Koeman offski?

Ronald Koeman has revealed he wants countryman Guus Hiddink to back him to be the next Chelsea manager.

Southampton’s Dutch manager says he is ambitious to work at a big foreign club and said: “If Guus puts a good word in for me, that would be a big influence.”

He remains keen to return to the top of the game and told Dutch radio: “It is certainly something that I always have at the back of my mind.

“I always want to achieve the highest possible level. That has happened in Holland and that’s what I’d really like to achieve abroad.”

Permission for lip to wobble, Sotonians?

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I was always under the impression that he would leave at the end of the season. He has been the first manager to keep his word an honour his contact. I expect him to leave, but just wondering who will keep up our style of football and move us forward.

Best of luck to him, he will do well wherever he goes.

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I thought he had a three year deal at the club, which he is halfway through. If he agitates to move before the end of next season, then the honouring contract stuff cannot really hold.

The “I always want to achieve the highest possible level" comment can be optimistically explained. “If Guus puts a good word in for me, that would be a big influence” might have been a jest. Maybe its a coded message to the board to give him better resources.

Anyone with a realistic appraisal of where Saints are and where RK wants to be knows there are possibly years before the twain meets. Maybe it never does.

They need to sort it out one way or the other though.

We’ve got him for another season yet. Give us everything he’s got during that period and Koeman will no doubt leave with our gratitude and blessing.

Anything less than that and he’ll look a right prat, given his handling of want-aways. Has more integrity than that, Ronald.

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Originally posted by @pap

"If Guus puts a good word in for me, that would be a big influence” might have been a jest.

Might have been? It’s obviously a joke!

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RK gives a public statement that he wants out? To the Mirror? Whooosh

I’m sure it was all said in jest.

Anyway, I personally think he’s a little over-rated, and we’ll get someone good in to replace him anyway.

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Jeez I have skipped forward a season. I did mean to say on the new year thread, Southampton FC FA Cup winners 2017.

he will be here until the end of next season then.

Adam Leitch (@adamleitchsport) tweeted at 5:36 p.m. on Sat, Jan 23, 2016:

To put this one to rest I just asked @RonaldKoeman about the Chelsea story. He described it as “bullshit”…twice! #saintsfc

(https://twitter.com/adamleitchsport/status/690951238930862083?s=03)

You can probably safely file this under ‘Bullshit’ then. :lou_eyes_to_sky:

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I like the fact he went over with the players to celebrate with the away fans. Doesn’t normally do that. Maybe a bit of guilt for scaring us with a not very funny joke!

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The “Chelsea link” comes up in the BBC’s Daily Football Podcast and is laughed off by their correspondent immediately.