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Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho, 20, made his first start in eight games in the FA Cup third round tie away to Arsenal. This was after being dropped from the matchday squad in the win at Manchester City on December 15 by Ruben Amorim, leading to uncertainty over the Argentine’s future. Garnacho, who was developed as…
United ended their run of defeats by drawing 2-2 with Premier League leaders Liverpool before knocking Arsenal out of the FA Cup via a penalty shoot-out.
Expectations have increased ahead of a home meeting with bottom-of-the-league Southampton, who have won just six points from 20 games ahead of their trip to Old Trafford.
“I think this next game will teach me more from my players than the last two, so I’m really focused to see what kind of game we are going to play,” Amorim said.
“We will learn more (on Thursday). There were no expectations for us in the last two games, nobody believed in us to do a great performance or win a game.
“But now they are expecting us to win and to play well. So I will learn more in this game. It’s my job to be worried but we have to face Southampton in the same way we faced Liverpool and Arsenal.
“That is the goal. Not more, not less, play that game. People expect us to win and that changes things – but that is the pressure we want. We need that pressure as a team.”
Saints sit at the foot of the Premier League with just six points from 20 games, having only won once all season.
Juric is keen to add much-needed quality to his squad and has identified key areas for improvement after a month in the role.
The Croatian is still waiting to make his first senior signing and reiterated that Saints need to trim the size of their squad this month.
Juric also reaffirmed his desire to keep Kyle Walker-Peters, stressing that “all the good players” need to remain at St Mary’s this month.
He told the Daily Echo: “We have to reduce the size of the squad and we will see what happens in the next 10 days to two weeks.
“There are positions in this squad where we need to bring somebody (to the club). We will see. For us, this is not an easy situation, this is an important thing.
“We have six points and we are last in the league. It isn’t easy to convince really good players to come here. But we need motivated players.”
Ivan Juric won his first game as Saints boss against Swansea City. (Image: Richard Crease) He added: “I think we can create something really good. Of course, I need the time but I think I have a clear idea of what we need, what kind of players we need.
“I have an idea about what kind of players are needed in the Premier League and I think with time we can create really good things.
“I’m planning that we have both good players with characteristics to play in the Premier League and we will see.”
Juric played down the suggestion that he could lean on his knowledge of the Italian market to unearth a gem capable of helping Saints avoid the drop.
“The Italian market is more like they are buying English players,” Juric explained when asked about the prospect of signing players he knows from Italy.
“We have seen with (Antonio) Conte, he is bringing players to Napoli. I think this is because the level of English (based) players is higher than in Serie A.”
Maxwel Cornet has not played for Saints since October. (Image: Stuart Martin) Maxwel Cornet is one player who could depart Saints this month with Juric previously expressing that the Ivory Coast international’s loan could be terminated.
Cornet has not played since Southampton’s 3-2 win Carabao Cup win over Stoke City back in October.
“I have said my opinion to him and to the club, we will see what will happen over the next two weeks,” Juric concluded when asked for an update on Cornet’s situation.
Southampton’s only winter signing is 18 year old French defender Joachim Kayi Sanda, while Brazilian full-back Welington has arrived from Sao Paulo.
Mohamed Salah is on track to leave Liverpool at the end of the season should he not sign a new contract at Anfield – but Arne Slot could get two replacements20:30, 15 Jan 2025Mohamed Salah is still waiting for a contract offer from Liverpool(Image:
Former Liverpool defender Neco Williams has praised the Reds after playing for Nottingham Forest against Arne Slot’s side on Tuesday night21:00, 15 Jan 2025Neco Williams played the full 90 minutes for Nottingham Forest against Liverpool (Image:
Manchester City’s Phil Foden has admitted that their chances of securing a fifth consecutive Premier League title have diminished. This comes just a day after Liverpool’s head coach, Arne Slot, suggested that Manchester City remained a significant threat in the title race. Phil Foden said, “done for sure” Foden’s comments were made after his two…
In a recent match, City took the lead with two goals from Phil Foden, only to concede twice in the last 15 minutes of the game. Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard were the ones to equalize the score, dashing City’s hopes of securing their third consecutive League win. After the game, City’s manager, Pep Guardiola,…
Spurs beat Liverpool 1-0 in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday night. Two of the stand-out performers on the evening were 18-year-old midfielders Lucas Bergvall, who scored the winning goal, and Archie Gray, who has been filling in as a centre-back in recent weeks. Postecoglou, the manager of Spurs, had some…
Petr Cech, former Chelsea and Arsenal goalkeeper, has revealed that Chelsea had previously scouted new Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky during his time at Stamford Bridge. The 21-year-old Kinsky, who made quite the name for himself in his homeland of the Czech Republic with Slavia Prague, signed with Tottenham last Sunday. He made his Tottenham debut…
Potter has agreed a two-and-a-half-year contract to return to management 20 months after he was dismissed by the Blues.
