Why Southampton?

The Saints are a club very close to my heart. I was born and raised in the city, and although I’ve moved away now, I go down to almost every home game and a lot of the London away games.
Southampton are a club with a bright future, as they have one of the most well-established youth academies in the country. Stars such as Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are products of the Southampton youth academy, as is Gareth Bale.
I have chosen to manage Southampton because they are my favourite team, but also because they have the talent in the youth squad to make sure that they can remain successful for years to come.



Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino has stepped down from his position, according to Chairman Nicola Cortese.

“Mauricio has been a great asset to the club with his positive frame of mind and forward-thinking mentality. Everyone here wishes him all the best for the future, but now we start searching for a new manager to lead Southampton to success.”

It is thought that Pochettino resigned due to family reasons, but there have been rumours circulating claiming that Pochettino had an argument with the board over the season’s transfer and wage budgets.

Cortese has said that the new manager will be confirmed on the 9th July.

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Southampton Football Club have announced the appointment of new manager, Jemma Hills, following the departure of Mauricio Pochettino.



“Jemma shares the same ambition and love for the club as I do. I am confident in her abilities to take the club to new heights, and I know that the players and backroom staff also have faith in her.”

Hills, 25, has recently acquired coaching qualifications and has no previous experience of football management. In a press conference after being appointed at the club, Jemma said she was ‘delighted to have been offered the opportunity”.

“Being a huge fan of the club, I have a lot of respect for Nicola. He has big plans for this club. Mauricio’s resignation hit all the fans hard, including me, but I hope that I can achieve a lot in my time here. We have great backroom staff and some brilliant players here, so there is no reason why we can’t be challenging for the top six very soon.”

Jemma was asked about transfers, backroom staff and youth facilities in the press conference, and said that she would be ‘getting rid of deadwood’ and ‘looking to the youth academies for future stars.”

“I’m looking to bring in some new faces this season, but I will definitely be utilising the talent we already have here. The training and youth facilities at this club are among the best in England, and there are already some players that I would like to integrate into the first team from the U21’s squad.”

“As for the backroom staff, I will be offering new contracts to staff members who I believe have the right mentality and drive that this club needs to go forward. The majority of the staff here are brilliant, but there are one or two who I think need to move on.”

Hills will be making her managerial debut at the Etihad Stadium on the 17th August, when Southampton play Manchester City in the Premier League.

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Pre-Season Update
Southampton headed into pre-season under new manager Jemma Hills with games against Lierse, Yeovil, CS Louhans-Cuiseaux, CS Sedan Ardennes, Partick Thistle and Olympiakos.



"We played some attractive football with a focus on possession and attacking. I have to admit that the results against Partick Thistle and Olympiakos were disappointing, however I view pre-season as a time for trying out different tactics and approaches to games, as well as fitness levels within the squad. The lads are relatively postive about the upcoming season. We start with a game against Manchester City and then go on to play Chelsea. These fixtures are a big challenge for us but there are no easy games in the Premier League and I'm sure that we can get a few points on the board come next month."

Transfers
IN
Dejan Stojanovic | Bologna -> Southampton | £4.2m
Alberto | Tenerife -> Southampton | £500k
Luca Antonelli | Genoa -> Southampton | £1.5m
Sergi Darder | Malaga -> Southampton | £975k
Alexander Buttner | Manchester United -> Southampton | £2.2m

OUT
Lee Barnard | Southampton -> Sheffield Wednesday | £325k
Aaron Martin | Southampton -> Bournemouth | 325k
Jos Hooiveld | Southampton -> Vitesse | 800k initial fee

Dejan Stojanovic
"I am very pleased with the signing of Dejan. He has great potential and along with Paulo Gazzaniga, I am confident he will be able to take the 'keeper position when Kelvin Davis and Artur Boruc eventually hang up their boots."



Alberto
"I am also very happy with the signing of Alberto. He looks to have a very bright future and with guidance and training from the club, I believe he could go on to be a brilliant central defender for the club."



Luca Antonelli
"Antonelli is someone with a little more experience. He serves as a good role model for youngster Lloyd Isgrove, and the two will be training together so that they can improve each other's games. I am confident that Luca will be able to fulfil his role in the first team when asked, and he will add to the ambitious mentality that this club emanates."



Sergi Darder

"I am very pleased to welcome Sergi to the club. He has brilliant potential and will be under close monitoring by our youth development team. Although he is perhaps not ready for Premier League football at the moment, I am confident that in a few years Sergi will be a first team regular."



Alexander Buttner
"Alexander is another young player with a lot of potential, and the coaches here will strive to help him achieve that. He is ready for the Premier League already, although he still has some way to go before he becomes the player he is destined to be. We shall be careful with how much playing time Alexander gets - enough to help him develop but not so much that he will be hindered by injuries."



Hills' View On Departures
"Jos, Lee and Aaron have all left the club this month. Jos is excited at the prospect of playing overseas, and Lee is happy to go to Sheffield Wednesday in the hope of getting more playing time. Aaron is still young and I feel it would be best for him to spend time at a club where he will play enough matches to become the player I know he can be. Unfortunately he wasn't going to get the game time he needed at Southampton, but Bournemouth is a very good side and I know he will do well there."

A number of youngsters have left the club on loan, including Ryan Seager and Sam Gallagher.

Southampton Clinch Draw Against Man City

Southampton took on Manchester City at St.Mary's Stadium yesterday and came away with a 1-1 draw.



Victor Wanyama scored the opener on 32 minutes for Southampton, who kept their lead until the 52nd minute, when Jesus Navas gave Man City the equaliser. City looked dangerous throughout the game, but the Southampton defence stood strong to secure the point.



Man Of The Match: Victor Wanyama


Debutants - Dejan Lovren, Callum Chambers, Alex Buttner, Victor Wanyama

"The squad are delighted with the win. We went into the match as firm underdogs and came away with a result to be proud of. All the players worked their socks off. We've got a point on the board when we expected to get nothing, but we're going to focus on the Chelsea game now."
- Jemma Hills, Southampton Manager

"I'm a little bit disappointed with the result. To be fair to Southampton, they played very well and put up a good fight. Things could have turned out very differently, but it just wasn't to be."
- Manuel Pelligrini, Manchester City Manager

Southampton Upcoming Fixtures


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