Same old, same old

Sir Alex Ferguson would hardly have welcomed Patrice Evra's decision to cast himself as agent provocateur prior to last night's t?te-?-t?te with Arsenal but having out thought his old sparring partner Arsene Wenger so comprehensively he might just afford himself a chuckle on a morning in which he awoke to find his side top of the table with a game in hand.
United's left-back has a history of dropping verbal bombs, he offered to replay France's World Cup play-off with Republic of Ireland after Thierry Henry's infamous handball on his PlayStation, and it would seem his assertion that Arsenal are little more than a 'training centre' rankled both Wenger and his players more than they'd care to concede.
While publically no Emirates regular would back the words of one of the old enemy the Frenchman is hardly a solitary voice in proffering his view Arsenal are in danger of becoming a luxury Crewe, with Wenger's mantra of principles over pots not dissimilar to Dario Gradi's at Gresty Road.
Travelling to Old Trafford in the knowledge they had won there only twice in their past 11 visits an inferiority complex would have been understandable, with each robust early challenge forcing sub-editors across the country to seriously ponder for the first time in years whether a 'Men versus Boys' headline could justifiably be regurgitated yet again.
It would be an exaggeration to suggest Arsenal's tackling in the opening 20 minutes was spiteful but there was an edge to it that had Howard Webb been in a more pernickety mood might have seen his notebook filled sooner. Arsenal have now earned 21 yellow cards in their last four Premier League visits to Old Trafford so if nothing else their 'southern softies' moniker is looking tired.
In the end though, with the embers of Arsenal's early fire soon extinguished on a cold night in Manchester, it was a case of same-old, same-old. Wenger claimed at full-time somewhat pompously 'on both sides you have seen technical mistakes because the pitch is not good enough to play good football', which came across more as a further indictment of his side's inability to change tack as circumstances dictate than a valid excuse for defeat.
Despite the Old Trafford groundsmen's inability to provide silk grass the surface was hardly unplayable.
Wenger is quick to criticise those sides that play 'anti-football' and patronise practitioners of a direct style but while their fans enjoyed chanting 'hoof' every time Edwin van der Sar went from back to front to find Wayne Rooney from his hands, Arsenal are in danger of becoming similarly one dimensional. Wenger's style of football is as aesthetically pleasing as Sam Allardyce's is ugly, but in terms of delivering silverware it's proved no more successful in the past few years.
Arsenal's technicians are too cute for middling outfits that content themselves to sit, soak and rely on the counter-attack to offer a threat of their own but against the top sides that have players of a similar calibre, Wenger's reluctance to make changes either tactically or stylistically is frequently exposed as being foolhardy.
United have been accused of being overly negative for employing Michael Carrick as a shield in front of the back four but while on an individual level he was at times guilty of profligacy in possession, his discipline allowed the improving Anderson and Darren Fletcher licence to play yard dogs in snapping into their opponents further up the field.
Anderson has only ever hinted at his potential since joining United from Porto - it's often forgotten he is in fact Ferguson's fifth most expensive signing ever - but in the past month he has started to play with a consistency that has previously eluded him. It was the Brazilian, 22, that caught the eye over Arsenal's own wonderkids Jack Wilshere and Samir Nasri, with his ability to pickpocket opponent's passes a frequent frustration for the away side. If he can add a shot to match his engine to drive forward and cover ground remarkably quickly, United might just have a complete midfielder on their hands.
Ferguson has made no secret of his admiration for Arsenal's midfield and his strength, others deem it as a negative, is that he's not too proud to change his own side's make-up accordingly.
This current United team is not the buccaneering one of yesteryear and as such while some fans reared on a tradition of 'attack, attack, attack!', struggle to comprehend Ferguson's insistence of employing a solitary front man for the 'big' games, Berbatov must have thought he'd been caught drowning a bag of black cats after being dropped after a five-goal salvo, the proof invariably is in the pudding and three points suggest the Scot got his tactics spot on.
Arsenal dominated possession in spells but quickly ran out of ideas to break down United's staunchly disciplined game plan. Happy to allow Arsenal to dictate in areas of the field where they couldn't be hurt, United's collective ability not to be lured out of position meant Arsenal flirted with the idea of getting in all night but ultimately left Manchester without so much as a snog on the doorstep.
Much has been made of United's mediocrity this season despite remaining unbeaten in the league and, other than the demolition of Blackburn, it's not an unjust criticism. That they sit at the summit is primarily due to a settled backline rather than expansive attack. It's also a pretty ominous sign for their rivals as they look to click into gear over the festive period.
Rio Ferdinand's immaculate return following a serious injury has laid to bed claims he was finished as a top class centre-half and again on Monday, other than for a rash challenge on Bacary Sagna that should have brought him a booking, he barely put a foot wrong all evening.
A Rolls Royce of a defender to Nemanja Vidic's Monster Truck the pair are an almost perfect partnership of poise and power, with Ferdinand's last foul prior to last night's game coming on April 11 2010 against Blackburn, a remarkable 246 days ago. Compare their compatibility to that of Sebastien Squillaci and Laurent Koscielny, along with a criminal lack of a reliable goalkeeper, and it's not to hard to comprehend why Arsenal are seen as having fast feet but a glass chin.
An ill-tempered Wenger turned on the press after the game and snapped when asked to pinpoint Arsenal's frailties in repeatedly coming up short in the big games.
"Why do we always seem to lose these big games? If you are a football specialist I leave this analysis to you. Why do you ask me, because you know everything?"
Given Arsenal are still very much in the title hunt and a defeat at Old Trafford is hardly the catalyst for a roots and branch investigation into where it's all gone wrong, Wenger is right in his assessment now is not the time for panic. His ire at the press though cannot mask a shortcoming in his side's DNA that he is too intelligent not to realise ultimately stops at his door.
His side have now drawn one and lost 10 of their last 11 fixtures against the Premier League's big two. If Wenger can't figure out a way to improve on this statistic Arsenal will forever remain the prettiest bridesmaid who never quite makes it down the aisle herself.
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Fergie lauds 'fantastic' four

