round.

In total he has made four starts in 14 games in 2017, with his last selection in the opening XI in the Premier League coming in the 3-0 win over Leicester City on January 22.

“I think if you ask everybody in the team, they would say they deserve it,” he said, when asked if he thinks he should be in the team.

“So, if you deserve it or not, this is not the right question. More the question is: Am I good enough to be in the squad? Yes I am.”

The Dane has in part been a victim of Saints’ change in system, which has seen the number of central midfielders starting go from three to just two, with Oriol Romeu and Steven Davis undisputed first choices in the 4-2-3-1 formation.

As a result his only significant game time lately has been for Saints’ under-23s, who he has played full games for against Manchester United and Chelsea.

A frank Hojbjerg, who has been feeling great in training, says he will not stop working to impress Puel.

He said: “The coach is making his decisions, I respect them and I need to wait for my chance and keep working hard.

“I am a professional football player and I am ambitious so if I stop working because the coach puts me out of the squad, out of the team for the last five, six, seven weeks, then I’m not meant for this.”

He added: “We are all football players that want to play football and play in the stadium. If I said I wasn’t disappointed, then I would lie. I respect the decision of the coach though and this is what I’m doing.”

Saints have played just twice in a sleepy March, but things ramp up again in April, with three games in a week – starting next Saturday as Puel’s men welcome neighbours AFC Bournemouth to St Mary’s in the Premier League.

It will be the club’s first home game in almost two months and the former Bayern Munich man, who arrived from the Allianz Arena last summer in a £12.8m deal, is hoping that a busier schedule will yield playing opportunities.

“I believe every day hopefully there is an opportunity to show him [Puel] what I can do,” he said. “I hope he sees every day the way his players work. Every day is an opportunity.

“I hope that April will be some play time for me.

“If not, I still keep going.”

Hojbjerg has won 17 caps for Denmark in his fledgling career but after not playing for Saints recently has found himself out his national team, which may well be a consequence of his battle for games at St Mary’s.

“It is hurting,” he said. “It has been a big part of my life and it is tough. This is very tough yes.”

He still, however, harbours aspirations of a call-up to the Denmark Under-21 side for this summer’s European Championships in Poland.

The former FC Copenhagen and Brondby IF youngster has spoken to under-21s coach Niels Frederiksen about his circumstances.

He said: “I’ve spoken with him about the situation in the summer about going to the Under-21 Euros so this was just a nice chat about getting to know each other and what is the situation. Time will tell.”

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 25/03/2017 10:08:19

| | Tadic sparks Serbia comebackIRISHINDEP |
| | ‘It was a bad one’ - Long concerned after Coleman injuryGOALDOTCOM |
| | Shane Long Hugging Seamus Coleman is Pic We Should All be SharingTALKINGBAWS |
| | Arsenal winger Nathan Tella joins Southampton in permanent dealJEORGEBIRDSARSENALRESERVESANDYOUTHBLOG |

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The Ugly Inside News for Southampton

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| How Much Do Saints Players Earn ? Read Here And Be Surprised | A daily newspaper has revealed how much the current Saints squad earns, so who do you think will be the highest … 25-03-2017 |

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Sourced from A tweet by SouthamptonFC tweet

@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

Two more #SaintsFC players are set for international action today!

Find out all the details: http://sfcne.ws/Intls250317

Retweets: 1

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 25/03/2017 11:08:22

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| Kalidou Koulibaly, Virgil van Dijk transfer rumours re-surface – Chelsea should pass on bothFANSIDEDPRIDEOFLONDON |
| | Five reasons Chelsea should sign Southampton’s Virgil van DijkFOOTBALLLONDON |
| | These are the reasons Virgil van Dijk should snub Liverpool moveFOOTBALLFANCAST |

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Read Southampton

New content from (- Read Southampton)

| Hojbjerg desperate to show his quality | Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has insisted that he is ready and willing to fight for his place in the … 25-03-2017 |

Older content…

| Liverpool to rival Chelsea in van Dijk pursuita day ago |
| Boufal determined to prove his quality to the fans2 days ago |
| Southampton keen on Bobby Wood3 days ago |
| Tadic voices displeasure over lack of ‘respect’ shown by Puel3 days ago |
| Southampton made January move to sign Chedjou3 days ago |
| Lander close in on Saints takeover with £190m bid3 days ago |
| Buying and selling with your mind instead of your heart4 days ago |
| Tottenham 2-1 Southampton - Five that impressed5 days ago |
| Gabbiadini injury to be assessed in coming days5 days ago |

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Sourced from A tweet by SouthamptonFC tweet

@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

Our #AFCB Predict The Score competition is now open!

