Ronald Koeman becomes the first ever Saints manager to win the Premier League Manager of the month award for the third time.

Ronald Koeman has won the manager of the month award for January and in doing so becomes the first ever Saints boss to add a third award to his CV.

This is perhaps indicative of the job that Koeman has done at St Mary's since his arrival from Feyenoord in the summer of 2014, it has to be said that perhaps the Dutchman was the only manager who could have come in and rebuilt Saints after that turbulent summer and he has certainly weathered several storms in his time at the club that will perhaps make this award even more satisfying for him.

Especially as it comes at the end of a month that started with the club in a sticky period and with some supporters getting cold feet and panicking.

But Koeman did not do that, he kept calm, kept on doing the right things with the confidence that you need your manager to have in times of crisis and that was rewarded with three straight wins as well as a vital draw at Arsenal during which not a goal was conceded.

So only four short weeks after the more excitable fans in the supporter base were beginning to talk of meltdown and of a squad that was not a patch on the previous years, back came Ronald Koeman to show that form is temporary but class is permanent and the month was ended with Saints in 8th position and poised to move into 7th, something they did on the 2nd day of February.

Saints fans are again dreaming of European football next season and a big debt is owed to Ronald Koeman and this award only goes a short way towards rewarding a man who has the ability to become one of the truly great Saints managers of all time.

Photo: Action Images

saintwonston added 14:21 - Feb 5 Well said Nick. He is destined to join the previous holders of the title 'Mr Southampton' which has been given to only a few in the past. If only all the supporters were like him and stick with us in the occasional rocky periods we would have a sellout for the hammers game tomorrow. I hope the manager of the month award is a bad omen for tomorrow along with clattenberg as ref.

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GeordieSaint added 15:36 - Feb 5 Anyone notice his personalised RK Adidas gloves the other day? Legend
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SaintBrock added 15:43 - Feb 5 Good on him especially as a month or so ago many of us were beginning to have doubts about his longevity as Saints manager. Let's hope he wins another 3 at least this season. COYRon
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BoondockSaint added 16:15 - Feb 5 He should have got the award for telling Wenger off in the tunnel! I bet a lot of other managers liked it.
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SaintNick added 10:11 - Feb 6 I think anyone who had doubts was very shortsighted and very ungrateful if they had doubts about Ronald Koeman, he has done a great job for this club and deserved the fans backing, not people slagging him off at the first crisis.
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