After a while the questioning about Louis van Gaal began to bore Ronald Koeman, but something else also bothered him: his answer. He had known that addressing Southampton’s Monday night rendezvous with Manchester United would mean talking about his rivalry with his compatriot and he initially responded by insisting the pair now enjoy a good relationship, that the “working problem” which caused them to fall out bitterly when both were at Ajax a decade ago was buried in the past. But then he felt the need to adjust his description of their relationship: “I don’t say good, it’s correct. That’s the best word.”
It is clear the affection that used to unite the duo when Koeman served as Van Gaal’s assistant manager at Barcelona in the late 1990s has not returned but Koeman was keen to indicate any bad blood that lingers between them does not distract them from work. Then the Southampton manager terminated the inquiries with a decisive: “Too much questions about him.”
Which is fair enough. Because while a subplot involving two famous Dutchmen using Premier League teams as proxies to fight the latest battle in a long-running feud with each other is seductive, the most significant feature of the duel at St Mary’s will be what it reveals about each manager’s club.
If there was one match this season for which Koeman would have wished to have a full-strength team, it is probably this one, not merely for personal reasons but also because defeats in their last two matches make this a particularly important game for Southampton.
The club have already defied expectations this season by making a strong start to the campaign despite a summer of high player turnover, now they must do so again. Losses to Manchester City and Arsenal in their last two outings, following earlier reverses to Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, increased many people’s suspicion that Southampton’s good start owed much to a favourable fixture list. A victory over United would help prove, to themselves as much as anyone else, that Saints really do have enough quality to sustain their place in the upper reaches of the table.
Providing such evidence will mean showing the depth of the Southampton squad. United remain in contention for a top-four finish, despite suffering a spate of casualties since the start of the season; now Koeman will find out whether his side can cope with key losses. The absence of Toby Alderweireld from central defence is an obvious worry as the Belgian has formed a solid partnership with José Fonte since arriving on loan from Atlético Madrid in September.
Alderweireld’s hamstring trouble is expected to keep him out for about 10 days and is likely to mean a start for Maya Yoshida, who is neat on the ball but has yet to demonstrate enough strength or savviness to suggest he can help shut out an in-form United attack. The other option is the Romania international Florin Gardos, who has been given only 46 minutes of Premier League action since joining from Steaua Bucharest in the summer.
There has been some patching up to do in midfield in recent weeks and that is going to continue for some time, as Morgan Schneiderlin will miss the match against United and Jack Cork, his usual deputy, is out for up to two months. Alderweireld would have pushed up to help anchor midfield in their absences but with him also injured and James Ward-Prowse still at least two weeks away from a return to action, Koeman may have to turn to the 19-year-old Harrison Reed. That increases the pressure on Victor Wanyama to prolong the excellent form that he has displayed this season, the Kenyan bringing power and a new thrust to the base of Southampton’s midfield.
Southampton look stretched further forward too. With Ward-Prowse and Jay Rodriguez still missing, Koeman is reliant on a small clutch of attackers including Dusan Tadic, Sadio Mané, Shane Long, Steven Davis and Graziano Pellè. They have all done very well since the start of the season but in recent weeks have gone slightly off the boil.
Mané, in particular, has become erratic, while Tadic has suffered from the fact that opponents have studied him after his sparkling start to the campaign and increased their efforts to shackle him, partially by curtailing the ability of Southampton’s flying full-backs to support him down the flanks. But Nathaniel Clyne, Ryan Bertrand and the Serb retain the ability to create chances even if they could do with others helping more. Pellè has not scored for six matches partially because the service to him has dwindled slightly in recent weeks.
Koeman will not panic. He transmits a composure and confidence in his method that translate to the team. Southampton will be confident they can play through adversity, though Koeman admits that will become increasingly difficult over the festive period, a time when newcomers such as Tadic, Pellè and Mané are accustomed to having a winter break. As, indeed, is the manager.
“To have only one day off between two games is crazy,” says Koeman of the Christmas schedule, before saying that he and his team just have to get on with it. “It’s a new experience for myself and for the players, and to get that experience you have to be involved in that.”
A depleted Southampton have the ability to beat United but even if they fall to a third loss in a row Koeman says he will not lose faith in his players.
“It’s 38 games and I wasn’t celebrating a party after 10 games. I will not be crying after four [winless] games if we don’t win against United.”
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