Hasenhuttl accepts importance of midweek clash with rivals AFC Bournemouth

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl during the Premier League match between Southampton and West Ham at St Mary's Stadium. Photo by Stuart Martin..

RALPH Hasenhuttl accepted the importance of Wednesday’s clash with AFC Bournemouth but insisted he retains “all the belief” in what Saints are doing.

The St Mary’s side visit the Vitality Stadium five points behind their fellow south-coast Premier League rivals after 10 matches.

Bournemouth, first managed by Scott Parker before Gary O’Neil took over on an interim basis, were firm favourites for relegation before the season began.

They were defeated 9-0 by Liverpool but are the only team in the division to remain unbeaten since, despite a difficult summer of recruitment and many feeling they have a weaker squad.

Saints, who are in the bottom three with eight points, must start picking up victories and crucially against teams they are likely to be competing with come the end of the season.

"For us, it's a Premier League game and an important one,” Hasenhuttl said, asked if there is any added incentive given the locality and shared objectives of the clubs.

“We go there and I think we know that they are in good shape at the moment, but we go there like we have always gone into in the past with all the belief in what we are doing to make it a good evening for us.”

The meeting comes off the back of a 1-1 draw with West Ham United, at St Mary’s, that ended a run of four straight defeats in the Premier League for Hasenhuttl and Saints.

It could have been a first win since the August victory over Chelsea, after Romain Perraud put Saints ahead and Che Adams squandered two big chances.

"For everybody it is very frustrating because these are the moments where you can make a big step forward,” Hasenhuttl admitted.

“But it would still be a long way to go. There's no guarantee that you win games but it makes it a little bit easier. And then you can definitely play a little bit calmer but we are never in the situation."

He added: "Let's say every point we get is a point gained and we know that we need every point.

“We are now going to Bournemouth and then against Arsenal so another two games this week. We have to be ready for the Wednesday game, immediately focus is on the game and hopefully we can get a win there."

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Antonio Rudiger DELIBERATELY wound up opponents at Chelsea to ‘wake the fans up’ as he admits love of ‘provoking’ rivals

ANTONIO RUDIGER has admitted to deliberately winding up opponents in a match to wake up the silent Chelsea fans.

The former Blues defender was bored with the lack of atmosphere inside Stamford Bridge when they hosted Newcastle last season.

Rudiger admitted to deliberately making mistakes to wake up the crowd against NewcastleCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun

Centre-half Rudiger revealed he often picks a target from the opposition to wind up in order to get the best out of himself.

The German, now with Real Madrid, said: “I'll be honest: I deliberately wound people up because it was just too quiet in the stadium for me during this game.

“I wanted to wake people up with it. I like to analyse my opponents and think to myself, 'OK, let's see how they react if I provoke them a bit.

"But it's not like I pick someone before every game. That happens spontaneously.”

Rudiger was a huge favourite with Chelsea supporters during his five years there because of his uncompromising attitude and spiky personality.

He left reluctantly on a free transfer at the end of last season because Chelsea’s old board of directors failed to tie him down with a new deal.

Rudiger has joined European champions Real Madrid to team up with ex-Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti.

And Rudiger has been blown away by the Italian’s unique man-management which has made him feel wanted in Spain.

HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL

Rudiger said: “I had only been in our new house with my family for a few hours – we were just barbecuing – and the doorbell suddenly rang.

“I opened it and Carlo Ancelotti was just standing in front of me. A wow moment. He sat down at the table with us, ate with us and got to know my family.

“Very normal, very down-to-earth. He was there for two hours, we talked about everything.

"I’ll be honest, I’ve never experienced anything like it, no coach has ever done something like that for me. After the few months with him.

I deliberately wound people up because it was just too quiet in the stadium for me during this game

Antonio Rudiger

"I have to say: When it comes to dealing with players, Ancelotti is untouchable. Stop Don Carlo, a coaching legend – he already collected Champions League titles when I was a child.

"Working with him every day now and at the most successful club in the world is wonderful."

Rudiger does not seem to miss Chelsea too much. Paying tribute to his new best mate Toni Kroos - a fellow Germany international and now team-mate in the Spanish capital.

Rudiger said: “We always got along well and respectfully with the national team, but we always exchanged two sentences with each other.

"Something like, 'Hey, how are you?' and 'Bye'. Maybe because we just didn’t have enough time.

“At Real I met another Toni Kroos. He speaks very good Spanish, is completely open and also very helpful.

“He has supported me with the language since day one and has offered to help me with other things several times out of nowhere. He’s a very relaxed guy.”

