Saints Koeman picks up well deserved September MOTM gong

Ronald Koeman was September's Manager of the Month

I wrote on twitter in the summer that Ronald Koeman was a superb managerial appointment for Southampton and so far he is proving me very right.

Come on then, hands up, how many of us were predicting this back in the summer?

Southampton boss Ronald Koeman to be an early recipient of the Manager of the Month award?

Not too many I should think.

The Saints were a surprise success story last season but with Mauricio Pochettino and some star on-field performers fleeing the south coast it looked as if Koeman might have inherited something of a poisoned chalice.

Third in the table and with plenty to look forward to, Southampton are on course to better last season's eighth-place finish.

Rapid Re-building

The former Feyenoord boss arrived in England to find a club coming to terms with losing some of its best players.

It all seems forgotten now following a fast start but Koeman arrived just as Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Dejan Lovren, Luke Shaw and Calum Chambers had gone out the door.

Chambers was potential more than anything, but the remaining four were mainstays of Southampton's team last season.

Having re-shaped the squad, the 51-year-old believes there was no real expectation his team would make such a fast start.

"Maybe everybody was a little bit afraid, didn't expect the way we would play in the beginning," said Koeman.

Narrow defeats at Anfield and White Hart Lane have bookended what has been a really positive opening spell for Southampton that sees them just a point behind second-placed Manchester City ahead of Sunderland's visit to St Mary's on Saturday.

Strong September

It comes as little surprise to see Koeman rewarded after what was a hugely pleasing month.

His side were the only Premier League club to return maximum points in September - hot on the heels of a 3-1 win at West Ham on August 30.

They tore Newcastle to shreds in a 4-0 win at St Mary's and there were also victories away at Swansea and home to QPR, while the Saints also beat Arsenal at the Emirates in the League Cup third round.

All that lifted the Saints into second spot before the 1-0 reverse at White Hart Lane.

Koeman admitted that there were big personnel changes but prefers instead to concentrate on the hard work his players have put in.

"The team was working well. Maybe the people were surprised about that and maybe that's the reason I've won this prize," he said.

Signings Paying Off

Given the exodus that took place, Koeman had two major issues to confront in the summer transfer window.

Finding quality replacements and blending them together quickly. This award is justification for a job very well done.

Striker Graziano Pelle has got the headlines - and the September Player of the Month award - for his goals and performances.

Koeman worked with the Italian at Feyenoord and quickly brought him to England for what looks like a bargain at 8m.

The 29-year-old has repaid that faith with four goals in seven games, while he also made a scoring debut for the Azzurri against Malta.

Dusan Tadic has also proved a clever addition while England goalkeeper Fraser Forster represents an excellent long-term acquisition from Celtic and has helped Saints become the meanest defence in the division to date.

Perhaps one question over Koeman was the 12m capture of Shane Long from Hull. The Ireland international hasn't really figured to date.

Short Term Gains

There is nothing to suggest Southampton have peaked.

Their next five league games are against Sunderland, Stoke, Hull, Leicester and Aston Villa.

Ample opportunity there for Koeman to build on a very strong start to his English managerial career.

The acid test will come at the end of November when a trio of games against Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United launch Southampton into a busy Christmas spell that will conclude with the visit of Chelsea on December 28.

If they are still flying high by that point, Koeman could have another Manager of the Month award to his name.

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