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Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl defended his team’s style of play following the 3-1 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday.

His post-match comments were relayed by reliable reporter Dan Sheldon, which led to a number of Saints fans hitting out at Hasenhuttl on social media.

Southampton conceded two late goals at Stamford Bridge following James Ward-Prowse’s red card in the second half after the captain had earlier levelled the scores from the spot. The result means the Saints are still yet to win in the Premier League this season and sit 17th in the table going into the October international break.

Hasenhuttl was asked following the defeat about the way his team plays and defended his style, claiming that it is ‘nice to watch’ as he said: “Why should we change? It’s also nice to watch. I’m not a fan of parking the bus against the big teams.”

However, some fans aren’t happy with that response, with the club winning just two of their last 15 top-flight league fixtures.

Southampton fans react

Sheldon, who is Southampton’s reporter for The Athletic, posted Hasenhuttl’s comments via Twitter on Saturday evening, with @SaintsExtra also relaying his tweet.

Here is what these Saints supporters had to say in reply, with many not happy and one labelling the manager’s response as ‘strange’.

“Yeah I love watching us lose even though we look good sometimes. I’d rather big Sam in atm.. at least we’re probably win a few games. RALPH OUT!”

Credit: @cleetus_van

“Is this a joke? Just because it’s ‘nice to watch’ doesn’t mean the loyal fans don’t mind us losing every week. Change because it doesn’t work, we can’t score and never win? That’s good enough reasons for me. 6 points needed from Leeds and Burnley and nothing less.”

Credit: @JackKnutsen_

“So we win 5 out of 33 league games and he doesn’t want to change anything ?? Seriously ????”

Credit: @curlywiggins

“Strange thing to say – we’re not that exciting to watch, mush.”

Credit: @Josh_b222

“Better to park the bus than taking a ride down to the Championship. Poor tactics.”

Credit: @HaraldStensdal

“Who exactly, apart from Ralph himself, is enjoying watching us play?”

Credit: @Beaumxntt

In other news: ‘Can’t keep watching him’ – Some Saints fans destroy ‘passenger’ who ‘should retire’. 

The return of Christopher Jullien will be a ‘massive’ boost for a Celtic side who look like they’re ‘missing a leader’.

That’s according to former Scotland full-back Alan Hutton, who was speaking to Football Insider.

The lowdown

Julien has been out of action since the end of December 2020 with a knee injury. It’s ruled him out of 34 matches to date.

Speaking midway through last month, manager Ange Postecoglou said that Jullien was ‘still very much on an individual programme’ and insisted Celtic were being ‘careful’.

It will be ‘a little while’ before he’s back in contention, the Australian added.

Celtic have managed to keep four clean sheets in their first 11 competitive matches of the new campaign.

The latest

Hutton says the partnership of Stephen Welsh and Carl Starfelt is unconvincing, with the former inexperienced and the latter struggling to ‘find his feet’.

He expects the composed Jullien to elevate the defence when he does eventually return.

“They must be desperate to have him back,” the former Rangers, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa man said. “I think they’re missing a leader at the moment in that centre-half pairing.

“Welsh has come in and done really well, but he’s young.

“Starfelt has only just walked through the door, he’s not found his feet yet after a difficult time at the start of the season.

“They need a calm head back there, so Celtic will be desperate for Jullien to come back.

“He’s played in those high-pressure games, and he can help bring on the centre-backs around him with his experience as well.

“He’ll be a massive part of this Celtic side, and when he’s fit he’ll come straight back in.”

The verdict

Celtic’s centre-back ranks have been doubly weakened with Jullien sidelined and Kristoffer Ajer transferred to Brentford for an initial £13.5million back in July. Those two formed a reassuring partnership.

After such a serious injury, there may also be concerns that Jullien will struggle to recapture his former levels.

It’s key for Celtic’s domestic, and indeed European, ambitions that he’s fit and firing soon.

In other news, Celtic have been linked with this attacker.

Ex-Everton star Michael Ball believes that Richarlison leaving the club would net the Toffees a “huge” profit.

Reports over the summer suggested that the Brazilian attacker was seen as a potential acquisition for French giants PSG, amid doubts over Kylian Mbappe’s future.

Mbappe was linked with Real Madrid but no deal was ultimately struck, with a bid of just over £171m rejected by the Ligue 1 club.

Richarlison, 24, was seen as the potential replacement for the France international but, of course, no bid was ultimately tabled by the French side.

