..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho will not park the bus with United – Cole

Manchester United fans will see Jose Mourinho abandon his trademark defensive approach to Premier League football this season, according to former striker Andy Cole.

Known for his conservative tactics and a tendency to 'park the bus', Mourinho has rarely assembled teams that play the brand of free-flowing attacking football that made United the Premier League's most successful team under Alex Ferguson.

But Cole, who scored 93 league goals in 195 appearances for the Red Devils and won five top-flight titles with the club, reckons Mourinho will have to adapt his style of play if he is to be a hit at Old Trafford."He's got this so-called 'parking the bus' philosophy. I think that will change at Manchester United." Cole told Omnisport.

"Hopefully we can get back to playing the kind of football that Manchester United have played over numerous years under Sir Alex Ferguson; attacking, galvanising, scoring goals, free-flowing.

"If you speak to any Manchester United fan, that's what they want. It has been tough being a Manchester United fan for the past two years. Watching the football they played under Louis van Gaal, it wasn't a typical Manchester United team and he didn't play the Manchester United way.

"Hopefully Jose Mourinho will be able to bring that kind of X-factor back to Manchester United – and a fear factor as well."Cole backed the first of Mourinho's four signings, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, to be an important influence on the United team in the coming season.

The Swede, who scored the winning goal against Leicester City to help his new side lift the Community Shield on Sunday, won the Ligue 1 title in all four of his seasons at previous club Paris Saint-Germain."He's a maverick, he's got a great personality, and I think at Manchester United you need someone like that," added Cole.

"If you look at what Manchester United have had over the past few years, there hasn't been someone like him with that kind of aura and presence."I like his mannerisms, I like that he's prepared to speak his mind. I think he'll do very well."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho: Januzaj DOES have a future at Man Utd

Adnan Januzaj does have a future at Manchester United, according to Jose Mourinho.The 21-year-old has agreed to join Sunderland on a season-long loan move from the Red Devils.

He links up with former boss David Moyes at the Stadium of Light as well as Donald Love and Paddy McNair, who signed for the Black Cats earlier this week.
But Mourinho insists he will be back at Old Trafford in the near future.

“Adnan fits into my plans, which is why he's on loan at a Premier League club. We care about him and think he's a talented player,” Mourinho told a press conference on Friday.“I want to give him all the conditions to develop. Hopefully everything will go well for him because we want him back.

"However, to be in the same squad as [Anthony] Martial, [Henrikh] Mkhitaryan, Juan Mata, Ashley Young and Memphis Depay, it would have meant not many matches.“We cannot be selfish and have to think about the players and, in this case, Adnan.I want to give him all the conditions to develop, to play and to play well.“We will see him every week in this country and we can compare performances.

“He is in the right place with a manager that likes him a lot. So hopefully everything will go well for him and that's what we want because we want him back!"Januzaj, who spent time on loan with Borussia Dortmund last season, scored twice on his full debut at Sunderland in October 2013 to earn the Reds a 2-1 triumph on Wearside during Moyes' spell in charge at Old Trafford.

The Belgium international looks set to go straight into the Sunderland squad for Saturday's trip to Manchester City.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Premier League not going to be easy' for new Spurs star Janssen

Patrick Kluivert has wished compatriot Vincent Janssen luck as he starts his Premier League career, while warning he would not find the step up in level easy. Janssen completed a £17 million move to Tottenham this summer after a brilliant year in the Eredivisie with AZ.

The 22-year-old smashed 27 league goals to win the Johan Cruyff trophy for the most promising Dutch talent in 2015-16, but Kluivert believes he must be patient as he adapts to life in England.

“Vincent is a player who came from afar. He's a young player, a good player," the former Barcelona, Milan and Newcastle sharpshooter told Goal. "He's a good striker but it's a big step to the Premier League and it's not going to be very easy for him. He's got to adapt very quickly.