Sir Alex Ferguson hailed the performance of his back four following Manchester United's 1-0 win over Arsenal and says they could be the key to his side's Premier League title bid.
United managed to hold onto their lead at Old Trafford after Ji-Sung Park opened the scoring just before the break, with the three-point haul sending them top of the table with a game in hand, as well as stretching their unbeaten record this season.
And manager Ferguson feels his defensive line-up, consisting of Rafael da Silva, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra, were largely responsible for the triumph.
"We defended very well, the back four were fantastic tonight, absolutely magnificent," Ferguson told Sky Sports HD1.
"So with that foundation it always gives us a great chance."
He added: "I think we're starting to get there. I think our form is improving. And, as I say, with the back four playing like that, if they play like that from now on and give us the consistency, then we're in with a good chance."
Wayne Rooney missed a chance to double United's lead when he fired a shocking penalty attempt into the stands in the second half.
And Ferguson admits he was surprised by the effort, adding: "It was an unusual penalty and normally Wayne will always keep it down. I've never known him to hit one over the bar. It gave Arsenal a bit of impetus."
The manager was full of praise for Park, whose strike against the Gunners marked his sixth in all competitions this season.
"His goalscoring record against Arsenal is very good," he said. "He's been in fantastic form, the lad."
Ferguson was pleased to see his side rise to the occasion and acknowledged the importance of getting a positive result against fellow title contenders.
"We had to play well. I think in these major games you want to perform and I think we did perform tonight, particularly in the first half," he said.
"The second half Arsenal came into it a bit. They didn't make any real chances in the game but they pegged us back a little.
"We should have done better on the counter-attack, which we had some good chances in."
The manager is already looking ahead to Sunday's clash against reigning champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and is aware of the significance of that encounter.
"We've got a difficult game against Chelsea next Sunday," he added. "That's going to be a very important game now."
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Fergie upset to lose Park

Sir Alex Ferguson admits it is disappointing that Manchester United will lose Park Ji-sung for several weeks after Christmas.
Park again proved his worth to United in big matches by scoring the only goal in Monday's home win over title rivals Arsenal.
The improvised header was Park's sixth goal of the season and it is the South Korean's best return since joining United from PSV Eindhoven in 2005.
However, the midfielder is due to represent Korea in the Asian Cup in Qatar in January and the Boxing Day game with Sunderland will be his last before linking up with his country.
"Ji is in fantastic form," said Ferguson. "Unfortunately we are going to lose him for seven matches after December 26. It is disappointing."
The 29-year-old's goal lifted United back to the top of the table and Park has urged his team-mates to maintain their current form.
Park said: "At the moment, we are in a great position in the league. Now we have to concentrate on the games coming up.
"We always start to play well at this time of year and want to keep this going.
"We played with great confidence against Arsenal and our defence was unbelievable."
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Fergie - Big Sam axe stupid

