Persistence pays off for Reds

Sir Alex's 24th anniversary as United manager was fittingly crowned with one of the hallmarks of his remarkable reign - a winning goal deep into injury time.
Ji-sung Park produced it, to add to his first-half opener, as the Reds overcame a lengthy injury list and positive opposition to claim a third consecutive league victory.

"We've done it so many times and you have to admire the perseverance of the team, the never say die [spirit]," Sir Alex 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."

The manager revealed that not even his starting eleven were fully fit, following a virus that swept through his playing staff and affected him too.

"Some players played with touches of flu and others with diarrhoea, so we've done really well to get a result," said Sir Alex. "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."

The match-winner takes most of the plaudits though and not just for his two clinical goals at crucial times. Sir Alex reflected:
"Right on half-time and right on the final whistle are amazing times to score. 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."

Although Bebe and Gabriel Obertan tried gamely on the flanks, it was left to Park to pick up the creative baton for United in the absence of numerous other attacking players, from the US-bound Wayne Rooney to the man injured in midweek, Nani.

"We had to bring on the young player Bebe and while he's got the potential, he's still learning. So we were a little bit short of the experience you need to break down teams like Wolves," admitted Sir Alex. "What we probably needed was Berba (Dimitar Berbatov), or Scholes playing the full game, or Giggsy, Nani, Valencia... these kind of players just to open them up.

"We were playing without a lot of players who can make the difference at that stage of the game. But we were still getting into good positions and I thought we could get a [winning] goal, I really did. It's unfortunate we didn't get the goal earlier but we'll take it."

Having beaten Wolves with almost the bare bones of his squad, Sir Alex is hoping to have more options for the Manchester derby in midweek and beyond.

"It's a busy time now, right up until New Year. We've got City next, and later Arsenal and Chelsea in consecutive weeks. All the games are piling up so hopefully we can get some players back. I don't think Nani will be fit for Wednesday but hopefully Berba will be in on Monday to train, he was sent home. We'll just have to look at the players over the next day or so."

Sir Alex Ferguson was talking to MUTV.