Then came FC Basel and United’s Champions League exit on Wednesday. Blame the result on bad luck; blame it on lack of quality. Whatever the cause, and whomever the culprit(s), United simply had to take steps towards recovery on Saturday when Wolverhampton Wanderers visited Old Trafford. Indeed, Mick McCarthey’s side was surely the perfect tonic for a bruised United, having failed to win at the Theatre of Dreams for more than 30 years and, more recently, having lost seven of the last 10 in all competitions.

True to the script Sir Alex wanted United thrashed a meek Wolves side, which caved in all too easily. Goals from Wayne Rooney and Nani will have boosted the Reds’ confidence – and goal difference – as the home side racked up an easy 4-1 victory on Saturday. True, McCarthy’s side possesses nobody of Xherdan Shaqiri’s excellence. Nor Marco Streller, Alexander Frei, Nicolás Gaitán, and Pablo Aimar, who have each caused United so much pain in Europe this season. But a win, in the circumstances, is a win nonetheless.

No wonder Ferguson wrote off Wednesday’s loss as bad luck – however disingenuous – and praised his side’s performance against the Midlanders.

“I was well pleased with the performance, our attacking play was terrific and we could have scored a lot more goals,” the United manager said.

“Goals are what we are about really, and today was a fillip in terms of pushing us on in the league. We are coming up to an important part of the season now and a win like this puts us in good fettle. On Wednesday we worked our socks off and didn’t get a break. Today we worked our socks off and we did get the breaks. There’s no question that what happened on Wednesday was a massive disappointment, but some of the young players will be able to learn from that experience. Some of them have not suffered a bad defeat before, and in the long term it could be good for them.”

Moving on from Wednesday has become a theme, with Ferguson rightly eyeing a favourable fixture list during December as United’s opportunity to close the gap on Manchester City in the Premier League. Indeed, more than one player confronted personal demons against Wolves, with out-of-form Rooney scoring twice, and Nani recovering from an inconsistent spell for bag a brace.

And in Phil Jones, the 19-year-old defender Ferguson has pushed into central midfield, the Scot has a determined performer who suffering in the St Jakob-Park cauldron last week, only to recover more than a semblance of pride against Wolves

“The manager said the most important thing was to move on, and that’s what we did,” 19-year-old defender Phil Jones said.

“We moved on quickly and showed what we are capable of. The fans were 100% behind us and that’s exactly what we needed. Everyone at the club was incredibly disappointed on Wednesday, but there’s no point dwelling on it. It’s gone, and now there are other things to play for. It’s a credit to the lads. It was a terrific performance after the disappointment of midweek but we have picked ourselves up quickly and gone again. It was a spirited performance and hopefully we can push on from here.

“Wayne was brilliant again. Just because he hasn’t been scoring doesn’t mean he hasn’t influenced the game because the things he does off the ball are terrific. People don’t take that into consideration, but he has been playing terrifically well for us. Nani was also terrific.”

While United successfully ‘moved on’ against McCarthey’s tepid outfit there are far greater challenges to come. After all, United has failed in the club’s two toughest challenges of the season to date – at home to City, and qualification from the Champions League.

The Reds will surely confirm the renaissance in fixtures against QPR, Fulham, Wigan Athletic and Blackburn Rovers during December. Yet, January begins with a visit to Newcastle United, followed by the FA Cup fixture against City at Eastlands. Then there is the visit to Arsenal, before back-to-back games against Chelsea and Liverpool in early February.

And whatever the structural imbalances in Ferguson’s squad it is highly unlikely that the Scot will dip into the transfer market this weekend. More unlikely still that the Glazer family will dig deep to sign the kind of high quality central midfielders that are so patently required.

“It is very difficult to buy players in January,” Ferguson said.

“You don’t just want to buy any player simply because it gives you another player. If you are going to buy, you want to buy someone who can make a difference. We have only had maybe four or five signings in my time here in January: Louis Saha, Andy Cole, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra. It is not a consistent route for us to buy in January, simply because of all the disadvantages. There are a lot of issues there and there is nothing in my mind at the moment.”

With Anderson too often injured and always inconsistent, and Tom Cleverley unlikely to be fit until well into the New Year, Ferguson is left to find his best combination in midfield. December should provide the boost to confidence United’s 69-year-old manager seeks. But the real challenge will come in the New Year, with the tougher fixtures to come. Will United’s familiar failings raise their head again?

It was, to paraphrase the sign hanging on Clinton’s Little Rock campaign office, the economy, stupid, that would send the Arkansan to office. Clinton’s win, barely a year after Bush had received 90 per cent approval ratings in the polls, was gained on a more nuanced understanding of Americans’ needs than his predecessor could ever muster.

Six weeks after Manchester United’s humiliation in the derby, one wonders whether the club, like Bush, is on the precipice of acceding to a superior force. In Europe, given the result against FC Basel on Wednesday night, United already has.

