Nani scorcher nets narrow win against Stroke

Another performance to sum up Manchester United’s season. Not particularly good, but good enough. As Sir Alex Ferguson’s team emerge from a busy holiday schedule, they have every reason to pleased.

They sit at the top of the Barclays Premier League and the gap continues to widen. Imagine what would happen, though, if they ever played consistently well.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Javier Hernandez - A second goal in as many games showed the sharpness of the Mexican. With neither Dimitar Berbatov nor Wayne Rooney proving consistent in a campaign where the Bulgarian has offered rather more than the Englishman, Hernandez is emerging as an excellent option.

MANCHESTER UNITED VERDICT: The merit of many of their squad players can be debated but this was an occasion when Ferguson rotated successfully. He made six changes, with the injured Wayne Rooney, Anderson and Rio Ferdinand spared for Liverpool's visit in the FA Cup. Chris Smalling was "magnificent", according to his manager, on his first league start for the club, to further the impression he has displaced Jonny Evans in the pecking order. However, Darron Gibson was a colourless presence in midfield and the lesser-spotted Michael Owen's first appearance for three months was forgettable.