Ask any football fan who their heroes are and they'll quickly guide you to the pitch, pointing our their star No.9, or the silky winger that bangs in goal after goal.

But ask Southampton fans who the man of the hour is, and you'll quickly discover a trend in the answers. It's not a player on the pitch surprisingly enough, it's the man on the side of the pitch instead!

Ronald Koeman has been at Southampton for coming up to two seasons now, and the impact the Dutchman has had at St Mary's Stadium really shouldn't go unnoticed. Last season he guided them to the Europa League qualification stage, and with just two games to go the Saints have a great chance of ghosting into the competition again.

Whatever the ingredients for success are, Koeman seems to have them in abundance, and the players look like they enjoy playing for their well-travelled boss. His decision to leave out Graziano Pelle for the win over Manchester City raised eyebrows for the game, but in came Shane Long and they won 4-2. It seems like for every questionable decision, Koeman has an answer and another squad member to rely on if he's not happy.

And that's another strength Koeman has brought to the South Coast - being able to build a well-rounded, deep squad. They've got fantastic options week-after-week and looking at the bench against Manchester City, you'd doubt if any of these players wouldn't make most Premier League starting XIs. They had Maya Yoshida, Jay Rodriguez, Charlie Austin, James Ward-Prowse, Oriol Romeu and Maarten Stekelenburg on the bench against City, all of whom boast credible top-flight experience.

Whilst some may argue City weren't at full strength, which they weren't, Southampton finished them off ridiculously easily. Koeman seems to be able to get the best out of his players each and every game, and that was apparent during the match via Sadio Mane. The Senegal international attacker has been a little hit-and-miss this term, but against City he really did look in his element. Quick, energetic and with a devilish eye for goal, the former Red Bull Salzberg man looked extremely impressive.

For a side that were playing in League One in the 2009/10 season, it's been an extremely quick turnaround, led in recent years by Koeman. What the Saints must do is hold onto their manager as he continues to attract suitors across the continent. The board need to continue supporting him with strong transfer budgets that allow them to continue competing for European places, because they really do belong there.

Koeman will no doubt look at the Leicester City story and how they turned it around in just two years. Whilst the Saints haven't had quite the same explosive turn of form, their development over the past five years is extremely impressive and with Koeman, they look more secure than ever.

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