In the period since City scored six at Old Trafford, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side has seemingly become ever more recalcitrant, stubbornly grinding out single goal victories – domestically at least. In the face of an ever-growing injury list, with the side’s rhythm broken by recurring absentees, United’s ability to win ‘when playing poorly’ is – as the old cliché goes – the stuff of champions. Points gained now could well have a significant impact come May, even in the darkness of the ‘morning after the night before’.

Yet, United’s performances since 23 October have been mired in the kind of sparkle-less midfield performance that – aside from a short period at the current campaign’s start – has become increasingly the norm. A new emphasis on midfield structure, built around the admirable Michael Carrick, and not the injured Tom Cleverley’s pass-and-move creativity, has replaced the free-flowing football played in August and early September. In truth those memories are now long gone; August an exception that proves the rule.

This observation is not new – supporters and pundits alike have complained of a glaring weakness in Ferguson’s squad for years. Paul Scholes, ageing and increasingly pushed to the margins, always needed replacing. Roy Keane and Owen Hargreaves are long gone. Ferguson’s midfield is, even for the most optimistic Reds, at least two high-class players short.

Increasingly, Ferguson has taken to experimentation in search of a solution. Wayne Rooney, Phil Jones, Ryan Giggs and Park Ji-Sung have each been deployed in central midfield in recent games. The position is unnatural to all of them.

And so to Wednesday, when United crashed and burned at St Jackob-Park, and Ferguson’s side was sent packing into the ignominy of the Europa League. In midfield Ryan Giggs and Phil Jones made up the odd-couple central midfield.

The Scot’s outfit did almost everything bar score the required goals, but in truth most supporters will have seen this coming. And in assessing the devastating loss, thoughts necessarily turn inwards, for this has been a failure of the club’s own making.

“It is embarrassing to be in the Europa League,” defender Patrice Evra said succinctly.

“I play for Manchester United to be in the Champions League. It’s a catastrophe. We feel very sad but we deserve to go out. “It’s a big disappointment. Since I played with Monaco, I’ve never been out in the first round. We played with fire. Against Basel at home we were winning 2-0 and we drew against Benfica as well. It’s not about tonight, it’s about the competition. We threw away that qualification. We should have woken up earlier in this competition.

“It feels like a dream. I feel I will wake up tomorrow and we will have qualified. But it is not a dream, it is the reality. Even if it is a friendly, when I pull on a United shirt I do my best to win that trophy. I play for Manchester United to play in the Champions League but some players dream of playing for United in any competition and you have to respect that.”

The question now is not whether the “embarrassment” will provoke a “response,” as Ferguson put it post match – supporters can expect no less – but specifically what that might be. For surely the United manager cannot believe his side did not try hard enough, or has more to give? Many supporters will argue that the response, if there is to be one, must come in the market to address the structural problems in the Scot’s squad.

It is worrying, then, that the Glazer family is unwilling to release funds this winter for midfield reinforcements, if the word on the street, currently doing the rounds, is to be believed. It is a truism that United was interested in Internazionale’s midfielder Wesley Sneijder in the past summer, only for the deal to flounder on the Dutchman’s substantial wages. Any move for Luka Modric was ended at the conceptual stage once the Croatian’s fee was established at more than £30 million on the open market.

Across town City acquired Samir Nasri at great expense from Arsenal, adding to the exceptional talents already at Eastlands, including this season’s best player, David Silva. That City’s vast array of midfield talents contrasts so starkly with Ferguson’s meagre resources is all the more disappointing for Reds keen to stave off the rising Blue Moon. To underline City’s riches, Nasri, also a target for Ferguson in the summer, has spent much of the campaign held in reserve by Roberto Mancini.

City’s midfield quartet of Yaya Touré, James Milner, Gareth Barry, and Silva, ran rings round United at Old Trafford. Just as, one might add, Barcelona had at Wembley in May. Anderson and Darren Fletcher failed against City, just as Carrick and Giggs succumbed to the Catalans six months earlier. Benfica and Basel have demonstrated that even clubs supposedly one tier down can more than match United. One wonders how many lessons it is going to take?

How much criticism is reserved for Ferguson, who dragged his limited squad to a glorious 19th domestic title last May, depends on how far you believe he is culpable for the marked decline in his midfield resources. One version paints Ferguson as the visionary, transforming his squad through vibrant youth, and investing in Cleverley as United’s next great playmaker. An alternate casts the Scot as the Glazer family’s lickspittle; a carpetbagger’s lackey, beholden to owners that are unwilling to invest in the club’s playing resources unless costs are cut elsewhere.

Which brings us back to Clinton. In ’92 the American people, who should have been emboldened by the Cold War’s end, and impassioned with militaristic pride at the successful conflict in the Persian Gulf, instead threw out the old regime and invested in the promise of a bright young southern lawyer. Ferguson is unlikely to cast aside the dead wood in his midfield, but it is, to borrow a now hackneyed phrase, the midfield, stupid, that will ultimately end United’s quest for 20 – as it has in Europe – unless something changes. And fast.

