Pre-Season Report

Results


Southampton 1-0 Southampton U21s
James Ward-Prowse (36)


Southampton 1-2 Everton
Shane Long (32)
Romelu Lukaku (11), Conor McAleny (90+2)


Southampton 0-0 AS Monaco


Southampton 4-0 Romsey
Sadio Mane (10, 72), Jose Fonte (27), Graziano Pelle (54)


West Brom 3-2 Southampton
Jonny Evans (14, 60), James Morrison (81)
Sadio Mane (21), Shane Long (25)


Estudiantes (LP) 1-1 Southampton
Gaston Fernandez (34)
Juanmi (60)


Southampton 2-0 Kidderminster
Shane Long (50, 75)

Analysis

Well. Pre-season didn’t exactly go as planned, but it could have gone worse. I was most disappointed with the amount of goals we conceded – it is something we will definitely have to improve on.

Player of Pre-Season

Shane Long



Shane scored a good number of goals, and his work rate in the fixtures he took part in was fantastic for pre-season.

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July Report

Results


Europa League 3rd Qualifying Round Leg 1
Southampton 0-0 Charleroi

We should’ve won, but for our first competitive fixture it wasn’t too bad. Cedric played very well and we managed 10 shots on target. Paulo Gazzaniga played in goal as Stekelenburg and Forster are both injured. I’m confident of securing a win in the second leg.

Player of the Month

Cedric



Cedric was the Player of the Match in our only competitive fixture this month. He did well on his debut and was a constant threat down the right. I expect him to provide us with a good number of assists this season.


Other News

Transfer News
Stuart Wilkin joins Macclesfield on six-month loan

4th August 2015

Sky Sports can today confirm that Markus Feulner has signed for Southampton



The 33 year old said he was ‘extremely pleased’ to sign for the South Coast club

Signing for a reported £1.7 million from Augsburg, Feulner plays predominately in midfield but can also play anywhere on the flanks, from full back to winger. It is expected that manager Francis Benali will utilise him mainly as a defensive midfielder but will also take advantage of the fact that he can perform in a variety of positions when deciding Europa League squads.

‘I am pleased to sign for Southampton. They have a lot of talent in their squad. I am looking forward to playing in the Europa League with them.’

Southampton travel to Belgium on Thursday to play Charleroi in the Europa League 3rd Round Qualifiers 2nd Leg, before returning to the UK for their first Premier League game of the season against Aston Villa on Sunday.

August Report

Results


Europa League 3rd Qualifying Round Leg 2
Southampton 2-0 Charleroi
Dusan Tadic (5, pen 76)

A good win. The clean sheet was something I was looking for – a strong defence is necessary to be able to go forward with confidence that you won’t get hit on the counter. I would’ve like to see a few more goals, but we’re through to the Playoffs nonetheless.


Premier League
Aston Villa 1–2 Southampton
Gabby Agbonlahor (13)
Sadio Mane (22), Shane Long (42)

A great comeback win. Cedric and Mane were a constant threat down the right, and look to be a formidable pairing already. It’s pleasing to get a first league win under our belt, especially away at Villa Park


Premier League
Southampton 0–0 Everton

A slightly disappointing result considering we were on top for much of the second half. However, a draw isn’t too bad against a relatively strong Everton side.


Europa League Playoff Leg 1
Southampton 2-1 Rosenborg
Pelle (6), Tadic (22)
Morten Gamst Pedersen (90)

More good link up play between Mane and Cedric on show here. Pelle scored the opening goal to give us an early lead, before Tadic scored from a James Ward-Prowse free kick. It was disappointing to concede so late on, as the away goal may prove vital in the second leg.


Premier League
Newcastle 0-1 Southampton
Jay Rodriguez (48)

Jay opened the scoring after a wonderful run from Sadio Mane. Neither team really dominated, but a win is a win, no matter how scrappy.


Europa League Playoff Leg 2
Rosenborg 1-3 Southampton
Mike Jensen (69)
Dusan Tadic (30, 78), Sadio Mane (44)

The result meant we won 5-2 on aggregate, putting us through to the Group Stages of the Europa League. We were dominant overall but conceding a weak goal from a corner was very disappointing.


Premier League
Southampton 1-0 Stoke
Jay Rodriguez (7)

We took the lead early on, with Jay pouncing on the rebound from a Dusan Tadic shot after some great link up play between Mane and Cedric. We held the lead for the rest of the game, although Stoke didn’t put up much of a fight until the end of the second half.

Analysis


I am extremely pleased with our current league position, as we are sitting pretty in second place. We only conceded one goal in our four league games this season, and took 10 points from a possible 12.


