Southampton play host to Middlesbrough in the Premier League on Sunday looking to recover from the disappointing 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend, which was followed by their Europa League exit on Thursday night.
The Eagles went into the clash on the back of six successive defeats while Saints had picked up consecutive wins – against Everton in the league and Arsenal in the EFL Cup – which should have seen them in high spirits.
However, the performance was flat and mistakes cost Claude Puel’s men, and they will want to bounce back when they welcome the side directly below them in the standings to St Mary’s this weekend.
Boro picked up only their second win since August as they beat Hull 1-0 on Monday night, and they will want to claim another impressive result on the road – Aitor Karanka’s team have drawn away at Arsenal and Manchester City already this term.
The two teams have scored 13 goals each from their 14 top flight matches to date – only Hull City and Burnley have netted less – which suggest it could be a low-scoring affair on the south coast.
Here are three key battles that could decide where the match will be won and lost…
Virgil van Dijk vs Alvaro Negredo
Britain Football Soccer – Southampton v Inter Milan – UEFA Europa League Group Stage – Group K – St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, England – 3/11/16Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk celebrates scoring their first goal Reuters / Eddie KeoghLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Time and time again, Van Dijk is proving that he is head and shoulders above his Southampton teammates.
The Dutchman was on the scoresheet late on against Hapoel Be’er Sheva, but it wasn’t enough to see Saints through to the knockout stages of the competition.
The former Celtic man will face another physical battle on Sunday when he comes up against Alvaro Negredo, who ended a goal drought that stretched back to the opening day of the season by scoring a brace in the 2-2 draw with Leicester City a fortnight ago.
Gaston Ramirez vs Cedric Soares
Britain Football Soccer – Middlesbrough v Hull City – Premier League – The Riverside Stadium – 5/12/16Middlesbrough’s Gaston Ramirez celebrates scoring their first goal with Adam Clayton and Alvaro NegredoAction Images via Reuters / Lee SmithLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publicati
Former Saint Ramirez has been one of Boro’s players of the season so far and he was instrumental in their 1-0 win against Hull at the Riverside Stadium on Monday night, scoring the only goal of the game.
That was his second of the campaign – while he has also provided two assists – and he will surely want to make an impression against the team that released him earlier this year.
Tasked with stopping the Uruguayan from the left flank will be Cedric Soares, who has impressed both defensively and going forward in Southampton’s last two league matches at St Mary’s, with the club failing to concede a goal.
Dusan Tadic vs Adam Clayton
Britain Football Soccer – Southampton v Chelsea – Premier League – St Mary’s Stadium – 30/10/16Southampton’s Dusan Tadic Reuters / Toby MelvilleLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Tadic hasn’t started a game since breaking his nose whilst on international duty with Serbia last month, and Saints have certainly missed the 28-year-old’s creativity while he has been on the sidelines.
Claude Puel’s men have netted just once in their last three Premier League fixtures and they will hope that the returning Tadic can unlock a solid Boro defence.
The player in defensive midfield for the visitors – who will have to deal with the Serbian playmaker – is Adam Clayton. He will know that if he can keep Tadic quiet, it could just help his side pick up a clean sheet at St Mary’s.
According to The Sun, Memphis Depay will not be allowed to leave Manchester United on loan amid Everton’s interest, but the Red Devils will sanction his exit on a permanent basis.
What’s the story?
According to The Sun, Everton manager Ronald Koeman is keen on taking the 22-year-old over to Goodison Park on loan until the end of the season to give the player a trial before deciding whether or not to sign him on a long-term deal.
Football Soccer – Luxembourg v Netherlands – World Cup 2018 Qualifier – Josy Barthel Stadion, Luxembourg – 13/11/16 Netherland’s Memphis Depay celebrates his goal. REUTERS/Eric Vidal
However, Man United are unwilling to send him away on a temporary basis – especially to a close rival – and want to recoup most of the £25m that was spent on him in 2015.
Depay, who has struggled for playing time this season, is widely expected to leave the club this January. He has been completely frozen out of the Man United team and should the right offer be received, he’ll likely be sold on.
Everton manager Koeman has also shown interest in Depay’s team-mate, Morgan Schneiderlin.
Memphis’ United woes
Depay’s Man United career has never really kicked off since he joined the club from PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 2015.
The Netherlands international was quickly dubbed ‘The next Cristiano Ronaldo’ when he arrived at the club, but he has failed to live up to expectations.
