Ronald Koeman admitted League One Sheffield United deserved their win over Saints as his side lost their fifth game in a row to crash out at the quarter-final stage of the Capital One Cup.

Saints were second best throughout on a hugely disappointing night at Bramall Lane.

They managed just one shot on target in the entire match and never looked like to reach a first League Cup semi-final since 1987.

The defeat caps a miserable run since the last international break that started with a draw against Aston Villa and now boasts five defeats on the spin.

A frustrated Koeman said: “I am disappointed.

“Every game that you lose you feel disappointed and we know that.

“We did everything but the quality was not enough.

“It was not about the spirit. It was about the quality.

“We are different, we like to play football and with all the respect they make it very difficult for us and they deserved it because they got the best chances in the game.”

Daily Echo:

Koeman admitted that at times Saints abandoned their usual passing game and got sucked into playing long balls.

Without the suspended Graziano Pelle it was never likely to be a fruitful tactic and so it proved.

“I think in a certain time we played too much the long ball, we didn’t have that ball possession which we are used to play,” he reckoned.

“Then it is more difficult because if you play in the same way then you have more battles, more second balls and I think we didn’t bring our football.

“In the way they like to play it’s difficult to win that and that was the difference.”

Koeman was trying to remain at least a little philosophical but there was no doubt this was a huge blow as a promising start to the season starts to fade away.

“I know it’s cup football and it’s not about the level because they showed a fantastic spirit and they can make it difficult,” he reflected.

“You know that it’s cup football, it will not be the first time a League One club will beat a Premier League club and it will be not the last time. That’s football.

“Then you have to bring more quality on the pitch and we didn’t.”