We reached the Group Stages of the Europa League, which is what we were expected to do. Overall, I am pleased with our performances in the competition, but I hope we can go on to qualify for the Knockout Stages.


Next month we have a reasonable away trip to Carrow Road, followed by our first Europa League group match against Ast. Tripolis. Then we have two home games, against Leicester and Chelsea respectively, and at the end of the month we have a tough away trip to West Ham.


Player of the Month

Cedric



Cedric wins Player of the Month for the second month running. His constant threat down the right and his excellent defensive work has been a highlight of the first few fixtures, although Sadio Mane put up a good fight too.

Other News

Awards
Manager of the Month: Tottenham's Mauricio Pochettino came in at first place, with Francis Benali of Southampton following close behind in his first month of competitive fixtures at the club. Arsene Wenger of Arsenal rounded out the top three.

Goal of the Month: Oscar of Chelsea won the award this month for his long-range strike against Spurs. Arsenal's Santi Cazorla came in second for his placed shot against Sunderland, and Sadio Mane of Southampton came third, after scoring a looping effort against Aston Villa.

Transfer News
Jake Hesketh joins Bolton on loan until the end of the season
Josh Sims joins Wycombe Wanderers on loan until the end of the season
Jason McCarthy joins Burnley on loan until the end of the season
Carel Kayembe joins Eastleigh on loan until the end of the season

Fixture News
Southampton will play Chelsea at home in the Capital One Cup 3rd Round
Southampton have been drawn in Group K for the Europa League, alongside Shakhtar, Traszonspor and Ast. Tripolis

Cards
Victor Wanyama reaches yellow cards limit meaning he will miss the next European fixture

Financial News
Southampton announce 21,000 season tickets have been sold for the 2015-16 season

31st August 2015

Wanyama Wants Out





According to Sky scources, Southampton’s ball-winning midfielder Victor Wanyama has handed in a transfer request, and is expected to leave the club in the very near future. It is being reported that he is angry over the fact that he wasn’t allowed to speak to PSG, who are thought to have placed a bid of around £12m for him last night.

With the transfer window closing tomorrow, it remains to be seen whether Wanyama will be leaving before it shuts, or whether he will have to wait until at least January to exit the club. Southampton FC have declined to comment.

1st September 2015

Man Utd Make Bid For Saints Star



As deadline day unfolds, BBC Sport News can confirm that Manchester United have placed a bid of £13m for Southampton youngster James Ward-Prowse. The Saints academy product, who is captain of the England U21s, is highly sought after, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool all apparently interested in securing his signature.

Southampton’s stars have attracted interest from a lot of big-name clubs this summer, with PSG having two bids for central midfielder Victor Wanyama rejected already. Sadio Mane and Dusan Tadic have been linked with Bayern Munich and Leverkusen respectively, although no bids have been made for either player as of yet.

1st September 2015

The club can today announce the signing of 17 year old attacking midfielder Harry Chapman from Middlesbourough. The youngster has been handed a three year contract, and can play anywhere across the front line, as well as a wide midfielder.



Manager Francis Benali said,
“We are very pleased to have secured the services of such a talented youngster. Harry has the perfect attributes and mentality to develop into a wonderful winger or striker, and his versatility and ability to play in a number of different positions is an added bonus. It will of course take hard work and dedication, but I believe that Harry can develop into both a key player for Southampton and England.”

In his first interview with the club, Chapman said that he is ‘delighted to be given an opportunity to develop at and play for Southampton’.

“Southampton is known for its amazing academy and youth set up. I had an offer for Liverpool also, but I decided to turn it down to sign for Southampton instead. It makes the most sense for a young player to come here – you just have to look at who’s come through in the past couple of years to see that. It was a no brainer really.”

2nd September 2015

Wanyama Signs New Saints Contract

Southampton FC have announced that midfielder Victor Wanyama has signed a new 5 year contract worth £11m. It comes after rumours that he handed in a transfer request after not being allowed to talk to PSG after they made two bids for him in the summer transfer window.

Manager Francis Benali stated that Southampton was ‘not a selling club’.
“Victor is a very talented player and it is important that we keep players like him in the squad for as long as possible. We are not a selling club, regardless of what the media would like you to think. I am very pleased that he has signed this contract, as it means that we have kept hold of a very good player, and put all the rumours to bed.”



“It is true that I was frustrated at not being able to talk to PSG, but I am happy to have signed a new contract with Southampton. I talked to the manager and he said that I was an important player for the club, and he assured me that we would achieve success here. I am prepared to work hard for the team so that we can win trophies.”

It is thought that Wanyama's contract has a £22m release clause.

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