PREMIER LEAGUE
December 5, 2015 • 15:00 • St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, Hampshire
Referee: A. Taylor
Southampton after heavy League Cup defeat at home 6-1 by Liverpool this week is returning to Premier league action, hopping to bounce back against Remi Garde’s Premier League strugglers, Aston Villa.
Southampton v Aston Villa Preview
Ronald Koeman said on Friday (4 December) that he expects a reaction from his Southampton team in their Premier League game against Aston Villa this weekend following a 6-1 thumping by Liverpool in midweek. The Saints boss also claimed that none of players, including forward Saido Mane, would be sold in January, not even for a price of 100 millon pounds.
Ronald Koeman, Southampton manager (reflecting on the 6-1 loss to Liverpool):
“It was a difficult night and the next day was difficult. As a manager you analyse the game and how it can be possible that we conceded six goals. Six goals from eight shots on target is brilliant from Liverpool. We have to recognise that they punished us with their high quality play and good offrensive play but I think we have to defend better than we did. We have to defend better as a team. That starts in front, it’s not only about the defenders and the midfielders. The whole defending performance needs to be better than we showed last Wednesday.”
Ronald Koeman, Southampton manager:
“I expect a reaction tomorrow. That is important, that everybody knows what we have to do and how we have to play. We need stable organisation defensively.”
Ronald Koeman (asked if he is wary of players leaving in January after rumours linking Saido Mane to Bayern Munich):
“No, no. Not in January. Already we’ve spoken about that situation. We’ll sell nobody in January.”
Question: “What if the right bid with the right price comes in?”
Koeman: “Nobody. Even if they pay £100 million.”
Aston Villa manager Remi Garde spoke on Thursday (3rd December) about his team’s upcoming English Premier League game against Southampton, and regarding Jack Grealish’s continuing absence from the first-team squad.
Remi Garde, Aston Villa manager (on being bottom of the league table):
“It is a situation where the club has been for quite a few weeks. I said we were in a bad position, we are still in a bad position. Crisis, not crisis, the word is a word, we know we have to win games, we didn’t win the last one, it was a disappointment. We should have, I said we should have got a better result for me.”
Team Probable lineups
Southampton: Stekelenburg – Soares, Caulker, Van Dijk, Bertrand – Clasie, Waynama, Davis – Tadić, Pelle, Mane
Out: Gardos, Forster, Rodriguez, Fonte (?)
Aston Villa: Guzan – Hutton, Okore, Lescott, Richardson – Veretout, Sanchez, Gueye – Sinclair, Ayew, Gil
Out: Gardner, Amavi, Grealish, Ilori, Crespo, Clark, Richards (?), Agbonlahor (?)