Source: Daily_Mail
Sir Alex Ferguson: Steve Bruce has the badge of a scout master
Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted that his former defender and captain Steve Bruce may have got one over on him in the transfer market.
The Manchester United manager believes his own scouting network is just about unrivalled, but he faces Sunderland at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon having admitted that Bruce has produced three players this season who he had not even heard of.
Ferguson was referring to full back Paulo Da Silva, central defender John Mensah and Albanian midfielder Lorik Cana and said: 'All the signs are good for Steve and he is doing everything right.
'He had plucked a few from nowhere like Wilson Palacios at Wigan and now he has brought in one or two that nobody knew about.
'It's actually three: the midfielder, Da Silva the right back and Mensah the centre back.
'He has a good scout network in areas that maybe the bigger clubs don't look and he has got rewards. I think that he is also improving these players by bringing them to English football.'
Bruce surprised many people in the summer by leaving Wigan for Sunderland, especially after turning down his home-town club Newcastle two years ago.
Ferguson believes the man who won three league titles under his charge at Old Trafford was 'sensible' to resist Newcastle and believes he can take Sunderland to the top end of the Barclays Premier League.
He said: 'Sunderland are a massive club in terms of their history, stadium and fan base.
'If you go through Steve's career, he's had exactly what you need to manage at the very top.
'He's had experience of the other side, from down there scrapping at Sheffield United, Crystal Palace, Huddersfield, Birmingham, and the job he did at Wigan in his second spell there last time was fantastic, almost getting them into Europe.
'So he's learned as he's gone along in difficult jobs. I don't think he had much money to buy players when he was at Birmingham. Now he's had the chance to spend some money and he's looking good. Darren Bent has given them seven or eight goals already, which is a great return.
'Steve's galvanised the club already and you can see something great happening there. Hopefully not against us.'
United have been boosted by news that Michael Owen's groin injury will only keep him out for a week instead of three and also by the form of midfielder Paul Scholes, who is expected to return today after last weekend's masterclass against Stoke City.
Ferguson said: 'Have you ever seen a better stat than 78 passes and only four not completed? That's what Scholesy did against Stoke.
'It was very impressive on Saturday. It was absolutely marvellous.'
