CL ~ Manchester United vs Rangers - Sep 14
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Manchester United
Valencia
Rangers 
Bursaspor FIXTURES:
Sept 14 - Man Utd v Rangers
Sept 29 - Valencia v Man Utd
Oct 20 - Man Utd v Bursaspor
Nov 2 - Bursaspor v Man Utd.
Nov 24 - Rangers v Man Utd
Dec 7 - Man Utd v Valencia
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ManU to thrash Rangers 4-0
I think even the referee kelong also cannot help rangers at old trafford.
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Ferguson: We won't take Rangers lightly
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has no plans to take Rangers lightly in their Champions League Group C opener at Old Trafford.
Ferguson has stressed his former club must not be underestimated by his side, who have already thrown away winning positions twice this season.
''We don't have frailties,'' said the Scot. ''It has been a lack of concentration in our defending. People say this is a mismatch but they said that about Barcelona on Saturday night [Barca lost 2-0 at home to Hercules].
''Football throws up surprises. We are never going to forget Rangers' history and this will be a tough game. I know Walter Smith personally and he has worked with me twice. I know how astute he is and how good a tactician he is. I can almost see that little brain working at the moment.''
Wayne Rooney is set to return to the United starting line-up after being left out of Ferguson's matchday squad for Saturday's 3-3 Premier League draw at Everton following lurid allegations over the striker's personal life.
Rooney is expected to be joined in the team by fit-again England captain Rio Ferdinand, but Michael Carrick (Achilles) is definitely out.
Meanwhile, Walter Smith has called on Rangers to replicate the form which took them all the way to the UEFA Cup final in 2008.
The Scottish champions embarked on an incredible run which took them to within touching distance of European silverware only to fall at the final hurdle against Zenit St Petersburg. Now, upon their return to the city, Smith believes that experience will be crucial for the players who were involved on that memorable night as they face one of their biggest games of the season.
The Rangers boss said: ''We have to do as well as we can. We have to recapture the level of form of a few years ago. Everybody sets out to do as well as they possibly can and that's what we will be trying to do.
''Quite a number of our lads had a decent run in the Champions League and just failed to qualify in the last game to stay within the Champions League and we managed to get to the final of the UEFA Cup.
''That was a big thing for us then and gave everyone, including myself, a great deal of experience in the European arena so hopefully we will be able to use that.''
Smith is determined to stand by his decision to retire at the end of the season and insists he will relish every European encounter this season, with Rangers also set to take on Valencia and Turkish champions Bursaspor.
''It's where you want to be involved,'' he said. ''However the sections turn out, however the games turn out, it's still an arena you want to be involved in. We were knocked out a couple of years ago in the early rounds and didn't get an opportunity and there's nothing worse than sitting watching it on the television when you know you could be involved.
''We are looking forward to tomorrow night as the start of another Champions League campaign. It's a really intense period that you have when you take in your domestic fixtures at the same time so we are all looking forward to it.''
Rangers full-back Kirk Broadfoot faces a late fitness test to determine whether he will be available after sustaining an ankle injury while playing for Scotland, but Steven Whittaker has been passed fit after suffering a calf knock while also on international duty.
Smith has no other injury concerns, although Nikica Jelavic is ineligible for the competition.
The last meeting between the two clubs in 2003 resulted in a 4-0 aggregate win for United - before Smith's return for a second spell at Ibrox - and the Premier League giants are overwhelming favourites once again.
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CAPTAINCY CONUNDRUM FOR FERGUSON
Rio Ferdinand will find out whether he is to become Manchester United's next captain on Tuesday night.
It had always been assumed when Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs finally ended their stellar careers, Ferdinand would inherit the coveted armband.
Yet, even though Neville and Giggs still have plenty to contribute, Sir Alex Ferguson has decided he needs a regular on-pitch leader and has decided to pass on the armband.
Nemanja Vidic has done the job so far this season and looked quite impressive in the role.
But with Ferdinand ready to return after recovering from the knee injury that wrecked his World Cup, Ferguson has a decision to make ahead of the Champions League clash with Scottish champions Rangers.