“I am delighted to be here,” Potter said. “It was important to me that I waited until a job came along that I felt was right for me and equally that I was the right fit for the club I am joining.
“That is the feeling I have with West Ham United. My conversations with the chairman and the board have been very positive and constructive.
“We share the same values of hard work and high energy to create the solid foundations that can produce success, and we are on the same wavelength in terms of what is needed in the short-term and then how we want to move the club forward in the medium to long term.”
West Ham currently sit 14th in the Premier League, seven points above the relegation zone and 17 points clear of Saints.
Spaniard Lopetegui paid the price for back-to-back heavy defeats by Liverpool (5-0) and Manchester City (4-1) after beating Ivan Juric’s Southampton on Boxing Day.
The 58 year old was appointed in May to replace David Moyes, who left the club at the end of last season after his contract expired.
Potter will take charge of his first match when West Ham travel to Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Friday.
Cork, who was relegated with Burnley following promotion last season, believes Southampton’s season highlights the growing gap between the Championship and Premier League.
The St Mary’s side are bottom of the Premier League on six points having won the Championship play-off final last season.
They currently sit 10 points adrift of safety after 20 games and have a -32 goal difference, the worst in the division by some stretch.
Cork insisted back-to-back wins can always transform a season and pointed towards Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Charlie Taylor and Adam Lallana as good players for the dressing room.
Adam Lallana re-signed for Southampton on a one-year deal in the summer. (Image: Matt Watson / Southampton FC).He told BBC Radio Solent: “When you are growing up as a footballer, nobody wants to be the journeyman footballer. You want to have a base.
“It never really works like that. It’s football. You could see the way Southampton were going with players coming and going.
“It’s good when it’s working sometimes you see clubs, Brighton do it now, and you wonder how long it’s going to work.
“It’s difficult because Southampton is such a good club but if you go down to the Championship, it shows how big the gap is to the Premier League.
“Although the club has changed a lot, I’ve got a lot of friends and people I played with still at Southampton.
“It shows that, no matter how good you are in the Championship, you come up and it takes you by surprise.
“The athleticism, the quality and the style teams play – if you don’t get used to it quickly, it’s hard to get going.”
Jack Cork played over 150 games for Southampton. Cork continued: “The thing I’ve found with the Premier League over the last 10 years is that two wins is six points, it’s as simple as that.
“If you get half a run together then you are out of it and the confidence is up. You are two or three weeks away from completely flipping your season and staying up.
“(Staying up) is a tough thing to do, but if you can nail down… and the players I know that are there, have that about them.
“Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Charlie Taylor and Adam Lallana have got that attitude. Hopefully, Saints can grind it out and change their season around in the next couple of weeks.”
Cork made 152 appearances for Southampton across two stints, first joining on loan from Chelsea before being signed permanently by Nigel Adkins.
He was a member of the promotion-winning Championship squad and currently works as a player-coach for Burnley’s under-21s.