United must get at least a draw from tonight’s match at St Jakob-Park to qualify for the knock out stages of the competition. And Switzerland international Streller says that the pressure is on United. Defeat in Switzerland would send Ferguson’s side out of the Champions League at the group stage for the first time since 2005.

“At 2-0, it seemed to me they didn’t take us seriously,” said Streller.

“But after that, I know they will not underestimate us again. They will take us seriously tomorrow because now they know we are a good team. We have proved it already. The pressure is bigger for them. In 99% of the games they play, Manchester United are the favourites. They probably have 30 internationals in their squad and although Javier Hernández and Dimitar Berbatov are not here, they still have Danny Welbeck to come in. I am sure they can cope with the pressure but maybe there is one or two per cent in the back of our minds that can make it an advantage for us.”

Streller’s analysis brooked no rebuked from Ferguson, who has blamed United’s “casualness” for the draw at Old Trafford in September – a point that, with some irony, may just have saved the Reds place in this season’s competition.

But the Scot will be without a plethora of key players for the clash at the atmospheric 38,000 capacity St Jakob-Park. In addition to strikers Dimitar Berbatov, Javier Hernández and Michael Owen, United also travelled without the da Silva brothers, Tom Cleverley, and the suspended Michael Carrick. However, Rio Ferdinand is fit despite being substituted against Aston Villa at the weekend.

Despite the absentees, Ferguson says his side has the experience, and the record away from home in Europe, to pass what is likely to be a stern test of United’s credentials in this season’s competition. However, the Scot dismissed any notion that key striker Wayne Rooney’s mind will be elsewhere, with the England man set to hear his Euro 2012 fate at UEFA’s HQ in Nyon later this week.

“We’ve played a lot of big games,” said Ferguson.

“Tomorrow is another. People say we’re not doing well but we’re second in the league and we can qualify for the last 16. Injuries haven’t helped but we have a strong squad and the squad will see us through. We need to make sure we try and control the game as we did at Aston Villa. It’ll be a fantastic atmosphere but we’ve had a good record away from home in the last few years and that helps us. Hopefully, it applies itself tomorrow.

“There was nothing wrong with our tactics in the first game [the 3-3 draw]. It was the complacency as we got wasteful with our chances. We showed a lack of discipline in the second half and it cost us an extra two points. But we did our job against Otelul Galati, did well at Benfica and were unlucky at home to Benfica when we should have won.

“I don’t think that kind of pressure affects us. If you look at the number of games these players play in, they are involved year in and year out in semi-finals, finals and quarter-finals and tomorrow is that type of situation. It is another big game and a hard one. We have to rely on our experience in the last few years away from home.”

The United manager has a delicate balancing act in midfield though, with in-form Carrick sidelined through suspension. Darren Fletcher is fit to come into the side, and Ferguson is likely to choose between Phil Jones and Ryan Giggs to partner the Scotsman, while perennial Champions League performer Park Ji-Sung is vying for a place on the wing. The boss will choose between fit again Danny Welbeck to partner Wayne Rooney in attack, a five-man midfield, or moving Young inside.

Meanwhile, Basel will be without key player Benjamin Huggel for the tie, which the Swiss champions must win in order to progress. However, Valentin Stocker did feature against Luzern at the weekend, his first appearance since April because of a knee ligament injury.

Vogel’s side comes into the match in fine form after securing a ninth successive league victory at the weekend – a match in which Streller scored his third goal in as many appearances. The team has now won 15 of the last 19 games in all competitions.

“He’s one of the greatest managers ever but this match isn’t about me against Ferguson. It’s about United against Basel and everything has to be right for us to achieve what we want,” added Basel coach Heiko Vogel.

“I think everyone, not just in this city but across Swiss football, is looking forward to this game. For us it’s a great climax to a successful year – I hope we can pull off the big coup. Everybody can feel the level of anticipation, but the mood with me and my team is of the necessary relaxation. We are focused.

“Man U are one of the strongest teams in the world and the fact they were in the final last year against, in my opinion, the strongest team in the world, speaks volumes. For me Sir Alex Ferguson is one of the all-time greats and he is unique in being at one club and enjoying success for such a long time; it’s extraordinary.”

During the long career Ferguson’s side has only twice lost out in the group stages of the Champions League – in 1994/5 and then in the 2005/6 competition. The Scot is adamant that a repeat is not on the cards on Wednesday night.

Match Facts
FC Basel v Manchester United, St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Wednesday 7 December 2011, 7.45pm

Likely Line-ups
Basel (4-4-2): Sommer; Steinhöfer, Dragovic, Abraham, Park; F Frei, Cabral, Xhaka, Zoua; A Frei, Streller. Subs from: Ajeti, Schürpf,Yapi, Chipperfield, Stocker, Voser, Xhaka, Herzog, Kusunga, Colomba, Buess, Andrist, Kovac, Tembo, Wieser, Kwang-Ryong.

