Ronald Koeman has dismissed criticisms of the Europa League and insists it remains a “big prize” for Saints to chase.

Saints fans were stunned last season to hear then boss Mauricio Pochettino attack the competition, insisting that it “kills” teams.

Koeman has a very different viewpoint.

He says he understands why the teams who regularly compete in the Champions League might find it a frustrating competition.

But is adamant that cannot be the case for a club like Saints who have enjoyed European football just a few times in their long history.

He said: “If we can play Europa League football I’m very happy.

“Of course, you know that the next season will be a very tough one, because you play a lot more games during the week, but Southampton never play in Europe I think – twice, a long time ago maybe.

“Maybe it’s not really a title, but it will be a big prize for us to reach that and we will do everything for that.

“Maybe it’s different if you play ten years or eight years in a row, you play always Champions League football and then you have Europa League that teams will say ‘Ok, but it’s not Champions League, it’s not so important.’

“The Premier League now, for the big teams, of course it’s very important to play Champions League football and to finish with the first four teams in the league.

“I read something on the internet about Liverpool – they need to play Champions League.

“Of course, maybe they have inside discussions about Europa League, what they have to do, because they play Besiktas and they play City at home Sunday.

“Maybe then you don’t take that risk with players which you normally will take, but not for us, because we have a different situation in Southampton.”

Saints go into this afternoon’s game at West Brom in fifth position, still also well in touch with the top four and a Champions League spot.

As it stands only fifth place qualifies for the Europa League.

However, if the winners of tomorrow’s Capital One Cup final qualify for Europe via the league, that will mean an extra Europa League spot goes to the Premier League, meaning sixth place would also qualify.

A Chelsea victory over Tottenham would therefore all but ensure that scenario.

If the winners of the FA Cup qualify for Europe via the league then that spot will also go to the league, and potentially seventh place would also get in.

Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool remain in the competition and in the hunt for Europe via the league.

First and foremost, Saints need to get back to winning ways at The Hawthorns, and to scoring goals having netted just once in their last 388 minutes of league action.

A few of Saints’ attacking stars who were so good earlier in the season have looked a little jaded, and Koeman believes for a few of them adapting to not having a winter break is hard.

“As a player you have to get used to that,” he said. “I think for our new players, like Pelle, like Tadic, like Mane, it’s different “The first time it’s difficult to adapt to that kind of games that you have to play and you don’t have a break. These players all used to have a break in the winter and now they didn’t.

“That’s maybe one of the questions, one of the reasons that they are a little bit more struggling about freshness, to keep the level what they showed in the beginning of the season.”