Reserve Boss Gregg Abbott spoke to us about the 2-0 defeat at Tranmere last night:

"My thoughts on Reserve team football have always been the same, I don't really look at the result. I don't pay much attention to where Tranmere are in the table, because it's not about that in these games. It's about individual performances, and about how our players play. That's what I'm looking at when I take the lads to play a Reserve game. Obviously we want these games to give some of the lads much needed match practice, but we then want to see the type of display that gives the manager real headaches when it comes to team selection. That only happens if individuals have gone out there and caught the eye.

I would say that the lads didn't give the manager enough to think about after last night's performance. We didn't play anywhere near the level that we need to if we are going to give the manager real selection problems. Too many players gave us a game that just wasn't as good as it should be.

We have been using some young players, and they are all on a learning curve. It's a step up in level for them, and you aren't really looking to push them forward too quickly, as it is all about development for them. It's the more senior players that you want to see pushing themselves forward. The young players who do show through are a bonus for everyone. We also have to bear in mind that it has been a really long, hard season for some of these younger lads. They have had to play both Youth and Reserve, and it can take a lot out of you. It is very tough when you make that step up as football is a hard, tough game, and you have to remember what you are asking of these boys at times.

Having said that, we had 7 players on the pitch who had played in the first team last night, so it wasn't a young team at all. It's those players that we expect to see really pushing the manager. Reserve team football is much better than training, because it is a competitive game. It can really sharpen you up if it is approached in the right way and you can use it as a shop window towards getting back in the first team. We have still have 5 or 6 Reserve games left, and I'm sure we'll see much more than we did last night as the lads know what we want.

We're all working towards Saturday, as we always are, and that's why we want to see the Reserve team lads getting as much work as they can, and making use of their games, so that they are on their game should they be needed. That's what it's all about, playing well and putting pressure on those players who are selected on a Saturday."

United - Williams, Arnison, Krause, Kirkup, Gray, Stewart, McDermott, Vipond, Hindmarch, Madine, Holmes. Subs - Bradley, Wordsworth, Wood, Brown, M Blake.