Week 3

Sinky2707 · Cult Status

Week 3

Bluebird99 · Cult Status

Team spirit was key - Davies-Evans

New Southampton manager Steve Davies-Evans has spoken of his pride after their 0-0 away draw to local rivals and promotion favourites Portsmouth. Saints were forced to play with thre Right Backs in defence and two Left Wingers in midfield but still managed to keep a clean sheet and almost won the game. Speaking to BBC Radio Solent after the game, Davies-Evans couldn't speak highly enough of the clubs spirit.

Press: Steve, is that a good point?
SDE - I think any point away from home is a good point but even more so when you're playing one of the promotion favourites and arch enemies all with a patched up side. I couldn't be prouder of the work ethic.

Press: It was quite obvious to see that certain players had to play out of position today, does that make the point even sweeter?
SDE - To a degree yes. We wanted to be hard to break down and I thought we were today. We were unlucky not to nick a win when Nathan (Ellington) shot wide, Myself and half my staff thought it had gone in.

Press: Has Simon Newcombe been in contact regarding the result?
SDE - Yeah I had a text after the game saying that he was happy with that. Hopefully now as some fresh faces come in, we can be abit more dangerous going forward and start chalking up some wins.

Press: Some people have doubted whether Glenn has what it takes to put together a run to gain promotion from this league. What is you're view?
SDE- Well League One is a tough league and if you're not used to it then it can take you by surprise. Add to that the pressure of having to get Portsmouth promoted and things can easily get on top of you. I don't know Glenn that well so I can't comment on whether he's strong enough to handle the pressure so I guess we'll have to see over the course of the season. Portsmouth are a very good side in this league and they should definately be challenging for automatic promotion this season so you can ask me the same question after the last game of the season.

pricey · Cult Status

Recreativo Huelva manager Dale Price speaks of shock win.

Spanish media company La Gola caught up with Mr Price after his sides fantastic 3-1 win over Valencia. Well i never in a million years thought that would happen to be honest with you i thought we played out of our skin and showed that we are not going to be pushovers this season What was the highlight of the game for you Mr Price? The whole game was a highlight from the start to the end we attacked them and had them on the back foot from the off. I think Matthew Fryatt played out of his skin and he has proved today that the big clubs are right in making bids for him talking about transfers you have been busy this week yeah? We have had Florent Malouda join from Liverpool and Martyn Waghorn from Sunderland he is a very exciting young striker that has the world at his feet and the potential to go on to great things in football we have also brought in Steven Davis on loan from Portsmouth for the season which will give us options in that area of the field. As Mr Price finished the interview Huelva fans couldnt wait until next weeks game

Ash · Cult Status

Real Zaragoza manager Ashley Harris spoke to the assembled media after his side's opening win of the season.

Press: So your up and running with 3 points, pleased?
AH: Absolutely. I was glad that we were able to pull the 3 points out of the bag this week as it was important to get that first win and the confidence that brings to the squad. I believe that Santander are a strong side who don't give anything away so all in all a job well done.

Press: You have strengthend your squad this week with the loan signing of Victor Moses. What will he add?
AH: He will add more firepower up front that's for sure. We were a bit short on the striker front so im happy that we were able to strengthen in that area. It will allow us to have options in terms of our formation and tactics and im certain that he will score important goals for us.

Press: Any other signing news?
AH: Yes. We will be bringing in another young striker with alot of potential next week. He is already a good player with the ability to be a great player and he will bring the average age of our squad down as we do have 1 or 2 players the wrong side of 30. But i won't say who it is until the deal has actually gone through!

Press: thanks for your time.
AH: No problem

Bluebird99 · Cult Status

Southampton unveil new signings

Southampton manager Steve Davies-Evans took time out today to introduce 5 new faces to the Southampton fans and explained the reasons they have joined the club.

Press, Steve would you like to introduce us to your new players?

SDE - Yes of course. Firstly we have USA International Landon Donovan who has joined us in a £3.1m deal from Cadiz. We feel that Landon's pace will give us something extra upfront as we look to get behind opposition defences.

Next up we have Antonio Adan who is a very bright young goal keeper that has risen through the ranks at Real Madrid and we feel he has great potential for the future.

Next is Armand Trore who we feel is a real coup for the club. He's a young but very confident centre half who has alot of potential to improve has time goes by.

