Fergie takes the positives

Ferguson: Thinking positive

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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson took the positives after watching side slump to a 1-0 defeat to Besiktas in the UEFA Champions League.

With qualification to the knockout phase already assured, the United boss rung the changes at Old Trafford but his young side went down to Rodrigo Tello's 20th minute strike.

Besiktas then withstood United pressure to claim the win, while Patrice Evra had a good penalty shout turned down after he was impeded late on in the area.

United must now take at least a point from their remaining fixture in Wolfsburg to finish top of Group B.

Opportunity

Ferguson told MUTV: "I'm disappointed, of course. But it was an opportunity to play some younger players and I'm not disappointed in them.

"Gabriel Obertan is 20, Danny Welbeck is 19 tomorrow, Federico Macheda is 18...

"They all showed potential and playing in these games gives them incentive to improve themselves.

"They know they'll get that opportunity at this club. The club's history is based on producing young players who can excite and these players can all excite."

Ferguson believed his inexperienced side played too quickly at times and he was convinced Evra should have got a penalty.

Anxious

He added: "(The lads) were anxious to do well and sometimes young players don't know how to slow down and maybe we played too quickly at times.

"But that's not their fault - that's a natural part of improving and developing a young player. In the main they showed great ability.

"(We should have had) a clear penalty kick, there's absolutely no doubt about it. The defenders didn't even look at the ball - they just looked at Patrice Evra and blocked his run."