Bitter pill to swallow for Pique

"Looking up at the scoreboard at the final whistle and seeing 2-0 was a horrible feeling, especially when you're up against a Championship side at Old Trafford."

- Gerard Pique

Gerard Pique admitted he felt "horrible" after United were sent crashing out of the Carling Cup by Coventry City.

The Sky Blues, backed by 11,000 buoyant fans, ran out 2-0 winners at Old Trafford thanks to a Michael Mifsud double.

Sir Alex Ferguson fielded a young and inexperienced United side and they were made to pay for some naive defending.

Pique says all the players involved are bitterly disappointed by the performance and result, but is hopeful they will be stronger for the experience.

"Looking up at the scoreboard at the final whistle and seeing 2-0 was a horrible feeling, especially when you're up against a Championship side at Old Trafford," he told MUTV.

"I thought we started the game well and had some good possession. But their first goal brought them alive. After the break we didn't feel good and when they scored the second it was a horrible feeling.

"We know we did a lot of things wrong, but you can always learn from these situations and hopefully we will grow as players."

The third round tie represented a perfect opportunity for United's young guns to showcase their talents. Unfortunately it wasn't to be.

"Some people will think we've missed our chance," admitted Pique. "We're all very disappointed. We gave everything we could on the pitch, but things just didn't go our way."