Monday 11 December 2017 18:26, UK
Southampton boss Mauricio Pellegrino has spoken of his respect for Claude Puel, ahead of the former Saints manager's return to St Mary's with Leicester.
Ahead of the fixture, Pellegrino reflected on what it feels like to revisit a former club as a manager while commending the work his counterpart Puel has been doing at the King Power Stadium.
"As a person, I like to have a good memory of my ex-players, to try to improve them as an individual," Pellegrino said in his press conference on Monday.
"I respect the ex-manager, Claude is doing a good job because Leicester are getting a lot of points and they won important games in a row.
"Leicester won the league not too many years ago and most of them are the same players. We have to be careful because it's a good side but at home we have to continue our way and try to be a problem, to play good football and to attack and defend because it's an important game for us.
Southampton enter the fixture off the back of their recent 1-1 draw with Arsenal, in which they conceded a late goal in the dying moments via an Olivier Giroud header.
It is not the first time the Saints have let slip a late goal in recent weeks and, when asked whether his side are guilty of doing so because of concentration or fitness levels, Pellegrino was frank with his answer.
"It's a little bit of everything,' said the Southampton boss.
"Because against City for example tactically we were well organised, yesterday too, against Giroud he's almost two metres jumping and just flicking the ball - I think we can stop the cross earlier and everything we can do a little bit more but it's part of football. Our goals [conceded] are our qualities or mistakes for the opponent."
Having taken just two points from their last five Premier League games, Pellegrino acknowledges that his Southampton side must do better - citing training ground attitude as the basis for all progress.
"I think we could do and should do something more and I expect something from them," he said.
"I am demanding with them because I want to win more games, to achieve more and I think we are close to doing this step.
"The main thing is the way you come every day and the mentality for training, this for me is the most important thing. When you go to university you get a sense of why you have to study and this is more or less the same.
"There is a difference between training them and teaching them and I want to have a balance. But if you don't have the right mentality you can't move forward.
"The life for our players right now is not very easy. people think about the life and the money but if people know about the things behind the lives, the families, the things in the past, the sufferings and things left behind to be a top player," Pellegrino added.
The Argentine boss hinted at a squad shake-up for the Foxes clash, while also noting a potential return for Cedric Soares who resumed full training on Monday morning.
"We can swap some players which is good because in the next month we will need all of them. We don't decide yet [who will be rested]," Pellegrino added.
