NATHAN Jones will inherit a team capable of doing “great things” but must also be given time to transform Saints’ fortunes, according to forst team lead coach Ruben Selles.

Prospective new manager Jones watched from the stands as Saints scraped past League One Sheffield Wednesday 6-5 on penalties in the Carabao Cup.

The current Luton boss is expected to be confirmed as successor to the sacked Ralph Hasenhuttl before Saturday’s Premier League trip to Liverpool.

Saints laboured to a 1-1 draw with the Owls in 90 minutes after James Ward-Prowse’s penalty cancelled out Josh Windass’s opener before their blushes were spared by Alex McCarthy saving from Dominic Iorfa in the shoot-out success.

Spaniard Selles, who is yet to meet Welshman Jones, said: “This team is a good team. It’s not a team of young players or a team who has no quality or whatever.

“This team is a great team of persons. This team is a team that can do great things but everything needs time in this life and when you’re building a new team, it’s never easy in the beginning.

“Some of those boys need patience. That’s what we need to learn, to be a little bit more patient in the situations when we want to build something good.

“I know sometimes this growing process is not hand by hand with the competing, with the score, with the need to win every game.”

Hasenhuttl was sacked after Sunday’s 4-1 hammering by Newcastle left the St Mary’s side in the relegation zone.

Jones quickly emerged as the frontrunner for the vacancy and he posed for photos with home fans before kick-off, having taken charge of Luton’s 2-0 loss at Stoke on Tuesday evening.

Despite the unconvincing manner in which Saints progressed to the last 16, Selles declared it “mission accomplished” as he hailed the unity within the squad.

“One of the big things that you saw, it was a team spirit, a team together, everybody celebrating because it’s a small big victory,” he said.

“If you lose then it’s a big loss, if you win that’s what needs to be done. We didn’t expect to win it that late. Second half, we had chances to finish it before.

“It didn’t happen and in the penalties we did it so it was a well done, it’s mission accomplished for everybody – not only about going through to the next round but also about feelings, togetherness, performance and we got everything we wanted from the game.”

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