Sir Alex Ferguson has branded Blackburn Rovers' decision to sack manager Sam Allardyce as 'absolutely ridiculous'.
Allardyce was surprisingly dismissed by Blackburn's new owners Venky's on Monday and he admits to still being 'confused' as to the reasons for his departure.
Reports have claimed a difference of opinion regarding January transfer targets and there are also suggestions that Venky's want to see a more entertaining style of football on show at Ewood Park.
Manchester United boss Ferguson was stunned by the news of Allardyce's exit and believes it 'confounds common sense'.
Ferguson told Sky Sports 1: "He phoned me at 3.10pm today saying 'can I have a cup of tea tonight?' because he was coming to the game. Then he phones me at half past four and says 'I've been sacked'.
"I've never heard of such a stupid decision in all my life, it's absolutely ridiculous. I don't know what they're doing up there, but deary me.
"It confounds common sense to be honest with you. Absolutely ridiculous.
"I wouldn't like to follow him!"
Allardyce's sacking comes just days after Fabio Capello had suggested he would be a front-runner to replace him as England coach after Euro 2012.
Richard Bevan, the chief executive of the LMA, said: "When new owners take over a club, sadly, the manager's position often hangs by a thread.
"To Sam's great misfortune this has now happened twice and, on both occasions, it has been extremely difficult to understand the thinking behind the dismissal.
"It is ironic that one minute Sam can be proposed as the next England manager and the next, he finds himself out of work."
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Fergie - Chelsea a big game

Sir Alex Ferguson believes Manchester United's showdown with Chelsea will 'go a long way' to establishing the Premier League pecking order.
United returned to the top of the table on Monday night after Park Ji-sung's first-half header secured a 1-0 win over previous leaders Arsenal.
The result ensured the Red Devils remain unbeaten in the league this season and they also have a game in hand on their title rivals.
Ferguson next takes his team to reigning champions Chelsea on Sunday and the United boss is aware of the importance of the Stamford Bridge clash.
"It's a massive game now," said Ferguson. "That will go a long way to establishing the top of the league.
"It's a big, big game for United."
The scoreline was the first time United had won 1-0 in the league this season and Ferguson believes such narrow victories will become key in the title race.
United won 10 games by that scoreline en route to winning the league in 2009 and Ferguson hailed the performance of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic against Arsenal.
He added: "[Ferdinand and Vidic] were tremendous. That gives you a great foundation, and 1-0 victories can win you the league.
"If my back four keep that foundation of not conceding any goals it gives us a really good chance."
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Fergie focuses on key fixtures

Manchester United Sir Alex Ferguson believes this month's games with Arsenal and Chelsea will be pivotal in the title race.
Ferguson's side travel to Blackpool this weekend aiming to maintain their two-point lead at the top of the table after seeing reigning champions Chelsea suffer a dip in form.
The Gunners visit Old Trafford on 13th December, with the trip to Stamford Bridge following six days later.
And with Arsenal meeting Chelsea later in Decemeber, Ferguson accepts it is going to be a crucial period in the race for the championship.
"You always want to win those games because they are really significant," Ferguson told Inside United.
"We have managed to claw ourselves into a position where we are two points ahead of Chelsea, so the game at Stamford Bridge and Arsenal's trip to Manchester will certainly be very important, there's no doubt about that.
"We saw that last season - some big decisions didn't go our way in the two matches against Chelsea and they ended up costing us important points."
Ferguson admits he will have to keep his squad fresh during the busy festive period as he looks to go into the new year on top of the pile.
"You are aware that you have to use your squad well because there are so many games, particularly during that week between Christmas and New Year," Ferguson added.
"Three matches in six days is a lot. It is a hectic period but we have the players to cope.
"Hopefully we're in the right position come the start of January."
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Phelan calls for character