He has made a total of 33 appearances and has managed just two goals in those matches.
23-year-old midfielder Kevin Stewart earned a rare start for Liverpool today in the FA Cup third round clash with Plymouth Argyle at Anfield but it’s fair to say supporters of the home side were not impressed with the versatile man.
Capable of playing in midfield or in defence, Stewart is rate very highly by Jurgen Klopp and featured for the entirety of Liverpool’s clash with Plymouth today- although he failed to impress throughout the ninety minutes.
Up against League Two opponents, Liverpool would have been extremely disappointed with their failure to secure a victory and it makes the Reds’ packed January schedule look even worse- as they now have six games to play before the end of the month.
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Whilst many of the squad, which was heavily adjusted by Klopp due to Liverpool’s intense fixture schedule this month, failed to impress, Stewart was picked out on social media by supporters who questioned why he’s still at the club.
At 23, he’s past the age where he has the potential to shine and should instead be pushing for regular first-team football. With his display today though, it’s fair to assume he will never make the grade at Anfield.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho could have Marcos Rojo available for Thursday’s EFL Cup semi-final second leg against Hull City after the Argentine returned to training.
The 26-year-old missed Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Stoke City due to illness, but may resume his partnership with Phil Jones for this week’s trip to the KCOM Stadium.
Rojo and Jones have played together in every United game bar two since the beginning of November.
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Chris Smalling earned his first start since October in last weekend’s draw, but it is good news for Mourinho that Rojo appears to be fit for the upcoming matches.
As well as Rojo, left-back Luke Shaw took part in training this week following a difficult spell out of the team.
United have a tough schedule ahead as they face Hull on Thursday with a 2-0 advantage from the first leg, and then take on Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup over the weekend.
Mourinho’s side will face Hull for a second time in seven days when they welcome Marco Silva’s side to Old Trafford for a Premier League meeting on February 1.
Manchester United’s 3-0 win at Leicester City’s King Power Stadium has been widely credited to a mix of Jose Mourinho and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The Red Devils were struggling for much of the first half before ‘The Special One’ shifted his Armenian playmaker into a central role (No.10, some may say) and with a goal and assists following for the summer signing, the rest is history.
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Mkhitaryan himself has been branded Man of the Match by the majority of outlets since the final whistle sounded in the East Midlands, but is he worthy of that title? There’s no doubt the Eastern European was excellent, but so too was Chris Smalling at the back…
The Englishman’s revival over the course of the past few seasons has been staggering and he put in, arguably, his showing of 2016/17 so far against the Foxes, winning 19 aerial duels and making eleven clearances (both were the highest returns of any player on the pitch), while completing 91% of his 45 passes, touching the ball 71 times and even laying on an assist.
The battle for the top four is closing up, and if Man United can continue to keep it tight, they may just leapfrog above two of Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Spurs.
Everyone knows that Leicester City are having a dismal campaign defending their Premier League title.Claudio Ranieri’s men currently sit one point above the relegation zone, just nine months after they lifted the trophy.It was an astonishing feat for the Foxes as they upset all the odds to win the crown with a 10-point margin.Their success was in part down to Jamie Vardy and his goalscoring prowess, which helped him net 24 times in the league alone.[ad_pod id=’now-tv’ align=’centre’]The England international also set a new record, scoring in 11 consecutive Premier League matches.This season, though, he has been a shadow of his former self, netting just five times in 22 outings in the top flight.
As Squawka’s stat above shows, the 30-year-old has also been struggling to get a shot on target, failing to do so in over eight-and-a-half hours of football.
After his scintillating season for Leicester, Vardy attracted interest from Arsenal, but the forward opted to stay put and pen a new contract at the King Power Stadium.
Hindsight suggests that the Gunners had a lucky escape considering Vardy’s current form, but then again, he is not the only one underperforming for Leicester.
Perhaps if he had made the jump to North London, being among higher calibre players would have raised his game.
Despite arriving at Celtic and leading the team to an unbelievable level of success so far, Brendan Rodgers didn’t actually change that much in the squad already at the club.
He only made five signings last summer and only two are currently regular starters in the first team. Even more remarkable then that the side are currently as good as they are, Rodgers working wonders with players who many fans thought may not have a future at Celtic Park
It also means that there’s still massive room for improvement in the upcoming summer transfer window with Rodgers still able to put his own stamp on the team with more of his own signings. If they turn out to be as good as Scott Sinclair and Moussa Dembele then Celtic could become a force again on the European stage.
