Ronald Koeman has told his workaholic midfielder Dusan Tadic he must take some time off if he is to improve.

The Saints boss loves the attitude of his Serbian playmaker, but is struggling to make him understand that to recapture his best form he needs to feels fresh again, rather than simply working harder.

Tadic even showed up at the club’s Staplewood training ground on his day off last weekend to put in some extra hours after only being used as a late sub in the win over QPR.

Until Tadic finds his freshness and the sparkle he showed earlier in the season he is likely to remain as a sub, as he is expected to be as West Ham visit St Mary’s tonight.

Koeman just wants him to take a step back.

He said: “I think he was a little bit down in the last few games, but all about freshness, all about physical and one side I like Dusan very much because if he don’t play on that level what he by himself expects and what we expect he always thinking ‘I have to do more’ and he’s trying to do more, trying to train harder, but sometimes you need more rest.

Ronald Koeman

“But it’s in his mind, and that’s very positive.

“But sometimes a little bit less, take a day off, because last weekend after QPR, ok, he came in the last ten, 12 minutes and the Sunday was a day off and he was coming to do training.

“On one side, I appreciate that quality, that personality, but on the other side you need sometimes a rest to be really 100 per cent and that’s something difficult for Dusan.”

Koeman admits that several of his squad who have played all their professional careers with a winter break have found it tough going in their first campaign in the Premier League.

“I think always players from outside they need time to adapt to the Premier League, to adapt that you don’t have a winter break, what they used to have,” he reflected.

“I think that’s a little bit a problem for Dusan. He had some groin problems, but he played every game. But because we didn’t have Mane, we didn’t have Jay Rodriguez, we didn’t have Sam Gallagher and maybe we forced a little bit Dusan on that time.

“Now the situation is different and that makes a team strong that you have more possibilities and more options as the manager.”

Mane has found his freshness again and is firing on all cylinders ahead of the visit of the Hammers tonight.

“Very pleased,” said Koeman of Mane. “I am very happy to have Sadio in our squad. That’s why we had a lot of interest in buying Sadio Mane.

“Ok, after a good start he had some difficulties, but before he was injured and went to the Africa Cup he was doing well, he was scoring goals – he was scoring not the third or the fourth, he was scoring the first, like Chelsea, like Crystal Palace, like Arsenal, important goals, and he came back with a lot of spirit and a lot of freshness and, ok, that’s good to have that kind of players.”

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