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World Cup 2022: Gareth Southgate's England dilemmas before Qatar

 

By Phil McNulty

Chief football writer

27 September 2022

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Video caption,

The Football News Show: What did we learn from England's international break?

Dates: Sunday, 20 November - Sunday, 18 December Venue: Qatar Coverage: Live on BBC TV, BBC Radio 5 Live, iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app

England's game time before the World Cup ended with the drama of a fluctuating Nations League draw against Germany at Wembley.

The match may have been irrelevant in the context of that tournament, but a meeting with Germany as the final 90 minutes before Gareth Southgate names his squad for Qatar meant it was always going to have significance.

England showed real spirit to come from 2-0 down to take the lead only for Germany to make it six winless games for Southgate's side with a late equaliser.

The England manager must now finalise the 26 players he will take to the World Cup then select a side for the opening match against Iran on 21 November - and there are major issues for him to tackle.

Can Maguire be trusted to start?

Southgate has been solid in support of defender Harry Maguire despite growing evidence he should not be in his starting line-up.

His faith in Manchester United's captain, dropped at club level by manager Erik ten Hag after a run of poor form that started long before the Dutchman's arrival at Old Trafford, was undermined by Maguire's calamitous performance against Germany.

He made two errors for Germany's first goal, a poor pass leading to him conceding a penalty for a foul on Jamal Masiala, and then he conceded possession upfield which allow the visitors to break away for their second.

Watching Maguire was an uncomfortable experience but also begged the question about whether Southgate's loyalty to a player who served him well as England reached the World Cup semi-final in 2018 and Euro 2020's final is now stubborn and self-defeating.

Maguire is starting to look like a liability, with his confidence shattered, and his exile at United means he is unlikely to get a chance to rebuild it before the World Cup.

Fikayo Tomori has been impressive for Italian champions AC Milan but did not get a chance in this international break.

He clearly rates Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace while Everton's Conor Coady is a valued member of the squad. The exclusion for these games of Arsenal's Ben White does not bode well for him.

Southgate will hope the hamstring injury to John Stones does not prove an issue, otherwise he could have a conundrum over two centre-back positions for the Iran game.

If he picks on form, Maguire cannot be in the England team for their first game. If the Manchester United defender is, it will represent a huge risk by the manager. Do not bet against Southgate sticking by him.

Does Alexander-Arnold fit in anywhere?

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Liverpool's Alexander-Arnold has 17 England caps, the last coming in June's 1-0 loss to Hungary

Will Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold be in England's World Cup squad? And if he is, will he only be there to make up the numbers?

The Alexander-Arnold debate is growing, and not giving him a minute over the last two games, indeed not even including him in the match-day squad against Germany, only increases the noise.

Even his army of admirers will admit Alexander-Arnold has had a poor start to the season. So, Southgate can point out he is ignoring him on form grounds... but that leaves him open to suggestions of inconsistency, given the continued selection of the even more obviously struggling Maguire.

Many will be puzzled Southgate appears unable to find a use for such a naturally gifted performer, but he simply seems to feel he has others who will do the job he wants better than Alexander-Arnold - certainly in a defensive sense, where he has proved vulnerable.

Chelsea's Reece James is a superb talent, solid in defence and with attacking qualities, while Kyle Walker's blistering pace is an asset and Kieran Trippier is experienced and versatile, as well as having the ability to play on both flanks.

On the left side, Luke Shaw put himself back in contention as a rival to Chelsea's Ben Chilwell with a good performance against Germany that included a goal and a sumptuous pass to Raheem Sterling that should have brought a goal in the first half.

Alexander-Arnold may still make England's squad, but nothing in Southgate's latest selections suggest he will be anywhere near the starting line-up.

Who will cover for Kane?

Shaw's goal against Germany was, according to Opta stats, England's first from open play for 565 minutes.

Captain Harry Kane has clearly been part of that drought, but he is irreplaceable as the spearhead and if he was to be injured - and his ankles have previously been a cause for concern - who would Southgate turn to?

It looked as if Brentford's Ivan Toney would get a chance to stake his claim after a deserved call-up for the games against Italy and Germany, but he was not included in the Milan match-day squad and remained on the bench at Wembley.

Of course, Southgate would have observed Toney closely in training, but what was the point of calling him up then not using him? Toney would have been dreaming of a first England cap; now Brentford will hope they do not get their striker back deflated by his international experience.

Is Southgate convinced by Roma's Tammy Abraham? The fact he was also not used is hardly a vote of confidence.

Southgate is a fan of Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin but he has barely been fit for a year and has yet to play this season, so he is the longest of long shots.

