Ferguson hails Valencia influence

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has hailed the form of Antonio Valencia and believes the winger gives his side a 'big chance' of retaining the title.

Valencia continued his impressive form in Manchester United's 1-0 win over Fulham as Manchester United move three points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

Ferguson previously pointed out that Valencia will be influential in the title run-in and the Scot continued in that vain, praising the winger who continued his impressive play down the wing after the 5-0 win over Wolves last weekend.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Ferguson said: "He [Valencia] and Jonny Evans were our best players, and Rafael da Silva did well also.
"I think that Valencia has got exceptional talent and people underrate him. We don't, that is why we bought him and now he is back and in that form it gives us a big chance."

Ferguson was relieved United were able to get the three points following Wayne Rooney's first-half strike but admits his side needed to kill the game off after the interval before allowing the other team back into the game.

He continued: "It was a result for us tonight [Monday night]. Three points was what we were after.

"I thought for an hour we did very well. Our passing was quick, we made some decent chances but you have to give credit to Fulham.

"That was a really determined defensive performance from them. The problem when you play teams who sit in their half the whole game is they always have some [energy] left, and they had more left than we had in the last 15 minutes.

"Tiredness came into our game. They capitalised on that and created counter-attacks through it and I think that was the really disappointing thing from us, we didn't finish them off and we should've.

"I think our form was good until they started to venture forward we got caught on the break a couple of times and a little bit of tiredness was coming in.
"We put a lot into our game tonight, I was pleased at that part, but we never finished them off. It is a good position [clear by three points at the top of the league] to be in, but it is not decisive."

With a trip to relegation-threatened Blackburn up next, Ferguson is wary of the threat battling the drop will pose.

"They are all challenges now," Ferguson said. "That was a great indication for us. It was a great game for us tonight because that is what it will be like for the rest of the season.

"Teams are going to be battling, fighting to survive and not be a lamb to the slaughter to Manchester United. They don't want to be seen to be laying down in any way and Fulham have put in a massive effort tonight.

"They're a very experienced team of course but when a team sits in like that tonight they are very difficult to break down, it doesn't matter if they are eleven joiners or eleven footballers, it's difficult to break down.

"We didn't do enough to see the game off and we nearly paid the penalty."