"The Premier League is a tough competition - I know that from my own experience. I wish him all the best. It's a big club, Tottenham, and he's going to meet great players - great strikers, great midfielders, great defenders."

The ex-striker, however, has backed Janssen to succeed if he gets regular playing time. "It's going to be very difficult for him but, if he stays focused, he can go very far," he explained.

"He was in the friendly games that Holland have played this summer and he did a good job; he gave a good sight of how he can play."I think that, if he plays on a regular basis at a high level, he will adapt more and it helps for him at Tottenham that he can train with high-level players.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lloris: Spurs need a winning start to Premier League campaign

Tottenham need a make positive start in their Premier League campaign if they are to improve on last season, according to club captain Hugo Lloris.The French goalkeeper played an integral part in his team’s exciting but ultimately disappointing 2015/2016 campaign as Spurs finished third, 11 points behind Leicester City.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side were playing from catch-up from the beginning however after failing to win any of their first four games of the season.And speaking ahead of the opening game, away to Everton on Saturday, Lloris insists it is important for Tottenham to learn from their mistakes.

“We enjoyed last season and played at a great level. We were consistent, we just need to improve the start and end to the season and we will be even more competitive,” he told the official Tottenham website.“Everton is one of the most famous places in the Premier League because they are used to playing great games against top teams and performing well against top teams.

“It’s a big challenge. It’s important to start well.“We all want to improve this team and to make this club bigger and it’s down to us, the players, to make a difference on the pitch.“Our minds are ready, but you never know what to expect in the Premier League and that’s why this league is so exciting.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wenger: First £200m footballer will soon follow Pogba move

Arsene Wenger has predicted that football will soon break the £200 million barrier for a single transfer, as he insisted Arsenal could still compete in the money-dominated sport. Paul Pogba caused a stir this week in completing an £89.3 million move to Manchester United, while bonuses could push the record fee even higher.

And Wenger, whose biggest outlay in the current window has been £34m on Granit Xhaka, only sees an upward trend in prices for the future. "It will not be long before we see a £150m or £200m signing," he told a press conference on Friday.

"Since I started in the game I said, at some stage, it has to stop but as long as football develops and becomes more popular you would say that more money will come in. "What is interesting to see is that in every single local business you just struggle to survive.

"Or you have a world business and the money comes in — Google, Facebook or football or any other sport, they are worldwide and you cannot set any other limitations in the income."The manager, however, pointed to the example of Leicester City to show that money was not everything.

"Manchester United are the richest club in the world along with Real Madrid," he said. "Not many people can compete with their finances but that doesn’t make the difference because at the moment on the pitch we can compete.

"That is the most important thing. It’s not a financial competition, football is a performance competition."It is becoming more like a financial competition but that does not always reflect the Premier League table.

"We have to make sure that is the case. Leicester showed that last year. Never before have there been so many teams who could win the title."But that can make it easier as well because it means that everyone can drop points.

"There cannot be just one team that walks away and nobody can catch. The hope will be alive for everyone in the Premier League longer than ever. On that front, if you are consistent it could be easier."Wenger and Arsenal kick off their Premier League campaign against Liverpool on Sunday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho: Manchester United will not always attack

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho says his team will not always deploy an attacking style – and does not think that represents a change to the club's identity.The former Chelsea boss is preparing to take charge of his first Premier League match at his new team when they travel to play Bournemouth on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola – Mourinho's long-time rival and new manager of Manchester City – has insisted he will never sacrifice his style of play in order to achieve results, but 'The Special One' says he will do whatever it takes for United to achieve victories.

"I have grown up in football as a manager since 2001 more or less and - especially when I came to England in 2004 - I saw Man United as a winning team, not as always an attacking team," Mourinho told reporters."I played sometimes against Man United and Man United was a defensive team. I played Real Madrid-Manchester United in Madrid and they crossed the midfield line twice and Wayne Rooney played outside left to defend my right back.