United (4-4-4-1): de Gea; Smalling, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra; Nani, Fletcher, Giggs, Park; Young; Rooney. Subs from: Lindegaard, Amos, Fryers, Pogba, Jones, Nani, Valencia, Diouf, Welbeck, Macheda.

Form
Basel: DWWWWW
United: WWDDLW

Officials
Referee: Björn Kuipers (NED)
Assistant referees: Sander van Roekel, Erwin Zeinstra
Additional assistant referees: Bas Nijhuis, Richard Liesveld

The dark clouds of defeat hung not only over United’s European campaign but domestically too. Defeat to Benfica in Lisbon had followed an equally tedious display against Lille in Paris, after which Ferguson had sought – erroneously – to blame the Stade de France pitch for the Reds’ 1-0 loss. Four days earlier, in what many still regard as one of the most humiliating losses in Ferguson’s reign, Middlesbrough hammered United 4-1 at the Riverside.

The manager appeared, on the surface at least, to hold no answers to United’s struggles.

In between Euro defeats the tension between captain Roy Keane and manager Ferguson reached its zenith, with the Irishman effectively sacked on 18 November. Keane, having already voiced his willingness to play elsewhere with a contract due to expire the following summer, went on to name and shame his failing United team-mates in a now infamous MUTV interview. That the Keane and Ferguson had already clashed in pre-season over preparations at a Portuguese training camp only made the midfielder’s express departure all the more inevitable.

The fall out was equally certain, with doom-laden headlines and very public questions about Ferguson’s ability, energy and willingness to turn around United’s apparent decline. After all, failure in Europe during the 2005/6 season capped a relatively barren period for the club. Chelsea captured that season’s title by eight points, and the previous race too, some 12 points ahead of the Reds. Moreover, Arsenal had taken the Premier League in 2003/4, 15 points ahead of Ferguson’s limited side.

Supporter anger, brewing since the Glazer takeover the previous summer, was only exacerbated by United’s football in winter 2005 that was all too often turgid in nature, with Ruud van Nistelrooy often ploughing a lone furrow up front, and Wayne Rooney frequently consigned to a wide role.

No wonder some fans began to express their anger in writing.

“It is an increasingly inescapable conclusion that, unwittingly or otherwise, Ferguson is winding down, a prizefighter who no longer has the stomach or the wit for an admittedly enormous challenge which, once upon a time, he would have fervently inhaled,” wrote United supporting journalist Rob Smyth in the Guardian.

“Like he did with Liverpool. Ferguson’s almost maniacal yearning to “knock Liverpool off their f***ing perch” was arguably the single most important factor in United’s 1990s renaissance. It makes it all the more vicious an irony that, 10 years later, he should knock United off the perch he had made for them through increasingly rank mismanagement.”

Six years on, four Premier League titles and a European trophy later, and Smyth’s expression of frustration has proven embarrassingly wrong. Yet, in the gloom of Euro exit and domestic supersedence, it was not obvious that the groundwork had been done for future success. Smyth’s was not the only voice of concern.

The inevitable question now is whether United, being heavily outspent by Chelsea and Manchester City domestically, and on the verge of European failure, will repeat the trick of 2005/6? Certainly qualification from Group C is not guaranteed. After all, FC Basel gave the Reds a genuine game at Old Trafford, scoring three times in a well-earned draw. In the hot-house atmosphere of St. Jakob-Park in two week’s time the Reds could conceivably fail.

United’s defensive nous on the road ought to earn the draw needed, but few will bet heavily on it. More to the point, the chances of United securing a second round tie against a European heavyweight is high, with Internazionale, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona all likely to top Champions League groups. Unless whipping boys Otelul Galati secure at least a draw at Benfica United cannot top Group C, and the nation’s bookies will weigh the odds in favour of a new year Euro exit.

Yet, if this is to be a season of transition, with the Class of ’92 – save for Ryan Giggs – all now departed, the groundwork for future success is surely more advanced than in winter 2005. True, United then had a young Cristino Ronaldo, whose partnership with Rooney would blossom into a Champions League winning force. But the squad also contained a plethora of dead wood, including Mikael Silvestre, Kieran Richardson, Alan Smith, and Liam Miller.

Ferguson’s concern today is to mould Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, the da Silva brothers and David de Gea into a consistent, long-term, defensive unit, while finding the right blend from his variety of attacking options. However, by far the 69-year-old’s greatest challenge is to find – or buy – a central midfield formula that can compete at the highest level. As it is, mediocrity in the centre of the park is forcing Ferguson to compromise either United’s attacking or defensive cohesion. Too often both.

This concern is not new of course. Ferguson’s failure to adequately replace Keane and then Owen Hargreaves is utterly dumbfounding. Belief that injury-prone rookie Tom Cleverley could carry United’s central midfield alone this season was a glaring strategic error.

In the short-term the Scot will hope, beyond hope, that captain Nemanja Vidic’s return in Switzerland will be accompanied by a fit Rooney. Without the pair, the Reds face a genuine threat of exit. With them, that fear can be postponed to the New Year at least.

