Southampton manager Ronald Koeman has been presented with the Barclays Premier League Manager of the Month award for January, following a stellar few weeks in the league.
Koeman won the award after beating Watford, West Brom and Manchester United in January, bouncing back after tasting defeat in their first game of month against Norwich City. It was a month which saw the Saints turn their form around and fire themselves back into the top 10 of the Premier League.
Two years in succession
Koeman has been named January manager of the month in both season's that he's been in charge at the Saints, as he also helped to turn the season around last season after enduring a difficult December just like this time around.
The Duthcman has become the first Saints manager to win this award on three separate occasions in the Premier League. Koeman won the award twice last season, and he will be looking to replicate that this in the last couple of months of the season as they chase another European place.
Koeman delighted with award
The boss gave his reaction to the award, indicating that he he was delighted to win the award and thinks that his side have turned a real corner of late saying, “I’m very pleased because it’s always nice to win awards".
Adding that whilst it was "of course a personal prize", the manager did state that it's "great for the whole technical staff, all the players and the people in the club" that they've returend to form in such a triumphant way.
Van Dijk misses out
Southampton defender Virgil Van Dijk missed out picking up the Player of the Month accolade for the first time, coming second to Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero.
It was a fine month for the centre-back as he helped Southampton to three wins and clean sheets in succession, and more recently against Arsenal he put in another fine performance as he carries on developing on the South Coast after his move from Celtic in the summer.