Graham Potter has been confirmed as the new head coach of West Ham United, replacing Julen Lopetegui who was sacked less than 24 hours prior. The former Chelsea head coach has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Hammers and will be joined by Bruno as his assistant. Billy Reid and Narcis Pelach will also join…
Robinho, a former Manchester City player, was famously unaware of his transfer to the club until the last minute. However, he has been aware of their latest transfer target for a much longer time. This led Robinho to joke about his own transfer experience. Robinho said “I knew I was going to play in England…
Thiago Silva, the former Chelsea defender, had a successful stint with his boyhood club Fluminense after returning on a free transfer. He was tasked with saving the Brazilian outfit from relegation. As the captain, Silva led the team to seven unbeaten games in the Brasileirão, with six wins and one draw. However, a foot injury…
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, the midfielder who joined Chelsea in a £30million move from Leicester City last summer, has been the subject of speculation regarding his future at Stamford Bridge. Dewsbury-Hall, who signed a five-year deal with the Blues, reunited with his former Foxes boss Enzo Maresca in west London. With the January transfer window open, there…
Chelsea loanee Armando Broja, who is currently playing for Everton, was stretchered off during their 2-0 win over Peterborough United in the FA Cup. The Albanian striker was left requiring oxygen after a challenge from Emmanuel Fernandez. This incident led to a seven-minute stoppage as he required medical treatment before being stretchered off the pitch…
Magpies head coach Eddie Howe is expected to rest many of his key men for this Sunday’s FA Cup third-round tie with League Two Bromley, but will not be taking the game too lightly. However, with two Premier League games next week, Howe will not take any risks on players carrying knocks. Those include goal…
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has addressed the ongoing transfer speculation surrounding centre-back Diego Carlos. The player, who was made available for transfer last summer, is currently a target for Turkish giants Fenerbahce. Reports suggest that negotiations for a permanent transfer are at an advanced stage. However, Villa is unlikely to sanction a move without…
The 23 year old made 48 appearances across the 2024 campaign with Sao Paulo ahead of joining Saints on a free transfer in January.
Welington missed the final eight games of the season with a hamstring injury and manager Ivan Juric admitted he does not know when he will be available.
But the left-back, a now-experienced former Brazilian youth international, insists he is ready to make an immediate impact in the Premier League.
“In Brazil, the season ends at the end of the year,” Welington explained, speaking to Saints in his first interview since arriving at the club.
Welington was formally named a Saints player last week (Image: Southampton FC/Matt Watson)
“I was able to prepare well to come here physically ready to compete in the Premier League straight away. I have been working hard to make sure I arrived in top shape.
“I’m very happy to be here, representing this club. I’m really happy to be here playing in the Premier League. Being here I want to give my all.
“I was really happy the offer came my way. I think this final stretch of the premier league will be really good for me and I am very happy to be here.”
Welington racked up 164 appearances for historic side Sao Paulo and helped them to win the Brazilian Cup and Brazilian Super Cup in his time there.
Full name Welington Damascena Santos, the defender made his debut in Brazil’s top flight when he was 19 years old and now makes his first steps to Europe.
“I always try to give my best when I step onto the pitch, so the team can count on me for anything,” he insisted.
“I’ll do whatever I can to help, both on and off the pitch. The fans can trust that I’ll always give my all with determination and heart. I’ll fight for this club for as long as I’m here.
“I’ll do everything I can to honour this shirt. In the short time I’ve been here, just being here with my teammates and wearing this shirt has been a unique experience for me.”
Although Welington has never represented Brazil at the senior level, the country’s global superstars continue to inspire young footballers everywhere.
“In my position, it is impossible not to mention Marcelo, there’s Filip Luis, Roberto Carlos. There are many great left-backs in brazil,” said Welington.
“It has always been a powerhouse for producing left-backs. From players not in my position, there is Neymar, Ronaldinho and lots of other greats I followed.”
Arsenal reportedly had their eyes on Brentford’s star player Bryan Mbeumo for a summer transfer. Mbeumo had been in exceptional form this season, scoring 13 goals in 20 Premier League matches. Only Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland had outscored him. Meanwhile, Arsenal’s current top scorer was Kai Havertz with seven goals. The Gunners were keen…
Graham Potter is reportedly eager to bring his former colleague, Kyle Macaulay, to West Ham United. Potter, who is set to be appointed as the new head coach of the Hammers, has previously worked with Macaulay at Ostersunds, Swansea, Brighton, and Chelsea. The duo has a working relationship that spans over a decade, during which…
Former Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit has criticized Chelsea’s decision to loan out Andrey Santos to Strasbourg. The 20-year-old Brazilian has been performing well in France, leading to calls from Chelsea supporters for the club to recall him. Emmanuel Petit said “Players like Andrey Santos were let go and look at him now, he’s scored multiple…
Ange Postecoglou, the manager of Tottenham Hotspur, expressed his frustration over a controversial goal scored by Newcastle United in a recent Premier League match. Despite Joelinton handling the ball in the buildup, referee Andy Madley decided not to stop play for a pitch-side review. After VAR official Chris Kavanagh, at Stockley Park, analysed the incident,…
Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, surprisingly blamed the match ball for his team’s defeat in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Newcastle United. The English Football League, however, dismissed his claims. Arteta’s team lost not due to the ball, but because of their lack of a clinical edge, which allowed Newcastle to take…
Emi Martinez, the goalkeeper for Aston Villa, has set his sights on winning the Champions League this season. He believes that this achievement will provide him with the opportunity to win the Yashin Trophy and The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper for a third time. Martinez has been instrumental in Villa’s progress under Unai Emery since…
Aston Villa winger Jaden Philogene is set to join Ipswich Town for a reported fee of £21m plus add-ons. Philogene had re-signed for Villa last summer from Hull City, rejecting an offer from Ipswich. Aston Villa had matched Ipswich’s £18m bid, bringing Philogene back to the squad led by Unai Emery. Due to a 30…
Albion were awarded their first spot-kick of the season in their 1-1 draw with Arsenal.