Injury to Tom Cleverley, in particular, has unsettled United’s balance, with Wayne Rooney moved from attack to midfield to compensate for the 22-year-old’s loss. Indeed, United has failed to score more than once in any Premier League game since City hit six at Old Trafford in October, with Rooney deployed deeper as Ferguson has sought greater midfield protection for his back four.

The lack of penetration in recent weeks is surely worrying the Scot, whose side faces a crucial tie with Benfica at Old Trafford on Tuesday night. Defeat to the Portuguese giants is unthinkable, but could place United’s progress from the group stages of the Champions League in doubt for the first time since 2005.

“I think we’ve made some changes to the team at the start of the season,” explained 69-year-old Ferguson.

“Tom Cleverley and Chris Smalling got injured and Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic were injured in the first game. So there were quite a few changes you don’t envisage. You see everyone fit and fresh in pre-season and, going through the tour of the States, there was not one injury and then you’re hit with a whole host [of them]. It doesn’t disrupt us to a great degree but it does unsettle the balance of the team at times.

“Sometimes we have to rethink which team we need to win a match and sometimes, when the team is in full flow, you don’t need to worry about that. We’ve had a few issues but hopefully we’re gradually getting over them and, once we get the players back in again, we’ll be okay.”

Ferguson’s side will be without long-term injury victims Cleverley, Michael Owen and Chris Smalling, although the latter trained separately from the main group on Monday. Danny Welbeck also returned to training, but the youngster is highly unlikely to make the European fixture. Meanwhile, kids Ravel Morrison, Ezekiel Fryers and Davide Petrucci joined the first team group, with speculation rife that one or more could make Ferguson’s side on Tuesday night.

However, Rooney sat out Monday’s training session following “a couple of knocks” suffered during United’s 1-0 victory over Swansea City at the weekend. The 26-year-old Scouser is likely to make the tie though and, with victory essential, could be pushed into a forward position.

In defence captain Nemanja Vidic sits out the second of a two match ban, while Jonny Evans could come back into the team if the Northern Irishman is declared fit.

Meanwhile, Ferguson offered praise for Nani, the former Sporting Lisbon winger, who has become a key plank of United’s attack. The 25-year-old has taken time to generate a greater level of consistency, and can still frustrate at times, but with a growing goal output and an outstanding assists record, Nani is slowly moving out of Cristiano Ronaldo’s lengthy shadow.

“Nani has always had potential,” added Ferguson.

“Some of those who come to our club from abroad do it quickly, others gradually grow into it. Nani is one of those. Even Cristiano took two or three years to get the maturity in his game. That is what we are seeing with Nani now. The goals have been fine but his assists are very high. He is progressing really well.”

Benfica beat United 2-1 in Lisbon in December 2005, and eliminated Ferguson’s team at the group stage for the first time since 1994. Rio Ferdinand, Park Ji-Sung, Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney and Darren Fletcher remain for United from that fixture. However, a repeat scenario is one that nobody at Old Trafford is contemplating six years later. Victory for United over Jorge Jesus’ side, coupled with defeat for FC Basel, will guarantee the Reds’ progress to the knock-out stages.

“You do want to finish top as it give you little perks like having the second leg at home,” added Fletcher.

“There are a few aspects to topping the group which benefit you in the long run. First and foremost you look to qualify for the knockout stages but we saw Arsenal finish second last season and end up with Barcelona in the first knockout round. Although people say you have to beat these teams if you want to win the competition, it is good to avoid them until later on.”

Meanwhile, Benfica can boast two of the tournament’s leading strikers in Rodrigo and Óscar Cardozo. Rodrigo, 20, spent a year on loan with Bolton Wanderers last season, but has bloomed in the current campaign, scoring in each of Benfica’s last five matches. However, the youngster could be sacrificed if Jesus deploys an extra man in midfield.

Cardozo, Benfica’s goalscorer against United on matchday one, has a knack of finding the net against English clubs having scored six times in four matches against Everton and Liverpool in 2009/10, although the striker only has two in the past 10 matches. Reported United midfield target Nicolás Gaitán has provided four assists to date, the highest total in the competition.

“It`s a big game, a game we recognise as a real European game in the history of Benfica and ourselves,” concluded Ferguson.

“There’ve been loads of great games between the sides that always stick in the memory, such as one we lost 2-1 over there. In the first match over there [this season] we did well and our possession was good. We deserved the result except for maybe the last 15 minutes, when they had a few chances. It should be an open match, both teams want to win.”

That, at least, will make a change from United’s recent negative performances, despite yielding five victories in a row since the loss to City.

Match Facts
Manchester United versus Benfica, Champions League, Old Trafford, Tuesday 22 November 2011, 7.45pm

Likely Line-ups
United (4-4-1-1): De Gea; Jones, Evans, Ferdinand, Evra; Valencia, Carrick, Fletcher, Nani; Rooney; Hernandez. Subs from: Lindegaard, Fabio, Pogba, Fryers, Park, Morrison, Gibson, Petrucci, Young, Berbatov, Diouf.

