A word of warning from Sir Alex Ferguson seldom goes unheeded and Danny Welbeck was the latest to snap to attention as 10-man Manchester United scraped into the Carling Cup fourth round at Old Trafford last night. United may have launched the defence of their trophy in unconvincing style, but Welbeck had every right to consider it a personal triumph after coming up with the perfect riposte to a Fergie rebuke prior to this third-round tie. Ever the taskmaster, the United manager made it clear he expected more from his two rookie frontrunners, Welbeck and Federico Macheda, if they were to turn potential into end product. Bullseye: Danny Welbeck celebrates, Usain Bolt-style, at Old Trafford Van der Sar could extend his stay at Manchester United by another yearBangkok Bryan! Robson agrees four-year deal to become Thailand bossFor Macheda, there was only frustration after having his opportunity cut short by Fabio da Silva's 29thminute red card and the subsequent need for the teenage striker to make way for another defender in Ritchie De Laet. There was no denying Welbeck, though, as he rose to the occasion in the manner Ferguson hoped for and crowned a lively, hard-working performance with a goal that lifted a low-key tie. A predictably much-changed United were labouring to recapture the incident and excitement of Sunday's seven-goal derby spectacular against Manchester City when they suddenly sprang into life with a cleverly crafted and expertly executed 66th-minute breakthrough. Touch was the first quality to take the eye, as Welbeck instantly controlled a pass from Michael Carrick. Then came vision and a clinical eye for goal as he traded passes with Michael Owen before drilling a low shot beyond keeper Marcus Hahnemann. There was little Gucci High Tops else to cheer Ferguson, particularly with the luckless Fabio paying for momentarily losing his footing, but Welbeck's statement of intent brought a smile to his face as he savoured Saturday's fourth-round draw. The possibility of a managerial showdown with son Darren now beckons, following Peterborough's win over Newcastle the previous evening. Dan it: Welbeck celebrates after scoring the winner Welbeck's strike proved decisive, exactly 12 months on from his United debut, and Ferguson said: 'Danny had a difficult job after we went Gucci Jewelry down to 10 men, but his goal was fantastic. 'It was a magnificent one-two with Owen and a marvellous finish and it showed his quality. He earned his plaudits. 'It was great passing. A tremendous goal and I think one goal was always going to win it. Then we showed our resilience. We've enough experienced defenders. 'It was a great pass from Owen, the angle he gave Danny made it easy for him. The return pass was tremendous also. 'Wolves were a handful for us prior to the sending off, but we had a better shape after that. Young Fabio slipped and can count himself unlucky but by the letter of the law he had to go. You can't argue with that. 'Let's see what the draw produces now, but Peterborough at Old Trafford would be fantastic. I think the whole family would be happy with that.' Nan stop: Wolves defender George Elokobi throws himself into the challenge Given United's sluggish start and threats on goal from Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and David Jones, the odds looked stacked in Wolves' favour when Fabio lost GUCCI Watches his footing not once but twice in pursuit of Michael Kightly. The young full-back got away with the first stumble but not the second, as he sent Wolves' quick winger sprawling. Kightly had an unobstructed run on goal and the red card from referee Peter Walton was little more than a formality. Far from leave the holders at the mercy of an embarrassingly early exit, though, it seemed to galvanise them. Owen headed a Gary Neville cross straight at Hahnemann and Carrick saw a goalbound drive cannon off Christophe Berra and away to safety. There was a brief scare on the stroke of half-time as Neville miscued an attempted clearance high into the air, only for Jones to spare his blushes by swinging just as wildly at the dropping ball and slicing it yards over with only Tomasz Kuszczak to beat. United were otherwise in the ascendancy, despite their numerical disadvantage, as Nani saw a cross deflected on to the near post and Welbeck finally unlocked Wolves' defence with his slick buildup and ruthless finish. Floored: Referee Peter Walton shows a red card to Fabio Da Silva Kuszczak may have done little to Gucci AAA Belts enhance his claims for a Barclays Premier League place at the expense of the error-prone Ben Foster, after failing to command his six-yard area, but there was no containing Welbeck's delight after his accolade from Ferguson. The United manager added: 'Blooding the young players is the only thing we can do. Giving them the experience of playing at Old Trafford in front of 50,000. It's a good crowd. It's a good tournament for young players.' Explore more:People:Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Danny Welbeck, Marcus Hahnemann, Federico Macheda, Michael Owen, MICHAEL CARRICK, Fabio Da Silva, Tomasz Kuszczak, Alex Ferguson, Ben Foster, Nani GUCCI Belts GUCCI Men Jeans GUCCI Women Bags Nike Air Max LTD |
