Southampton

Millie Sian
BBC Sport journalist

Southampton boss Ivan Juric has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Bournemouth (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Taylor Harwood-Bellis is unavailable for this weekend. Adam Lallana has "a little problem with his hamstring" so he will be assessed again tomorrow. Jack Stephens is still out but he will start first team training again next week.

• Flynn Downes will not be involved this weekend because the pair haven't resolved their problem.

• On the Downes situation, Juric said: "I agree that everything is resolvable, but it has to be that he really wants to resolve it. Of course I want to resolve it."

• Juric says this game doesn't have more significance for Premier League survival after the win over Ipswich Town because "every game is a must-win" for the Saints at the moment.

• Juric added: "I feel like we are more full of courage that we can win games. We might suffer during the match, but we can win the games. It has been a very good week and I think we are ready."

• He saw "lots of chances, domination and good things" in the FA Cup defeat to Championship side Burnley, adding: "It's not good to lose any game but I'm feeling that we are getting better and we are improving."

• Bournemouth will bring "lots of pressure and intensity" to St Mary's Stadium, with Juric warning: "They like playing forward and they are perfect at that. When they steal the ball and play it forward immediately, they create lots of chances."

• Juric said he likes watching Bournemouth games as they are "very interesting" and added: "What I feel about Bournemouth is that the boss wants to play his kind of football and the club buys him those kinds of players. It's like every player is in the right spot. If they need two specific midfielders, they will find them - such as Justin Kluivert. I feel the players are connected, they are all working in the same way and doing well."

• On Aaron Ramsdale's comment that Premier League survival looks impossible but all the players believe it is still possible, he said: "I think the players are really believing. They are feeling that they can win the matches. We have to be focused and work hard on our things that can be good."

• Kamaldeen Sulemana has spoken out about feeling misunderstood at the club but Juric confirmed he has "never had a problem" with the forward: "I've had experiences with lots of different players - French, African and ex-Yugoslavian. They are all different and you have to find a way to work with them. He is training hard. He is a funny guy, always laughing. For me, he is professionally perfect."

• He praised 20-year-old Mateus Fernandes for being "extremely professional" when regularly called on this season: "He is like living for football and thinking about football. When you are working with him and showing him videos, he is wanting to improve himself. He is a really motivated guy. He wants success so he is working really hard."

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

The Premier League's bottom two Southampton and Ipswich using the highest number of players this season - 33 and 31 respectively - does not come as a surprise.

Both are newly-promoted sides with relatively limited budgets who began the campaign with managers that had never previously led teams in the division.

Saints suffered an identity crisis under Russell Martin who refused to his possession-based approach for the top flight before replacing him with Ivan Juric who is still attempting to find his favoured starting XI.

Ipswich have fought admirably in their first Premier League season but manager Kieran McKenna is learning on the job. Back in October, BBC Radio Suffolk's Graeme McLoughlin wrote he was "not sure McKenna knows his best line-up yet" and, although things have settled, the Town boss is still adapting from game to game.

When contrasted with high-flying Nottingham Forest - who have used 23 players, the lowest in the division- it is clear the impact a settled, consistent starting XI can make.

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Following their 3-1 win at Vitality Stadium in September, Bournemouth are looking to complete the league double over Southampton for the first time, in what is the 15th different campaign in which they have met.

Meanwhile, the Cherries have won possession in the final third more often than any other Premier League side this season (146), while Saints have lost the ball more often in their defensive third than any other team (154).

Is there something you want to ask about a Premier League club?

Former Premier League defender Nedum Onuoha is ready to answer your burning questions and give his thoughts on some of the biggest talking points for a special Q&A.

Submit your questions here and come back on Thursday for his answers

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Flynn Downes' "attitude" has come under fire from Southampton manager Ivan Juric, but we wanted to know whether you would continue to leave the defensive midfielder out of the team.

Here are some of your thoughts:

Kev: Flynn Downes has acted like a petulant child, if what Juric says is correct. In life and work we all have situations which we are unhappy about, but we are paid to do a job. If we don't like it and are unable to leave, we have to carry on and work hard and prove ourselves. If we all took Downes' attitude, we would be sacked. Stop being an idiot, knuckle down and try to help the team at least restore some pride in one of the worst seasons in Southampton's history!