Benfica (4-4-1-1): Artur; Pereira, Luisao, Garay, Emerson; Garcia, Witsel, Cesar, Gaitan; Aimar; Cardozo. Subs from: Eduardo, Peixoto, Vítor, Jardel, Amorim, Nolito, Matić, Simão, Peréz, Oliveira, Rodrigo, Saviola

Form
United: LWWWWW
Benfica: WDWWWD

Officials
Referee: Cüneyt Çakır (TUR)
Assistant referees: Bahattin Duran, Tarik Ongun
Additional assistant referees: Tolga Özkalfa, Süleyman Abay

Despite being fit the 33-year-old defender was dropped by Ferguson for United’s trip to Everton last weekend, marking a potential watershed in Ferdinand’s career after nearly a decade at the club. And Ferguson has warned the £30 million defender that he must adapt his game if the former Leeds United man is to compete with competition from United’s younger players.

Ferguson has five central defenders at his disposal, with Jonny Evans, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones each under 23-years-of-age, and vying for a place in the Scot’s side.

“I explained to Rio the other day simply this – we have two young centre-backs coming through and I’m happy to have four and hope I can keep four of them for a long time,” said Ferguson on Tuesday.

“Rio’s almost 33 and has obviously lost the yard of pace he had five years ago but that doesn’t mean to say he can’t tailor his game into a different game where he doesn’t rely on pace. We’ve all faced that, the decisive moment in your career when you realise you have to change your game. I did that myself when I lost some sharpness so I tailored my game differently.

“In his time with us, eight years or so now, he’s been a fantastic, consistent performer, top-class and absolutely brilliant. Rio will rearrange his game a little bit but not drastically. He’s still one of the best footballers in the country in terms of his use of the ball. He has a great presence and can still tackle and head the ball. He’ll change, there’s no problem with that, and he’ll play a big part.”

Ferdinand will start alongside Evans on Wednesday, with Phil Jones or Fabio da Silva likely to come in at right-back as United seek to tighten up a back-four that has conceded regularly this season. Chris Smalling will miss the next month with a broken bone in his foot, while Rafael da Silva may play United’s reserve fixture on Thursday night.

“That we were loose is borne out by the statistics that have bandied about over the last few weeks,” added Ferguson.

“There has to be a balance in these matters. Nobody likes losing goals first of all and we have lost a few this season. But we also want to make sure the attacking part is always threatening.”

Although the temptation may be for Ferguson to make wholesale changes ahead of the international break, United’s need for points means that a strong selection is likely. Ashley Young will miss the fixture with a toe problem, meaning that two of Antonio Valencia, Park Ji-Sung and Nani are likely to start against the Romanian champions.

Meanwhile, in midfield Ferguson will be without Tom Cleverley once again, with the 22-year-old suffering a reaction to the ankle injury sustained in September. Cleverley played 55 minutes of United’s Premier League win at Everton but will sit out the next two Untied fixtures and England’s friendlies with Sweden and Spain next week.

The injury means a recall is likely for either Michael Carrick or Anderson to play alongside Darren Fletcher in midfield. The Scot missed around six months of last season with a mysterious viral infection but is now fully fit and central to Ferguson’s mission to tighten up United’s defensive game.

“I feel fine. I knew I would be, my natural fitness is always very good,” said the midfielder.

“I worked hard with the fitness coaches whilst the rest of the lads were away on tour. I reached my level fairly quickly, then it was a question of matches because the more you play, the more you get your sharpness back and awareness back. I was lucky in the respect I was able to get a few games for Scotland before I played for United, which definitely helped me. I have played 10 games so far this season and I feel as though I am back to the level I should be at.”

Oţelul arrive at Old Trafford seeking the first points of an inaugural Champions League campaign. Defeat to United in Bucharest, courtesy of two Wayne Rooney penalties, came after a suicidal defensive performance in the second period. Yet the Romanians will see an opportunity to finish third in the group and qualify for the Europa League, with Basel in disarray following Torsten Fink’s departure to Hamburg.

“We need to win, that’s for sure,” added Ferguson.

“Going on our experience from the last game, they’re a very organised, committed, strong and aggressive team. We’ll need a good performance to beat them. We may make one or two changes, not a great many, and they’ll be mainly because of injuries and things like that. But hopefully we’ve still got a strong enough team to win.”

It’s a tough ask for the Romanians whatever Ferguson’s selection. Including UEFA Intertoto Cup ties and UEFA Cup qualifying rounds, Oţelul have played 11 away matches in Europe and lost seven of them. Oţelul  will be without Laurenţiu Buş, sidelined since October with an ankle problem, although defensive midfielder Ioan Filip and Adrian Sălăgeanu are both available. Summer signing Daniel Chávez is still not fit.

