Nuno proud of his Wolves team after Carabao Cup win over Southampton
Nuno Espirito Santo said he was proud of his Wolves players as they dumped last year's runners-up Southampton out of the Carabao Cup.
Goals from captain Danny Batth and young striker Donovan Wilson gave Wolves a deserved 2-0 win at St Mary's.
Nuno made 11 changes from the team that lost 2-1 to Cardiff on Saturday and was rewarded with an excellent performance against a Southampton team containing a number of first-team regulars.
"I'm really proud of them," Nuno said.
"It was fantastic work. It was a tough game, we knew that, the way they prepared themselves meant a fantastic job today.
"I felt we were ready to compete. We had a good game plan, a good idea, we studied Southampton.
"Southampton had good chances but the first moments of the game were completely ours, we had three good chances. From having not taken those chances made me think we would suffer.
"It's not about building a team...today shows there's no starting XI for Wolves.
"It's about creating a squad growing their own identity and being able to perform like this. Well done boys.
Nuno suggested he wasn't necessarily fussed about a Carabao Cup run but would simply take each game at it comes – and hinted there may be transfer additions before the window closes next week.
"It doesn't change anything (for cup priorities)," he added "The next game is our most important one, so now we're going to focus on Brentford.
"Everything in football changes in one minute. We have a good squad, okay, but let's look at the market also, there are still some days.
"It's always possible. But if a player comes he has to bring something very good for the team."
Wilson scored only two minutes after coming on as sub, notching his first professional goal.
Nuno spoke of the importance of homegrown players in the team – but tempered expectations on Wilson being involved in the first team.
"Donovan has been performing well and training sometimes with us," he added. "It's not about only Donovan...it's Ronan, it's Jack a few years ago.
"It's about having 'wolves' in a Wolves team.
"I've done this since I'm a coach, there are right moments to do certain things, but don't create different expectations about Donovan. He's an under-23 boy and tomorrow he'll train for the under-23s.
And on 1,500 noisy travelling fans the head coach said: "Incredible...four hours to get here...I don't get tired of thanking them. So many people, with the expectations around the game, they came and supported us from minute one."
Wilson and fellow subs Connor Ronan, who came on at half time, and Michal Zyro, who came off the bench for his first appearance in 16 months to set up the winner, all made an impact.
Nuno added: "We were struggling so it was about adjusting and getting back on the ball again. I think Connor Ronan gave us that, he took control of the game very well.
"Zyro did fantastic and Donovan made the goal. But we knew it was the moment to (send of Wilson) because there was space as Southampton were totally unbalanced, but by the way they have a very good team."
And of Batth, who has been left out of the XI for the first four league games of the season, Nuno said: "We knew Danny, he's our captain. That says a lot of Danny not being in the starting XI, being our captain every minute of the day.
"This is what makes Danny so special."
