13.09.2011
The Old Trafford boss has hinted he could select players with European experience ahead of their clash in Lisbon on Wednesday.
Getty Images
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists his side face a tough midfield challenge in its Champions League group stage opener against Benfica.
“The opening game is the toughest for us. Benfica are always a handful and we always expect a difficult game. I watched a couple of their games away from home last season and they were absolutely brilliant," Ferguson told the club's official website.Last season's beaten finalists face the Portuguese outfit on Wednesday in Lisbon and Ferguson has warned his charges that they should be prepared for a difficult encounter.
“I think the hardest part for us will be picking the midfield in that particular game. That area will be the biggest challenge," said Ferguson. “They operate with three midfield players in there. They don’t play anyone off the front. They play three actual midfield players so we’ll have to have a look at that.”
Ferguson has hinted the more seasoned players in Europe such as Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick could be handed starting roles, in order to bolster his side's experience on the pitch.
“My team in Lisbon might be different on an issue of experience," said Ferguson. "We’ve also got Darren Fletcher back fit. He’s looking good and did well with Scotland last week. I think we’ll need to have more experience in the game."
He added, “The important thing is to qualify. Benfica away from home is the kind of the game you have to respect.”
“The opening game is the toughest for us. Benfica are always a handful and we always expect a difficult game. I watched a couple of their games away from home last season and they were absolutely brilliant," Ferguson told the club's official website.Last season's beaten finalists face the Portuguese outfit on Wednesday in Lisbon and Ferguson has warned his charges that they should be prepared for a difficult encounter.
“I think the hardest part for us will be picking the midfield in that particular game. That area will be the biggest challenge," said Ferguson. “They operate with three midfield players in there. They don’t play anyone off the front. They play three actual midfield players so we’ll have to have a look at that.”
Ferguson has hinted the more seasoned players in Europe such as Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick could be handed starting roles, in order to bolster his side's experience on the pitch.
“My team in Lisbon might be different on an issue of experience," said Ferguson. "We’ve also got Darren Fletcher back fit. He’s looking good and did well with Scotland last week. I think we’ll need to have more experience in the game."
He added, “The important thing is to qualify. Benfica away from home is the kind of the game you have to respect.”
No comments:
Post a Comment