Ronald Koeman has earned an impressive reputation when it comes to rebuilding squads, having become accustomed to losing players to bigger clubs during his time managing in the Eredivisie, but it is at Southampton where his most impressive project yet has come to the fore.
It also takes a lot for him to get riled. The manager was more agitated than any other time since taking the reins at St Mary’s during a bizarre exchange with a TV reporter about the trio of Southampton players who departed for Liverpool in the summer.
Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Dejan Lovren will make their first trip back to the south coast on Sundayafternoon and Lallana has already spoken of how his departure has left a sour taste among the Saints’ support.
However, Koeman says he relished the challenge of rebuilding a team, allayed by the club’s academy system, and accepts that since Southampton cannot financially compete with other clubs it is part of the game to reconstruct his squad.
“It was a nice challenge for me,” he said. “In Holland you have to rebuild every season, it is always a new team. You lose a lot of players to bigger clubs and I knew that at Southampton we had a very good academy. Looking back through the season, five or six under-21s have already made their debut. That’s the best part about the philosophy here.
“We know our position at this club. When clubs like Liverpool and those kind of teams [come in for a player], it is always difficult to keep them. We know that but it’s not a problem. It is a part of football and always happens. It is up to us how we bring in new players and continue what we would like to do.”
Koeman was not in the mood to broach the subject of those who have left for pastures new and was more eager to discuss his own team in advance of a game which could go a long way to deciding Southampton’s push for European football next season.
“Maybe they should give every Liverpool player a good whistle and support the home team, which is the most important thing,” Koeman said in response to a question of how he expects supporters to react to the return of their former players.
But he soon grew tired of being interrogated. “Are you the agent of Lovren and Lallana? Why that question all of the time?” Koeman said to the reporter who after half a dozen enquiries on the same topic. “I don’t know why you come to this press conference and only have questions about Liverpool. Thank you, I’m very proud of this conversation.”
When Southampton were defeated at Anfield on the opening weekend of the season, few would have foreseen what was to transpire under the Dutchman. Looking back, it is staggering to recall how in the buildup to that game, they were being tipped by some for relegation rather than the Champions League.
Now it is Southampton who are the favourites for this weekend’s meeting, although Koeman admits he will not be thrown too far off course if they are defeated by Brendan Rodgers’s team, who will cut the deficit to their rivals to a single point.
“Do you think I’m thinking about losing a game? No way,” Koeman said. “I’m thinking about winning the game, I’m not negative. I’m surprised they have four points less than we have and to come closer they have to win.”
Shane Long and Morgan Schneiderlin have recovered from rib and hamstring injuries and after training on Friday may be in contention but Koeman concedes that his team are beginning to find it tricky to win at home as teams visit with a defensive mindset.
Southampton have not won at home since beating Arsenal 2-0 on New Year’s Day and failed to score in their two most recent fixtures against Swansea and West Ham. “Swansea and West Ham did not come to Southampton to play open and offensively,” Koeman added. “That brings more difficulty for us and we didn’t have the quality to break them down but this Sunday’s game will be totally different.
“I don’t expect Liverpool to come and play that way but it is all about our sharpness in the box. I believe in the quality of my players and it’s a good time to score goals and create more than in the last two games.
“If they come to play offensively then we can be dangerous but if they defend with every player it is more difficult and there is no space for us to attack.”
