December 2021

During the month of December, Yeovil Town F.C played 7 League matches.

They ended the month 9th in the League.

 Premier League: MD15

**Tottenham Hotspur Post-match Interview**

"What an intense game! Where do you even begin? Not only did Ryan repeat his hattrick feat against Spurs, but he could have easily of had 6! He's in magnificent form right now and he looks like scoring with every shot!

But this result was massive and it was up in the air on so many occasions. I'm just thankful that Harry Kane wasn't quite on form today! He hit the post with his last-minute freekick, but otherwise, he didn't really come close. Had he been in form, we could have been slaughtered today.

A fantastic day our for our fans though, and something we can be proud of. Now we must build on this against Newcastle next weekend!

Quite mention to M. Reuvers who became the first player in Yeovil Town's history to win the EPL Player of the Month award for November!"

## Premier League: MD16

**Newcastle United Post-match Interview**

"Erm. OK. That was humbling. I can see why they have the best defence in the league so far and after today, statistically the best attack too. They suffocated us for 90 minutes and didn't give us a chance. Minamino hit us with a brace of goals and assists, Plea bullied Degerlund and Sowunmi and Saivet made up an entire midfield by himself. It was a wonderful performance by Newcastle, I have to give them that.

I think we were suffering a hangover from the performance against Spurs. That took a lot out of us and I think it showed today. With Liverpool in three days too, there is no time to regroup either. But I do think I am going to have to look at rotating F. Schram with B. Foster sooner than expected. We can't forget that he is 38 and while he is still a wonderful goalkeeper, his athleticism isn't what it once was. A more mobile keeper would have likely saved a few of those 9 goals we have conceded in the last two games. He knows this is how it was going to go, so we will likely use Ben more for our cup games and the occasional Home games for the remainder of the season. So it's time for Frederik to step up and give his best for this season to keep us in the league!

## Premier League: MD17

 S. Mounie | 38'
 G. Rogers | 68'
 R. Browne | 90'

**Liverpool Post-match Interview**

"What a crazy game. To go in at the break at 1 - 2 was fine with me as I felt we could get back into it. But then B. Renneke got his straight red card before the whistle went and that changed everything. The only reason we managed to come back today from 1 - 3 was through an inspired performance from Gabriel Rogers. He has had to wait patiently for his chances, but boy does he take his chances. A well-taken goal and a last-minute assist dragged us over the finish line and another point against one of the biggest teams in the country. At the rate, all of our points against them might be enough to see us avoid relegation!

F. Schram had a solid match today, to his credit. If not for his key saves, this would have been lost at half time. But there's no time to rest. Chelsea at the weekend leaves us next to no time at all to prepare."

## Premier League: MD18

 T. Kroos

**Chelsea Post-match Interview**

"We've done it again! Thankfully, this visit to the Bridge went a lot better than our first trip in my tenure as manager, and a number of the faces who played then played today. D. Ojo being one. I think he carried some of that aggression and disappointment into the game today. It's the only way to explain why he lost his head and received a red card at the end of the match. Not sure what it is with my reserve Fullbacks lately!

Today's performance was down to Mounie with his fine heading, Osei Yaw for his 2 delightful assists and Sorensen for battling hard in midfield and stopping their attacks before they got close to our goal. Obviously, we always want to win. But I am so happy with a point against Chelsea, even if they are next to us in the table.

It's a real shame that we have lost T. James to injury. We think it's a dislocated shoulder. So that means we'll see Sorensen playing at CDM for a while with Oxford covering at RB. Hopefully, Tom isn't out for long."

## Premier League: MD19

 R. Browne | 24'
 L. Sorensen | 31'
 S. Mounie | 65'
 S. Mounie | 73'

**Bournemouth Post-match Interview**

"That was one of our most dominant games in this league yet, and still, we add to our record of the worst defensive team in the league! 16 shots to their 4 says everything. But over 11-minutes, despite the two-goal lead, we capitulated. Then in the second half, we were chasing the game. It was only thanks to Mounie coming off the bench and scoring (another!) two headers, this time directly from corners, that we pulled out the deserved victory.

For all the praise Mounie deserves for his goalscoring form this season, which I think he is currently second in the league, today was all about Reuvers. 3 assists in one game is impressive by any standard. His ability to pick out a pass, to put the ball exactly where he wants it, is going to continue to be a lethal weapon in our pursuit of Premier League survival!