Gunners defender William Seliba was penalised for making contact with his head on Joao Pedro.
The decision was subject of the Mic’d Up programme on Sky Sports.
Referees chief Webb said the penalty decision by referee Anthony Taylor, and backed by VAR Darren England, was “very supportable”.
Webb said: “What you see in this situation is two players going towards a ball in the air. Pedro flicks it up, he and Saliba go towards the ball and Pedro heads it onto Saliba. Saliba doesn’t head it.
“Saliba has the ball flicked on to his head and then he goes into the head of Pedro. He gets there late on Pedro, who goes down.
“It’s a late contact by someone who hasn’t played the ball himself. The ball has touched him, but he’s not played it. And Pedro goes down.
“When you break it down in that way, it’s a foul. I know it has split opinion but I’ve heard a lot of people see it in that way, it’s a late contact by a player who has failed to play the ball and has made contact with the player in the penalty area.
“If he heads the ball first at that loose ball and there’s a collision, I have no issue with that and then there’s a collision. That’s not what happened.”
Manchester United’s first half of the season was marked by a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Wolves on Boxing Day. The match was fraught with controversy even before it began, with Wolves deciding to replace manager Gary O’Neil with Vitor Pereira in the week leading up to the game. Adding to the drama, Ipswich Town scored…
Manchester City, the Premier League champions, were under scrutiny for alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. The case, which has been closely watched by other Premier League teams such as Leicester City, has reportedly concluded in London. The judgement, which could have significant implications for relegation candidates like Leicester City, is expected to…
Howard Webb, the head of Premier League refereeing body PGMOL, has shed light on the controversial decision to allow Anthony Gordon’s goal for Newcastle United against Tottenham. Despite the ball hitting Joelinton’s hand in the build-up, match official Andy Madley did not refer to a pitch-side check. The VAR review, led by Chris Kavanagh at…
Saints goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale was denied a foul when Trevoh Chalobah scored the equaliser in the Premier League clash 10 days ago.
Ivan Juric’s side took the lead through Tyler Dibling inside just 15 minutes, but after half an hour, the defender’s header from a corner evened the scores.
Saints strongly protested to referee Michael Salisbury that the goal should not have stood due to Jean-Phillipe Mateta’s straight-arm push on Ramsdale.
Salisbury awarded the goal on-field and, after determining Mateta merely “rests his arm” on Ramsdale, VAR Graham Scott completed the check.
A full transcript of the officiating discussion released details the conversation:
VAR Scott: “Potential foul on the goalkeeper.”
Referee Salisbury: “I’ve got goal down, can you tell me any different Del (Derek Eaton, assistant referee)?”
Assistant referee Eaton: “Nothing to me, I didn’t see any holding.”
VAR Scott: “Checking the on-field decision of goal. Looking at the actions of Mateta and the actions of Ramsdale. Once more. There is contact, but I don’t see a clear foul. It’s headed. Is there an offside? No.”
Assistant VAR Akil Howson: “There’s a player on the line. There’s not an offside.”
VAR Scott: “Do we see anything?”
AVAR Howson: “I personally think they’re both engaged. Ramsdale’s engaged with Mateta and I don’t think it’s a foul. There’s not a clear action from him.
VAR Scott: “I can’t see enough to disallow a goal. He rests his hand on him but I don’t think he pushes. Sal, confirming the on-field decision of goal.”
