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@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC
hours to go!
Get the lowdown on #SaintsFC’s clash with @ACSparta_CZ by reading our in-depth match preview: https://cards.twitter.com/cards/rh0us/27td7
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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 14/09/2016 19:39:34
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...abstinently costructed by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!| Van Dijk: 'Southampton must enjoy Europa League’SPORTSMOLE |
| | The combined XI of departed Southampton players – Outside90OUTSIDE90 |
| | Puel hopes to end penalty curse as Southampton begin Euro campaignFOURFOURTWOAU |
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Southampton v Sparta Prague preview: No fresh injury worries for Claude Puel
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Southampton begin their Europa League campaign with the visit of Sparta Prague to St Mary’s on Thursday evening.
Claude Puel’s side have collected just two points from their opening four Premier League games, but will be looking to get their European campaign up and running at the first time of asking.
They crashed out at the playoff stage of the competition last season, but a sixth-place league finish ensured automatic qualification for the group stage this year, where they will also face Inter Milan and Hapoel Be’er Sheva.
“We’re looking forward to it a lot,” defender Virgil van Dijk said in the pre-match press conference.
"Southampton have come from far, so to be in this competition right now is amazing. We need to enjoy it, but still we have a lot of opportunities coming as well to get a result and maybe progress in the group, too.
“It’s the first game so we need to put full focus on it and that’s what we’re doing.”
Southampton have no fresh injury concerns, with Florin Gardos and Jeremy Pied (both knee) long-term absentees.
Club-record signing Sofiane Boufal is not expected to be available until the end of the month at the earliest as he builds up his fitness (knee).
This will be Southampton’s first appearance in a major European competition since the 2003-04 UEFA Cup; when they lost 1-2 on aggregate to Steaua Bucharest in the first round.
Sparta Prague reached the quarter-final of this competition last season, losing to Villarreal at that stage.
Southampton have never faced a side from the Czech Republic.
The Czech side have failed to win any of their last 14 games against English opponents (D4 L10, including qualifiers), last beating Watford 4-0 in the 1983-84 UEFA Cup.
Puel reached the last 16 of the Champions League in each of his three seasons in charge of Lyon (2008-09 to 2010-11).
Including qualifiers, Saints have yet to lose a European game at St Mary’s, winning one and drawing two.
Indeed, in all European matches, Southampton have lost only once at home (W7 D6) - 2-4 vs Sporting Lisbon in the 1981-82 UEFA Cup.
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Van Dijk adamant that Europa League is no Premier League distraction
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VIRGIL van Dijk has waved away suggestions that Saints’ opening Europa League match is nothing more than an unwanted distraction after a slow start to the Premier League season.
The towering Dutch central defender labelled the Group K match against Sparta Prague at St Mary’s as an “amazing” chance, and insisted that there is a big opportunity for Claude Puel’s side to progress from the group stages.
Saints are yet to taste victory in the league this season and will feel that Swansea on Sunday is a very winnable game.
Yet, Van Dijk is not willing to simply disregard the Europa League, which he feels is a “reward” for all their efforts last term, in which they finished a record-breaking sixth in the top flight.
“I’m looking forward to it a lot, obviously,” Van Dijk said. “As a club it is amazing to be in this competition and Southampton have come far to be in this competition.
“We need to enjoy it, but still we have a lot of opportunities coming to get a result and hopefully progress in the group, too.”
He added: "We need to be fully focused and that’s what we’re doing.
“We play at home and hopefully we get a full house, play some good football and get our first win of the season.”
Rather than a hindrance, Van Dijk views the Europa League as a place to kick-start their season following a slow start under new chief Puel, although accepts that the new tactical system is still a work in progress.
Saints have been deployed by Puel in a diamond 4-4-2 formation that has not yielded positive results so far.
“If you watch our games you can see we’re dominating, we have possession and we create chances," he said. "In the end it’s all about keeping a clean sheet and scoring a goal. So far, it’s not been working so well. But we’re confident that we will be working soon.”
Saints are in a group with tomorrow’s opponents Sparta, Israeli champions Hapoel Beer Sheva and Italian giants Inter Milan.
While some disregard the Europa League as a substandard competition in comparison to the Champions League, the 25-year-old doesn’t share those sentiments and sees huge potential for Saints in the tournament.
“I played in the Europa League in my second season with Celtic and I think it’s an amazing competition to play in," he said. "To get that opportunity again with Southampton is great, it’s a reward from last season.
“We need to enjoy it but we can’t forget that it’s an opportunity to get a good run and hopefully progress.”