"I saw them always as a winning team with an attacking philosophy, yes, but a winning team and the winning team needs to score more goals than they concede.
"That's the challenge for Man United - to try to be a winning team in a new era of the Premier League that is much more difficult than before."We want to win competitions. To win isolated matches you can play badly but to win competitions you need to play well."

Mourinho also warned not to expect a free-flowing United side from week one of the league campaign, with the modern demands of pre-season reducing the amount of preparation work a manager can do and making it impossible to start "as a train".The 53-year-old added: "It's more difficult, especially because pre-seasons are shorter and pre-seasons are less football and more other areas.

"I want to go into the Premier League, day one, with 33 training sessions and half of these players are not here because the players I started with are the players that are going on loan, other players are going to the under-21 team and the under-18 team.

"Instead of 33 training sessions, which would be the normal situation 10, 15 years ago, I have guys who are going into Premier League day one with eight training sessions.

"You cannot start as a train. You can start good and in condition to win the match. It's a very difficult match for us but we are in condition to win it but not at the highest intensity. It's not possible."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ibrahimovic: I could stay at United for more than three seasons

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is loving life at Manchester United, so much so that he could extend his stay at Old Trafford.

Ibrahimovic swapped French champions Paris Saint-Germain for United, as a free agent on a one-year deal in July, with the option of a 12-month extension.

The 34-year-old former Sweden captain has made an immediate impact at United, scoring on his friendly debut, while he netted the winner in last week's Community Shield triumph over Leicester City.

Ibrahimovic has now refused to put a time limit on his career at United, ahead of the team's Premier League opener at Bournemouth on Sunday.

"Let's see what happens. You never know. It could be more than two, it could be more than three. Let's see how long I feel like I can perform," Ibrahimovic told Sky Sports."I will not be somewhere only because I am Ibrahimovic. I will be somewhere because I can perform and bring results.

"It was the moment to come to England, and who would not come to Manchester United? I don't believe there is anybody who could say no to a club like Manchester United.

"Probably the players that play for other clubs in England would like to come here, 100 per cent. I am very happy I am here and representing Manchester United. Even the name sounds cool."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barclays Premier League 2016/17 Season Opening Day Fixtures 2016.08.13

Barclays Premier League 2016/17 Season Opening Day Fixtures 2016.08.13

Hull City Vs Leicester City

Middlesbrough Vs Stoke City

Burnley Vs Swansea

Everton Vs Tottenham

Southampton Vs Watford

Crystal Palace Vs WBA

Manchester City Vs Sunderland

​

 

[Ysa Karu]

 

[Michael]

Leicester Beaten by HULL! (The team with no manager)

They had no winning spirit like last season...

Back to reality i guess.

 

[Alucard_SxE]

Leicester Beaten by HULL! (The team with no manager)

They had no winning spirit like last season...

Back to reality i guess.

Opening matches ohoma thamai. Unpredictable. Okkoma matches oya wage. Newcastle uth paradai championship wala

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Hull 2-1 Leicester: Tigers stun reigning Premier League champions

Hull City put their abysmal pre-season to one side to stun Premier League champions Leicester City on the opening day.

The Tigers came into the contest without a full-time manager following Steve Bruce's departure - caretaker boss Mike Phelan took charge of the home side on Saturday - and just 13 fit senior professionals but produced a performance full of spirit to see off Claudio Ranieri's men.

A second-half strike from Robert Snodgrass proved the difference, the Scotland international driving home from inside the area after Kasper Schmeichel had carelessly giving away possession.

Earlier, Riyad Mahrez's penalty had drawn Leicester level following Adama Diomande's spectacular opener on the stroke of half-time.Leicester will look back ruefully on a first-half they dominated without making it count - Jamie Vardy particularly wasteful in front of goal.
Vardy completely missed his kick in the 19th minute after good work down the left from Ahmed Musa, with Mahrez blasting wide seconds later after picking up the loose ball.

