Genuine cause for optimism for Rangers in Manchester
You just never know…
For many within Ibrox and Murray Park, entrance to the Champions League was crucial to ensure the team’s financial footing continued to move towards more stable ground. Thats a very relevant point for Rangers but lets be honest, the game against Manchester United at Old Trafford is the thing you look forward to.
David Edgar may have spat the dummy out and suggested that the fans should save their money for the Valencia trip but a big competitive game against a major English team should always be worth a journey for Scottish football fans.
Yes, United are overwhelming favourites and Rangers will likely revert to their most cautious approach whilst playing in Europe….but there are factors that may weigh in Rangers favour.
Say what you want about Walter Smiths tactics, especially in Europe but the Rangers away form has to be considered to be a strong point. Draws last season in Stuttgart and against Unirea indicate this team can avoid defeat on the road and in fact, Rangers fans will say they should have won both games.
This is not to say they should expect a draw in Manchester but Rangers will be properly set-up and are well equipped to draw the sting from United’s attacking strength. The old cliché about keeping it tight for the first 20 or so minutes will come into play but Rangers will know what they have to do.
We also don’t think United are up and running yet. Two away draws in the Premiership shows a stuttering form of late and it usually takes United a while to find their form. On the whole, this serves them well when it comes to the business end of the season but maybe leaves them a bit disjointed in September.
There are many factors involved in this game but not all of them are in the favour of the home side. If we were big gamblers we’d be saying United will win, maybe even by a couple of goals but for all that Rangers have downsized in recent years….Manchester United are not as formidable as they have looked in recent years themselves.
What’s the score going to be at Old Trafford?
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Whilst United don’t have the pace or power of the likes of Chelsea, they still pose a very formidable threat to anyone at old Trafford, particularly in the Champions League.
Rangers will do well to take anything from the game, but they will be hard to break down and stubborn in defence, whether that’s enough to conjure up a point remains to be seen. Certain individuals will need to raise their games considerably after Saturdays poor effort.
Incidentally, since the Accies have come up into the SPL, am I right in thinking that neither half of the Old Firm have gone to their place and completed a resounding victory? Definitely not an easy place to go and get a good result, although that doesn’t excuse Saturday’s horror show.
At New Douglas Park, Rangers have a 3-1 and a 1-0 win in the Accies first season back up.
Last year there was another 1-0 win, and of course a 3-3 in the cup.
Celtic had a 2-1 win in Accies first season back and then 2-1 and 1-0 wins last season.
Barring Rangers first game, all the league games decided by just one goal.
Celtic got a late 2-1 win when Paul Hartley scored the winner in 08 and of course, Kenny Miller did likewise on Saturday.
So aye, it’s been a tough trip for the big two.
No Report on the game from last night?
Maybe the Ed is not back from the game yet, could he be one of the Rangers’ supporters that got arrested yesterday.
Quagz…hope you’re not getting paranoid on us!!
Nah, couple of things:
Wanted to milk our positive predicition for the game.
The boy who was supposed to write up the report of the game enjoyed the outcome that much he was last seen heading townwards to celebrate.
Therefore, if you can all stand the suspense…you’ll have to wait until the editor takes an overview of the game later on this evening.
In fairness, if you are on our twitter or facebook pages, you would have seen positive comments regarding the game straight from the final whistle.
Those who moan about “parking a bus” need to lighten up or face reality – the Rangers squad, even more so without Jelavic is cut out for this style of performance.
Great teamwork and effort from Rangers last night.