Match Facts
Manchester United versus Oţelul Galaţi, Champions League, Old Trafford, Wednesday 2 November 2011, 7.45pm

Likely Line-ups
United (4-4-1-1): Lindegaard; Jones, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra; Nani, Anderson, Fletcher, Park; Rooney; Hernandez. Subs from: De Gea, Fabio, Pogba, Carrick, Giggs, Berbatov, Welbeck, Valencia, Owen, Diouf.

Oţelul Galaţi (4-2-3-1): Grahovac; Perendija, Salageanu, Râpă, Costin; Filip, Neagu, Frunză, Antal, Giurgiu; Punoševac,  Subs from: Viglianti, Pena, Ilie, Skubič, Filip, Ljubinković, Antal, Ibeh, Frunză, Sălăgeanu, Paraschiv, , Benga, Iorga, Ilie, Cojoc, Chavez, Buchta, Novac.

Form
United: WDWLWW
Galati:DLWWWW

Officials
Referee Marijo Strahonja (CRO)
Assistant referees: Sinisa Premuzaj, Zeljko Novosel
Additional assistant referees: Igor Pristovnik, Damir Batinić
Fourth official: Ante Vučemilović-Šimunović Jr.

With just two points from the side’s opening games, United is under surprising pressure to deliver victory in one of the Champions League’s easier groups. Indeed, anything bar victory could leave the Reds vulnerable to the unthinkable: elimination at the group stage.

Ferguson’s quest to end that line of thinking is boosted captain Nemanja Vidic’s return to the side, with the Serbian recovering from a longstanding calf problem. The defender’s return will compensate for the loss of Rio Ferdinand, who has been left in Manchester as a precautionary measure ahead of the derby next weekend. Jonny Evans is likely to start alongside captain Vidic, with Phil Jones reprising his recent role at right-back.

“I think we have to win tomorrow and I’ll play a strong team,” said Ferguson.

“I could play several teams and I’d consider them strong enough to win. This isn’t a tournament you can afford to be complacent in. Tomorrow’s game is very important for us. I guess it depends on what happens in the other tie [Basel v Benfica]. The important thing is for us to win. That solves all the problems.

“We have to progress in the Champions League and then we have four or five days to recover for the Sunday game against City. The timescale for recovery is perfect for us and it’s the same for City as well.”

Meanwhile, Ferguson says Wayne Rooney will start in Romania, after overcoming the apparent mental anguish that the striker suffered in the wake of UEFA’s Euro 2012 ban. Rooney will sit out all of England’s group matches in the tournament, with Fabio Capello reportedly undecided whether to take the striker to Poland and Ukraine at all.

Ferguson left Rooney out of United’s starting line-up at Anfield, ostensibly under the banner of Rooney’s mental health, although a string of poor performances in the past against Liverpool will presumably have made the decision easier.

“I think he’s OK,” the United manager said on Monday.

“Actually when he came on he was quite bubbly. He was full of energy and enthusiasm. He was desperate to get on actually ,which is good because when he sat watching the game he probably said: ‘Christ I could be out there.’ He’ll be playing tomorrow.

“The initial news was a definite blow for him. He didn’t expect that. I don’t think any of us did. To me it was a silly action but it wasn’t seriously dangerous. It was a slight reaction but to get a three-match ban. When he realised getting three-match ban meant missing all the games for England and that he might not be involved at all, as England know how difficult it is to get out of a group, that resonated in Wayne’s mind.”

Ferguson should start the Scouser alongside Mexican striker Javier Hernandez for the match, which will be played at the National Stadium in Bucarest, and not at Galați’s 13,000-capacity local ground. Winger Nani is also in line for a recall in what promises to be a far more attacking line-up than the one which began against Liverpool on Saturday. Indeed, with Galați having lost its opening games against Benfica and Basel many regard the Romanians as the Champions League’s weakest team.

“We’ve watched Galați a few times and I watched the video of them against Benfica,” added Ferguson.

“Their system is like a lot of systems in Europe – they play with two wide men and one through the middle, one midfielder in the hole… a lot of European teams are playing this way now. We’ve got a good idea about how the game should be played tomorrow and we hope we can get the result we want.”

To do that United must defend better than Ferguson’s team has in the tournament to date. Last season’s runners-up did not concede a single goal in 540 minutes of away action en route to the final.

Yet history bodes well, with United having beaten Dinamo Bucharest on the only previous occasion on which the club has met Romanian opposition. Goals from Alan Smith, David Bellion and Ryan Giggs contributed to a 5-1 aggregate win in the 2004 third qualification round, which included a 2-1 win in the Romanian capital.

Moreover, the last time United failed to win either of its first two games in the Champions League group phase was in 1998/99 when Ferguson’s ended up lifting the trophy at Camp Nou. Mind you, those opening draws included a 3-3 with Barcelona at Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, Oţelul may have never previously met at English club but the club’s coach, Dorinel Munteanu, has enjoyed two high-profile victories over the national team. He scored in a 3-2 win against England at Euro 2000 – a result that knocked England out – while Munteanu also played in Roamnia’s 2-1 defeat of the English at the 1998 World Cup.

