Fergie:
"Ruud is the best in Europe at pulling off a defender and scoring a goal like he did tonight.
"The great thing is that it was Ruud's first game for a few weeks, he needed the game but he scored a most important goal for us.
"It was a vital goal for us and just the kind of response we wanted to see.
"Now, I have a job picking my team for a massive game at Bolton on Saturday, although that is what I am paid to do.
He reiterates his wish for four strikers:
"When we were at our very best, we had four great strikers.
"It was one of the factors in us winning the treble. We had great players at the time and everyone did their job.
"Absolutely brilliant, that's the kind of commitment we want, that alternative strike force up front because when they were at their best without question that was the key factor.
"Four great strikers and we are trying to build towards that again.
"Saha's fitness coming back from a long injury, the form he was in made me pick a winning team, but tonight it was important to freshen things up and Ruud's done a great job for us, scored a really vital goal for us, and what we are saying is we've got three great strikers and a potential young Giuseppe Rossi.
"Absolutely [aiming to have four strikers], because if you play 55 games a season there is no way the strikers in the modern day can play 55 games, its impossible."
More:
"It was a very open game, both teams had a go and we played some fantastic attacking football.
"We just want to keep going forward. We have some massive games coming up but in the form we are in at the moment, we can look forward to every challenge.
"Obviously Gary Neville was a blow for us as he was injured in training yesterday, that was a shock to us, a real surprise.
"Then of course I had to freshen things up wanted Ryan fresh for Saturday's big game, I think it was time for Ruud to have a game because we played Saha Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday and that's asking a lot of the players around this time of year.
"So the freshness up front with Ruud was important and young Patrice Evra you know freshened that up and keeps Mikael [Silvestre] fresh for Saturday.
"He's tweaked his hamstring actually, well see what he is like for the weekend but I wouldn't have thought he'd be ready for Saturday's match."
"I hope they do but the most important thing is we are in such good form, we are winning our matches and you never know where that is going to take us."
Alan Pardew:
"We sensed he [Ruud] was going to play. Our two central defenders did pretty well against him, but he had one chance and he took it well. That's why he's a world-class striker."
On title chances:
"They're making a real good fist of it but I think it's going to be difficult for them to catch Chelsea.
More:
"We gave an honest account of ourselves but from our part it could have been slightly better.
"This is a big stage, they have some very good players and we find them in good form so it was a tough ask for us.
"Sometimes you have to have a little bit of devilment in your game. I thought that we lacked that, not just individually but also as a team."