Manchester United FC

• Nickname:
• Founded:1878
• Manager:Sir Alex Ferguson

• Ground:
• Capacity:NaN

Fergie hails United pair

27 Sep 2006 - 08:03:09

Click To Enlarge

Manchester United duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Louis Saha earned high praise from Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson after the 1-0 Champions League win over Benfica.

France striker Saha netted the only goal of the game in the Estadio da Luz, with Ronaldo impressing despite a chorus of boos from his compatriots.

Ferguson said afterwards: "Cristiano has been fantastic all season.

"He has taken a lot of criticism from the public but he has risen above it. He has not let it affect him and that shows great courage.

"He is showing a maturity which belies his age. He is only 21, but young players have to get through periods like this.

"Who he played for in the past has obviously had something to do with the reaction of the crowd tonight.

"But the next time he comes to Portugal to play for his country they will probably be kissing his feet."

Meanwhile, Ferguson voiced his approval for Saha, who has scored five times this season after being handed the task of taking over from Ruud van Nistelrooy.

The Scotsman added: "Louis has everything. He is quick and brave and gets so many assists.

"When he puts all parts of his game together he is an excellent player and now he is on a great goalscoring run as well."