The audio was released on Sky Sports programme Mic’d Up, on which Premier League legend Michael Owen and referee chief Webb dissect big decisions.
After hearing the audio, Owen said: “I agreed with the last one but I don’t agree with this one. I think that’s a foul on Ramsdale, what’s your take?
“That looks to me like it’s a straight arm from Mateta onto Ramsdale and he’s preventing him from having a clear jump at the ball.”
Webb responded: “I see both players engaging with each other. We heard the officials on the clip talking about engagement between Mateta and by Ramsdale.
PGMOL boss Howard Webb has made multiple phone calls to Saints after controversial refereeing decisions this season (Image: PA)
“Both are using their arm against each other. We laid out quite clearly at the start of the season that not every bit of contact will be given as a foul.
“There’s an expectation in the English game that some physical contact will be allowed that maybe doesn’t go elsewhere in different parts of the world.
“In this situation, we see Ramsdale’s arm go across Mateta. Mateta’s left arm goes out against Ramsdale. We don’t think it crosses that line into unfair physical contact.
“If the referee’s call had been given as a foul, that would have stood because there’s some judgment to be made here,” he added.
“There’s some subjectivity about how much force is being used by the two players. But we feel that this is within the bounds of acceptable contact between both players.
“Again, at this point, Ramsdale’s not jumping. He’s not trying to punch a ball and Mateta’s not messing with his arms or his hands.
So, it’s two players engaging with their feet on the floor, having body strength against each other. We were okay with this one.”
Saints boss Juric made his feelings known after the match, insisting: I think it was foul and it’s very difficult to defend this kind of situation.”
The St Mary’s side had been on the receiving end of multiple PGMOL acknowledgements under previous manager Russell Martin, who grew increasingly critical before his sacking after several controversial decisions had gone against them.
During the ‘big freeze’ of 1962-63, snow was as high as hedges and the sea at Southport froze over20:02, 07 Jan 2025A man cycling to work along the frozen Leeds-Liverpool canal in February 1963This week, Merseyside has been in the grip of an Arctic blast, with plunging temperatures bringing heavy snow and biting cold winds. Many of us will have struggled to get to work or school this morning as snow and ice caused the road network to seize up, causing delays and disruption.If you think things are bad now though, spare a thought for the poor souls who lived through the legendary “big freeze” of 1962-63. That winter, Merseyside was brought to a standstill for more than two months as deep snow blanketed the country.Snow started to fall on Boxing Day 1962 and the cold spell didn’t let up until early March 1963. For 62 consecutive days, snow was on the ground, with the average temperature -2.1 degrees Celsius. At the time, most homes didn’t have central heating, and some only had outdoor toilets.An afternoon walk on the park lake. The overnight fall of snow ruined skating chances on Sefton Park lake but many people had the experience of walking on the lake. The Parks Department allowed this for the first time in 15 years. January 21, 1963(Image:
Fulham captain Tom Cairney, who was a former Leeds United academy player, was a special guest on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football coverage of Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Nottingham Forest. He discussed his time at Leeds and his subsequent professional career. Tom Cairney said “At eight, I think Leeds kind of took me off [Nottingham] Forest…
Eddie Howe, the head coach of Newcastle United, has been adamant about his stance on Martin Dubravka, the Slovakian star player. Despite rumors of a done deal for Dubravka’s transfer to Saudi Arabia, and the Saudi Pro League approving funds for the deal, Howe expressed his desire to retain the player. Eddie Howe said “I…
A football finance expert has insisted Manchester City cannot be relegated from the Premier League even if they are found guilty of the most serious of their 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. However, Kieran Maguire admits that any points deduction levelled at the champions could be severe enough to make relegation…
Manchester United managed to secure a point in a 2-2 draw against Liverpool in the Premier League. Ruben Amorim’s team broke a six-year streak of not scoring at Anfield in the top flight since 2018. Harry Maguire missed a potential winning shot in the final moments of the game. Lisandro Martinez scored the first goal…
Jamie Carragher, former Liverpool vice-captain and current Sky Sports pundit, has shared his thoughts on Manchester United’s new head coach Ruben Amorim’s performance in the recent 2-2 draw against Liverpool. The match, which took place on Sunday afternoon, saw Amorim’s side hold their own against the Premier League leaders, despite some questioning his tactical changes….
Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie Bowden shocked the football world by announcing his retirement from professional football at the tender age of 23. Bowden, who joined Tottenham’s academy at the age of six, had a promising career ahead of him, having progressed through to the club’s under-21 side and spending time on loan at League…
Dele Alli, the 28-year-old footballer, had been a free agent since his contract with Everton expired last summer. Despite this, he continued to train with the Blues until he announced his departure in December. Currently, Dele is training with Como in Marbella, Spain. This training period comes after Como was given additional time off due…
Juric has now twice claimed he is unable to answer questions on the club’s transfer approach this month ahead of the meeting this week.
Speaking before the clash with Brentford, Juric was asked about plans and said: “No, we will have a meeting next week and then we will decide what to do.
“Now we have too many players, we have to give them and then start thinking about maybe bringing somebody in.”
Following the 5-0 defeat to the Bees, he was asked if there was any update and added: “We will speak on Tuesday and then see everything we can do.”
Three years of Saints under Sport Republic – what progress has been made?My brief verdict on where the club is at, as we head towards a second relegation.#SaintsFC
— Alfie House (@AlfieHouseEcho) January 5, 2025
Tuesday will mark seven days of the January window being open, although there is plenty of time to trade as deadline day does not fall until February 3.
But Saints have known their situation for months – they have always looked likely to drop back into the Championship – and decision-makers meet regularly.
Juric’s side are 10 points adrift of safety eight points behind Leicester City in 19th, having won just one of their 20 Premier League matches.
Former manager Russell Martin hinted that he needed results over the festive period to convince the Saints board to give him some help in the market.
Saints have lost every game since then, with Martin losing his job following the 5-0 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur on December 15.
It means club bosses will surely be fiscally preparing for the Championship return, rather than going all out on a punt for potential survival.
Juric admitted Saints want to return loanee Maxwel Cornet to West Ham, if the Hammers agree to do so, having not played in the league since September.
“That’s the idea that he goes back to West Ham,” said Juric, which was misconstrued at the time as confirmation that the deal was already cancelled.
The termination of his loan would mean Saints could delve into the Premier League loan market once more, with only two spots allowed to clubs at one time.
Saints are free to loan in and register players from abroad to a total of up to five – could Juric call upon his contacts from coaching in the Italian Serie A?
Lesley Ugochukwu says he’s “very happy” to be playing again at Saints and that he “grew up a lot” during difficult five months.💬 “It’s good to have someone that believes in you. That’s what I get from the new gaffer, that’s why I want to fight for him and the club.”#SaintsFC
— Alfie House (@AlfieHouseEcho) January 6, 2025
But the focus is chiefly on departures. The club have already sorted a development loan at QPR for Ronnie Edwards, although he was not registered anyway.
Saints have used all 25 of their Premier League registration spots and cannot register a new player over the age of 21 without unassigning another.
They have already confirmed the arrival of Brazilian defender Welington, although Juric said: “He is not available yet. He is working out of the team.”
Kyle Walker-Peters is out of contract in the summer with no new deal on the horizon – could he be up for sale if the club can cash in their last opportunity?
Armel Bella-Kotchap and Kamaldeen Sulemana remain available pending the right offer despite their reintegration into the squad under Juric.
A deal to take Ben Brereton Diaz back to Sheffield United, initially on loan, is not yet done but strong reports suggest it will eventually be completed.
Juric will be quizzed on the outcomes of Tuesday’s meeting when he addresses the press ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup third round meeting with Swansea.
It seems bizarre that the club’s plan for the window is not already clear for Juric and perhaps suggests we should not expect fireworks ahead of the deadline.
The 30 year old issued a stark warning to his teammates to avoid complacency ahead of facing Saints in their next Premier League match.
Man United secured a 2-2 draw at league leaders Liverpool on Sunday and had a last-gasp chance to win the match through Harry Maguire.
But Fernandes insists raising their performance for the historic rivalry is not enough with the Red Devils 13th in the Premier League after 20 matches.
“I wasn’t worried about everyone putting in effort today because it’s Liverpool. Everybody will try to do their best,” said Fernandes, speaking to Sky Sports.
Bruno Fernandes has helped his side to victory over Saints once already this season (Image: PA)
“We need to get this standard in every game. I will probably be more worried about Southampton after this performance.