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England rugby chief Jones visits Saints
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Saints welcomed an unusual visitor to Staplewood ahead of their Europa League opener against Sparta Prague with England rugby head coach Eddie Jones popping in.
Jones was a guest of the club’s famed sports medicine department, but also took the chance to watch training and meet Claude Puel.
The Saints manager confessed to being a big rugby fan, and revelled in discussing the similarities between the sport with the man who led England to their first Grandslam in 13 years.
“It’s a good meeting with a good man and also a good trainer,” said Puel.
“It was interesting to meet him and to discuss together the tactical for the playing of rugby and the similarity to football and many similar with the football, with the tactical.
“It was interesting to discuss together.
“My father was a rugby player also and when I was training every week it was not the football I go to see but a rugby game.
“I like the rugby. I come from Castres, a city of rugby in the French nation.”
Puel believes there is a lot that coaches from different sports can learn from each other, though inevitably the meeting cast minds back to Sir Clive Woodward’s stint at the club.
“I think it’s a good thing and it’s important for a trainer to stay every time open with all the trainers,” insisted Puel, who is friends with former French rugby head coach Bernard Laporte.
“Better also with a different sport and I think in rugby it will be of course a player is different but there are similarities with the tactical and it is interesting to discuss and take every time ideas from another sport.”
Puel says he will attend an England rugby match as a guest of Jones soon, but in the meantime there is the small matter of preparing for Sparta Prague, who visit St Mary’s this evening.
“It’s another competition. It’s different because Europa League is a mini championship and it’s important to build, to qualify for the next round,” reflected Puel.
“The Premier League the start of the season is difficult for the results but it’s ok because every game I think we can do many good things.
“It’s important now to find an efficient, to score and to win games with the same qualities.
“This is very important and this competition is interesting. I trust the team to play this game and not just with the spirit of the Premier League as this is a good challenge against Prague in the Europa League.”
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Claude Puel welcomes England rugby coach Eddie Jones to Southampton
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Southampton manager Claude Puel has traded tips with England rugby head coach Eddie Jones in an attempt to kick their poor start to the season into touch.
Jones, who has won a Grand Slam and whitewashed Australia in a series Down Under since he took over the England team last year, visited Southampton’s Staplewood training ground on Wednesday. He observed as the players trained ahead of their Europa League opener against Sparta Prague on Thursday.
Jones was introduced to the squad before the session started, who gave him a round of applause. ‘I didn’t know who he was at first,’ defender Virgil van Dijk admitted, ‘I am not a big rugby fan anyway, but yeah he is a legend.’
While they worked on the training pitch, he chatted with Southampton coaches and made notes and spoke with Puel. In contrast to Jones’s success with the national team, Puel is yet to win a game with Southampton since he took over from Ronald Koeman, who left for Everton, in the summer and he will try anything to prop up their form.
‘It was a good meeting, he’s a good man, and a good trainer,’ Puel, 55, said. 'It’s interesting to meet him, and to discuss together, for example, tactics in playing rugby, there’s a similarity with football.
‘I think it is a good thing. It is important for a trainer to stay open with other trainers and work with other trainers, even from other sports. It is very interesting to see the similar tactics and it is interesting to discuss and take ideas from different sports.’
Puel grew up in Castres, a place he describes as the ‘city of French rugby’, and his father was a rugby player. He counts French rugby legend Pierre Berbizier, now in charge of Racing 92 in Paris, and Bernard Laporte, head coach at Toulon, as friends.
Jones visited Chelsea’s Cobham training ground when they played under Guus Hiddink in the second half of last season, watched some of Roy Hodgson’s England sessions and spent time with Crystal Palace.
Puel hopes to attend an England rugby match as a guest of Jones, adding: 'I think it is important for trainers to listen to different ideas because it is the same for a player.
‘He makes progress and improves because rugby and football and other sports develop all the time with the personality of the players. The games are different all the time and it is important to follow other perceptions of the sport.’
Southampton have finally got the Europa League campaign they crave, after being knocked out of the last qualifying round and narrowly missing out last year, and Puel is determined to make qualifying for Europe a regular achievement at the south coast club.
‘It is important to have the good experience and the possibilities for us,’ he said.
‘It will be important for the future, I hope to play another year of Europa League next year because it is very important to bring a good experience every time, not just in this position but after with two or three seasons without.’
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Claude Puel says Southampton are ready to fight on two fronts
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Claude Puel says Southampton are ready to fight on two fronts
Southampton manager Claude Puel will rotate his squad for Thursday’s Europa League clash at home to Sparta Prague.