Mike Phelan has urged Manchester United's youngsters to show they have the stomach for the fight following the Carling Cup defeat to West Ham.
Sir Alex Ferguson made wholesale changes for Tuesday's quarter-final clash at Upton Park but the players that took to the field could not take the opportunity to shine.
The Hammers, bottom of the Premier League table after a dismal start to the season, strolled to a shock 4-0 victory as Jonathan Spector and Carlton Cole both scored twice.
Phelan admits the performance was poor and that individual mistakes cost the Red Devils a place in the semi-finals and their grip on the trophy.
However, the assistant manager is now looking forward to finding out how those players bounce back in training to see if they show the right character.
"Some of the defending was na?ve," Phelan admitted.
"There are lessons to be learned from the defending point of view with individual players and hopefully they will take something from that.
"You can learn from defeats and we need them to learn quickly. They are quality players but they are young and they are going to make mistakes.
"It's how they deal with those mistakes and how they react. So we'll be looking in the next few days to see what character they've got and whether they can step up to the plate next time."
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Fergie expects end for Edwin

Sir Alex Ferguson expects Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar to retire from playing at the end of the season.
Van der Sar turned 40 at the end of October and the Dutchman remains a reliable presence between the posts for United.
He has yet to give any firm indication of whether he will continue his career beyond this season, but Ferguson is planning for the keeper's retirement.
Ferguson believes that Van der Sar would not want his form to drop and also confirmed he wanted to spend more time with his wife Annemarie, who suffered a brain-related illness last year.
"I have come to accept this will be Edwin's last season," Ferguson told The People. "It's sad but the difficulty for a goalkeeper when he gets to 40 is something which happened with Peter Shilton.
"All of a sudden, because of age, Shilton's form just collapsed and I don't think Edwin would want that. He is such a proud man and it's going to be a big loss.
"We had a chat last season about how he saw his future and he explained to me his plans, and nothing has changed from then.
"It's difficult because he has his wife's health to consider after her ?illness.
"She is fine now and seems to be really good but she still has treatments to get in Holland, with physiotherapy and things like that. So for him to be here with us would be difficult."
The Red Devils have already agreed a deal to sign Denmark international Anders Lindegaard, but Ferguson is considering bringing in another keeper after being linked with the likes of Maarten Stekelenburg, Manuel Neuer and David De Gea.
He added: "We haven't finalised our thoughts on the goalkeeping situation.
"Edwin has massive experience and you can't buy that, so it's a difficult one because he has been a great ?goalkeeper and will be hard to replace."
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Fergie - Time to waken up

Sir Alex Ferguson has called on his Manchester United team to 'waken up', but has praised the character of his players.
United are unbeaten in all competitions this season, but have struggled to produce a consistent level of performance, particularly in recent weeks.
The Red Devils have drawn half of their 14 Premier League games, but are level at the top of the table after capitalising on champions Chelsea's dip in form.
Progress is being made in the UEFA Champions League and a point at Ferguson's former club Rangers on Wednesday night would secure United's place in the knock-out phase.
Ferguson has hailed the battling qualities of his players in recent matches, but is keen for his team to start improving in the coming weeks.
"It is time to waken up," said Ferguson.
"The only thing I can say for certain is that the big teams will be fighting it out at the end of the season.
"There are a lot of ways of analysing football. You can look at the dropped points against West Brom, Everton and Fulham.
"With those points, we could have been six clear. But we scored in the last minute against Wolves and at Aston Villa we could have lost by six and somehow managed to get a point out of it.
"That tells you the character of the human beings I have got. They are people who are prepared to do something about the situation."
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Fergie eyes steady pairing

