Boss says surprise starters have never let him down when given a chance.
By Danny Hart
Jan 4, 2011 6:11:00 PM
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has praised his players after Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Stoke City saw them maintain their unbeaten record in the Premier League this season.
Javier Hernandez and Nani were on the scoresheet for the Red Devils as they extended their lead at the top of the table to three points.
Ferguson rested Edwin van der Sar, Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand for the clash at Old Trafford, while Wayne Rooney failed to recover from the ankle injury picked up in the win over West Brom at the weekend.
But the United boss believes their deputies, who included Chris Smalling and Hernandez, didn’t let him down and made life difficult for Stoke.
“We’ve got such a determined bunch of lads - they never give in, they make it difficult for every team,” Ferguson told Sky Sports.
“We made some changes tonight, just to keep the squad motivated but also to give them enough game time - we’ve got Liverpool on Sunday, we’ve got Tottenham next week, we’ve got a rearranged game with Blackpool, so we’ve got a busy month and it’s important to get these players playing.
“You’ve got to have faith and trust in the players - that’s important, and I think they’ve earned that trust because I see them every day in training and they’ve never let me down.”
Ferguson also hailed Hernandez after grabbing his ninth goal of the season with an expert flick to give United the lead.
He added: "[It was a] great run from Chichi [Hernandez] on the first one. We keep telling strikers we’re going to cross to that front post - he’s excellent at it, and of course Nani’s goal was sensational.”
Javier Hernandez and Nani were on the scoresheet for the Red Devils as they extended their lead at the top of the table to three points.
Ferguson rested Edwin van der Sar, Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand for the clash at Old Trafford, while Wayne Rooney failed to recover from the ankle injury picked up in the win over West Brom at the weekend.
But the United boss believes their deputies, who included Chris Smalling and Hernandez, didn’t let him down and made life difficult for Stoke.
“We’ve got such a determined bunch of lads - they never give in, they make it difficult for every team,” Ferguson told Sky Sports.
“We made some changes tonight, just to keep the squad motivated but also to give them enough game time - we’ve got Liverpool on Sunday, we’ve got Tottenham next week, we’ve got a rearranged game with Blackpool, so we’ve got a busy month and it’s important to get these players playing.
“You’ve got to have faith and trust in the players - that’s important, and I think they’ve earned that trust because I see them every day in training and they’ve never let me down.”
Ferguson also hailed Hernandez after grabbing his ninth goal of the season with an expert flick to give United the lead.
He added: "[It was a] great run from Chichi [Hernandez] on the first one. We keep telling strikers we’re going to cross to that front post - he’s excellent at it, and of course Nani’s goal was sensational.”
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