After achieving their highest finish in the Premier League finish last season having secured a club record 56 points, a summer of departures and uncertainty appeared to have signalled that this was a good as it was going to get for Southampton.

In losing their manager – and a number of key players who had helped them in achieving an eighth-placed finish last term – many pundits feared for the club, with a number of them tipping the Saints to face a relegation battle during this campaign. 29 games and 50 points later, it seems they couldn’t have been more wrong.

Ronald Koeman was the man tasked with replacing Mauricio Pochettino after the South American swapped the dugout at Saint Mary’s for that of White Hart Lane. Arriving at a time when many of his star players were on their way out of the club, the task looked an almighty one for Koeman.

Club captain Adam Lallana was one of three high profile departures, with Rickie Lambert and Dejan Lovren joining him in moving to Liverpool. Promising youngsters Luke Shaw and Callum Chambers also moved on with big money moves to Manchester United and Arsenal respectively, and it was left to Koeman to pick up the pieces of a depleted, deflated squad.

Not only did the Dutchman bring in some quality replacements, he has also managed to take the club to the next level, which sees them challenging for Champions League qualification with just nine games remaining. A remarkable achievement given the situation Southampton found themselves in just a few months ago.

Currently sitting in sixth position – four points off Manchester United in fourth – they still have every chance of qualifying for Europe, and appear well on their way to another club record points tally in the Premier League. They have been unlucky at times in defeat to some of the sides above them after putting in impressive displays, but a well earned draw away at Chelsea last weekend showed just how far they have come under the stewardship of Koeman.

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Not only does his side play some eye-catching attacking football at times, the defensive solidarity of the team has been most impressive, with Saints boasting the best defensive record in the Premier League. 13 clean sheets for Fraser Forster, is the most for any goalkeeper in the division this season, highlighting just how efficient Koeman’s team have been defensively.

While his side remain outsiders for a top-four spot, a favourable run of fixtures will give them real belief in achieving their ultimate goal. And while they may well be left disappointed at missing out on the Champions League, a place in the top six will still prove a fantastic achievement for the club’s players and staff.

Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, Koeman deserves great credit for the job he has done at Southampton this year, and there’s no doubt he will be in the running for manager of the season as the campaign draws to a close in May. European qualification would cap off a tremendous season for the club, and the fact they are still mentioned as contenders for a top-four finish in mid-March is surely beyond any fan’s wildest dreams given their situation last summer.

If Koeman can pull off the impossible and deliver Champions League football to the South coast, it would go down as one of the greatest managerial achievements in the modern era. But regardless of whether he achieves this, his first season in English football certainly warrants plenty of praise, and it’s hard to argue a case for anyone other than the man himself picking up the accolade for manager of the season.

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