Ferguson thrilled with strike pairing

Sir Alex Ferguson has praised his clinical strikers after their 5-0 demolition job of Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium.

Wayne Rooney’s tremendous achievement in matching Bobby Charlton’s club hat-trick record was closely followed by Javier Hernandez’s fine double as the Red Devils dispatched Bolton to reclaim top spot in the English Premier League.

United have been full of attacking flair, opening their campaign with 18 goals in just four league games and the manager had nothing but praise for his strike pairing.

“It was excellent. They’re a constant threat, the movement and the pace they play at was truly first-class for us,” Ferguson said.

Bolton’s robust style proved short-lived and in the end was no match for the Red Devils’ lethal finishing in front of goal.

“We kept playing our football, that’s what we’re here to do,” Ferguson added. “We’re better at that and withstood all the challenges and just got on with it.”

Ferguson was also impressed by new signing Phil Jones, who was asked to play in an unfamiliar right-back role.

“He’s an exceptionally good young player and he’s improving all the time, and he can play anywhere really,” he said.

“He can play midfield, he can play right-back, centre-back as we know, but I felt that Chris Smalling having an arduous time with England games … I just thought [we’d] freshen it up a bit and bring Rio’s experience back into the team and I thought they did very well.”

On the other side, Bolton boss Owen Coyle was left to pick up the pieces of his side’s demoralising loss.

Coyle paid tribute to United’s ‘ruthless and clinical’ finishing and a world-class striker on top of his game, in Rooney, but lamented the brutal nature of the defeat.

“The margin of victory was harsh on the balance of the game,” Coyle said. “We had double the shots at goal of Manchester United and there were never five goals between the teams today.”

“We allowed easy crosses into the box and we were punished. You can’t allow that with world class players like Hernandez and Rooney around.”

Rooney in particular drew the admiration of Coyle.

“Wayne Rooney is an outstanding player, a world-class player. He’s certainly on the top of his game but from our point of view we have to make sure we take our medicine and get ready to defend better next week,” he said.