Antoine: He should have gone to Ipswich when he had the chance.

Kris: This isn't a new phenomenon - an underperforming player thinks the grass is greener elsewhere, won't take responsibility and agitates for a move. The club would be better off without him. He should have been red carded for his elbow to Morgan Gibbs-White's face and they looked a lot better when he was substituted. Well done Juric, no time for divas.

Noah: I personally think he is a great player and we really need someone like him. We should definitely keep him until 2026 and then go from there.

Lee: Yes, absolutely he should leave. His performances on the field have been below par and, at this point, all of the players should be doing whatever it takes for the club. If you don't like it, move on.

Sam Ashoo
BBC Final Score

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This was always going to be a tricky one to navigate for Southampton. The Premier League's lowest scorers simply could not out-think a Burnley defence that just do not concede goals. Dare I say it was the perfect game for Saints forward and West Brom loanee Adam Armstrong, who got on the scoresheet for his new club instead.

Despite a pretty abject performance, I thought Kamaldeen Sulemana had a good game for Southampton. He was lively, tricky and one of the few players who wanted to get on the ball and play.

With Premier League relegation almost an inevitability, keeping hold of players like Sulemana will be imperative if Ivan Juric's side are to mount an immediate promotion challenge next season.

There were no points at stake on Saturday, but you feel that this was a missed opportunity to gain some momentum following that win at Ipswich last week.

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We asked for your views on Southampton's FA Cup match against Burnley.

Here are some of your comments:

Mark: Although I think the manager has improved the way we play, for me he is playing the wrong players to have any success. The defence is still shambolic and we still have no cutting edge in attack. It's the same players making the same mistakes over and over again.

Graham: Another poor effort. This is the worst Southampton squad I've seen in 60 years of supporting them. The owners are clueless, the managers are not Premier League standard and now we can't buy people because they don't want to come here.

Ian: Four full-backs on the pitch. Bella-Kotchap on the bench. Dreadful team selection and a wasted chance to advance and perhaps enjoy a cup run. And then afterwards Juric tells us how good we played. Sack him!

Clauss: Absolutely rubbish for the entire 90 minutes. Definitely one of the worst performances of the season. The manager must have watched a different game. His substitutions were far too late to influence the game. Both he and the side were clueless.

Noah: I thought it was a tight first half but Burnley came out stronger in the second. We had so many great chances but couldn't get past their strong back line. If we didn't keep passing it backwards we would have won.

Ray Hunt
Fan writer

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We took on another defeat to compound more misery on this horrible season, as Saints limped out of the FA Cup fourth round to Championship high-fliers Burnley.

Saints were unable to breakthrough Scott Parker's stubborn defence. It was the top-flight's worst attack against the best defence in the country, so was it really a shock?

Ivan Juric fielded a strong side with one notable absence - Flynn Downes, who was left out of the squad for the second game running.

Juric was coy on his omission last week but the manager has since broken his silence on the situation, revealing that the defensive midfielder was the subject of a late bid from Ipswich Town.

Downes wanted that move, but the transfer was reportedly blocked and Juric has been unhappy with his response. He said: "It is an ugly situation because his attitude was not good. It is a little bit of a club problem, but we will see."

Downes was a pivotal member of Russell Martin's promotion-winning side last season, while on loan from West Ham United, and he made the move permanent by penning a four-year deal in July.

But his performances have been below par in the top-flight since then, with many fans now questioning his fee.

So what is next for Downes?

Juric insists the situation is resolvable, but it is plain to see he wishes his future is elsewhere and we will be adding his name to a long list who will be out the door in the summer.

He has a long way to go to earn back trust. If he is unwilling to give his all in the remaining 14 games, then he should continue to be ousted by Juric.

The only thing he has succeeded in doing is alienating himself from the fanbase.

Would you continue to leave him out?

Have your say on Saints here

Find more from Ray Hunt at the In that Number podcast, external

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On the latest episode of BBC Radio Solent's Goin' home with Adam and Jo podcast, former Southampton midfielder Jo Tessem shared his thoughts on Ivan Juric's comments on Flynn Downes' attitude:

"As a former player, I would have liked this to be kept inside the dressing room. I don't think it belongs outside. We see players often talk to the media which sometimes doesn't go down well."

BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore added: "We can understand players not wanting managers to leave and showing blind loyalty, but the real football world is not like that. You are a professional football player who is paid by the club, not Russell Martin.

"You might not like the manager but that is irrelevant - we don't all like our managers. I understand him being frustrated at the situation, but It's not like he was playing out of his skin before this happened.

"Ultimately, there is only one way that this should end; with him knuckling down. Be humble and get back into the squad. Apologise if you have to, it doesn't cost anything."

What do you think of the Flynn Downes situation, Saints fans?

Tell us here

Listen to the interview with Juric as well Adam and Jo's full discussion on BBC Sounds

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Ivan Juric spoke to BBC Radio Solent about Flynn Downes, who was left out of Southampton's squad for their FA Cup defeat on Saturday: "During the transfer window we have lots of players who are always professional. Some players make mistakes. His attitude was not good [during the transfer window].

"[Jan] Bednarek refused a big offer for his life; he was still training and playing the games. That is what I expect from all players.

"It's a little bit of a club problem."

The latest episode of the Goin' Home With Adam And Jo podcast has landed.

BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore and former Southampton player Jo Tessem discuss Saturday's FA Cup defeat to Burnley and Ivan Juric's comments on Saints midfielder Flynn Downes.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Ivan Juric after Southampton's defeat to Burnley: "I think we did lots of things good. We did some mistakes in defence and it was enough to lose the game.

"I think we dominated the game, created lots of chances but we didn't score. There were some really good moments in the game, but some bad moments in defence.

"I saw really a lot of players playing at a good level. I think we were just not clinical despite dominating a lot. We really were not good in the last 20 metres [of the pitch].

"I'm disappointed we didn't win. It is a great competition and opportunity for us."

Let us know your thoughts on the match here

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Southampton's performance

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Nine Premier League teams are competing in Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round action, and we will bring you every moment.

• Leyton Orient v Man City (12:15) - watch on BBC One and listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Coventry v Ipswich

• Everton v Bournemouth

• Southampton v Burnley

• Wigan v Fulham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Birmingham v Newcastle (17:45) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Brighton v Chelsea (20:00) - watch on BBC One and listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

All kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all the action and reaction here

Burnley's defensive record is unbelievable, but they have got a problem at the other end of the pitch.

They do not score many goals and it appears there is an element of Burnley fans who are quite bored watching Scott Parker's team.

Their situation is the same as Leeds, in that they are one of four teams chasing one of the two automatic promotion spots in the Championship.

Again, they have got a midweek league game coming up, at Hull City on Wednesday, which will be their priority. I think Parker will make changes here and they will fall foul of that.

Southampton will not be complaining, because they have won so few games against anyone this season.

Saints picked up a rare win at Ipswich last weekend, and at home they have managed only three victories in all competitions - Stoke City in the Carabao Cup, Everton in the league and Swansea City in the FA Cup third round.

To say they have momentum after beating Ipswich is probably pushing it, and they are still a long way adrift at the bottom of the table, but a decent FA Cup run would give their fans a bit of escapism in what has been a miserable season.

Sutton's prediction: 1-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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The fifth-round draw will take place during Monday's episode of The One Show on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Former England winger Theo Walcott, who won the trophy twice while with Arsenal, will conduct the draw at about 19:10 GMT.

There are 16 Premier League teams left in the draw, with Leicester having been beaten by Manchester United on Friday, and Arsenal, Brentford and West Ham exiting in the third round.

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Earlier, we asked you to name the former Southampton manager from a series of clues.

The answer was Ronald Koeman, who was in charge between 2014 and 2016.

Adam Blackmore
BBC Radio Solent sports editor

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We have been putting your questions to BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore.

In our final part, Adam focuses on the club's future and which players could make the leap from academy to first team.

Chris asked: What would it take to make Saints an established Premier League club again, eg. as they were under Mauricio Pochettino, Ronald Koeman and even Claude Puel?

Adam answered: Hi Chris, I could write an essay on this! But in reality those days were halcyon ones where Saints were investing really well in talent, spending money, scouting well, and appointing the right managers at the right time.

