Soccer:Alex Ferguson praised the efforts of his players as Manchester United dominated a poor Schalke side in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final to take a 2-0 lead back to Old Trafford.
United completely ran the first 45 minutes but could not find a way to beat Schalke's highly-rated goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and it took until the 67th for the away side to finally break the deadlock.
Ryan Giggs,who had missed a couple of fantastic chances, was played in by Wayne Rooney and finished well before Rooney himself made it 2-0 only two minutes later.
Ferguson said: "Overall I was delighted. It was a top performance. We have had some fantastic performances in Europe during my time. Juventus in Juventus in 1999 obviously will always be high on the list but this certainly ranks as one of the best."
Ferguson also suggested the ability to name the same starting 11 that played against Chelsea in the last round was a deciding factor.
"The continuity of selection in these games gives us good experience and work-rate and I have good options with the likes of Nani, Scholes and Anderson. We have selection problems now but that is what we want."
The United boss even went as far as suggesting he could rest key players in the return leg as the fight to win back the Premier League takes preference.
"Depending on the result on Sunday [at Arsenal] I could make two or three changes because we play Chelsea the following weekend," he said.
Ferguson admitted he is still amazed by the performances of Giggs. He was responsible for some of the glaring opportunities United spurned before bagging the opener.
"It is strange because Ryan's peak years seem to have lasted so long," said Ferguson. "You would think, at 37, he would be showing signs of waning. I don't see any evidence of that. We look after him in terms of rest before games but when he gets that freshness he doesn't show any sign of fatiguing at all. He is an amazing man."
Ferguson virtually ruled Giggs out of Sunday's crucial Barclays Premier League trip to London to take on Arsenal, when victory would keep them at least six points clear at the top with only three games to go.
Instead, he will keep his longest-serving player in reserve for the return encounter with Schalke, knowing only an improbable three-goal win for the Bundesliga side at Old Trafford will take them through.
For even that very slim hope, Schalke had goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to thank after a performance from the Germany goalkeeper that is the best Ferguson has ever witnessed from an opposition player.
"In my time at United, it is probably the finest display of goalkeeping against us," said Ferguson. "I am sure there have been other feats but tonight I saw a very good one."
