Ronald Koeman is looking forward to this weekend 's 'special ' match against Tottenham , ahead of which the Southampton manager praised the 'great job ' predecessor Mauricio Pochettino did at St Mary 's . The former Argentina defender ended a 16-month stint on the south coast last summer to sign a five-year deal at White Hart Lane . Pochettino 's exit was the catalyst to an unparalleled talent drain from St Mary 's , although successor Koeman has not only steered the club to calmer waters but to new heights . Southampton boss Ronald Koeman has praised the work of his predecessor Mauricio Pochettino at the club . Pochettino ( left ) managed Southampton between 2013 and 2014 before leaving for Tottenham Hotspur . Southampton full-back Nathaniel Clyne ( left ) tussles for possession with Stoke 's Steven Nzonzi ( right ) Stoke forward Jonathan Walters dribbles ahead of Southampton 's Maya Yoshida ( right ) in their last game . Koeman had to cope with several player sales at Southampton , including Luke Shaw to Manchester United . Attacking midfielder Adam Lallana ( right ) was also sold to Liverpool shortly after Koeman arrived at the club . With five matches remaining , Saints are just a point and a place worse off than Spurs in sixth and can usurp them in the European spots with victory in Saturday 's early kick-off . 'Everybody was afraid because we had to make a lot of changes in the team , ' Koeman told reporters . 'But I think the quality of the players that we brought in were good , at a good level . I think the rest of the players had really a good aspiration and ambition to do a good season , to play a good season at a good level . 'Now we are fighting for a high position in the table . There 's still five games to play and a very nice one this Saturday afternoon . 'It is Tottenham , the difference is only one point and , okay , for the fans maybe it makes it a little bit more special because Mauricio is now the coach and was the coach of Southampton . 'He is the coach of the opponent this Saturday , so that makes it special but the game will be decided between the white lines . ' Koeman was speaking at St Mary 's after meeting Barclays Spirit of the Game hero Tina Croucher , who was being rewarded for her community work at the club . The Southampton manager and midfielder Victor Wanyama answered questions from a handful of supporters as part of the event , where talk of Pochettino was rarely far away . Koeman says his return along with the potential implications of the result makes Saturday 's match the biggest at St Mary 's since he took the reins . A positive result would see Saints break their record Premier League points haul set last year by Pochettino , although he is unlikely to get a particularly warm reception . The former Argentina defender 's departure left a sour taste with many Southampton fans , whose travelling support gave him a taster of what to expect at White Hart Lane earlier in the season . 'Sometimes if you go as a Barcelona player to Madrid the reception is difficult , and sometimes in Holland , ' Koeman said , when asked if he has such a bad reception . 'But , okay , I think the reception for Mauricio normally has to be good because he did a great job for Southampton . ' I like him as a person and as a coach and we have a good contact . ' Southampton midfielder Victor Wanyama ( centre ) shields the ball from Swansea players back in September . There certainly does not appear any bad blood between Koeman and Pochettino , despite the latter suggesting earlier in the year that he handed the Dutchman an easy job at Southampton . Koeman took those comments in his stride , joking at the time that he only came to Southampton 'to have a nice little holiday ' . Now , just days before the game , the Saints boss gave a more serious answer , praising his Spurs counterpart for the legacy he left at St Mary 's . ' I think they make the beginning ( of this ) and developed the quality of the players , the young players , ' Koeman said . ' I think the structure and organisation in the team , the spirit of the players starts under Mauricio . ' I took that over and maybe we were different in some details . From what I heard , maybe I try to do more training sessions with the ball and maybe he was a little bit more physical . ' I think the start , for the development of the team , was under Mauricio and he did a great job last season . 'We continue ( that ) and so far we made it a little bit better than it was , but that is all about the experience and quality of the players . ' Harry Kane scores Tottenham 's third goal in their 3-1 win over Newcastle , which sees them fifth in the table . Tottenham midfielder Nacer Chadli ( left ) tussles for possession with Newcastle's Fabricio Coloccini ( right )
Ronald Koeman took over Southampton last summer after Mauricio Pochettino left for Tottenham . The former Everton boss has been in charge of the Saints since August and is looking to build on his first season at St Mary's.