Former manager Pochettino poised for hot reception as soaring Saints continue to defy doubters

Mauricio Pochettino still loves Southampton but knows that affection is unlikely to be reciprocated when his former side arrive at Tottenham this weekend.

Eyebrows were raised when the former Argentina defender replaced the popular Nigel Adkins at the St Mary’s helm in January 2013, yet the relative unknown quickly established himself as one of the finest managerial talents around.

Pochettino’s attacking, high-pressing style earned widespread praise, as did the manner in which English talent like Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw and Jay Rodriguez flourished under his tutorship.

That success saw Southampton last season enjoy their best-ever Barclays Premier League campaign – a feat that saw Spurs come calling in the summer, with Pochettino and his staff lured to White Hart Lane.

That exit led to a well-documented talent drain at St Mary’s, making the job done by successor Ronald Koeman so far this season all the more remarkable. Saints head to White Hart Lane tomorrow second in the standings and looking for a seventh successive win in all competitions – a start which has surprised fans and pundits alike, although seemingly not the Spurs boss.

“Yes, why not? This is football,” Pochettino said. “When they start with a new project and new players and staff, why not? “In football the most important thing is belief and Southampton like a club have a great force, power and they believe and this is important. I am happy.

“We have a lot of friends a lot of people I love in Southampton. I’m happy for their start in the league for the players, the people from the club. I have very good memories.”

This will be an emotional encounter for Pochettino but one in which Saints fans are unlikely to show much – if any – affection towards their former boss.

“I don’t know [if the fans love me],” he said. “I love Southampton. I love a lot of people.

“In football, you deserve, you don’t deserve [certain things]. Some people say okay, some people say no, but this is football.

“I’m happy Southampton have a great season and it’s a game that we need to win the three points.

“We need to fight with Southampton on Sunday, but it’s emotional. Football is emotional and Sunday is emotional for us too.”

One man who won’t be getting emotional about the reunion is Saints boss Koeman.

“For me [it does] not [give this game extra spice] because I wasn’t here last season, but I understand for Mauricio Pochettino maybe it’s special,” the Dutchman said. “I think it’s special for him and maybe for some players.

“We changed a lot this season our squad but it’s always special for some players who worked with Mauricio last season.

“But there is no influence in the final result because the most important thing is to win the game or lose the game.”

While there have been numerous changes at St Mary’s, Pochettino will be coming up against several familiar faces. That core of players has helped Southampton’s plethora of new arrivals adapt, providing Koeman with a good foundation from which to build.

“Every manager has his own way of working but from the first day of this season what I saw was a great spirit in the team, and I heard that was one of the qualities of last season,” he said.

“The team and the players are continuing with that.

“Okay, it was difficult because we had a lot of changes but we had good scouting in the club and we bought good players in and maybe the challenge now is higher than the last season.

“Everybody was surprised with the eighth position last season, but people love how the team is doing and we will do everything to keep that.”