Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was delighted with his young players after yesterday's 4-0 thrashing of Wigan Athletic.

Although Carlos Tevez took the man-of-the-match honours and Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney the other scoring plaudits, Gerard Pique - on his second Premier League start - and Danny Simpson - on his first - excelled, as did Anderson who played a major role in two of United's four goals.

"It was difficult," reflected Ferguson. "The injuries disrupted our rhythm, which always gives you a problem.

"They have put a lot of strain on us, so the ones who came in deserve great credit."