David Moyes was left shaken yesterday after his Manchester derby debut ended in a chastening 4-1 defeat but the United manager retained an unwavering faith in his players to respond quickly.
The Old Trafford team will be sent out to make amends in the third round of the Capital One Cup on Wednesday, when they face Liverpool at home.
Moyes is confident that match will witness a far more convincing performance then than the one which was exposed by City inside the Etihad Stadium. The home side went ahead through a goal from Sergio Aguero and the City striker scored a second just two minutes after the break. Further goals from Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri embellished the scoreline and left United to nurse the club's worst defeat at the home of their city rivals since 2004.
A free-kick from Wayne Rooney gave United a late consolation but Moyes will find greater comfort from watching his side progress in the League Cup. It is a challenge which he is confident that his squad will rise to and he anticipates a positive response against Liverpool.
"If ever there was a group of players I would expect [a reaction from after a defeat] it is the Manchester United players," said the Scot, whose club are in eighth place in the Barclays Premier League, five points behind joint leaders Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. "That is what they will do. Every manager has bad results. I am no different.
"I have been here [at the Etihad] with Everton many times and I don't think I suffered a defeat like this. I talked with the players the same as I would at any other club. They are good pros and they know when they are bang at it and when they are not."
The United manager will have been most disturbed by the defending from his side yesterday - with Aguero left alone to score his first and both Toure and Nasri able to convert theirs at the back post with little fuss.
"We didn't play well enough to win the game," added Moyes. "If you lose four you are not expecting to win too many. We conceded poor goals. We needed to get closer in the second half but they get away and score more goals.
"We never got a grip of the game and could never really stop them. We hoped to stem that tide in the second half. We got better as the game went on but it was too late. Manchester City deserved the victory."
Moyes was, though, careful to exempt Rooney from such criticism. "Wayne Rooney was outstanding. He didn't deserve to be on the losing side. He was first class," he said.
Being on the losing side too often this season has cost Paolo Di Canio his position as manager of Sunderland, with the club last night taking the decision to sack the Italian. He departs with Sunderland bottom of the league table, with one point from five matches.
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