Next is Jose Somedo who we have signed on a free agent. Again Jose is a centre half and will give us some much needed options in that area of the pitch.

Last but definately not least is Giles Barnes who has signed on loan until the end of the season from West Ham. I know that Yves at West Ham rates Giles very highly indeed and it tok some pursuasion to get Giles here but now that he is, we're delighted. Giles has electric pace and we feel he can really hurt opposition from the right wing.

Press: Steve, 5 new faces? You have been busy!

SDE - Well as I stated in my previous press conference, Myself and Simon (Newcombe) have worked tirelessly since it was decided that I was to come here to make sure that we struck early and got the players that we want. I am delighted with the caliber of players I have sat beside me and think they will all make a big difference to the team.

Press: Are all 5 players likely to make their debuts in tomorrows cup matches?

SDE - We haven't decided yet to be honest. We are going to look at a few things and see where we go but there's a chance that atleast two or three may start.

Press: Next up in the league is Leeds at home. A good and established team in this league. How do you see that going?

SDE - As you say, they are a good team. They had a decent 2-2 with my old team Forest this week and I was personally very impressed with left winger Sergio Peter. A player that ironically I sent to Leeds as part of the deal that took Jay Bothroyd to Blackburn at the time. I think that if we can stop him playing, there is a chance we can get a positive result.

Press: A rumour is that you had a scout at that game actually watching Peter. Is that correct?

SDE - We did have a scout at that game but I cant confirm if it was to look at Sergio Peter. He's a player that we admire but then there is alot of players that fall into that catagorie. We'll just have to wait and see.

Liam · Cult Status

Sevilla FC Television shown a post-match press conference where Liam Riste was present to answer the questions of the awaiting fans and media.

SFCTV: An 87th minute winner against Real Sociedad, would you consider this lucky and how disappointed are you with such a narrow win?
LR: I think you have to look at the bigger picture here. Yes... On paper, it probably shouldn't have been as close as 3-2, but with no option but to field a mere two defensive players, I was left no option but to use my attacking wingers as wing-backs until the arrival of Gareth Bale this week. I was over the moon to get a win, and we left it late which is the mark of Champions!

SFCTV: Mark of Champions? Are you suggesting that you can deliver silverware?
LR: I wasn't suggesting anything with that comment. We are second after only two games so it's still very open, although a good start is always nice. I don't see any reason why we can't challenge for silverware and have as good a chance as others. I have a bit more tweeking to do to my team but I truely believe we can achieve something in the not so distant future, yes.

SFCTV: Gareth Bale has arrived! What are your views on your dealings so far and future deals?
LR: Gareth Bale will prove to everyone why he is worth every penny of the £20m spent by me for his services! He is a big player and part of this club now and for its future. James McFadden was keen to play out his playing days rather than just watch them from the sides, so I had to let him go. But in return we have a young talent which will benefit from filling in when required. He may even be available for loan but we will see!
Victor Moses has gone on a half-season loan to Segunda title challengers Zaragoza where he will lead the front-line and show Ash why he has shone for me in previous weeks.

SFCTV: You have high scoring Espanyol next week, what's your view on this?
LR: We are more ready than last week, and it will be a test for my improving back-line. They are top of the league but as I've said, ony two games have gone. We beat them on the last game of ast season and will look to repeat the 4-2 win from before. I am very much looking forward to that game.

SFCTV: Ok well thanks for your time again.
LR: Cheers

richj363 · Cult Status

The Evening Standard caught up with the Spurs manager on Mnday morning to get his thoughts on the seasion so far.

ES So how happy are you with your start ?

RJ I am very happy, we had a good win against Watford and only narrowly lost to a very strong Man City team away last week. We are confident of making the move towards european football this season.

ES Two new arrivals this week, how important do you see them being ?

RJ Yes we signed Isadora and Busquets from Barcelona and I see them as important players for this club for many years. We needed a younger CB and Isadora has the quality that we need, and Busquets will fill the role in midfield that we lost when we sold Watson and Soares.

ES Dawson would appear crucial to your success ?

RJ Yes he is which is why we have just turned down a bid of 19m for him, we have to keep him if we are going to achieve our goals.

ES Thanks for your time and good luck.

RJ My pleasure.

Spartikus47 · Cult Status

Frugal Toffees claim victory

Everton made it two wins out of two in the new season after another tight 1-0 win against a blunt Leicester City team at Goodison Park this weekend. The match was a turgid affair, typical of the early season running in league one this term. It took a thunderbolt from club captain Fernando Amorebieta to break the deadlock, and in truth one goal always looked like proving the difference.

