Sir Alex heaps praise on duo

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has hailed the impact of Shinji Kagawa and David de Gea in the game against West Ham.

In a physical battle at Upton Park, de Gea managed to stand firm amidst rash tackles and the aerial threat posed by Andy Carroll and Co. On the other hand, it was Kagawa’s shot that got deflected from the post to land in Van Persie’s feet as the Dutchman scored the equalizer. Speaking ahead of the match against Aston Villa, Ferguson said:

“His (David de Gea’s) first game last season was away from home against West Brom. The referee felt he was a young goalkeeper, who was not used to English football. There was a laxity in terms of protection for him.

“That has passed now but Wednesday was beyond the pale. Let’s be honest, there was an assault on him. But he stood up to it. He didn’t let it affect him. He was brave and got on with his job.”

Kagawa was bought from Borussia Dortmund earlier this season and Sir Alex feels the Japanese international adds something different to this United setup. Ferguson added:

“Kagawa’s doing very well for us now. He has fantastic composure on the ball and his decision-making is good.

“He seems to always pick the more sensible pass and for the first goal at West Ham he had the composure to take the player on in a tight area and roll the ball to Antonio Valencia for a tap-in.”