Rangers v Manchester United: Preview

24 November 2010 12:59
Sir Alex Ferguson opted against taking a trip down memory lane after landing back home in Glasgow. Ferguson has no time for sentiment for Rangers or their manager, his old friend Walter Smith, and, it seems, no more messing about with his team as Dimitar Berbatov tries to rediscover his impressive early-season form.

- Rangers v Manchester United LIVE from 7.45pm

"We have been changing the strikers quite a lot recently and I have to accept responsibility for changing it too much," Ferguson said.

"Now we are going to have a more consistent look about our team. We have a lot of good young options but hopefully we can get Wayne Rooney back to his best and Dimitar is suited to playing with Wayne."

If the return of Rooney to the starting line-up dominates debate over Ferguson's team selection, Berbatov's slump in form is not that far behind. During a stellar first month of the campaign, United's £30.75million record buy was in outstanding form, capped by a brilliant hat-trick against Liverpool.

Since then, nothing, his performances gradually reducing to the point where he did not even make the bench for the weekend win over Wigan and doubt is again being raised about his long-term future.

"It has not taken Dimitar back to square one," Ferguson insisted.

"In our game it is very difficult to play well every week. We are in a competitive league. The results themselves tell you something. Getting consistency of performance from front players is very difficult.

"Look around at other clubs. They are finding it much the same as us."

A Rangers win would leave United in a last day confrontation with Valencia, with another victory against Bursaspor taking them through at one of the favourites' expense.

"It is an interesting situation and one we have to treat pretty seriously," Ferguson said.

"It is all right saying we only need one point, but if Rangers win we then have to beat Valencia, so hopefully we can continue our form away from home in the Champions League."

Rangers will give Sasa Papac every opportunity to prove his fitness. The defender has been out with concussion after suffering a knock to the head a couple of weeks ago and is a doubt for the clash at Ibrox.

Madjid Bougherra (hamstring) and Maurice Edu (knee) are both sidelined, with Andy Webster, James Beattie and Nikica Jelavic also still out of action.

Source: DSG