Richarlison moved to the club back in 2018 from Watford in a deal that ultimately cost the Toffees a fee of £50m.

He has gone on to make a total of 122 appearances for the club, scoring 43 goals and registering 10 assists, while he has also won six caps for Brazil, scoring five goals.

Despite the hefty fee attached to the deal taking him to Goodison Park, Ball believes that he will be sold for a huge profit when he eventually does leave the club.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “If he starts showing the ability that he thinks he has and what he’s shown glimpses of at Everton then a big club will be coming in for him for top dollar.

“It’s a guy who was apparently ruing the transfer window when he made the move to Everton, will show that Everton will be making a huge profit when he finally does leave.”

Former Premier League footballer Dean Windass believes that Harvey Elliott is so talented and will be at Liverpool for a long time.

Elliott joined the Reds in 2019 after his youth contract at Fulham expired. Last season Elliott headed out on loan to Blackburn Rovers in the Championship and was in good form, scoring seven goals and providing a further 12 in all competitions.

The 18-year-old featured for Blackburn off either wing and after a good season has returned to Liverpool and has been part of the club’s first-team pre-season fixtures, featuring most recently in the club’s 1-1 draw with Athletic Club where he played 84 minutes.

Windass was full of praise for the youngster, telling Football FanCast: “I think the lad’s so talented and listen, at the end of the day I’ve always said when you play with good players you become a better player yourself. 

“He will be at Liverpool for a long, long time, they won’t want to sell him, they will want to develop him, they’ll want to monitor him, they’ll want to get as many games under his belt as they can.”

Elliott signed a new long-term contract this summer with Liverpool, with manager Jurgen Klopp telling the Metro: “We have obviously a new midfielder in our squad with Harvey Elliott.”

Liverpool got their Premier League campaign underway today when they travelled to Carrow Road to take on Norwich City, and will be hoping to improve on last season’s third-placed finish in their title defence campaign.

Speaking to Football Insider, Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson has been left thrilled by some ‘brilliant news’ involving promising young defender Japhet Tanganga.

The Lowdown: Tanganga set to stay?

The 22-year-old was heavily linked with a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with the club even accepting a loan bid from Turkish Super Lig giants Galatasaray (The Athletic).

However, following an impressive opening day performance against Premier League champions Man City, he now looks far more likely to remain in north London at Nuno Espirito Santo’s disposal.

Tanganga’s agent doesn’t categorically rule out a loan spell, but reports indicate that Nuno is certainly leaning towards keeping him.

Football Insider state that a U-turn has now been performed by Tottenham after Tanganga’s showing against City with Nuno now aiming to give him a first team place for 21/22.

The Latest: Robinson reacts…

Speaking to the same outlet, former England international Robinson has called this Tanganga decision ‘brilliant news’ – going on to revel in the youngster’s potential.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news/” title=”Tottenham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

“I thought he was outstanding against Manchester City; he can’t have been far away from getting man of the match,” the ex-Spurs keeper explained.

“I was very impressed with him last year, so I was surprised when I heard that Spurs were willing to loan him out.

“We know that Nuno had Doherty at Wolves, and he’s going to be a favourite of his. But it’s Tanganga’s shirt to lose.

“It’s brilliant news, he’ll be a mainstay in the side for Spurs this year. The only thing is if Nuno decides to go for a wing-back system – that’s where Doherty has the edge.

“Tanganga is more of an out and out defender, as we saw against City.”

The Verdict: Wise decision…

Spurs should certainly keep Tanganga as an option for Nuno this season going by his outing against Pep Guardiola’s side.

He even drew praise from another Sky Sports pundit in Gary Neville, who waxed lyrical over his one-on-one defending against the likes of Raheem Sterling and Jack Grealish on that side (This is Futbol).

The youngster could even save Spurs money when it comes to splashing out on a new right-back before August 31.

In other news: Contact made: Tottenham offer now expected to sign 6 foot 4 powerhouse who Nuno personally wants, find out more here.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein has dropped an Arsenal transfer update on Inter striker Lautaro Martinez which will leave fans buzzing.

What’s the story?

Taking to Twitter, he said: “In speaking with Inter Milan about Bellerin, Arsenal enquired on Lautaro Martinez. 23yo striker (contract 2023) is for sale & #AFC thought to have mentioned Lacazette, but #Inter need cash + hope it helps them keep Chelsea target Lukaku @TheAthleticUK #CFC.”