The Foxes could have gone a goal up midway through the first period when Mahrez set up Danny Drinkwater, only for the England midfielder to aim inches wide of the far post.

Hull goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic denied Christian Fuchs shortly before the interval, with the defender popping up inside the area after a neat one-two with Musa. Both Vardy and Mahrez had opportunities from the resulting scramble but neither managed to find the net, the former denied by a wonderful block by Jake Livermore.

Vardy was again profligate in the 44th minute when he fired wildly over after yet more good work from the impressive Musa. And Hull, for whom Curtis Davies came close early on with a header from Snodgrass' corner, made him pay in the dying seconds of the opening period.

Schmeichel did well to deny Davies but the ball bounced up for both Diomande and Abel Hernandez to turn goalwards with acrobatic efforts. Television replays showed Hernandez got the first touch, kicking it on to Diomande before it flew in off the underside of the crossbar.

Leicester immediately bounced back after the break, though, as Mahrez coolly converted from the spot to level the scoring in controversial fashion. Tom Huddlestone seemed to bring down Demarai Gray just outside the area, but referee Mike Dean pointed to the spot and Mahrez made no mistake.It would have been easy for Hull to fold but they showed impressive mental fortitude to restore their lead in the 57th minute.

Schmeichel's inaccurate throw towards Gray allowed Ahmed Elmohamady to raid forward and send in a dangerous cross from the right that eventually ended up at Snodgrass' feet and the former Norwich City midfielder fired home.

Mahrez came close to equalising for a second time with a fine free-kick, while substitute Shinji Okazaki also looked dangerous on a number of occasions, but Hull deserved their remarkable win.It is the first time the Premier League champions have ever lost on the opening day of the following season.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Jorge Jesus stands ground on Inter's Joao Mario interest

Sporting CP coach Jorge Jesus says his club does not need to sell midfielder Joao Mario, despite significant interest from Inter.

After losing the Primeira Liga title to Benfica by two points, Sporting will be hoping to go one better when they start their season on Saturday at home to Maritimo.The former Benfica coach confirmed if a deal is not finalised, he will take part this weekend.

"If nothing happens before the game then he [Mario] will play for us, it is simple," he said."I do not know what is going to happen until August 31, the transfer deadline day in Europe, but Sporting are not a selling club.

"The president also clarified that the club does not need to sell. Sporting have to defend their jewels to the end. It is Sporting CP who decide what happens to their players."

The Italian giant reportedly offered €45million for the Portuguese midfielder, and while his agent Kia Joorabchian’s work as a consultant for Inter’s Chinese owners could mean they will pursue, Jorge Jesus has cooled those reports.Similarly to Inter's deal with Marcelo Brozovic, with who they finalised their acquisition this off-season, the Italian giant will pay an initial loan fee of €10m before paying the remaining amount during the next off-season.

Although the Sporting boss is not willing to let go of his key players, he accepts it is the nature of football."We are talking about a player who is targeted by many clubs who have greater economic resources. Sporting decide on the player’s future, all I can say is we have great professionals," he said.

"We have endured a lot of harassment of our players from other clubs, in particular five or six."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ibrahimovic keen to mentor Rashford

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is ready to take Manchester United youngster Marcus Rashford under his wing and believes the 18-year-old has a bright future ahead of him.

Rashford broke into the first team under Louis van Gaal last campaign and impressed with a string of fine performances, earning a spot in England's squad for Euro 2016.

The young forward – who scored five goals in 11 league starts in 2015-16 - will be teaming up with Ibrahimovic this term and the Swede is keen to help his team-mate get the best out of himself."I can do a lot for the young players," Ibrahimovic told Sky Sports.

"I have been at the top for 10-15 years, I have played for clubs that players could only dream about and I have won with every club I have been at. I have played with big champions, big quality, top players, this is something I have brought with me and I give to the younger players. This ability, the focus, what they need to do, the demands of a player.