He has plenty of options in the wide positions. Marcus Rashford is one, and he showed signs of regaining form before getting injured. He might also be viewed as a deputy for Kane - but Toney or Abraham may yet find themselves on the plane to Qatar.

Southgate certainly has plenty of creativity to service the strikers, in the shape of Manchester City pair Phil Foden and Jack Grealish plus Arsenal's Bukayo Saka.

Chelsea's Mason Mount made a big impact off the bench with a goal against Germany while Raheem Sterling continues to be a regular starter. Manchester United's Jadon Sancho has a fight to make a late charge to get back into the squad, despite much-improved form this season.

Is there any doubt Bellingham must start?

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Bellingham has been Southgate's go-to central midfielder in the absence of the injured Kalvin Phillips

Jude Bellingham is an astonishing talent at just 19 and his performance against Germany will surely have convinced Southgate he should start against Iran.

He is made for the big stage, whether it be with England in a tournament or Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

Southgate has preferred a more conservative midfield duo of West Ham United captain Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips when they have been available, but the latter has barely played since leaving Leeds United for Manchester City and is now recovering from shoulder surgery, which casts a doubt over him.

If he is ruled out, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and Southampton's James Ward-Prowse will likely move up in the pecking order.

The mix Southgate opts for in England's midfield in Qatar will be intriguing, but surely one thing is clear: Bellingham must start.

Who will be Pickford's deputy?

Surely the questions over Jordan Pickford's status as England's premier goalkeeper have now been shut down.

The Everton keeper, outstanding for the last 18 months, has still had his position debated despite not having made a mistake leading to a goal in 45 England appearances.

England have conceded eight goals in the three games he has not played in and his importance has actually increased during his absence as his value is perhaps now being recognised.

Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale and Nick Pope are vying to be his deputy but the Newcastle United keeper's uncertainty with the ball at his feet against Italy and Germany did not help his cause and his fumble which gifted Kai Havertz a late equaliser at Wembley was a desperate moment for him.

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Neymar took ice-cold penalty for Brazil vs Tunisia after laser shone in his face

Neymar is closing in on Pele’s all-time goal record for Brazil.

In the Selecao’s resounding 5-1 victory over Tunisia on Tuesday evening, the Paris Saint-Germain star scored from the penalty spot and took himself to 75 goals overall.

He’s now just two behind Pele and it’s more than likely Neymar will surpass the great man at the Qatar World Cup, given the form he’s currently in at both club and international level.

Brazil were simply too good for Tunisia

Tunisia just couldn’t deal with Brazil’s first half barrage.

A brilliant brace from Barcelona‘s Raphinha, another goal from Tottenham Hotspur‘s Richarlison and Neymar’s penalty saw the South American nation go in at half-time with a 4-1 advantage.

Despite the fact they were playing against 10 men in the second half following Dylan Bronn’s 42nd minute red card, Brazil only added one more after the break, Flamengo star Pedro the man to grab it.

But the damage was done in the opening 45 minutes of play and the goals scored by Brazil were quite simply magnificent.

PARIS, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 27: Neymar of Brazil celebrates after scoring their sides third goal with Fred, Lucas Paqueta and Danilo of Brazil during the International Friendly match between Brazil and Tunisia at Parc des Princes on September 27, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) Brazil’s goals vs Tunisia were top-quality

Raphinha’s double had class written all over it, while Richarlison’s finish after beating the offside trap was coolness personified.

Neymar’s penalty was of the highest quality as well. The ex-Santos man used his trademark technique to completely outwit Tunisia goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen.

What makes the latest ice-cold penalty from Neymar even more impressive is the fact he delivered it after having a laser shone in his face.

Tunisia fans inside PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium – Neymar’s home ground – tried their very best to put off Brazil’s talisman, but it ended up being to absolutely no avail.

Video: Neymar’s exquisite penalty after having laser shone in his face

Pressure? Neymar doesn’t know the meaning of the word when he’s asked to take aim from 12 yards out.

His penalty technique is just so darn effective and one Twitter user summed it up quite perfectly: “Neymar doesn’t take a penalty, he humiliates the goalkeeper.”

Neymar is just the third South American player to score 75 goals on the international stage, along with Pele and PSG teammate Lionel Messi.

READ MORE – Messi scores stunning free-kick in brilliant Argentina cameo

The Brazilian superstar’s overall stats for his country are truly something to behold. On top of 75 goals scored, Neymar has 55 assists in 121 appearances.

If he helps secure the Selecao’s sixth World Cup trophy out in Qatar, Neymar will rival Pele for the title of Brazil’s greatest ever player.

Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar: Where did these 40 players make their pro debut? next story previous story News Now - Sport News 

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