Toffees boss Mark Rollings spoke frankly in the build up to the game, urging his young strike force to start firing his team to glory. He may well be wondering if his words got lost in translation!

Despite the struggle Rollings was happy to take the spoils.

"It's another three points and we got them the scrappy way. Our squad is still far from complete and I think the fixture list has been very kind in that we have played two teams I expect to improve just at the right time. I expect Leicester City to be challenging right up there this season so we are delighted we have got three points off them early doors. When we get our players in we will be a different class to most teams in this league, so for now its purely about results".

Rollings is continueing his search for a left back, and has been tracking players both in Italy and Spain over the past weeks to no avail, however a club source suggested a "significant" offer was on the table of an unnamed Championship side, with which the club were hopeful of success. Rollings is keen to complete the final piece of the jigsaw which will see Damien Plessis, Daniel Pacheco and Gorka Larrea join Antonino Barilla and Fernando Tissone as new permanent signing at the Merseyside outfit over the next few weeks.

Finally, with the English Cup draw due at 2pm today Rollings spoke to gathered journalists of his aspirations for this season.

"We have a young squad who shouldn't suffer from fatigue! Therefore we will be taking the cup very seriously indeed. If we can get through round one then I think we could well cause a few upsets with our new players. It is difficult to compete with the Premier League clubs but if we get a nice draw, and possibly catch a couple of sides on off days then who knows - maybe we can make an impact! As for who I would like to draw, I think if we can get through round one everyone at the club would like to get Liverpool at Goodison Park!"

-- Edited by Spartikus47 on Monday 3rd of May 2010 11:23:35 AM

-- Edited by Spartikus47 on Monday 3rd of May 2010 11:24:17 AM

mg1 · Cult Status

First points of the season for Liverpool

Liverpool boss Mark Galeozzie speaks to the Liverpool Echo after 4-2 away win at Blackburn.

LE: After a heavy defeat in your first game in charge you must be pleased with the win away to Blackburn this weekend.

MG: Yes it was good to put last week behind us and get 3 points. I was really pleased with the teams attitude and although it was a far from perfect performance it was a good starting point and something we can look to build on.

LE: You next game is Arsenal at home. They have recently undergone a lot of changes with a new owner and new manager joining the club after a short spell in administration, do you think it could be a good time to play them after their recent troubles.

MG: There has been a lot of changes recently but there is no doubt in my mind that this will be one of our toughest fixtures of the season. True they have lost some quality players in recent weeks but still have a very strong team and if we are to get anything out of the game we will have to play at our very best against a team I expect to be challenging for another top 3 finish this season.

LE: You say that Arsenal will be challenging for a top 3 finish this season, you have now had a couple of games in charge and had a chance to work more closely with your players how do you see this going

MG: Well it is going to be a transitional season for us as I look to rebuild the team. We have already brought in a few players. There are also going to be a few more changes at the club in the next few weeks. Once these changes have been made I would like to see club finish in the top 6 this season to ensure that we are playing European football next season. After that I will sit down with the chairman and discuss the way forward.

LE: So can you confirm any new signings

MG: I can confirm the reports from both Parma and Everton camps recently.

This week will see Arnulfo leave for Parma with Corradini and Toulanlan joining us as part of the deal.

Next week will see youngsters Pacheco and Plessis leave to join Everton in return for Moura.

We are working a few other deals but cannot confirm anything at this stage.

LE: Plessis and Pacheco had been tipped for big things at Liverpool but you are letting both leave to join your rivals Everton.

MG: It is a shame to see them both leave but unfortunately neither were good enough for the first team, where as I believe Moura could have an immediate impact on the team this season whilst still being young enough to improve. With some of the worlds best coaches and the top class facilities here at the club I am sure he will easily cope with the step up in class and flourish here. I have no doubt he will win over the fans to become a Kop favourite.

I would like to wish Daniel and Damien the very best for the future. They are both decent youngsters and I am sure they will only benefit from regular first team football and time to improve at a small club like Everton.

-- Edited by mg1 on Monday 3rd of May 2010 01:02:13 PM

-- Edited by mg1 on Tuesday 4th of May 2010 10:03:23 AM

Liam · Cult Status

Liam Riste was questioned on Sevilla FC Television about the recent European Cup Group draw.