"I see Rashford as a huge talent, I have been here two weeks and I also saw him last season. I get to see him live every day now and he is the future of England. He just needs to keep working hard, keep focusing and everything will come by itself.

"I got help from many players. I remember I went to Juventus where all the big stars were, I saw the way they were behaving, training, how professional they were, how they were eating. You study all the small details and start to do the same. Then you become one of them."

Ibrahimovic is likely to feature alongside Wayne Rooney on a regular basis for United and he has little doubt the two will form a great attacking partnership."I think it will work very well. The more time we spend on the pitch together, the more we get to know each other. We will understand each other very well," he added.

"He's an intelligent player and I think I am too. I will not be in his way and I believe he will not be in mine. So it's an easy combination."We like to play football, we like to come and get the ball and build up the game. But it's not only about two players, it's a team sport."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pogba can do everything - Rashford

Manchester United youngster Marcus Rashford has hailed Paul Pogba's versatility and believes any team would benefit from having a player like the France international.

Pogba returned to United for a transfer fee of £89 million after a four-year spell with Juventus and Rashford is delighted with the 23-year-old's move back to Old Trafford."He's a midfielder who can do everything," Rashford told the official United website.

"He can go forward, he can sit, he can score goals and create goals and he can defend. He's an all-round player who would benefit any team. We're just lucky to have him."Rashford broke into the first team last season and will be looking to build on those performances this campaign.

He could be teaming up alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney and is keen to learn from the experienced attackers."It's amazing to have both of them to learn from," Rashford added."You've also got someone like Michael [Carrick] too. You pick up bits from each of their games and put them into your own.

"They've won so many trophies. I think Zlatan's won 30 trophies and Wayne and Michael are two of the most decorated players in football so there is a lot to learn from them. And not only for me, but the other young players who are coming through.

"Everything that we're going through and will go through in the next few years, they've been there and done it and can tell us all about it. So it's a real benefit for us to have them."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Per Mertesacker announced as new Arsenal captain

Per Mertesacker has been named as the new Arsenal captain ahead of the 2016/17 season.

The German defender, as exclusively revealed by Goal last month, will be the club captain for the coming campaign despite having been ruled out for four months with a knee injury.

“Per is a very respected figure in the dressing room, is loved as well and is also a very demanding figure. I think it is absolutely natural to be [him],” Wenger told Arsenal Player.“[In his absence] that’s where it will be taken by the assistants. One of them will be Koscielny, also Cazorla - the experienced players - Cech maybe."

Santi Cazorla is expected to lead the Gunners out against Liverpool on Sunday as vice-captain Laurent Koscielny is not considered match fit for the Premier League opener.

Mertesacker, 31, is one of the most experienced players at Emirates Stadium and has been handed the armband after Mikel Arteta retired from football to take up a coaching role alongside Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
Despite being out of contract at the end of the season, Mertesacker is a trusted member of the squad and is the 'chief fine collector' at Arsenal's London Colney training ground for players who commit misdemeanours including being late to training.

Unlikely to feature in the Arsenal side until the end of the year, Mertesacker will soon be joined by compatriot Shkodran Mustafi who is close to joining the Gunners after agreeing personal terms.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Everton 1-1 Tottenham: Lamela header denies Koeman opening win

Ronald Koeman's first competitive game in charge of Everton ended all-square as Erik Lamela's second-half header earned Tottenham a point on the opening day of the new Premier League season.

Despite an in-different pre-season that culminated in the sale of John Stones to Manchester City, Everton got the Koeman era off to the perfect start as Ross Barkley curled a free-kick past Hugo Lloris after five minutes.Things went from bad to worse for Tottenham soon after when captain Lloris had to be replaced by Michel Vorm after picking up a hamstring injury.