There are five players currently at the club whose deals run out at the end of the season and a key part of the manager’s summer will be deciding whether or not to retain their services.
Time to take out our crystal ball and gaze into the future and see what it holds for these five Celtic stars…
Patrick Roberts
Britain Football Soccer – Manchester City v Celtic – UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Group C – Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England – 6/12/16 Celtic’s Patrick Roberts celebrates scoring their first goal Reuters / Phil Noble Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY.
By the time his loan deal finishes at Celtic Park at the end of this season, Patrick Roberts will have spent 18 months at the club. In that time he’s become a real fans favourite with his silky skills, wonderful goals and general personality all endearing him to the Hoops support.
It’s clear the winger has enjoyed his time at the club but it appears the chances of him staying on, either on another loan deal or even permanently are slim, with the player himself hoping to kick on and challenge for places at Manchester City.
As quoted by the BBC, he said of his time at Celtic so far:
“I came here to improve, to win trophies and score goals. Hopefully at the end of the season I can take that back with me to City and have a good go there. It’s been a great experience and I’m thankful for that.”
He was arguably more important to Ronny Deila’s side than Brendan Rodgers, adding a much needed spark to a team not quite exciting home supporters enough. Under Rodgers he’s become more of an impact sub with the form of Scott Sinclair and James Forrest keeping him out of the side.
While there are definitely many who would love the young Englishman to stay in Glasgow, it seems that their future paths are destined to go in different directions.
Efe Ambrose
In January it looked like Efe Ambrose might finally leave Celtic after Blackburn Rovers secured terms on a loan deal for the Nigerian defender. However, new Rovers boss Tony Mowbray revealed this week he would now not be joining the club after work permit issues caused the deal to be scrapped.
Ambrose is now training back with Celtic but with his contract up in the summer, it’s unlikely to be renewed and new reports are linking him with an ’emergency loan’ move to Hibernian, linking up with his former manager Neil Lennon.
The defender has been a frustrating figure for many Celtic supporters with extended periods of good form almost always ultimately ending up in a calamitous mistake that costs the team.
Moving on is the best scenario for all parties.
Kris Commons
Football – Celtic v Dundee United – Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership – Celtic Park – 25/10/15Celtic’s Kris Commons celebrates scoring their third goal Action Images via Reuters / Graham StuartLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for
Kris Commons is a forgotten man at Celtic, not featuring even once for Brendan Rodgers this season, even at times he’s been fully fit and injury free. Commons was once the main man around Celtic Park, the player supporters could rely on to provide a bit of magic and unlock opposition defences.
He’s still at the club but will almost certainly leave when his deal is up this summer. A loan spell at Hibs was thought to be the end of his time in Glasgow but returned and is back training with Rodgers’ men.
He won’t be hanging up his boots quite so it’ll be interesting to see what sort of club he’ll end up at next and whether or not it will be in England and Scotland.
What’s certain is that he’ll go being very fondly remembered by Celtic supporters.
Kolo Toure
Kolo Toure signed a one year deal at Celtic Park last season and initially looked to be one of Brendan Rodgers’ most inspired acquisitions. He started 10 games for the Scottish Champions and looked stellar in almost every one before the emergence of Jozo Simunovic put paid to a regular starting position.
Coming back into the team after a 2 month break, he looked fairly dreadful in a 4-3 victory over Motherwell, a performance that has likely killed any chance of him starting a game anytime soon.
He’s a leader on and off the pitch and his great relationship with Rodgers means that even if he stops playing for Celtic when his deal runs out this summer, he could stay at the club in some sort of coaching capacity.
At 35 it could finally be time for him to retire, especially if his performances continue to go downhill.
Craig Gordon
Britain Football Soccer – Celtic v FC Barcelona – UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Group C – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland – 23/11/16Celtic’s Craig Gordon makes a saveAction Images via Reuters / Lee SmithLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
While Craig Gordon’s deal does expire in the summer, Celtic hold all the cards on his future with the Glasgow club having the option to extend his stay at Celtic Park.
The subject of serious interest from Chelsea in January, it’s clear he has suitors willing to exploit any uncertainty over his future at the club.
Extending his stay Celtic would provide Celtic with a player capable of winning points on his day.
Plenty of managers have been paying tribute to Claudio Ranieri after the Italian was sacked by Leicester City, but Manchester United’s Jose Mourinho went one step further.
