Ryan Giggs was quick to salute the input of United's young stand-ins after the Reds' impressive 4-0 victory over Wigan Athletic.
Gerard Pique, Danny Simpson and Anderson were all outstanding against Chris Hutchings' side, turning in performances that belied their tender years.
"Pique came in at centre half and did a good job, and so did Simmo," Giggs told MUTV. "They got two assists really, so overall it was a really good performance from them both."
Brazilian midfielder Anderson was a first-half substitute at Old Trafford, and caught the eye with his superb passing, forming a promising partnership with Paul Scholes.
"In the second half Anderson was really involved in a lot of the play," admitted Giggs.
"He worked hard, showed some great touches, some great passes and he's still only young and finding his feet, but he put in a really good performance."
While many of United's stars will now jet off to link up with their respective national teams, Giggs will remain at Carrington after retiring from international football earlier this year.
Far from missing out, however, Giggs is adamant that such a timely mid-season break validates his decision to call time on his Welsh career.
"I look forward to not playing, really," he admitted. "This is why I retired from international football, to get the break and to look forward to playing for United and being fresh again."