An accompanying article from The Athletic read: “A move has previously been considered unrealistic but The Athletic understands Arsenal have long held Lautaro in high regard. With the north London club and Inter Milan in contact about a prospective deal for Hector Bellerin, sources indicate that Arsenal have enquired about Lautaro’s availability.

“It is thought Lautaro would be interested in a move to Arsenal if Inter want to sell him.”

Arsenal fans will be buzzing

The £72m-rated Martinez has been one of the outstanding strikers in Italian football in recent seasons, and enjoyed an impressive campaign for Inter in 2020/21, with 17 goals and ten assists in Serie A alone.

Meanwhile, Barcelona star Lionel Messi is also a big fan of his Argentina teammate, telling Mundo Deportivo: “Lautaro is an impressive forward, especially because I think he is a very complete striker: he is strong, he dribbles well, he has a goal, he knows how to protect the ball.”

Messi added: “He’s spectacular. He has impressive qualities. You could tell he was going to be a great player, and he is showing that He’s very strong, really good one on one, scores a lot of goals, and in the area he fights with anyone, holds it up, he can turn, scrap to win it all on his own. He has a lot of quality. He’s very complete.”

Given his track record with Inter, Martinez would be the kind of striker signing which will surely have Arsenal fans excited. It’s exactly why Ornstein’s update that the club are in for him, and that the Argentine himself would be interested in the move if Inter want to sell him, should have the Gunners faithful buzzing.

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has dropped an Arsenal transfer update…

Frank McAvennie has been left hailing the news that Newcastle United have agreed a deal to sign Joe Willock on a permanent deal.

The Lowdown: On his way

As per The Athletic, the St. James’ Park faithful have agreed a deal to sign Willock permanently from Arsenal for a reported £20m following his loan spell in the North East in the 2020/21 season.

In a recent development, the Tyneside club have now agreed personal terms with the central midfield player, and he is travelling to the Magpies for his medical, with the hope that he can be registered in time to play West Ham United on the opening weekend (Sky Sports).

The Latest: McAvennie on Willock deal

Speaking to Football Insider, former Celtic and West Ham United striker now pundit McAvennie has hailed the deal to bring Willock back permanently:

“He’s going to enjoy being in Newcastle.

“I lived up there for 15 years. It’s a great place to live and work.

“Willock clearly enjoyed it the first time around and he’s going to enjoy it again.

“They need this, Newcastle. They have had a horrible time recently with the takeover.

“A bit of good news on the eve of the season is just what they need. It’s brilliant news.

“The fans will love him for leaving Arsenal and they will love him even more if he keeps scoring.”

The Verdict: Great news

It is certainly great news that the Toon look to have captured the signature of Willock after such a successful loan spell.

The Englishman scored no fewer than eight goals from midfield in 14 matches in the Premier League last term at NUFC (Transfermarkt), and was vital in helping Steve Bruce and co climb away from the relegation zone.

Nonetheless, he already knows his new teammates and Bruce well and so would need no time to gel in, meaning that he can come out all guns blazing against the Hammers, should the deal be done in time.

In other news, find out what ‘great bit of business’ Newcastle have done here!

An update has emerged in Aston Villa’s pursuit of Chelsea full-back Tino Livramento.

What’s the talk?

According to Hampshire Live, Southampton could have the edge over their competition in the race to land Tino Livramento as they only have one senior right-back option. The Saints could tempt the Aston Villa target to join them with the prospect of senior football in the not-too-distant future.

The report names Aston Villa, Brighton, RB Leipzig and AC Milan among the clubs interested in signing the young right-back. His contract at Stamford Bridge expires at the end of next season and talks are said to have stalled over an extension, with a compensation expected to be around £500k.

Could strike gold

Johan Lange must act swiftly to secure a deal for Livramento this summer. If he can move quickly and snap up the youngster in the coming weeks then he could stave off interest from other sides, including Southampton, as they may be waiting for him to become a free agent next year. Instead of waiting 12 months, Villa can strike now and use the element of surprise to jump ahead of their rivals in the pursuit.

The claret and blue chief could strike gold for Dean Smith in doing so as Livramento is a talented young player with the potential to improve further. He was named on the bench for Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Manchester City in the Premier League at the start of May and was unused. The youngster also won Chelsea’s Academy Player of the Year award at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.

The 18-year-old, who has been dubbed as a “huge talent”, made 26 appearances for the club’s academy last term and provided three goals and 10 assists. This shows off his attacking flair from the back four and suggests that he could fit the mould Smith is looking for in his fullbacks.