“We can’t think that it’s already good enough because it’s not and it will be a really tough one again. We always can do more and today is one of those.”
He added: “If we can do this at Anfield against the best team in the league, why can’t we do it every week? We need much more from ourselves this season.
“This one was not about training, it was about putting real effort into the game and about passion. It’s heart that gets you something from the game.
“We cannot stop here. That is what I am saying, we have to bring our frustration to the next games and show that this is our level every week.”
Man United were 3-0 winners at St Mary’s earlier this season under Erik ten Hag, but new manager Ruben Amorim has just three wins in his 12 games.
Saints visit Old Trafford on Thursday, January 16 (8pm), after they take on Championship Swansea City in the FA Cup third round this weekend.
The versatile defender joined Town on loan for the rest of the season from Italian side Atalanta yesterday, having only signed for the Serie A outfit in the summer.
But his £11m move from Everton hasn’t really panned out, with the 26-year-old only playing five times, all off the bench – and just once in the league, although he has featured in the Champions League.
Asked why he wanted to come to Suffolk – with a host of clubs, including Spurs, also said to be interested in him – he told Town TV: “I’ve played against Ipswich over the years, so I obviously know about the size of the club and when I spoke to the manager, he really sold it to me and I’m looking forward to being part of this project.
“Before I spoke to him, I’d heard through football people that he was a great coach, a great manager.
“He’s got a great history in the game with coaching, coaching some great players and I think to have the opportunity to work under him is massive. I’m really looking forward to that.”
Ben Godfrey says it was the right time to return to England (Image: Ipswich Town/Matchday Images) The two-cap England international added: “In the Premier League, more so this season I’ve been watching you guys play and I think the boys have been strong.
“I think you can tell from watching the games that it’s a tight bunch, a bunch that is giving everything to try and stay in this league and for me to be a part of that, that’s great. We’ll do all we can to achieve that.
“I’ve been quite fortunate over my career so far to be a part of some good dressing rooms and I’m sure Ipswich will be exactly the same.”
While Godfrey admits he enjoyed the Italian experience – especially learning the language and the food – he stressed that it was a need to play and compete which has brought him back to England.
“There’s no league in the world like the Premier League,” he enthused. “It was a great experience going to Italy for my football, for me and my family, but to be back now in England, it’s really exciting and I just can’t wait.
“It was a massive change. It’s great learning a new language, it’s something I’ve always been fond of.
“Moving my family out there was good, they enjoyed the experience. Some different challenges come along with it but we felt as though it was time to come back to England and start a new challenge and I couldn’t be happier.”
Ben Godfrey cited the chance to work with Kieran McKenna as a major draw (Image: PA) He admitted: “There’s no shying away from the fact that it’s been difficult at times, I’ve not had much playing time and I think for me as a person games are so important.
“I look forward to going out there on a weekend or midweek and fighting for three points, that’s what I believe I’m built for.
“When that’s missing from your life, it’s difficult. That’s how the opportunity came to come on loan and what a great place to do that.
“I can’t wait to get my first session under my belt and then look forward to the next game.”
Of course, Godfrey knows Portman Road well, having played there in the East Anglian derby for Norwich in September 2018, a 1-1 draw.
And Godfrey, who got promoted to the Premier League with the Canaries in that 2018/19 campaign, said home games will be key for the Blues in the battle to stay in the top tier.
Godfrey got promoted to the Premier League with Norwich City (Image: PA Sport) “It’s a great stadium. As an away team, it’s difficult to come to, which this year is going to be vital for us.
“I think our stadium will probably help us get results that we need, so the fans will be massive and I’m looking forward to playing in it as an Ipswich player.”
Godfrey eventually left Norwich for Everton in October 2020, signing a £25m deal and playing more than 80 Premier League games for the Toffees.
So, what does he think he can bring to his new club, and what should Town fans expect of him?
Ben Godfrey played more than 80 Premier League games for Everton (Image: PA Sport) “I think firstly they can expect me to give 110 per cent every game, to try and achieve that goal of staying in the Premier League,” he insisted.
“I think I’ll give an option of having some extra pace in the backline and I hope my attributes can help the boys this season.”
Of his goals for his stay in Suffolk, Godfrey said: “My aims are to be consistently playing football at a high level and to help Ipswich achieve the goal of staying in the Premier League for next season.”
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