Premier League: Southampton boss Ronald Koeman hoping for a European boost

Ronald Koeman is hoping the rigours of European football can give Southampton the edge over their rivals in the race for Champions League football.

Saints are fourth in the Premier League and are just a point behind Manchester United in third, despite slipping to a 1-0 home defeat to Swansea last weekend.

Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool - the three teams directly below Southampton in the table - all re-start their respective European campaigns in the coming weeks whilst Koeman's side are only focused on the league having been knocked out of the two domestic cup competitions.

The Dutchman believes a heavier workload and more fixtures for the trio could give his men the edge as they fight for a highest-ever Premier League finish and a place in Europe next year.

When asked if he thought others would fade when European competitions return, Koeman said: "I think that's an advantage for us.

We don't play in the cup, we don't play European football and they have to. That's difficult because then you will get more injuries.

"We don't play in the cup, we don't play European football and they have to. That's difficult because then you will get more injuries, maybe some players are not feeling well, a little bit tired after playing a lot and that can be an
advantage for us, to keep strong.

"It not only depends on ourselves - the rest of the teams are playing well. I think if we keep spirit, if we keep the belief in how we play and what we are doing....

"In the last one-and-a-half months we didn't train a lot, because we play a lot of games. Now we are back in normally, weekend, weekend and again we can train to develop ourselves and develop the individual player and to give the
players more attention about each position.

"If you play more games then sometimes you will get more injuries, and you need more players and it's difficult. But we know that teams like Tottenham, like Liverpool, it's normal that they will fight for the places up in the table."

Koeman believes the expectation of Southampton fans puts less pressure on his players than at other more established clubs.

When asked if the lack of expectation allowed his side to play with more freedom, he replied: "You hope so, because they need European football.

"We like to have European football, but the chairman doesn't say to me 'If we don't reach European football, you did a bad job.' No, and in the case of those kinds of teams that's different.

"But they (Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham) are used to playing for and winning titles and to play for European football with their positions in the table and we don't have that experience.

"We would like to have that. It's a big pressure for us, but maybe in the last few weeks of the season when we are still fighting for a high position in the table then we will get that experience."