But the elephant in the room is our defence. We've gone from the best defence in the country to the worst! I have to be honest when I say that we are exploring the option of reinforcement. If not now, then in the summer. The same is true for the Goalkeeping position. A number of players have a lot to prove before the season is out. I trust them to do it, but if we're to stay at this level, then clean sheets is exactly what we need and to obtain that, we need our defence to be in complete harmony with one another.

With this game done, we hit the halfway mark for the season. We've scored 35 goals, conceded 39 and sit exactly in the middle of the table. Honestly, I will take that. Things could be so much worse, but it's good to know they could be better too!

I can confirm that I. Lewis has arranged a loan move to Crystal Palace and will leave in January. They're having a Striker crisis, they've wanted Isaac for a while now, this seems like a great option for everyone involved."

## Premier League: MD20

 M. Guendouzi

**Bournemouth Post-match Interview**

"Oh, how the tables turn so quickly. This time around, we had 4 shots to their 19. Yes, this was a rotated side. We have no choice as the games are so hectic over December. But this was a very tough game for us. Arsenal had their tails up from the first minute and for us, the second half was all about damage limitation and trying to pick them off on the counter.

We are obviously upset by this, but we have to get right back up. West Ham rounds off this month for us and we can't let them repeat what they did on the opening day again.

I think after today, Liam Price has accepted that he's not quite ready for this level. He's been with us for 3-seasons now after coming up through the academy, but we need reinforcement for the midfielder. If that happens, it will mean less time for him. So we're trying to secure him a loan to the Championship where he can start every week and become a stronger player. He very much has a future with us."

## Premier League: MD21

 S. Mounie | 26'
 D. Kelly | 28'

**West Ham Post-match Interview**

"I am so, so gutted about losing the clean sheet - we were so close! They really did earn it. Back to our full strength today and it seems some of my comments have resonated with a few of them. It was a great win and it was nice to see us score 2 so quickly.

Declan Kelly today proved to everyone the benefits of first team football out on loan. We have been impressed with his development and that's the reason why he has made the squad this year. Granted, he mostly gets time from the bench, but in games like today where he made a start, he looked like he was born for this level. A goal and a well-placed assist, whilst otherwise controlling their attacking and managing our own attack next to Reuvers shows just how talented he is and how much Price needs to grow.

December has been exhausting. But it's finally over and now we can move into the new year and into the winter transfer window. I expect to see some new faces, yes. We have targets lined up for this window and for some summer arrivals on free transfers if the players are willing to move. January is going to be a busy one!

## YeoLaTengo Monthly Review

Is it over? Phew. That was a huge month that looked like it wouldn't end! Such a mixed bag of results that it's hard to know where to start!

The most impressive thing about this Yeovil side is their resilience and determination to give everything against the big teams. Honestly, if it wasn't for those results, we would be so much further down the table right now. It's important we keep that form as we go for round 2 next year! The Spurs result is obviously huge and historical, and it could have gone either way. But to the follow that up with the result against Newcastle was a kick in the teeth.

After that match, Steve Mounie returned to the side and he never looked back. He was in fine, fine form as he found the net in the following 5 matches! Rightfully, he has earned his nomination for Player of the Month. There were a number of question marks when the signing was announced as he hadn't exactly set the world on fire at Huddersfield, but trusted by the manager and given the right supply, he can be a reliable goal source for anyone. Sitting two goals behind Jesus, his 13 goals have kept the club floating above mid-table and ever closer towards safety.

Unfortunately, this month only further stretched our title for the worst defence in the league. It's painful to witness, given that it was always our best asset before promotion. Is it a question of quality or tactics can be debated all day long. Maybe what the team really needs is another signing like Degerlund to come in and add that extra security, though that would mean someone missing out. It will be interesting to see what Krause chooses to do!

But what a year 2021 has been. As we say farewell to the best year this club has seen for a very long time, we hope that 2022 brings new fortunes and continued success!

## YeoLaTengo Player of the Month

Steve Mounie. 100%. A career-defining month that has not only elevated his own stock but the club too. Where would we be without him?

 League Table Preview

A snapshot of Yeovil Town in the Premier League, with the teams in close proximity.

 9th | Yeovil Town
 10th | West Ham