Ronald Koeman spoke to the media at the Staplewood Campus on Thursday ahead of Southampton's game against Tottenham Hotspur in the Barclays Premier League.
Here's what he had to say:
On being worried about the focus not being on the football…
No. I don’t think so because it’s an important one. We fight for a good position on the table to reach European football and that’s the focus and everybody knows that Pochettino was the coach last season.
He’s coming back to St Mary’s and that the fans, how the reception will be, okay, we will see that. But our focus has to be to win the game and I’m sure the players have the same feeling.
On being concerned about the possible Europa League schedule…
We know if we reach to play the Europa League on Thursday and the Premier League on Sunday it will be a tough programme but we are professionals. We like to win and play in Europe.
It will be great for the fans, for the club and for the players and we take that problem for next season. First the focus is on the game on Saturday and they have one more point than we have and normally with Liverpool and Tottenham we will fight for fifth place on the table.
RON IN 60 SECONDS: @RonaldKoeman on @AlderweireldTob, @VictorWanyama and Mauricio Pochettino's return. #saintsfchttps://t.co/DF91pN01bI
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) April 23, 2015On Sam Gallagher…
He will not be involved because we have enough players in our first team but of course it’s one of the players that did a great job last Monday. I don’t mention one player because the whole team was amazing with a fantastic spirit.
We know we have a lot of young players and Sam was struggling this season with several injuries and little by little he is back in his physical state you need to play first team.
On the team’s season last year…
They had a great season last year and every manager is different. We are not very different about how Tottenham play, the way Southampton play.
It’s a little bit the same with a lot of freedom for the wing players out of a good organisation. Maybe thinking about the sessions he is a little bit more in physical training than I do.
That’s maybe a little bit the difference between him and I but most of the things in football are not so different. I can’t give more opinions about him, as I don’t know him as a coach.
On trying to have momentum at the end of the season…
It’s important because that’s something what we want to have for next season and we know every game is important.
If Arsenal win the FA Cup then seventh place is also Europe. It’s the last qualification round to play European football.
Normally the distance between eighth is nine points and it seems to be enough, but we try to finish in the highest position possible.
On how big Saturday’s game is…
It’s not a decisive one because after that there is still four to play but of course it’s really the competition for that place between us, Liverpool and Tottenham.
It’s an important one because you can put them back in points behind you and it’s all to play for this Saturday.
On Tottenham Hotspur…
Harry Kane is developing himself in a very fast and good way and he is scoring goals. He is an important player for Tottenham. But Christian Eriksen this season is amazing.
He scored a lot of winning goals. They won a lot of points in the last five minutes. That shows that the team is strong, with a strong character and it is very difficult to beat them.
I think we played well against them and it was a good game. It was an attractive game and we had good chances to score. Now it is to be more clinical this Saturday.
On showing no nervous…
I think it was nervousness in that game (against Hull City) but I don’t know. It is another chance to be comfortable in a game because we play a big one, we play against a strong opponent.
We need to have our level and then we can beat them. If we don’t play at our level or some players are not playing well or not doing well it will be more difficult.
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