A guide to our first UEFA Champions League 2010/2011 Group C opponents Manchester United. A team who need no introduction.
About Manchester United
A guide to our first UEFA Champions League 2010/2011 Group C opponents Manchester United. A team who need no introduction.
Manchester United are THREE times European Cup or UEFA Champions League winners. They won it in 1968, 1999 and 2008. They have also won the Cup Winners Cup and the Super Cup.
This will be the second time Rangers have met Manchester United in this competition. The last time came only a few years ago in the 2003/2004 season. Unfortunately it didn’t go too well, we lost 1-0 at home and 3-0 away.
Manchester United have also faced our rivals Celtic twice in recent years, in the 2006/2007 and 2008/2009 seasons. Celtic did fare slightly better with a win and a draw from the four games played.
The two managers know each other and their respective clubs very well. Sir Alex Ferguson is of course a former Rangers player and was born and bred in nearby Govan.
Walter Smith has also worked under Sir Alex twice, firstly for Scotland during the 1986 World Cup Finals in Mexico, then for a brief spell as assistant manager at Old Trafford just a few years ago.
Manchester United are not in this year’s competition as FA Premiership winners but as runners-up. The Red Devils lost out to Chelsea last season but will hope to regain their title this season.
As well as their European honours, Manchester United have also been successful in Worldwide competitions. They won the Intercontinental Cup in 1999 and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2008.
Domestically, Manchester United have won the English League Championship/FA Premiership eighteen times, this is joint top with Liverpool who have also win eighteen. United have won the FA Cup eleven times and the League Cup four times.
Manchester United Factfile
FULL NAME – Manchester United Football Club
NICKNAMES – The Red Devils
FOUNDED – 1878
STADIUM – Old Trafford (Capacity 75,957)
MANAGER – Sir Alex Ferguson
LAST SEASON – 2nd in FA Premiership
OFFICIAL WEBSITE – www.manutd.com
VITAL MAN UTD – www.manchesterunited.vitalfootball.co.uk
Previous Meetings
2003/2004 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Rangers 0 Manchester United 1
Manchester United 3 Rangers 0
Key Players
WAYNE ROONEY
Has not had a good time of late, had a horrible World Cup in South Africa but this is nothing compared with his off the field problems that have transpired over the last week or so.
He missed the game against Everton due to well published problems, he may or may not be ready to face Rangers, only time will tell.
We won’t say too much on the matter though because bad World Cup and off the field problems aside, he is a huge talent and is one of the best players in the world.
If Rangers face an in form Wayne Rooney then they could be in trouble, and having missed out at the weekend against his old club Everton, he might well take his frustrations out on us.
In the past he was well known for his spectacular goals from long range, but in the past season he has become more of a penalty box striker and that showed with more than 30 goals before he picked up his injury.
PAUL SCHOLES
Paul Scholes is now coming towards the end of his career but he seems to get better as he gets older and is such a vital player for Manchester United.
He has just picked up the FA Premiership player of the month for August and is in fine form. It worries me that we haven’t really got a midfield player who can keep him quiet.
In European nights gone past we have had the likes of Tugay, Claudio Reyna and Gio Van Bronckhorst to do this job. No disrespect to Maurice Edu but he is still inexperience at this level. Although Lee McCulloch may be employed in this role and I think he may be able to do the job… maybe.
Group C fixtures vs Rangers
Tue 14.9.2010 – Old Trafford, Manchester
Wed 24.11.2010 – Ibrox, Glasgow