Fergie salutes Obertan´s progress at United

Sir Alex Ferguson expects Gabriel Obertan to add more fire-power to Manchester United’s attack after the French winger hit fine winner in a 1-0 friendly victory over Philadelphia Union.

Obertan netted in the 14th minute at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on Wednesday and that was enough for United to claim the second win of their American tour.

It was a significant moment for Obertan as the 21-year-old bids for more playing time with the Premier League side this coming season.

Obertan has made just five starts since his move from Bordeaux last year, but his electric pace and fierce shooting could add another dimension to United over the next 12 months.

With Wayne Rooney having to shoulder the burden of leading United’s attack almost single-handedly last season, Ferguson is desperate for more goals from midfield and Obertan could provide an answer to that problem.

“Goals always help players, of course, and when they are forwards in particular,” Ferguson told United’s website.

“There is a goal in Gabby, there is no question of that. The best aspect of his strike was his run, the timing of it and the timing and weight of the pass from Danny Welbeck. It was a good move and Gabby took it really well.”

United’s tour has started well considering Ferguson is without a host of star names due to the World Cup.

Rooney, Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic, Michael Carrick and Park Ji-Sung have been given extra recovery time after the finals in South Africa, while the injured Rio Ferdinand is also absent.

But the likes of Obertan, Danny Welbeck, Federico Macheda and Chris Smalling have all taken the chance to shine, and Ferguson is pleased with how his relatively inexperienced squad has coped so far.

“It was the sort of game we probably needed,” Ferguson said. “They were really powerful and aggressive, got to the ball quickly and made it difficult for us. They had a few shots on goal and were better than I expected.

“We increased the tempo in the second half and did a little better then. It was a good game for us and I thought they did really well.”