WE’LL STRIKE GOLD FOR OUR SAD CONNOR
PUEL HAS A GIFT OF THE GABB NY trip shows Moyes is no basket case
CLAUDE PUEL is relying on an Italian job to avoid Southampton being dragged into the relegation battle.
Italy striker Manolo Gabbiadini – a £17million buy from Napoli – made a good start to life in England by scoring a debut goal in last Saturday’s 3-1 home defeat by West Ham.
The Frenchman (above), whose side would only be five points above Sunderland if they lose today, said: “He is a good technical player and it is important to play high up the pitch and have options.
“We saw this in the first game. He lost just six balls of the 33 that went to him and for a striker that is very good.”
Puel has also told players to forget their EFL Cup final with Manchester United at Wembley. He added: “I don’t think anything about the final. For me, it’s far away and we have time to prepare for this game, so stay focused on Sunderland.”
DAVID MOYES has ordered his team to slam-dunk their relegation rivals this weekend – before taking a trip to see the NBA in New York.
The Sunderland boss will lead a running session in Central Park in a five-day training break in the Big Apple that he hopes will trump his rivals.
Moyes wants a change of scenery for his rock-bottom side who gave themselves a survival lifeline with last week’s win at Crystal Palace.
The Scot (right) said: “New York is something different. It gives the players something to look forward to. I hope they give me the same sort of response I got at Palace. “Sometimes they need a bit of a break. We are going to watch basketball, with a few going to the ice hockey. A few might go to Ground Zero so hopefully it will educate the boys as well.
“The big thing for me is to get a team spirit so they look after each other on the pitch. I want them to build relationships off it too.
“In my experience it really does work.
“We’ll train every day and we have lots of things organised, like cycling and running. We’ll do quite a bit of running in Central Park.
“The players also have downtime for sightseeing and other things.
“I definitely sensed a lift when I told them about it before the Palace game.
“I’ve always thought if you treat players right, then you can expect the best back from them every week.”
Sunderland could crawl out of the bottom three if they beat Southampton at the Stadium Of Light today, and Moyes added: “It would give a great lift to us all. But we’ve been in this position once or twice already this season and we’ve not done it. The most important time to do it is the last game of the season.” BRIGHTON midfielder Oliver Norwood wants to achieve promotion to the Premier League for team-mate Connor Goldson.
Centre-back Goldson (above) has been diagnosed with a heart irregularity that will require surgery and keep him out for the rest of the season.
And ahead of the Championship clash with Burton this afternoon, Norwood insists the bombshell news has brought the squad closer together.
The Northern Ireland Euro 2016 star said: “It has hit Connor hard. He is a big part of the squad and a really lively and bubbly lad. We are gutted for him that his season is over, but we will all be there to support him.
“There is a real togetherness in this squad – you saw that in the way the players supported Anthony Knockaert after the sad passing of his father.
“We all wish Connor a speedy recovery and hopefully when he comes back it will be as a Premier League player.”
Norwood (below) is hoping Brighton can finish in the top two for many reasons – not least dodging a play-off showdown against a former club.
Both Reading, who the midfielder left last summer for the south coast, and Huddersfield are in the top six and enjoying fine seasons.
And Norwood added: “I can’t avoid them, can I? Fair play to Huddersfield, you could see them building when the new manager came in, and they gave us a bloody nose last week.
“And Reading have had a great start and also recruited well. Hopefully it won’t come to playing one of them in a play-off final.”
Today’s opponents Burton are just three points above the drop zone and face a daunting run of games.
But striker Cauley Woodrow, on loan from Fulham, has already seen enough to suggest that Burton can beat the drop.
The 22-year-old said: “The feeling is good here. The manager has signed a few loan players since I came in. Michael Kightly has come in from Burnley and Lasse Vigen Christensen has joined with me.
“We have the right foundations here and a good chance of staying up. We have 16 games left and there are teams a few places above us who we can drag into
it.”