The Saints are 18th in the Premier League after a slow start to life under their new French boss but Puel says he is confident they can compete on two fronts.
“It is important to change some players, to play good football, and to keep in shape for all the competitions,” he said on Wednesday.
"I think we are a good squad and it is important to consider every player.
“I think, with some different players in the team from the start of the game, it is important for the future to give confidence to all the squad, and to take a good result, of course.”
Asked how high the Europa League sat on his list of priorities, he added: "It is important.
"For me this week, it was important to prepare the two games, against Prague and against Swansea also (on Sunday).
“Just two days between these two games is very short and it is important the players accept the situation, because it is exciting to play in the Europa League of course, but it important to have a result in two competitions.”
Eddie Jones, who is head coach of the England rugby union team, was a guest of Southampton at training on Wednesday and Puel was delighted to make his acquaintance.
“Interesting to meet him and to discuss, for example, the similarities between football and rugby,” said the Southampton boss.
“My father was a rugby player and, when I was a child, every week I went to see a rugby game.”
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@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC
Predict the result of #SaintsFC’s #UEL clash with @ACSparta_CZ for a chance to win a signed home shirt: https://cards.twitter.com/cards/rh0us/27t9h
Retweets: 5
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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 14/09/2016 20:40:29
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...unhesitantly given rise to by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!| Boufal not ready for Prague testCLUBCALL |
|| Puel: Sparta are “interesting” opponentsSPORTSMOLE |
Sourced from ESPN FC article
Claude Puel to rotate Southampton squad for Europa League opener
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Southampton manager Claude Puel plans to rotate his squad for the Saints’ opening Europa League opener against Sparta Prague.
With a Premier League game against Swansea to follow on Sunday, Puel is keen to give squad players a chance to impress and is targeting results in both matches.
“It is important to change some players, to play good football, and to keep in shape for all the competitions,” Puel said. "I think we are a good squad and it is important to consider every player.
"I think, with some different players in the team from the start of the game, it is important for the future to give confidence to all the squad, and to take a good result, of course.
“For me this week, it was important to prepare the two games, against Prague and against Swansea also [on Sunday]. Just two days between these two games is very short and it is important the players accept the situation, because it is exciting to play in the Europa League of course, but it important to have a result in two competitions.”
Puel is relishing the occasions of Southampton’s first ever Europa League fixture and hopes the experience can become a regular thing at St. Mary’s.
“It will be important for the future to play another campaign in the Europa League,” he said. "I hope to play next year because it is very important to bring a good experience every time.
"It is not easy to have a European campaign. There are good teams which are used to playing these games.
"Whether it is the Champions League or Europa League it is important to play these games to have good experience and opportunity. For many players in my squad this is the first time and it is difficult and hard to know all the emotion for this game.
“You need to play football in the Europa League. It’s not enough to just wait for the ball and do a counter-attack.”
Keep up with the latest football updates by following ESPN FC on Twitter.
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@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC
Here’s a round-up of the talking points from #SaintsFC boss Claude Puel’s press conference ahead of tomorrow’s game: https://grabyo.com/g/v/Juzaa5XPDNr
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@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC
@ACSparta_CZ completed a pre-match press conference and training session at St Mary’s this evening. #saintsfc https://grabyo.com/g/v/bnIfr43XePw
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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 14/09/2016 21:40:38
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...really bred by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!| Three is the magic numberFRESHSAINTS |
| | THESCARBOROUGHNEWS |
| | Celtic and Southampton set out transfer objectives, watch players earlySPORTWITNESS |
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@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC
Tickets are still available for #SaintsFC’s #UEL opener against @ACSparta_CZ tomorrow night. Secure your seat: https://cards.twitter.com/cards/rh0us/25x6c
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@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC
#SaintsFC’s @VirgilvDijk on tomorrow night’s #UEL opener…
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@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC
#SaintsFC’s #UEL adventure starts tonight against @ACSparta_CZ at St Mary’s!
Excited?
https://grabyo.com/g/v/Cg1rVD6bC4S
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@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC
Here’s a brief guide to #SaintsFC’s first #UEL matchday of the season:
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@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC
A message from the captain ahead of tonight’s game… #saintsfc
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@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC
Still not got your ticket for this evening?
Purchase online now to avoid any matchday queues tonight! #saintsfc https://cards.twitter.com/cards/rh0us/25x6c
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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 15/09/2016 07:42:23
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| Southampton line-up vs Sparta Prague from Kickoff – Two changes for Puel | KickOff.co.ukKICKOFFCOUK | ...rattlingly erected by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!
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