GETTING a tune out of Saints looked an impossible prospect for any boss in the first half against Liverpool but optimism was brewing by full-time.
A much improved second-half display gave the 25,000 Saints fans inside St Mary's something to get excited about despite a drab first period.
The home fans were at their loudest when cheering hoofed clearances from Nathan Wood and Alex McCarthy.
A rotated Reds were cruising through to the Carabao Cup semi-final thanks to Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott before Saints upped their intensity.
They became more direct and showed a face we have rarely seen. Goalscorer Cameron Archer admitted he enjoyed playing with the handbrake off.
It was after his goal that Saints looked their best. Confidence shot previously, they were transformed after Archer curled past Caoimhin Kelleher.
The final third quality was still lacking - see Paul Onuachu's slip after Kamaldeen Sulemana found him with a low cross - but the intent was better.
Archer nearly scored a second in quick succession but was denied by a good reaction save. That would have had St Mary's bouncing and Liverpool reeling.
Unlike his goal, which followed a driving run after Mateus Fernandes' pass smacked off Wataru Endo's face, his second came from an unlikely source.
Yukinari Sugawara, who had only been introduced a minute prior, whipped in an inviting cross to Archer but Kelleher's acrobatics kept Liverpool ahead.
Crossing has not been in Southampton's wheelhouse this season. Only Wolves (217) and Man United (234) have attempted fewer than Saints (239).
But it became a viable route in the second half. Although the goal came before his introduction, Sugawara facilitated the direct intent in the final 30 minutes.
The most common Saints passing combination was Jan Bednarek to Taylor Harwood-Bellis (10) but Sugawara became the out ball after he entered the play.
The Japanese international was found eight times by Harwood-Bellis and was ultimately the foundation of many chances.
Despite only playing a third of the match, Sugawara created the second most chances of any player in the entire game with three.
Saints finished the game with Onuachu and Ben Brereton Diaz being flung balls at by Kamaldeen, Mateus Fernandes and Sugawara.
Interim boss Rusk allowed Saints to go long and they nearly profited when Alex McCarthy's pump fell into Fernandes' path, but Jarell Quansah's foul went unpunished.
As Archer outlined, Southampton's style of play between now and the end of the season will, obviously, be dictated by the new manager.
"It depends on whatever the new gaffer will want," he explained. "We have the key principles of running about and putting in hard work."
Rusk will have only have two days on the training pitch by the time Saints travel to Fulham on Sunday and the next manager will also have limited time.
Saints play four times in 16 days during the festive period - a time when intense training sessions are usually shelved for recovery work.
Archer admitted Saints did not have a fixed way of playing against Liverpool, which may go some way to explaining their limp start.
Team leaders Adam Lallana and Jack Stephens collaborated with Rusk but their focus was more on togetherness in a tricky week.
Many fans are consigned to going down this season. Every team that has started this poorly has finished bottom and there are few signs history will be re-written.
All many want between now and May is to see their team taking games to the opposition. They need a reason to get off their seat - and to care.
They lost that at the end of Russell Martin's reign. The players have proven they can't turn heaps of possession into chances, sitting bottom for goals scored.
So why not knock it long at times? Yes, it comes with its risks, as does playing out from the back, but the previous risk-reward balance was far too expensive.
We shouldn't expect a total departure from possession-based football or playing out from the back as those are simply traits of the modern game.
But Saints will hope the balance is a better one under the next manager, whoever that appointment is confirmed to be.
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