Southampton assistant manager Jesus Perez was full of praise for their players after a 5-1 Capital One Cup triumph at Barnsley.
Boss Mauricio Pochettino kept his £36million worth of summer recruits in Pablo Osvaldo, Victor Wanyama and Dejan Lovren on the south coast, instead turning to some of his fringe players who did not disappoint.
Perez said: "We are delighted by the performances of the lads and we're very happy.
"In the first half it was a little difficult for us to play because Barnsley played with passion, discipline, and tactically.
"But in the second half we played well, created a lot of chances, and the players from the bench made a good impact, so it was a very good game from us.
"We know we have a good squad. Although you can only play 11 in any game, the others are working well in all positions, and the young players are doing well.
"We've a good project going with the academy, and you can see that with the opportunities the manager has provided for them."
