Saints went down to what in the last few years became their trademark 3-0 defeat when visiting Anfield, however unlike in other years at least they went down fighting, truth is this was a game that was not needed in the fixture list, ger it out of the way and move on.
Jurgen Klopp put out his cup side, one packed with youngsters, but then again in the Southampton line up only Jan Bednarek could lay claim to being a nailed first team selection this season as Russell Martin showed that his priority was also the League game at the weekend.
Saints might have put out a second string team, but it also had experience and a few players in it who were out to try and stake a claim for a spot in the starting line up and in the first half at least they gave as good as they got from a Liverpool side who had 6 of their 10 outfield players under the age of 21.
The match stats between the two sides were not much different, Liverpool had 52% possession, but the one stat that counts is goals and Liverpool finished their chances, whilst Saints didn't, had they taken them, especially in the first half, then the result could have been much different.
We should have gone in at half time if not in the lead, certainly not a goal down, but that is what happened with the home side scoring on the stroke of half time.
You felt that this was probably it now, but Saints still matched Liverpool after the turn around and as the game entered the last 20 minutes were still in it, sadly though as Russell Martin brought on some experience in Kyle Walker Peters and Adam Armstrong to try and rescue the game on the hour and then 10 minutes later Will Smallbone and Che Adams, it didn't have the required effect, within minutes with the team still trying to find it's shape and organisation after the second raft of changes, Liverpool doubled their lead and the game was gone.
Sadly just as we did in the first half, we let them catch us again in the final minute and make it 3-0, the scoreline flattered them and was not a reflection of what had gone on in the previous 89 minutes.
But in cup games if you lose 1-0 you might as well lose 3-0, it changes nothing, you are out of the cup, goal difference doesn't matter once the final whistle blow.
Truth is as we try to revive our recently flagging automatic promotion hopes, we do not need another fixture in the schedule and certainly not a trip to Old Trafford as was the prize for the winners in this game.
We can now concentrate on the League, all that matters now is the trip to Birmingham on Saturday, we have to get back to the clinical form that saw us go 23 League games unbeaten, despite what some will tell you, there is still a lot to play for this season, automatic promotion will be tough, but we need to look to make sure we are in top spot for the play offs if that is our fate.
Only real down side of this night was the short cameo appearance of Kyle Walker Peters, he came on just before the hour mark and went off just 17 minutes later.
The best part of this season was bumping into Shane Long & Steven Davis in a pub on Mathew Street after the game, how we could have done with them in our side a few hours earlier.