It really is a cocktail of so many things needing to come together at the same time. But one thing they do need is top talent at the top end of the pitch. The managers you talk about had Adam Lallana, James Rodriguez and Rickie Lambert as a front three, or Dusan Tadic, Sadio Mane and Graziano Pelle. Those golden combinations do not come around that often or that easily.

It is harder now to sneakily buy a talent that nobody knows about, or just compete with far bigger clubs – PSR keeps medium-sized clubs in their place to the benefit of the bigger ones. So to be a regularly competing in the Premier League again needs consistent investment allied with a great fit of manager and players, with Saints punching above their weight for a season or two to increase revenue.

The club are investing for the long term on all sorts of infrastructure projects and revenue sources to compete more but it will take a long time. With PSR a much bigger thing now, it is harder to cheat the system or buck the trends.

Tim asked: Do you think the transfers out of Ben Brereton Diaz, Maxwel Cornet and others represents a move back to using academy graduates more rather than 'pros for hire'? And do you know of any good academy prospects?

Adam answered: Hi Tim, there is a lot more age group talent at Saints now – a lot of international age group players, and not just English ones. The club are confident they are on the right track with this and I hope the first team sees the benefits soon.

However, I do not see the exits of certain players this month as having anything to do with academy players – it is purely about getting the squad into a manageable size, allied with Ivan Juric getting players out that he thinks are not going to feature for him in the current fight.

Listen to full commentary of Southampton v Burnley from 15:00 GMT on Saturday on BBC Radio Solent and BBC Sounds

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Southampton have confirmed the appointment of Johannes Spors as technical director. He replaces Jason Wilcox who left St Mary's Stadium for Manchester United last year.

Spors has previously worked for RB Leipzig, Vitesse Arnhem and Genoa across European football, and will begin his role at Southampton next week.

"I'm excited to finally start work at Southampton." Sors said. "Saints are a club with a great history and commitment to developing players, not only in the academy, but also at first-team level.

"I look forward to working with the team at Staplewood to build a strategy that helps bring success on the pitch."

Adam Blackmore
BBC Radio Solent sports editor

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We have been putting your questions to BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore.

In part three Adam focuses on Saints' struggles in front of goal and recruitment in the forwards positions.

Ben asked: Why have we offloaded our forwards and not signed replacements?

Adam answered: Hi Ben, if you mean recently then I don't see the offloading of Ben Brereton Diaz and Adam Armstrong on loan as big losses in the current squad. They have two goals between them all season in the Premier League. As much as I love Arma, he just does not threaten enough in the Premier League.

Saints still have Paul Onuachu, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Tyler Dibling, Matheus Fernandes, Cameron Archer, and hopefully Albert Gronbaek as forwards for the rest of the season. Would it make a big difference if the other two were around? I don't think so. The bigger question for me is if they can go down and come back up at the first time of asking, will they learn from this last summer and invest in a proper Premier League goalscorer and buy quality not quantity.

Mike asked: Why has the club gone through so many transfer windows without signing a proven goalscorer (we haven't really had one since Danny Ings)? We have signed promising youngsters but one by one they seem to be drifting away.

Adam answered: Hi Mike, I share your frustration with this. As I said in my reply to Ben, the strategy of quantity over quality has not worked. I get that the club in their first season back up needs to be careful and hope that some potential is realised, but it has nt really happened. And we all know that since Ings' departure Saints have not had the quality upfront to stay in the top flight.

Any players that have drifted away have not really gone on to pull up trees elsewhere, just accentuating the lack of judgement Saints have made. Che Adams was never prolific (but they should have kept him) Arma has always struggled in the Premier League, Onuachu has been misused and underused by a succession of managers...

Plus, that revolving door of managers that has created different styles of play also has not helped a number of players who have been en vogue or persona non grata depending on who is in charge of the team!

You are right - they need to stop taking chances with the most important end of the pitch and back someone to keep them up with his goals.

Listen to live commentary of every Saints game on BBC Radio Solent, and download and subscribe to Goin' Home With Adam and Jo on BBC Sounds to get all the post-match thoughts that matter

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Southampton have won eight of their past 10 home matches in the FA Cup, winning the last three in a row at St Mary's Stadium by a margin of three goals or more without conceding a single goal.