Saturday sees us travel to West Ham. The have been an abundance of small positives in the preseason, and and absence of negatives.
Lewis Holtby has been his usual upbeat self. And hasn’t forgotten the old trick of bringing the teacher an apple on the first day of term.
I think he’s a very good manager. I don’t want to compare managers as everyone has their own style, but he’s very positive – he wants to play attacking football, pressing football.
It suits everybody at the club. Everyone’s happy with the way we train, the way we work, and he’s so ambitious. We’re very positive to go into the season and do very well.
I’m just going to work hard and I want to fight my way into the team.
Others are there to judge my game but I’m very happy that I’ve got a lot of run-outs and I’ve built up some confidence to hopefully play against West Ham.
I’m giving everything for this club, for this team, and to show my abilities. The gaffer’s the judge and if he believes in my qualities then I will play but it’s a team game so the best thing is that we win, and I hope that I can participate in that.”
I’d being inclined to start Holtby against West Ham. It is likely to be a blood and guts affair, and the kid has fight in him, as well as the ability to pick a pass.
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This morning’s article from Neil Ashton of the Daily Mail suggests that our target Schneiderlin has a gentleman’s agreement with Saints that would allow him to join us.
Morgan Schneiderlin is claiming he has a gentleman’s agreement with Southampton that will force through his move to Tottenham.
This gentleman’s agreement business would seem to be a bit of a grey area to most people. Then most people aren’t Neil Ashton. He appears to have an uncanny inside track on them
In this Ashton article from January 2014, he reveals that former teammate Rickie Lambert also has one.
Rickie Lambert can stay at Southampton for life under a gentleman’s agreement when he signed his £40,000 a week contract.
In 2009, Ashton revealed in this piece that Glen Johnson had one.
Portsmouth have yet to accept an offer from any of their Barclays Premier League rivals, but Johnson has a gentleman’s agreement with executive director Peter Storrie that he can leave if their valuation is matched.
Back in 2008, it was Ashton who had the inside track on another of these unwritten agreements. In this article, again for the Daily Mail, it’s a Pompey player that has one.
LASSANA DIARRA has a gentleman’s agreement with FA Cup kings Portsmouththat he can quit Fratton Park for one of European football’s heavyweights.
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The new season means a new Fantasy Football competition. The Lilywhite League is open for business on the Barclays Premier League site, the code for the league is 2054839-457349.
All you do is set up a team, then click on “Leagues.”
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Everton goalie has been generous in his praise for our latest signing, DeAndre Yedlin. Howard told ESPN:
I’m super excited for DeAndre. He’s a good kid, he’s humble, he’s very respectful and he’s got a bag full of talent.
He showed that coming into the Belgium game. He had no care in the world who [Eden] Hazard was, he ran him up and down the pitch. I think he’ll do really well in the long-run at Tottenham.”
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In respect of the Morgan Schneiderlin and Mateo Mustachio deals, all the ITK are lined up in a row, saying what has been previously shared. The personal terms are all wrapped up, and it is ‘simply’ a case of thrashing out acceptable terms with their respective clubs.
But neither wish to sell.
God help us, but I can see Jim White announcing them both.
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