SFCTV: So you have been drawn in Group C with the Champions of Italy and Spain in your group, along with your supporting team Man Utd. What do you make of the draw?
LR: I think we have been drawn in the hardest group of the three. I am a betting man but I definitely wouldn't like to put money on who's going to qualify! This could be anyone's. I am looking forward to testing my team against these three giant clubs and seeing how we fair.

Juventus are the champions of Italy and you don't become champions by fluke. They have a strong squad that is led the the head of 'The Royal House of Jenkins'. They are such a powerful team and will be tough to break-down.

Barcelona are champions of the league I am currently managing in and I need to be able to give them a run for their money in the league. So playing them in europe will give me a better picture of how I will fair in the league.

Man Utd are a massive club and as a fan, am relishing the chance to manage against them! They didn't make the top 3 in their league and qualified through being runners-up in the domestic cup, but I'm no fool and the English league is very tough. This will be a really tough game.

We will just have to see how we play on the big stage and take it from there. This is my first time in the European Cup and want to make an impression.

Simon · Cult Status

We caught up with Valladolid manager Simon Jenkins

"A good win against Real Madrid this week?"

"Yeah it was excellent, they are in transition but still have people like Rooney left in their team so it was not as if a win was on the cards."

"Barcelona tomorrow, how do you see that turning out?"

"We are obviously bursting with confidence going into the game but it will be no mean feat. They are a quality team but hopefully we will be boosted by the belief that if we win, it is very realistic that we could win the league."

"There is still a whole season to go yet though surely?"

"If we beat Barcelona then I would have thought that Sevilla are the only team that could cause any real challenge to the top spot. If we can repeat the first half of Barcelona's last season then we will be well on our way to an extremely high finish, so long as we do not mess it up like Barce did in the second half!"

"Any transfers this week?"

"Yes we have a young goalkeeper coming in and our newest youth product Visiers is on his way out. I think that Valladolid are one major transfer off being set for several seasons as a massive force in Spain and maybe Europe, and we have the money in the bank to get that done in the next couple of weeks."

"You mentioned Europe and the draw happened earlier this week, what was your reaction?"

"Well, there are no easy groups in Europe but hopefully we can take some points off of a couple of the teams in ours. I think one of them will hard to get anything from though. I want to focus on the league for this season and get that title under our belt before going all out for Europe, so don't expect miracles from Valladolid in Europe this season at least!"

"Arsenal have got off to a blistering start in the Premiership..."

"Yeah, it's a bit odd owning the team top of the Premiership, but the real test will come when they face up to the Chelseas and Manchesters of the league. Jamie knows what he has to do, I shall say no more on the matter."

"Thanks for your time."

"No problem."

Cult Status

Walker scoffs at title claims

"I saw the comments earlier this week saying we were going to be challenging in the top three this season. I think the Liverpool manager must have had a bump on the head. Maybe thats the reason he moved to Liverpool! Liverpool are a team with big expectations who can win a one off game but are too old to last the course. We had a great team but if any team in the world lost Bale, Fabregas, Vaz, and Richards in 8 days they would be a shadow of the team they were. No team comes back from administration right away. We need time and the new manager has set a healthy top 8 target to give me time. I hope the fans get to enjoy a good cup run but this season is all about rebuilding the team off the pitch. I want to bring a new philosophy to Arsenal and for now I have the chairmans support. I want to produce young players who can come through this very team learning their game at Arsenal not out on loan. I know results will be affected by this philosophy but it is a healthy way for a club to operate. Perfect for a team coming out of administration. Would I like to see Liverpool fans crying in our own back garden? Yes of course. Am I fooled by media talk that we are the team expected to win and needing all 3 points to live up to this seasons expectations? No. Mark needs the 3 points. If he doesn't realise that now he needs to find it out fast before the Kop turn on him."

Tezza · Cult Status

Atalanta News

Atalantas manager Terry Manifold issued a statement ahead of tomorrows away match at Reggina.

The deals I have been pursuing this week in order to strengthen the squad have not materialised, I have always felt that another CB would have given me more options at the back, but, I havent the money to go out and purchase one, so we will have go for the title with what we have.

We are in for a real battle against Reggina, they have made an excellent start to the season. I cant see why we cant hold them tomorrow. We are certainly not going there for a draw. I was a little disappointed with the Catania result, and lessons have been learned.