Everton, who won just six home games last term, continued to impress and Gerard Deulofeu should have put them further ahead when he went through on goal, only to fire a tame strike straight at Vorm.And the hosts were made to pay for their inefficiency in front of goal when Lamela restored parity with just over half an hour remaining with a well-timed header.

Tottenham dominated proceedings late on and if not for two world-class saves by Maarten Stekelenburg that denied Vincent Janssen and Lamela respectively, they would have sealed the three points.

Koeman, shorn of the injured Seamus Coleman and Romelu Lukaku, as well as new signing Ashley Williams, had openly questioned the readiness of his squad in his pre-match press conference.

However, Everton showed no sign of any lingering fitness issues as they got off to a flying start when Barkley's free-kick evaded the Tottenham defence and floated into the right-hand corner of Lloris' goal - the third consecutive time the England midfielder has netted in the first game of a new campaign.

Tottenham came on strong as they looked for a response but it was Everton who came closest to doubling their lead with Lloris called into action to deny Deulofeu, before producing a superb finger-tip save to prevent Phil Jagielka heading in.Bar the suspended Mousa Dembele, Tottenham were at full strength but the visitors failed to test Stekelenburg until Christian Eriksen's effort was well-held by the Dutch goalkeeper.

Tottenham suffered another blow in the opening period when Mauricio Pochettino was forced into a first-half change with Lloris having to be replaced by Vorm.But the former Swansea City man did brilliantly to prevent Deulofeu, operating as a striker for Everton, netting from close-range on the stroke of half-time.

Pochettino made a second change soon after the restart as summer signing Janssen came on for Eric Dier, and the former AZ Alkmaar striker almost made an immediate impact as he teed up Dele Alli, but he could not keep his strike down.
However, Tottenham finally found their leveller just before to the hour mark as Lamela got half a yard on Mason Holgate to head home Kyle Walker's cross.

Everton refused to let their heads drop, though, and Idrissa Gueye nearly capped a superb debut with a goal, only for Victor Wanyama to produce a wonderful last-ditch challenge.

Tottenham continued to build momentum as the game neared its conclusion, and would have taken the lead through Janssen if not for a terrific stop by Stekelenburg, with the Everton goalkeeper producing another stunning save to tip a Lamela strike onto the bar moments later.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ibrahimovic: Pogba joined United to play with me

What lured Paul Pogba back to Manchester United? The opportunity to become the world’s most expensive player? Maybe it was the reported £200k-a-week salary? Or perhaps it was the challenge of proving his critics wrong, to show the world that he can indeed perform in the Premier League.Well, according to his new team mate, the reason he re-joined the Red Devils was simply to link up with Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

In an Instagram post uploaded on Saturday, the former Sweden captain boldly claims: ‘Finally my shirt brought him back’ to go alongside a powerful photograph of the two standing face-to-face in short-sleeved United training gear.Ibrahimovic then jumped into a video posted just minutes later on Pogba's Twitter - new best friends, it seems.

It seems the fans are not the only ones struggling to contain their excitement at the thought of these two linking up at Old Trafford.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Crystal Palace 0-1 West Brom: Rondon punishes Pardew's men

Crystal Palace opened their Premier League campaign with a disappointing 1-0 home loss to West Brom on Saturday, secured by Salomon Rondon's second-half winner.

The Venezuela striker glanced in James McClean's free-kick to hand all three points to the visitors and inflict an opening-day defeat on Palace that extends their poor run in 2016 to 13 defeats in 20 Premier League games.

West Brom, who had lost on just three of their last 13 visits to Selhurst Park in the top flight, came close to an early opener through Rondon, but looked content to sit deep and frustrate a below-par Palace side in a dreadful first half.

The hosts should have taken the lead early in the second period when Wilfried Zaha was denied one-on-one by Ben Foster and Alan Pardew's side looked the most likely to break the deadlock as they continued to control possession.

That was until the 74th minute, however, when Rondon rose highest to glance substitute McClean's free-kick beyond the reach of Wayne Hennessey and hand West Brom only a second win on opening day in 11 years.

