SITTING on the bus on the long journey back from Loftus Road, Scunthorpe United defender Michael Raynes was in ponderous mood, already contemplating tonight's second round Carling Cup tie against Sheffield Wednesday.

After being subjected to a masterclass of vintage centre-forward play by one of the most experienced strikers in the Championship, the 22-year-old learned an important lesson, the hard way.

Rangers' Heidar Helguson tested Raynes to his limits, and showed the former Stockport County skipper exactly where he needed to be, performance-wise, to prosper in the Championship.

After only 13 league starts in claret and blue, the United centre-half has faced a steep learning curve, which shows no signs of relenting this campaign.

But ahead of the Owls' visit, the Iron's number 12, adopting the role of his own worst critic on the 192-mile trip home, is keen to put his capital experience to some use.

"No-one wants to lose, don't get me wrong," Raynes told the Telegraph.

"But you analyse it more when you lose, where you could have done better.

"When you win you are buzzing, you put it to the back of your head when you should be knit-picking.

"But when you lose you highlight stuff and try to put the wrongs to rights for the next time you are out – we have got the chance to do that tonight.

"I don't know a footballer that won't think about it on the way home, especially a long trip like that.

"You seem to go over things in your mind and wrack your brain.

"(Helguson) is a great player, he is one of the better players I have played against in my career.

"His movement, the way he peels off defenders was top notch but it was a good learning curve for me and young Niall (Canavan).

"We know we have got to play against centre-forwards like that and we need to step our game up to be at this level week in, week out.

"He is a clear case of that, he has been around for years doing that and it is only a good learning curve for us both.

"You need to go through times where you play decent centre-forwards who are testing you and testing you – it's natural that you keep learning."

Despite his United career being in its infancy, Raynes has lined-up alongside nine different players in the back four.

It is an insight into the defensive injury woes that Nigel Adkins' side have suffered during the back end of the previous campaign and the beginning of this one.

But Raynes was quick to dismiss that as an excuse for any defensive frailty, instead calling for his side to lead by example as United bid to avoid a hat-trick of losses in succession.

"If you have 11 leaders on the pitch, there are not many teams that are going to beat you," he added.

"I think it comes naturally that people lead in different ways – people get on the ball a little more, and people scream and shout.

"I am a screamer and a shouter, I am not a passer, but everyone is different.

"We have got a good balance here that will hopefully keep us pushing forward.

"As a centre-half I know my job, the centre-half next to me knows his job – if we stop their strikers from scoring our job is done.

"It doesn't matter who you play with. We have got a small but decent squad where everyone knows their job and that is what is good.

"Everyone is on the same wave length.

"We are going to have times, like in the last game, when we have a couple of injuries, and (that is when) people need to step up and try and make a claim for themselves."

The latest chance for United' s stars to put forward their claim for a starting berth in Saturday's clash with Crystal Palace comes tonight in a game Raynes believes will feel just like a Championship fixture.

Wednesday travel to Glanford Park fresh from relegation from the second tier, but having started their League One stint with two wins and a draw, the Owls will provide a stiff task.

"They have still got Championship players and they are still the same squad that came down," concluded Raynes.

"They only went down by the skin of their teeth last time and they are a good side.

"They work really hard and it will be a tough game.

"Playing against players like that, you love playing, you love picking things up.

"Even if you make mistakes, you are still learning and testing yourself against good players.

"Since I have come here, it has always been the same attitude, you take every game as it comes and that is no different now that we have lost two games."