"Over the last two or three years we have had to pass the baton along the line a few times," said Ferguson.
"We have not had a consistent captain. With all due respect to Gary Neville, he knows and I know, we don't play him every week and I am looking for someone who does."
If Ferdinand did miss out it would be a major blow at a time when his credentials as England skipper are also in question following the outstanding manner Steven Gerrard has led the Three Lions over the past few months.
Vidic's fitness has been far more reliable and he also has the experience of skippering the Serbian national team.
Not that Ferguson is giving much away.
"Do you complicate things on purpose?" he laughed, when asked whether Ferdinand or Vidic was going to get the job.
"No comment. I haven't even discussed it."
Talk of Neville and Giggs being passed over inevitably prods them towards the end of their amazingly successful time at Old Trafford.
Ferguson hopes it will be two seasons before that day arrives.
However, after a couple of summers emphasising there is no value in the transfer market, that is when he anticipates having to spend big money to buy replacements.
"We are not at the point where we have to go overboard to get the best player in the world," said Ferguson.
"There are enough really top players in the club at the moment.
"There may be a time in the next couple of years where we have to stretch ourselves, particularly when Ryan, Paul and Gary retire.
"Then, it is a possibility we would need to get really top players in to galvanise the younger ones coming through."
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Manchester United legend Lou Macari says Sir Alex Ferguson is set to unleash Javier Hernandez on Rangers on Tuesday night.
David Weir insists Rangers will have to cope with a fired-up Wayne Rooney at Old Trafford on Tuesday night.
Sir Alex Ferguson has backed Wayne Rooney to hit top form immediately on his return to the Manchester United side for their Champions League tie against Rangers tonight.
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed he wanted to sign Spain's World Cup star David Villa in the summer - but was thwarted by Barcelona.
Sir Alex Ferguson has told Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney to prove his true worth against Rangers on Tuesday night.
Rangers have failed to sell their ticket allocation for Tuesday night's clash at Manchester United - allaying fears of crowd trouble.
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand inists his injury problems are behind him and cannot wait to get back into first-team action.
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Kuszczak, Brown, Ferdinand, Smalling, Fabio Da Silva, Valencia, Fletcher, Gibson, Park, Rooney, Hernandez
Subs: Van der Sar, Owen, Anderson, Giggs, O'Shea, Jonathan Evans, Macheda
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Hopefully valencia won't be out for too long.
meanwhile...
it's now time for obertan to prove himself on the right wing.
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Edit : Double post.
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Despite the stalemate, the young defenders like Smalling and Fabio had proved to Fergie that they can take over the oldies in defence.
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Prognosis negative
Sir Alex fears Antonio Valencia could miss the rest of the season after suffering a horrific ankle injury against Rangers on Tuesday night.
Play was stopped for five minutes and the Ecuador winger required oxygen as he left the pitch on a stretcher after defender Kirk Broadfoot appeared to fall on the winger's leg. He will now have an operation on Wednesday morning.
"He's gone to hospital and it looks like it’s a dislocation or a fracture," he told Sky Sports. "It’s a bad one and it will keep him out for a long time."
The manager later confessed during his post-match press conference that he feared Valencia could be out for the rest of the season and compared the injury to the one suffered by Alan Smith against Liverpool in 2006.
"As soon as I saw the Rangers player waving to the bench we knew it was a bad one."
The hair on my back stood when I saw Valencia's facial expression and pointing to his leg so frantically...
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Originally posted by gunner77:
Kuszczak, Brown, Ferdinand, Smalling, Fabio Da Silva, Valencia, Fletcher, Gibson, Park, Rooney, Hernandez
Subs: Van der Sar, Owen, Anderson, Giggs, O'Shea, Jonathan Evans, Macheda
hmm.. given how this is a home game, and how SAF is not taking Rangers too lightly, how in the world, did we miss out berba/scholes? the two inform players?
I think the focus is on the weekend clash with liverpool.
VS 
