Moving Target – Ronald Koeman

Southampton finally ended their search for a new manager last week by appointing Ronald Koeman as head coach. Arriving on a three-year deal, the Dutchman replaces Mauricio Pochettino, who departed for Tottenham after just 16 months at the St Mary’s helm, and brings in brother Erwin and Jan Kluitenberg as part of a backroom staff reshuffle:

In an interview with the club’s official website, Saints Executive Director Les Reed explained the reasons behind the decision to opt for the 51-year-old:

“In appointing Ronald we have concluded our search for a manager who shares our values and vision for the future of Southampton Football Club. As part of our ongoing scouting process, we have been following the development of Ronald’s coaching career for some time and, through a more formal process this month, immediately identified him as our number-one choice. From the moment we met with Ronald, it was clear he had the vision and ambition to take our club forward, that he shared our football philosophy and could see the opportunity to move our club to the next level.”

The History

Koeman started his playing career back in 1980 with Dutch outfit FC Groningen. Over the course of his three seasons, the centre-half quickly established himself as an outstanding source of goals, with an unerring ability to find the net from free-kicks and penalties seeing him score 33 times in 90 appearances. A move to Ajax in 1983 harvested 23 goals in 94 league matches before Koeman switched to PSV Eindhoven three years later, where an incredible 51 goals in 98 games in the Eredivisie earned him a move to Barcelona.

Snapped up by the La Liga giants in 1989, Koeman’s goal-getting ability showed no sign of waning and, over the course of six years at the Nou Camp, he netted 67 times in 192 league matches before returning to his native Holland once again, with Feyenoord. Koeman played 61 times over a couple of seasons and scored 19 times before deciding to retire in 1997.

At club level, Koeman won four Dutch league titles and four Spanish titles over the course of his illustrious career, with a couple of European Cups and a UEFA Super Cup also thrown in for good measure. Named Dutch Footballer of the Year on two occasions, he scored 14 times in 78 appearances for the Netherlands and helped them win the 1988 European Championships.

Koeman also brings a wealth of managerial experience with him to St Mary’s. He spent three years coaching with Holland and, subsequently, Barcelona from 1997-2000, before being named Vitesse manager – having guided his side to a UEFA Cup spot on a limited budget, he was handed the Ajax reins midway through the 2001-02 season. Despite winning the Eredivisie twice in four years, he resigned in February 2005 to take up a post as Benfica boss but just one year later, he was back in Holland with PSV.

In his only full season at Eindhoven, Koeman clinched the title in a dramatic final day’s action but, once again, he didn’t hang around and made his way to Valencia in October 2007. The Dutchman delivered more silverware, picking up a Spanish Cup, but was sacked just six months into the job with his side sitting narrowly above the drop zone. After another brief and unsuccessful stint as AZ Alkmaar boss in the first few months of the 2009-10, Koeman was appointed Feyenoord head coach in July 2011 and guided the club to three successive top three finishes before making his way to St Mary’s earlier this month.

The Previous Regime

Pochettino’s appointment was a controversial one, after the club sacked Nigel Adkins midway through the 2012-13 campaign. Steering the Saints to the safety of 14th spot, the Argentine’s penchant for double-training sessions, allied with a high pressing 4-2-3-1 system, earned Southampton a very impressive eight placed finish in his only full season in charge.

The former manager’s methods were credited with improving a number of youngsters, with Adam Lallana, Jay Rodriguez and Luke Shaw making significant strides under his guidance in the previous campaign. Only the top seven scored more times that the Saints tally of 54 last term, whilst at the back, a total of 46 goals against was the sixth most impressive defence in the Premier League.

The Season Ahead

Koeman arrives amidst a potential player exodus at St Mary’s, with Rickie Lambert’s move to Liverpool threatening to be the first of many. Lallana and Shaw have been heavily linked with transfers out of the club, whilst Dejan Lovren is also believed to be on many radars after an impressive first season in the English top-flight. With Rodriguez sidelined for the start of the upcoming campaign due to knee ligament damage, the new man in charge doesn’t have his problems to seek right now, with Fantasy managers perhaps a little sceptical of the Saints’ prospects for 2014/15.

Upon closer inspection, however, the Dutchman’s appointment looks a smart piece of business by the Saints. Koeman arrives with a reputation for attacking football and a commitment to promoting young players to his starting line-ups – Feyenoord’s youth academy was voted the best in Holland under his guidance, whilst at Ajax, he plundered the youth team for the likes of Wesley Sneijder and Thomas Vermaelen. As the 51-year-old admitted, the Saints’ ability to produce home-grown talents fits perfectly with his approach:

“We share the same philosophy of football, and the same belief in how to develop the club. Southampton have a talented first-team squad, a world-class academy and the infrastructure to sustain success in the Premier League. The opportunity to continue the development of this famous football club was simply too good to turn down. I cannot wait to get started.”

Having worked under Johan Cruyff, Louis Van Gaal and Guus Hiddink, Koeman’s penchant for young, technically gifted players who can move the ball quickly again looks the perfect fit for Southampton. A change in tactics could be on the cards, though – he guided Feyenoord to second spot in the Eredivisie last time around by rolling out a 5-3-2 system that has since been implemented by Van Gaal for the national side. Bearing in mind he operated with a 4-3-3 formation the season before, it’s clear that the Dutchman is also adept at tinkering his approach to ensure success.

At present, it’s very much “wait and see” on the transfer front but Koeman’s arrival may well prove profitable for players such as James Ward-Prowse, Jack Stephens and Callum Chambers if the exodus does indeed happen, whilst Sam Gallagher could benefit up top in light of Rodriguez’ absence. Certainly, we can expect the new boss to dip into the market but there’s no question that he’ll turn to the academy and continue the club’s long-standing youth policy that has produced the likes of Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The recently-released Premier League schedule has smiled very kindly on Koeman and suggests his new side could be quick out the blocks. Southampton face just one of last season’s top five in the opening 12 Gameweeks – an opening day trip to Anfield – with home games against West Brom, Newcastle, QPR, Sunderland, Stoke and Leicester allied with trips to the likes of West Ham, Swansea, Hull and Villa. Pochettino’s surprise departure may have proven a setback but if Koeman can take advantage of that opening schedule and make an instant impact, the Argentine’s departure may not be quite so damaging as many Saints fans first feared.