The striker gave Palace an unsettling opening 10 minutes in, forcing an early mistake from Damien Delaney before steering a header goalwards that Hennessey had to palm clear.

The Baggies dealt comfortably with Palace's efforts and Andros Townsend's weak shot from distance was the sum total of the home side's attacking threat during a scrappy first half desperately short on quality.Pardew seemed to have injected some impetus into Palace at half-time, as they came close to breaking the deadlock just six minutes into the second period.

Having won the ball near the halfway line, Zaha was played through on goal by Lee Chung-yong, but he was denied by two superb sprawling saves from Foster before Jonny Evans cleared.

Foster held a fierce Jason Puncheon shot from the edge of the area after a good run by Townsend, before Jonas Olsson looped a header a fraction over the crossbar following Craig Gardner's free-kick.

With frustrations building as Palace struggled for attacking inspiration, Rondon and Saido Berahino finally combined to give the former England youth striker striker a sight of goal from 20 yards, but Hennessey held on well to deny a half-chance on the rebound.

But Rondon at last made his mark with just over a quarter of an hour to play, rising highest to glance McClean's fine delivery into the right-hand corner of Hennessey's net from just outside the six-yard box to snatch maximum points for Pulis against his old club.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Southampton 1-1 Watford: Redmond rescues point as Watson sees red

Southampton battled back to claim a 1-1 draw against 10-man Watford thanks to Nathan Redmond's equaliser with the visitors seeing Ben Watson sent off late on.
Etienne Capoue drew first blood for the visitors when he made the most of sloppy Southampton defending to finish emphatically in the ninth minute.

Mazzarri employed a 3-5-2 system and used width to attack a shaky home defence in the moments after the opener, with right wing-back Nordin Amrabat to the fore.

Southampton recovered their poise, but, having lost their two top scorers from last season – Sadio Mane and Graziano Pelle – they seemed to lack in cutting edge up front before Redmond memorably marked his debut just prior to the hour.

A close-season signing from relegated Norwich City, Redmond was ambitiously compared to France great Thierry Henry this week, and he provided an assured finish.

Watford's attacking ambition effectively departed alongside red-carded substitute Ben Watson with 14 minutes remaining and they earned a reprieve when Redmond was correctly flagged offside as he found the net for a second time.

In the second minute, Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes saved unconvincingly from Dusan Tadic, pushing a free-kick back into a crowded penalty area before recovering to keep out a ricochet off defender Miguel Britos.

Capoue gave away the foul that lead to the early scare, but the French midfielder soon made a more memorable contribution to the contest when Southampton allowed him to break into the area unattended to smash home Troy Deeney's knockdown.

Shane Long was unable to head in at the back post after some intricate trickery from Tadic in the 32nd minute, with replays suggesting Amrabat had a handful of the Southampton striker's shirt as he leapt.

There was concern for Mazzarri and the Watford bench when Gomes pulled up, feeling his right hamstring after a clearance, but the ex-Tottenham man resumed to close out an impressive first half from the visitors, while a miserable period for Long concluded with the Republic of Ireland international requiring treatment following a muscular challenge from Sebastian Prodl.

Gomes still appeared in discomfort at the break, but he showed fine reactions when he got down to keep out Redmond's 57th snapshot.Unfortunately for the veteran goalkeeper, in not wholly unfamiliar scenes, he failed to claim two consecutive corners following the save and Redmond punished the second error with an unerring left-foot volley.

Puel celebrated in animated fashion on the touchline and his men remained on the front foot, with the odds stacked more heavily in their favour when Watson, who had only been on the field for 12 minutes, allowed the lively Long to charge around the outside of him and responded by bundling his rampaging opponent to ground.

Referee Roger East deemed the infringement to be denying a clear goalscoring opportunity and Southampton thought they had the points in the 86th minute, but the assistant's flag halted further Redmond jubilation.