Enter for the chance to win a signed #SaintsFC home shirt: http://sfcne.ws/PTSCherriesH

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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article

Predict The Score: Saints vs Cherries

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Southampton host AFC Bournemouth on Saturday 1st April – and we’ve got a signed home shirt to give away in our Predict The Score competition.

To have a chance of winning, simply click here and submit your guess for the result and first scorer.

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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article

Davis ready for ‘most important’ Norway game

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Steven Davis reckons that his native Northern Ireland’s World Cup qualifier with Norway on Sunday is the biggest game at Windsor Park since they qualified for Euro 2016.

The Southampton midfielder was the hero that night in October 2015, when he scored twice in a 3-1 victory over Greece. Since then, Michael O’Neill’s men reached the last 16 of the European Championships and got their 2018 World Cup qualification bid off to a fine start.

Heading into this weekend, Northern Ireland sit second in the group, five points behind World champions Germany.

“I believe this is the most important game we’ve played at Windsor Park since we qualified for the Euros. This is a massive match for us,” said Davis, who believes it could have a huge bearing on who finishes second behind Germany to clinch a play-off spot.

“This game carries a lot of significance for us and with it being at home it gives us a chance to pick up more points.

“In all honesty, we expect Germany to go on and win the group which leaves the rest of us fighting it out for that second place.

“So we know if you are going to be successful in these groups you must pick up as many points at home as possible.”

Norway are three places below Northern Ireland in the table, with Davis and co. having an opportunity to strengthen their position when they meet tomorrow, at 7.45pm BST.

“There is a gap of four points between us and Norway and if we win, it would put more daylight between them and us which would be a very big boost for our team,” said Davis.

“I know this is only game five and there will still be five games to go after the Norway match but it is good that the games at this stage are important because it means we are in the mix. Hopefully as the campaign continues the matches will become even more important.

"We have had convincing 4-0 victories at Windsor Park against San Marino and Azerbaijan so far in this campaign, but if anyone thinks it will be an easy game for us against Norway they would be wrong. Certainly no one in our squad will be thinking like that or taking anything for granted.

“It feels like we have had a long break since the last international in November and we have to get back into the swing of things quickly, get in the right frame of mind and take on board the roles and responsibilities that everyone has within the squad. If we do that we will have a great chance of getting the result we want.”

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 25/03/2017 13:08:37

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| Taylor’s tears for stricken ColemanRTE |
| | How Much Do Saints Players Earn ? Read Here And Be Surprised - Southampton NewsTHEUGLYINSIDE |
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| This picture of Southampton’s Shane Long consoling injured Everton defender Seamus Coleman will melt your heartTHICKACCENT |

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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article

Two more Saints set for internationals

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Cédric faces a key World Cup qualifier with Portugal tonight, as the European champions look to keep their bid for the 2018 finals on track.

After four games, Portugal are second in Group B, trailing leaders Switzerland by three points.

The Swiss host struggling Latvia tonight, while Cédric and his countrymen welcome third-placed Hungary, who are just two points behind them, to Lisbon (7.45pm GMT).

A loss would put Portugal in a precarious position at the halfway point of qualifying, but a win would at least see them keep within striking distance of Switzerland.

Elsewhere, 19-year-old winger Josh Sims is with the England Under-20 squad for the second match of their mini tournament in France.

The Young Lions drew 2-2 with Portugal in their opening encounter, on Thursday, with Sims an unused substitute, having only been drafted into the squad that day.

He will be hoping to see some action today, though, as England face the host nation (5pm GMT), ahead of Tuesday’s final match, against Senegal.

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Sourced from A tweet by SouthamptonFC tweet

@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

It’s #AFCB up next for #SaintsFC! We take a look back at five memorable wins against them: http://sfcne.ws/FiveBestAFCB

Retweets: 1

Favourites: 4

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