The Saints U23s boss saw his side reach the semi-finals of the Premier League International Cup.
Southampton Under-23s are in the semi-finals of the Premier League International Cup thanks to a 2-1 win over Villarreal U23s at Staplewood on Wednesday night.
The Saints set about to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat to Reading U23s in Premier League 2 last week, their first league defeat of 2019, but it was no small feat as they were up against a very experienced Villarreal side.
Nonetheless, Radhi Jaidi’s charges took the lead through Will Smallbone, who scored a first half penalty after the Yellow Submarines were penalised due to a defender bringing Nathan Tella down in the box.
Just before the hour, however, Villarreal were level as Fran Alvarez flicked the ball over the onrushing Harry Lewis, but within a few minutes, Smallbone turned provider with a cross which captain Tom O’Connor headed home
There was a dramatic end to the game as second-half substitute Christian Norton was sent off in stoppage time after catching Carlos Blanco with his elbow, before a full-time fracas resulted in Dan N’Lundulu and Blanco also being shown red cards.
“A great win. A great performance,” Jaidi told the official Saints site.“They showed a huge amount of will to achieve something for themselves and for the club. They did it tonight. Credit to their concentration levels at the end. They showed a huge amount of commitment and desire.
“We bounced back excellently from the Reading disappointment last week. And we’ve relied on some of the younger boys, who have stepped up tonight. I’m really pleased. I’m really proud of all of the staff around the Under-23s at the moment. It’s a really healthy place to be. We’ve got great relationships with the players and that’s reflecting on the pitch.”
Southampton’s U23s will now take on either Reading, Dinamo Zagreb or the winner of Leicester City against Bayern Munich in the final four.
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