John Coleman is working on getting new additions to his squad over the next week - but he said the Marseille win has given the club a welcome boost.
The Reds beat the former Champions League winners 2-1 with a headed goal from Sean McConville and a penalty from Offrande Zanzala in the first half. Zanzala went off with a head injury after the break but is expected to recover.
Marseille, managed by former Chelsea boss Andre Villas Boas, had the likes of former West Ham striker Dimitri Payet and French World Cup winner Florian Thauvin in their squad.
“It was a good game, they played some terrific football in the first half," said Coleman. "In the first five minutes, I thought it was going to be a long night when their lads chopped and sent five of our lads to the Trafford Centre!
“The lads were laughing about it at half-time but we stuck to our guns and warmed into the game. It was a great goal by Sean and great move for the penalty and we were on the front foot.
“In the second half, the changes made the game disjointed, we had to then see out the game and had enough in our locker to defend stoically at the end.
“Marseille used us as a training exercise and it was a training exercise for us as well.
"I sat our players down on the first day of pre-season and said everything you do from now until May, do it to win. Whether it's a five-a-side game, a game of head tennis, a one-on-one challenge in training, do it to win.
“We lost 1-0 to Sligo on Monday when we dominated for long periods of the game and the lads got the hairdryer treatment after the game and possibly a few of the new lads were taken aback.
"They say results don't matter in pre-season and they don't because you don't get points but in grand scheme of things, it builds a desire to win and a habit of winning. We are trying to drum into them, everything you do do it to win."
Coleman had a number of triallists on show and said: "I am hoping to sign two or three in the next week which will be good additions. I had over 50 football-related calls by lunch-time this morning and it's like that on a daily basis and it gives you a headache.
“We are not in a position to throw money at players so the ones we bring in have to get it right. I enjoy the recruitment side, I take most of the responsibility for it, which is unusual in today's game. I prefer to get the ones I want and that will fit into our jigsaw.
"We definitely need a striker and hopefully that will be sorted in the next few days."