The Argentinian came under fire for selecting what some perceived to be a weaker side for last weekend's FA Cup fifth-round match with Sunderland, which Southampton lost 1-0.
With the club comfortably placed eighth in the Premier League table, critics pointed the finger at Pochettino for passing up an opportunity to reach the latter stages of the competition as Craig Gardner's second-half strike sent them crashing out.
"The first thing I want to make clear is we've always shown proof that we fully care about the English competitions," he said.
"Particularly the FA Cup and League Cup, we've always shown respect.
"We always choose the best starting XI, we did what we thought was for the club, we made the correct decision in picking those players."
The match also represents the first time Southampton have been refereed by Mark Clattenburg, since the club lodged a complaint against the official amid remarks allegedly made towards Adam Lallana in December's 2-1 defeat at Everton.
The hosts will be without Andy Carroll, who serves the last of a three-game ban for striking Swansea City's Chico Flores, but manager Sam Allardyce believes Saturday's game provides a chance to continue their momentum and boost their chances of survival.
"We've got to try and maintain the run of results that we've had," he said.
"Saturday will be a tough game and a big test for us. We're looking forward to the game. We're a long way from being safe, a long way.
"There's a long way to go in terms of trying to get safe so we must try and maintain the good run of results we've had over the last few weeks."
