Ronald Koeman, Victor Wanyama, Graziano Pelle and Dusan Tadic have all been quoted ahead of today’s late kick off against Liverpool at Anfield.
Beginning with Koeman, he told saintsfc that he was hoping to see a similar type of performance to the one we put in on their soil last season – but of course with hopefully a different result.
‘That was the first game and I think we deserved a better result than 2-1. Maybe we are more lucky now to have a better result than last year. It was a difficult time. Maybe before the game everybody was a little bit worried about Southampton to start the season. Okay we lost 2-1, but we played a very good second half and we showed already the first game of that season our qualities. Maybe after that game the confidence in the team was higher than it was before. That performance was during the second half. You know you have to play longer in the game at the level what you need to win the game. 45 minutes is not enough to win the game. You need to be on your level for more time during the game.’
In Wanyama’s interviews he talked about the extra responsibility he had under the gaffer now, and also the importance of just focusing on our game in the match and not worrying about Liverpool and their new manager.
‘It`s always difficult, but I`m now getting to know my new teammates well and also they are getting to know me. Hopefully we can start working better as a unit and it will click very soon. Morgan (Schneiderlin) and I were similar because we both liked to tackle and both liked to link up with the strikers, but now it`s a little bit different. It takes time to gel as a unit, but now they`ve started to get to know the playing style. Hopefully we can stay together like that and perform well. We need to play according to our strengths. Also now I think I have more responsibility to take than last season. I think that makes me a better player and it`s something that I enjoy.’
As for the game itself, he went on to add.
‘I think the atmosphere will be electric there because the Liverpool fans are now believing and they are all behind the new manager. I think we are expecting a tough match come Sunday. It`s always difficult to play at Anfield but now they have a new manager so their players will want to show what they can do to fight for their places. It`s even harder to play them at this point, but hopefully we can go there and play our game. We have to concentrate on our game. The main focus should be on our style and our plan. That`s how we can get into the game.’
With confidence on our travels from the victory over Chelsea at the last time of asking, he went on to say.
‘We did well as a unit so we just need to show it again. We need to go to Liverpool and play as a team. If we do, I think we can get a positive result. We know very well we can compete with the big teams. We have shown that before. Hopefully we`ll go to Liverpool and show our teamwork and fight together.’
For Pelle, he talked about the positivity in the squad and how he wanted to improve his own away goal tally for the season given 80% of is strikes last year came at St Mary’s.
‘Last year I scored in a lot of games at home. This season I have my own view on why it happened like this, it`s not only because I improved it is also because we went to Chelsea and we won a game which is not easy at all. It means we are a team that wherever we go we try to play football because we know if we play with an open mind we can do well everywhere. For me I`ll get more chances as a lead striker, but I need the whole team behind me. This winning mentality is how we played a lot last year, but with a lot of new players, this year the main players stayed apart from a few, we didn`t change too much. Me and Sadio Mané have stayed there and we are doing well, but again, we have to keep going. It`s important for everybody in the team as well.’
He went on to say that with last year’s experience under his belt, he feels he offers more on the pitch now to his colleagues and he feels more focused during matches, so natural improvement should come from that.
‘Liverpool was my first one and it`s funny to think now it`s just one year as already it feels like five years of my life! In history you would probably say Liverpool will win for sure, but now we can be proud to go there. It means we are doing well if the people don`t know how the game is going to finish. We have a strong team and we are improving from the start of the season but unfortunately last week we had a few minutes where it cost us a better result at the end. If we really think we want to win every game, we know we go there and it will be a very difficult game, and we want Liverpool to feel that it will not be easy against Southampton. They are the other team and we have to think about us. The atmosphere helps the home team, but I think it can do for everybody. It`s like anything – on one side it can be good for them, but on the other side you can feel a bit pressured and with a new coach there too. For us it is a normal match and it`s important to us like every one is.’
Finally, Tadic is also making a return to his debut ground following his arrival with us, and despite the result, he felt it was a special day and he’s looking for another one but with three points this time round.
‘It was a special moment for me, it was a nice debut, I make nice assist and we should take at least a point. It was a nice stadium, nice opponent and it was my first game in the Premier League. It was really important to begin really good and this was also important for me and I think we should take at least a point. I was really happy that I make a really nice assist and this kind of things you’re never going to forget.’
As for the opposition, he added.
‘They’ve changed coach and they’ve changed I think mentality. They press more and they try when they lost ball immediately to press and to recover the ball quick and they try to play with more personality, to take more risks and we will see how this is going to look. Yes, (Chelsea) this gives us a lot of confidence because we know we’re a good team and we need to be focused 100 per cent to try to win game.’
Vital Saints on:
Vital Saints on:
Join Vital Saints
Share this article
Related Articles
