Ronald Koeman believes spirit and organisation can allow Southampton to make history by securing a Champions League place for the first time after a 1-0 win over Manchester United took his team above Louis van Gaal's into third place.
Dusan Tadic’s 69th-minute winner saw Southampton end a 27-year wait for a league victory at Old Trafford. They have 39 points, two more than United, after 21 matches.
Regarding Saints’ Champions League qualification hopes, Koeman said: “We know we have a strong team and that was important in the end of December. We got a point against Chelsea and the three points against Arsenal. That makes belief in the players. It is what you need if you are not a big club: belief in the players, not afraid of the name or the stadium. We learned that. I am not surprised we won today. We have organisation. We have 11 clean sheets in 21 games. If we keep the spirit and the organisation, we can keep in front in the table.”
Koeman, whose side are at Newcastle United next in the league, disclosed where he had pinpointed United’s weakness.
“You know that they have difficulties to build up with three centre-backs,” the manager said of United’s formation.
“The second half we pressed them better than the first. They have a lot of qualities from the midfield to the attack. Fantastic players so you need really good players to stop that.”
Of Van Gaal bringing on Marouane Fellaini as an auxiliary forward, Koeman said: "Maybe that was a decision for them to try, the last thing to score. It is one of the qualities of the player. He is very good in the air."
Van Gaal, who dropped Radamel Falcao, suggested United were the better side. “We were the dominating team without creating chances,” he said. “They never reached our goal and out of nothing they scored. Then we change the playing style and after that I think we have created three open chances. That is more or less the same as we did in Southampton [winning 2-1]so when you ask if it is fair, if you take into account the match there, yeah then it is fair.
“My disappointment is in the fact we make a lot of wrong choices in the third or fourth phase of our attack. When you are dominating the game like we did, you have to create more chances. Even when your opponent is defending in a small space, well organised.”
Disastrous tenure
Van Gaal bridled when it was put to him that United’s 37 points is the same as at the corresponding point last season during David Moyes’s disastrous tenure. “All the weeks, you have waited [for that] this season; the moment I have the same points as
David Moyes
. ”
Van Gaal explained his decision to drop Falcao by saying he preferred three centre-halves on the bench in Tyler Blackett, Jonny Evans and Paddy McNair and only one striker, so James Wilson was chosen ahead of the Colombian. "I have to look through the composition of my selection and what I can do during the match and what players I have, and I chose to play with players who didn't have match rhythm. I know in advance I have to change [Luke] Shaw and [Angel] Di Maria. Normally I would change Di Maria for Wilson because I know I want speed in attack.
Playing style
“I know in advance I have to change Daley Blind because he was out for six or seven weeks and I take a risk with him [not to be replaced during the game] because Van Persie was injured.
“When you see the composition of my bench and I want to change the playing style with Fellaini, I don’t have any position for a second striker. Also I have Rooney.”
Van Gaal said Van Persie had an ankle problem and could not attend this evening’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in Zurich, where he is nominated in the goal of the year category. Guardian Service