Smith wants his fullbacks to bomb down the flank to create overloads and openings out wide. Matty Cash averaged 0.8 key passes per game in the Premier League, whilst Matt Targett managed one per game on the left flank. Livramento could come in and learn from the likes of Cash and Targett as their understudy, developing his game to suit what the ex-Brentford coach wants.

Therefore, he could be a shrewd addition to Villa’s squad in the short-term, as he could provide cover for Cash, and in the long-term. The dynamo could be someone Smith is able to take his time with on the training pitch and develop over the course of several years, rather than expecting him to come straight in and impress.

AND in other news, talkSPORT drop promising update on “phenomenal” Aston Villa star, fans surely buzzing…

Reading forward George Puscas has reportedly turned down a loan offer from Turkish side Kasimpasa, according to Berkshire Live.

What’s the story?

Puscas has been with Reading since 2019, after signing from Italian giants Inter Milan for a fee believed to be in the region of £8million.

With that hefty price tag, there were high hopes for the Romanian international, but for one reason or another, he hasn’t hit the heights expected of him in recent seasons with the Royals.

Puscas has been restricted to just 64 appearances in total for the Berkshire-based side, with the 25-year-old often being behind Lucas Joao in the pecking order at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

But it has now been reported by Berkshire Live that Puscas has turned down a move to Super Lig side Kasimpasa, as he wants to fight for his future with Veljko Paunovic’s side moving forwards into the 2021/22 campaign.

‘Very special’

Reading’s current financial restrictions have been well-documented, with Paunovic recently revealing that some first-team players could still leave the club before the conclusion of the summer transfer window.

Puscas is seemingly one of those, with the club looking to cut the wage bill to make room for new signings ahead of the upcoming Championship campaign.

But the forward is clearly keen to remain patient and wait for an opportunity to impress Paunovic in the 2021/22 season, which gets underway on Saturday 7th August, when the Royals take on Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium.

We’ve seen glimpses of Puscas’ quality whilst with Reading, with the striker making a blistering start to life with the club, after netting an impressive brace against Cardiff City back in August 2019, which included a memorable solo strike.

But with 18 goals to his name from his 64 appearances for the Royals, there is certainly room for improvement. When you’re comparing that to the 28 goals in 59 appearances that Lucas Joao has scored for the Berkshire-based side, it’s easy to see why Paunovic starts the former Sheffield Wednesday man ahead of Puscas.

Speaking in an interview on Sky Sports’ EFL Podcast, Keith Andrews admitted that he thought Puscas could be something ‘very special’, although he struggled in English football since then.

“It was a shrewd move and obviously they had to pay a fair bit to get him through the door.

“I was at the Cardiff game earlier in the season (a 3-0 victory where Puscas scored twice) and he was outstanding. He took the bull by the horns and ran Cardiff ragged and I thought he could be something very special.”

But Puscas’ record certainly isn’t the worst, and with Lucas Joao not fully-fit as of yet, it does leave the Romanian forward a chance to stake a claim for a starting spot, especially with Femi Azeez being the only other recognised option in attack during pre-season.

He deserves a run in the starting XI, and given that he’s keen to prove himself with the Royals, there would be no harm in giving him game time whilst Joao is out of action, and Puscas could silence a few of his doubters this term with Veljko Paunovic’s side.

Luke Hatfield, who covers Wolves for The Express and Star, believes the club aren’t as open to selling goalkeeper Rui Patricio as reports suggest.

Patricio has been a crucial part of Wolves’ success following their promotion to the Premier League, missing just two games in total, but widespread reports believe that he could be leaving this summer.

Sky in Italy said last month that the Portuguese shotstopper, who played every minute for his nation at Euro 2020, is on the verge of signing for Roma, with the two clubs close to agreeing a price for him.

But contrast to several rumours and stories, Hatfield told Football FanCast that the Midlands outfit are keeping their cool over Patricio’s possible Wolves exit:

“I don’t think Wolves are as open to selling him as some of the reports maybe say. I think they will probably look at the offer and then will consider them.

“Obviously, goalkeepers last a little bit longer than their outfield counterparts, but maybe they look at it and say, ‘Patricio has done really well for us and let him go for x amount of money and buy someone cheaper’.”

When the reports of Patricio leaving came about, it came as a huge surprise, not least to Wolves fans.

Whilst the opportunity to work with recently-appointed Roma boss Jose Mourinho doesn’t come around often, the Italian giants aren’t even in the Champions League or Europa League, so it would appear a strange to leave the Premier League having enjoyed so much success in the last three years.