Sir Alex Ferguson admits he may have tinkered with his strikers "too much" recently and has backed Dimitar Berbatov to rediscover his form along with Wayne Rooney.
Berbatov did not even make the bench for Manchester United's weekend win over Wigan, with Ferguson opting for youth up front in the 2-0 Old Trafford victory.
The move sparked fresh rumours of a transfer for the Bulgaria international, who has lost his way since capping a fine start to the season with a fantastic hat-trick against Liverpool.
Meanwhile, Rooney made his first appearance in a United shirt since signing a new five-year deal following his ankle injury, and the boss is planning on reuniting the pair sooner rather than later.
"We have been changing the strikers quite a lot recently and I have to accept responsibility for changing it too much," Ferguson said.
"Now we are going to have a more consistent look about our team.
"We have a lot of good young options but hopefully we can get Wayne Rooney back to his best and Dimitar is suited to playing with Wayne."
Berbatov was being hailed as the club's top striker in the early stages of the season, but below par form of late has once again brought his worth into question.
United fans have seen bursts of genius matched by bouts of underperforming since the striker's £30.75million move from Tottenham, but Ferguson maintains consistency is difficult to come across at the highest level.
"It has not taken Dimitar back to square one," Ferguson insisted. "In our game it is very difficult to play well every week.
"We are in a competitive league. The results themselves tell you something. Getting consistency of performance from front players is very difficult.
"Look around at other clubs. They are finding it much the same as us."
Ferguson could be tempted to pair his main men up front at Ibrox on Wednesday, where United hope a point will seal progression from UEFA Champions League Group C.
The Scot, though, is not aiming for a draw, saying: "It is an interesting situation and one we have to treat pretty seriously.
"It is all right saying we only need one point, but if Rangers win we then have to beat Valencia, so hopefully we can continue our form away from home in the Champions League."
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Rooney to start against Gers

Sir Alex Ferguson plans to hand Wayne Rooney a starting berth in Wednesday's UEFA Champions League clash with Rangers.
The England international returned to action in Saturday's 2-0 victory over Wigan Athletic at Old Trafford, emerging from the bench in the 56th minute to a standing ovation from the Red Devils faithful.
Rooney was unable to find the net during his stint on the field, despite the Latics being reduced to nine men shortly after his arrival, with Antolin Alcaraz and Hugo Rodallega both dismissed in a mad three-minute spell.
The 25-year-old had two chances to get on the scoresheet, but saw a powerful header tipped over by Ali Al Habsi before firing weakly at the goalkeeper after being found in space by Nani.
It has been a season of struggle on and off the field for the former Everton ace, with allegations over his private life followed by the contract saga which ended with Rooney putting pen to paper on a new five-year deal.
Ferguson said: "It was a good reception; it will be pleasing for him. It will settle him down and make him realise he is at the right club.
"It was a quiet comeback. He got involved in a few bits of the interplay. He needed 25 minutes or so.
"He will play against Rangers on Wednesday, that is the perfect game for him to come back and get 90 minutes."
Ferguson was quick to admit that United, who remain unbeaten in all competitions this season and are now level on points with Chelsea at the top of the table following the leaders' shock 1-0 defeat at Birmingham, were again not at their best.
He said: "What I'm finding is that we seem to be playing a lot of our best football in the last 20 minutes of games. We need to get more quickness in our play in the first half of matches, I thought we were a bit slow in our build-up.
"We really could have done our goal difference a power of good in the last 20 minutes. We missed a lot of chances and we could have had five or six, easily.
"But if you asked at the start of the day would we take being joint top of the league we would have said yes.
"It was not a great performance, competent and nothing more. We know ourselves that come the second half of the season we will get better."
The Scot felt the Latics were to blame for their own downfall, with skipper Alcaraz sent off by referee Martin Atkinson for two clumsy tackles, while Rodallega followed after a crude two-footed challenge on Rafael.
He said: "I thought Wigan were very aggressive, there were a lot of aggressive challenges which tested the referee throughout the game. They put themselves about there is no doubt about that.
"It was a silly challenge on Darren Fletcher (by Alcaraz), but the second one was clear, I thought the boy Rodallega was off the ground."
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Fergie considered leaving Manchester United for Barcelona

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted he would have loved the opportunity to manage Barcelona.
The 68-year-old has revealed Barcelona is the only club he would have considered leaving Manchester United for.
Ferguson is a great admirer of the Catalan side's football philosophy and he admits he would have relished taking charge at Camp Nou.
"I would have loved to have gone to Barcelona at one time in my life," said Ferguson at the Aspire4Sport Conference in Doha. "That would have been a dream.
"Their ideology and philosophy, the whole place is fantastic. But I'm at the same kind of club in terms of vision. A different culture maybe, but we both always try to win a game."
Ferguson, who recently celebrated his 24th anniversary at Old Trafford, believes his longevity at one club will never be eclipsed.
"I'm a phenomenon," added Ferguson.
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Fergie - Wenger has changed