The shock news that the Premier League champions parted company with Ranieri was announced on Thursday.
The 65-year-old was given his marching orders less than a year after making history by guiding the Foxes to their first ever league title.
Leicester shocked the football world by taking the crown with a 10-point margin, but this season they have fallen back down to earth.
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The Foxes are staring at relegation given that they are just one point above the drop zone after winning only five of their 25 fixtures in the top flight.
As a result, Leicester’s owners have opted to sack Ranieri 19 months after he was hired.
Mourinho discussed the dismissal in his pre-match press conference and he made his feelings known by donning a ‘CR’ badge on his top.
The Portuguese coach explained his strange tribute, telling reporters:
“My little homage to somebody that wrote the most beautiful history in Premier League. He deserves the Leicester stadium to be named ‘Claudio Ranieri Stadium’.
“The most beautiful thing in the Premier League and one of most beautiful in football history. Now Leicester are in the highlights again with a decision that has everyone in football united.”
Without a doubt, West Ham made an absolute mess of summer 2016.
The club certainly brought in the numbers needed as Slaven Bilic brought European football to the London Stadium, but he was left with an unbalanced squad – lacking the required quality in crucial departments.
Yet to be offered the chance to extend his contract in east London, the coming transfer window could be crucial for the Hammers’ Croatian gaffer ahead of what may well be his final season at the club.
Inevitably, countless targets from abroad will be mentioned in the tabloids in the coming months, but would Bilic be better off chasing players already proven at West Ham, one of English football’s most unique clubs?
The old adage says you should never go back in football, but could signing a former charger prove a masterstroke on Bilic’s part?
With that in mind, let us know which ex-Hammers you’d welcome back to the club by voting below, giving each suggestion a thumbs up or a thumbs down.
Much has been made about the vibrant young side constructed by Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham Hotspur over the last few years and, while the current team so masterfully put together by the Argentine is challenging towards the top end of the league, there’s another layer of talent ready to back up the likes of Dele Alli and Harry Kane.
One of the biggest talents on the books actually comes in central defence, an area rather well-stocked on Hotspur Way. Still, with the Lilywhites looking as if they will qualify for the Champions League again as they continue to embark upon the upward trajectory Pochettino has engineered, use of the squad will be important.
With Visit Britain running a competition to find the biggest Super Fan out there, it’s interesting that the player in question is actually one of American descent. Tottenham have a strong connection with American players, with Clint Dempsey and Brad Freidel to have donned the famous white shirts, and the burgeoning Cameron Carter-Vickers could just be the best yet.
Fast-tracked through the United States development sides, the central defender was called up to the United States U23 side at the age of 16 and Pochettino even went as far as to suggest he could one day become one of the best defenders in the Premier League. High praise perhaps, though the 19-year-old has certainly proved impressive when handed a starting berth.
“I told you that, for me, he will be one of the best centre-backs in England in the future. He has a strong mentality, good quality and all the qualities for playing centre-back” – Mauricio Pochettino
Discovered by the north London outfit when their academy team played in a tournament back in the summer of 2015, the commanding defender has been making waves across the pond for years now. The son of a former professional basketballer, one widely regarded as one of the finest talents to emerge from Louisiana State University, athleticism clearly runs in the family.
While he’ll undoubtedly endure tougher tests than Gillingham, he was imperious against the League One side during their EFL Cup clash back in September, making his competitive first-team debut. Furthermore, the job he did marking England international Daniel Sturridge – a man who terrorised even the best defenders in the league only 18 months or so ago – would not have gone unnoticed, despite the loss to the Liverpool.
A monstrous physical presence, CVC’s level-headedness is just as impressive as both his pace and his power. In fact, he’s made such an impression behind the scenes at Tottenham, club legend Ledley King has praised his temperament too. Such is the standing King has in English football, that’s a rather large endorsement indeed.
Just a few hours after playing in the U20 World Cup for the United States, Carter-Vickers is thought to have travelled to the British embassy in Sydney to complete his A-levels and looks like a man eager to learn at any given opportunity.
The presence of Jan Vertonghen, Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld in central defensive areas may block his route to the first-team right now, though Pochettino will have nothing to fear if any of his defensive stalwarts pick up an injury, while he also has a huge talent to develop for the future.
So, if you wish to come and see such an impressive talent and believe you have what it takes to be their Super Fan, click on the link below to find details.