Southampton interim boss Ruben Selles has reiterated his desire to become the club's next permanent manager following an impressive 1-0 away victory against Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday.
The 39-year-old was placed in temporary charge of the Saints for the trip to Stamford Bridge following the dismissal of Nathan Jones last week after just three months in charge.
Southampton entered the contest against Chelsea after losing nine of their last 10 Premier League matches, but the Saints had reason to be optimistic in the capital having previously picked up points in three of their last four league visits to Stamford Bridge.
That record has since improved as they battled their way to three valuable points on Saturday, completing the league double over the Blues for the first time in 35 years, courtesy of yet another superb James Ward-Prowse free kick on the stroke of half time.
Selles, who insisted on Friday that he wants to become the club's next permanent manager, swapped his tracksuit as an assistant for smarter attire in the Southampton hotseat against Chelsea, and the Spaniard is keen to continue in his role as Saints boss.
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"I dressed like a manager because I am a manager." Selles told reporters via The Athletic journalist Jacob Tanswell. "It's not my decision (regarding who will succeed Jones). It's about taking one step at a time. I don't know what's going to happen next week, but we will prepare and go to win the game."
Speaking to Sky Sports News about Southampton's performance, Selles added: "I thought we could do it, we prepared the whole week to do it. I thought we were ready and we looked composed, we looked how we wanted to look. We wanted to be proud of everything we did today and I think we can be proud.
"We have a fantastic group of players. We have been working well to prepare for the game and to win it. They were brilliant in every single minute.
"We are proud, we are winners in the way we need to present ourselves. We are Premier League players and we are a Premier League team.
"We deserved to win the game. We don't need to look at Leeds or Everton or anyone around us, we just look at ourselves. We know what we are doing. It is about us and how well we can perform every game."
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Meanwhile, Saints skipper Ward-Prowse has credited the travelling supporters for their efforts in the away end and believes that the victory at Stamford Bridge can act as a "turning point" in the club's quest to avoid relegation.
"I think that's what football is about. There's so many moments in games but when you see the fans travel and get behind us the way they did today and to send them home happy with a really hard fought win, that's what football is all about," Ward-Prowse told Southampton's official website.
"I'm really pleased for them. It's not been an easy season but today is a massive turning point and a springboard hopefully for what's to come.
"I think it's about consistency now, that's what separates the teams at the bottom to the teams at the top. It's about performing consistently every week so to follow this up now with a good performance now is what we need."
Southampton, who remain at the foot of the table despite beating Chelsea, are now three points adrift of safety and they will endeavour to claim another victory when they travel to Elland Road to face fellow strugglers Leeds United next weekend.
Oliver Thomas