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes Arsene Wenger has learnt that good tackling is allowed in the Premier League.
The Arsenal boss was thought to have a fractious relationship with Ferguson during the early stages of his reign in North London, but these disputes have abated in recent years.
Wenger is known to be a passionate protector of his own players when he feels they have been tackled with perceived excessive aggression.
Ferguson thinks this caused disputes when he first came to England, but says the Gunners coach has changed his stance.
"I think there was a conflict of opinions in the early games when Arsene Wenger came to Arsenal," he told Sky Sports.
"His view of our approach to games is not any different to his view on how other teams approach them today.
"He doesn't like his players to be tackled. But he's understanding that a bit better now.
"He understands that tackling is allowed and as long as it's good tackling there's nothing wrong with it."
Ferguson went on to deny that there had ever been a major feud in their relationship, despite some disagreements.
He added: "We had an area of disagreement maybe for a period of a couple of years, but it has never affected our relationship."
Arsenal and United are currently trying to peg back league leaders Chelsea and they lock horns at Old Trafford in December.
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Fergie sees benefits of break

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson feels a winter break would benefit England, but admits such a decision is unlikely.
The debate regarding the closing down of the Premier League mid-season has rumbled on for years, with the pros and cons discussed on a regular basis.
Those directly involved in the game feel a rest period would be most welcome, giving players an opportunity to recharge their batteries.
Many of the top divisions across Europe have already implemented such a scheme, and have responded positively.
It has also been noted that the success of the national side in these countries has improved as players are fresher when major tournaments roll around.
England, though, has steadfastly refused to follow suit, with television commitments making a break almost impossible to accommodate.
United boss Ferguson feels the Three Lions will continue to underachieve while exaggerated demands are placed on the players, but appreciates that the authorities have other factors to take into account.
"There's too much expectation on the England team," he said at the Aspire4Sport Conference in Doha.
"There are too many games, they need a winter break but the TV schedule won't allow it."
Ferguson has also given his opinion on who the next England manager should be, with Fabio Capello set to step down after Euro 2012.
He has stopped short of giving names of those he feels will be in the frame, but does not buy into the belief that the national coach has to be English.
The Scot believes that a nation such as England needs the best man for the job, regardless of where they come from.
He said: "I admire Fabio Capello and the next England manager needs to be the best to win a World Cup. If the best is abroad, so be it."
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Fergie bemoans Owen "disaster"

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has conceded his gamble on Owen Hargreaves proved out to be a "disaster".
Hargreaves made his first start for United in two years after being a shock inclusion in the side to face Wolves at Old Trafford on Saturday.
However, Hargreaves return lasted less than five minutes as he was forced off with a hamstring injury.
The injury was the latest blow to hit the England international who has been battling with serious knee problems during the last two years.
Ferguson admits the gamble on Hargreaves' fitness backfired badly as his side managed to overcome Wolves with a last-gasp winner from Ji-sung Park.
"We took a gamble with Owen Hargreaves," said Ferguson.
"We thought by doing that it would give us a compact midfield with experience. But he only lasted five minutes. It was a disaster.
"He has hurt his hamstring, which is unbelievable."
Meanwhile, United team-mate John O'Shea has backed Hargreaves to bounce back from the latest setback after admitting his sympathy for the midfielder.
"We feel so sorry for him," O'Shea told MUTV.
"He was so looking forward to it and we were really excited for him as well after all the hard work he's put in.
"We just have to wait and see exactly what the injury is, but he'll be back again, no doubt about that.
"He's worked very hard to get to this point and I'm sure there'll be a few little niggles - he's just got to get over them quickly."
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Fergie praises fighting spirit

