RONALD Koeman has masterminded yet another spectacular start to the season and if Saints can beat Stoke they will have accomplished their joint-second best top-flight start in history.

Saints welcome the Potters to St Mary’s a week today on the brink of setting that impressive record.

Victory against Mark Hughes’ men will equal the club’s points tally after 13 games during their best ever top tier campaign in 1983/84 when they finished second.

Koeman will then be able to boast to be the best manager out of the blocks in Saints’ 39 top-flight terms.

The Dutchman can claim responsibility for two of the top four most successful starts in the club’s history at the highest level.

If they can beat Stoke, Saints will be on 23 points and will have put themselves on level terms with Lawrie McMenemy’s legendary side that went on to finish just three points off champions Liverpool in the old Division One.

This current run continues Koeman’s gift of getting his Saints team firing on all cylinders almost immediately – which traditionally hasn’t been Saints’ strong point.

The St Mary’s boss holds the current best for points after 13 games, with a superb 26 accumulated at this point last term.

Heads were turned in the opening months Koeman’s tenure as he guided his side into the mix for Champions League positions and eventually led the club to their best ever Premier League finish.

Saints have the same ambition to break into the top four this term.

If they can avoid their form dipping, as it has done at this stage in the last two seasons, they could find themselves well among the fight for European places.

After 15 games in 2013/14, Saints had just lost three in a row and hadn’t won in four games, reversing some of the great early season work.

It was exactly the same last term. They lost three straight games and drew one as they were dragged down from the top four with defeats to Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal.

However, unlike the past two campaigns, there’s a feeling that Saints are only just reaching their prime.

A slightly wobbly start is well behind the team and Saints seem to be building on performances and getting better by the week.

After Stoke, though, they will travel to face current leaders Manchester City but then host rock bottom Aston Villa.