Irish international striker Niall Quinn admitted his side had been outplayed by the visitors.

But he has urged his team-mates to put the horror show behind them to concentrate on next Monday's now vital derby clash with Middlesbrough.

Asked if there were any positives he could take out of the game, Quinn replied: "We only have to play them once more this season - but having said that, it's at Old Trafford.

"One or two of our players will understand now when we play against the lesser lights in the league if you like that it's so vital that we win, that we need to make ourselves be in the chasing pack as opposed to having a difficult year because there are going to be games where there's going to be tension.

"Saturday was all about them being pure skill and being pure class, but there'll be other games we'll play here and there'll be tension in the air and it will be a tough day, and we've got to try to learn that, okay we got a lesson, but we're not to cave in.

"Now we've got to try to stay together and work hard for each other.

"There's a lot more expected of this club and you can feel tension at the matches that wasn't here when we were the nobodys coming up, and we've got to learn to cope with that and get ourselves into a position to become a top six club."

United's display on Saturday served as a salutary lesson for Peter Reid's as they were shown in no uncertain terms just how far they have to go as Alex Ferguson left Ruud van Nistelrooy on the bench and saved Dwight Yorke for a late onslaught.

"It was a lesson, that's for sure," Quinn said. "They were ahead in all departments.

"I can't say I enjoyed it, but it was a lesson. It was a tough lesson to take, but then they are the best.

"We can try to pick bones out of it, but I don't think there's any point because the gap was so big.

"If you start thinking positively about it when you see the team sheet, you only have to look at their bench. They left out Veron and Beckham and Keane isn't involved, and they've brought on a £12m sub and they haven't even brought on a £20m-plus player.

"Luke Chadwick was probably one of the best players on the park and he's coming through the system. They just have it in every department and sometimes, as much as it galls a former Manchester City player, you have to hold your hand up and say full credit to them.

"Chadwick was probably my man of the match and Nicky Butt has been waiting for his chance. He came on and ran the show at times in midfield.

"On paper, you'd probably prefer Butt and Chadwick to play, but then when they play like that, you think maybe a tired Veron and Beckham might have been better."

The Black Cats now head into the Tees-Wear derby knowing that they are already facing a defining moment in their season.

"We're not flowing yet, that's for sure, and everybody knows it in the dressing room," said Quinn.

"We're not in fifth gear, let's put it that way.

"We're in that kind of mid-table position where you either go upwards or downwards and after the Boro game, the league will be sorting itself out then.

"There'll be 10 games gone by then and I think we've really got to get something from that game now."