 Sir Alex Ferguson has hailed the 'never say die' spirit of Manchester United following their late win over Wolves.
South Korea international Ji-sung Park was the hero for the Red Devils at Old Trafford as he notched the game-winner deep into injury time to seal a 2-1 victory after also scoring the opener.
Ferguson was full of praise for his side's resilience after they managed to snatch the crucial three points.
"We've done it so many times and you have to admire the perseverance of the team, the never say die (spirit)," The manager told MUTV.
"It was a long struggle. Given the changes I had to make, trying to get the continuity of performance was difficult today.
"I thought Wolves were the better team in the first half, they played very well but we got a great goal right on half-time and I thought that would settle us. In the second half we were the better team. We lost a bad goal on our part but went on to get a late winner."
Ferguson feels his side did particularly well given some of his players were not fully fit after a virus swept through the United camp this week.
"Some players played with touches of flu and others with diarrhoea, so we've done really well to get a result," he said.
"This morning we had to check on Patrice Evra, Paul Scholes and Nemanja Vidic, they were all under the weather.
"Nemanja in particular did well to play in that game, Patrice battled on and I was only going to use Paul if I needed to. I did need to and he did well."
Ferguson was full of praise for man of the moment Park, whose clinical goals came at crucial times.
"Right on half-time and right on the final whistle are amazing times to score," he added.
"But Ji's in great form actually, he's been one of our best players in recent weeks. It was another really good performance from him today."
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Fergie - Gomes to blame

Sir Alex Ferguson felt Heurelho Gomes 'should know better' following Manchester United's disputed second goal in the 2-0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur.
United were leading through captain Nemanja Vidic's first-half header when Nani scored a decisive second for the hosts five minutes from time.
Nani rolled a shot into the net after Spurs keeper Gomes had thrown the ball onto the ground believing a free-kick had been awarded after the United winger had handled in the box.
However, referee Mark Clattenburg was waving play on and allowed the goal to stand after consulting his assistant, much to Spurs' fury.
Ferguson felt Nani should have been awarded a penalty in the build-up to the incident and suggested it was an error from Gomes, rather than a mistake by the officials.
"It was bizarre," said the United manager. "No-one knew at the time what was wrong. One minute the goalkeeper had the ball in his hands and next it's in his net.
"Nani looked back and looked at the referee and the referee said play on, so what can he do but put the ball in the net.
"You can look at the referee and look at the linesmen and blame them, but the goalkeeper should know better. He's an experienced goalkeeper. I thought he made a mess of it.
"I thought it was a penalty first of all and I think Nani felt he handled the ball. But the referee didn't blow for it.
"The referee played on because the goalkeeper took possession of the ball. He then went to take a free-kick thinking it was a foul. He made an error."
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Fergie rules out signings

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he is not planning to sign any new players during the January transfer window.
Manchester United remain five points behind leaders Chelsea in the Premier League table following a 2-0 victory over Tottenham on Saturday.
They are unbeaten this season but there has been plenty of discussion about whether Ferguson might need to strengthen his squad in the New Year.
Wayne Rooney recently questioned the club's ambition and ability to attract the world's top players, before being given reassurances and deciding to sign a new long-term contract.
And Ferguson does not see the need to bring in a single fresh face when the transfer window reopens, with a number of key players set to return to fitness for the second half of the campaign.
"We won't be buying in January, definitely not," Ferguson said in the Independent.
"If you want someone to play in Europe, you are limited right away. There are hundreds of players cup-tied.
"You have five months left of the season, I will have Antonio Valencia back hopefully towards the end of February, which is a new player coming back.
"If Michael Owen gets back, it is another new player coming back. So with the squad I've got, I don't see any reason for us to buy anyone."
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Sir Alex Ferguson claims victory in Wayne Rooney saga down to 24 years of experience

With Rooney pointing to concerns over United’s transfer strategy amid speculation that interest from Manchester City had turned the England forward’s head, Ferguson appeared resigned to losing his leading player at the height of the ‘crisis’ last week.
But Ferguson’s public rebuttal of Rooney’s concerns in two explosive press conferences last Tuesday and Wednesday have since been credited by the player as influencing his decision to sign a five-year contract last Friday.
Ferguson admits that the experience banked from almost 25 years as United manager ultimately ensured that he won the battle to keep Rooney at the club.
Ferguson said: “I don’t think it’s harder for managers to deal with – I’ve just got the benefit of having been at the club for such a long time.
“I have experienced a lot of things that do happen and there have been times in the past when I have gone down the same road.
“When you are the manager of our club, you have to have someone strong who can deal with all the issues and we have had to be strong over the years.
“That’s why I don’t think Manchester United could ever go down the road of having a young manager, to be honest with you.
“It’s a job that needs a lot of experience and a lot of experience at the top end of the game.
“That’s something for the future, but at the moment we have the benefit of my 24 years at the club, so fortunately that’s the way we can deal with it.
“At Manchester United, you can never be surprised. There is always something happening in the club and there are always issues to deal with.
“I don’t think you can deny that we got a lot of publicity that we didn’t enjoy last week, but you have to deal with these situations and I think we dealt with it very well.”
Ferguson’s criticism of agents at the weekend stemmed from the club’s frustration at Rooney’s two-month contract stalemate being leaked to the media.
Although Stretford was roundly criticised throughout the media during the Rooney affair, Ferguson told Sirius XM's 'The Football Show' that agents and representatives benefit from a lack of scrutiny into their actions.
He said: “The modern trend with agents is that they are never criticised by journalists because that is their feeding foundation.
“It is where they get all their stories and complete knowledge of what is happening with a lot of players. That was the area where we were handicapped in really.
“It’s difficult enough to deal with the issue of winning the matches without having the publicity attached to the club which sometimes doesn’t send football out in a good light.
“We want to try to always be a great part of the game and the right reasons for the great part of the game and all the right things of the game.
“But unfortunately last week, we had a couple of days of unfortunate information.”
In Rooney’s absence, the Mexican forward Javier Hernández staked his claim to the Liverpudlian’s mantle as the darling of the United supporters by scoring both goals in the win at Stoke.
The £7 million signing has now scored five goals in 10 appearances and Ferguson admitted that the 22 year-old is an example of the ambition and desire required to succeed at United.
Ferguson said: “The boy has done great and he is an absolute pleasure to have. His training performances and attitude to training are superb. He is always the first in and last one away.
“He wants to be a player and he is showing all the right things. We are really delighted with the boy.
“We made a good move by acting quickly [to sign him] before the World Cup started. If we had waited until after the World Cup, we would have had to pay maybe three times the price.”
Ferguson, whose team face Wolves in the Carling Cup on Tuesday night, insists Sunday’s win at Stoke can prove the launch pad for United’s title charge.
He said: “The result at Stoke has had a galvanising effect on the club and you can see that with the reaction of our supporters, but we have to motor on now.”
Man management over the years
Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest
Clough favoured a physical approach. When Roy Keane cost Nottingham Forest a late equaliser against Crystal Palace, Clough punched him to the dressing room floor. “He got up so I couldn’t have hit him very hard,” Clough reasoned.
Sir Bobby Robson at Newcastle
A fatherly touch helped defuse rows. After Craig Bellamy had thrown a chair at his assistant John Carver at Newcastle airport, Robson dismissed the rest of the squad and asked the striker for a chat. “He asked how my kids were, how they were doing at school,” Bellamy said. “The next thing I knew I was on the plane.”
Fabio Capello at Real Madrid
The Italian has always favoured tough love. He once asked Antonio Cassano, as he stepped out of the shower, “Aren’t you embarrassed to be that fat?” and would often make the striker train with the youth team. “I hated the bastard,” Cassano said. “But I also loved him like a father.”
Bill Shankly at Liverpool
The Scot prided himself on his tight bond with his Liverpool squad but woe betide the player who carried an injury. His response to a limping Tommy Smith is enshrined in Anfield folklore: “Take that bandage off. And what do you mean your knee, it’s Liverpool’s knee!”
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Ferguson - Time to move on

Sir Alex Ferguson has moved to draw a line under the Wayne Rooney saga that engulfed Manchester United and insists it's time to move on.
United, and in particular Rooney, dominated the headlines as he declared he wanted to leave only to perform a dramatic U-turn and stay two days later.
The England striker ended all speculation over his future by signing a new five-year deal last Friday.
Ferguson said in the match programme for the Carling Cup match with Wolves: "It's been a traumatic time for Manchester United and no doubt everyone is as relieved as I am that the situation with Wayne Rooney has been resolved.
"We're delighted that he'll remain with us and he'll play a key part in our challenge for silverware on all fronts - both this season and in the years to come.
"Once the news came out that Wayne wanted to leave, the publicity and impact that had, and the response it generated, showed how big Manchester United is and that resonated with him quite a lot.
"Wayne apologised to me and the players and it's now time to draw a line under last week and face the challenges that lie ahead.
"We have a good squad, the unity and spirit is fine and the structure of the club is good. There is nothing wrong with United."
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