Galați will begin the game in rude health too, with Cornel Râpă and Gabriel Paraschiv returned to action last Friday.

Yet all eyes will be on Rooney and yet another dramatic return to the United side in the striker’s ever turbulent story.

Match Facts
Oţelul Galaţi versus Manchester United, Champions League, National Stadium Bucharest, Tuesday 18 October 2011, 7.45pm

Likely Line-ups
Oţelul Galaţi (4-2-3-1): Grahovac; Skubič, Filip, Ljubinković, Antal; Ibeh , Buş; Costin, Pena , Giurgiu; Perendija. Subs from: Viglianti, Frunză, Punoševac, Sălăgeanu, Paraschiv, Râpă, Benga, Iorga, Frunză, Ilie, Cojoc, Chavez, Buchta, Novac.

United (4-4-1-1): Lindegaard; Jones, Vidic, Evans, Evra; Nani, Anderson, Fletcher, Young; Rooney; Hernandez. Subs from: De Gea, Smalling, Fabio, Pogba, Carrick, Park, Giggs, Berbatov, Welbeck, Valencia, Owen, Diouf.

Officials
Referee: Felix Brych (GER)
Assistant referees: Thorsten Schiffner, Mark Borsch
Additional assistant referees: Christian Dingert, Tobias Welz
Fourth official: Peter Gagelmann

Fresh injury concerns this week add to a growing list of absentees at Old Trafford, although Ferguson was always likely to rotate his side against one of the competitions lesser lights. Indeed, with United – on paper at least – drawn in a relatively weak group, Ferguson may use early matches to ensure fringe squad players achieve some playing time.

To that end Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Owen, Anders Lindegaard and Park Ji-Sung could play, while Fábio da Silva is likely to come into the side at right-back. And although Ferguson insists that Basel will pose a threat, United supports will expect a much-changed side once again, with Ryan Giggs partnering Michael Carrick in an open midfield, and Phil Jones reprising his weekend role at the heart of United’s central defence.

“Having a squad gives them a better chance of winning things, so they’ve accepted (the squad system) a long time ago,” Ferguson said on Monday.

“And they want to do well when they get the opportunity because as a group we all want to do well. They all have a part to play in the context of the number of games you have in the Premier League, Champions League, League Cup, FA Cup, it’s an exhausting season unless you use your squad. We have been consistent in the Champions League, our form away from home has been outstanding and we hope we can do better this year and win it, that’s the aim of this club all the time.”

“They’ve always been among the premier teams from Switzerland [which] has been producing very good young players for quite a few years now. Basel too have very good experience in Europe, so I expect to see that from them tomorrow.”

In Basel United faces an attractive side, unlike – some might argue – the Swiss national side at last summer’s World Cup in South Africa. Yet the odds seem stacked against the Swiss, with United having won 32 and drawn just three in an unbeaten streak at Old Trafford that dates back to Chelsea’s controversial win in April 2010.

Yet in Alexander Frei, Basel boasts a striker whose record at both club and international level is impressive. The locally-born forward has scored 48 times in 64 games since returning from Borussia Dortmund in 2009, while he has a one-in-two record over 84 international caps for Switzerland.

“We’re coming here as outsiders,” Frei is told Uefa.com.

“We’re not expecting to make the impossible possible, but why shouldn’t we achieve something? We’re going to be fully committed and give 100 per cent for the whole 90 minutes and we’ll see what happens.

“When I left Borussia Dortmund for Basel, I was hoping to experience Champions League fever again, and I’ve been able to do so twice in two seasons. I’d love to play on at this level for another three or four years to hopefully play at other big European grounds too like Barcelona’s and [Real] Madrid’s.”

Meanwhile, German coach Thorsten Fink insists his side arrives at Old Trafford with a positive mindset, despite being classed as rank-outsiders. Basel earned a 1-1 draw on the last occasion these sides met in 2002. However, Fink is missing key playmaker, and outstanding young prospect,  Xherdan Shaqiri through suspension

Fink was a member of the Bayern Munich that United famously beat 2-1 at Camp Nou in the 1999 Champions League final. But the coach, who replaced former Tottenham Hotspur coach Christian Gross as Basel’s manager in 2009, inists the game is about points, not revenue for ’99.

“We haven’t come here to sit and watch, we’re here to play,” claimed Fink.

“It’s going to be a challenge but we’re looking to get something out the game. To do that we’ll need to be tight at the back as United are clearly very strong in attack. They’re one of the favourites for the competition alongside Barcelona, but we’ve got experience, good young players and we won’t play with any fear. We’ll see what happens.

“There is no question of me trying to get even for [the 1999 UEFA Champions League final defeat with FC Bayern München]. I’m here as a coach, I’m glad to be here and so are the players. I have great memories of that game even though we lost, as I always think that everything that hurts you makes you stronger.

“We went on to win the Champions League in 2001 so that 1999 defeat definitely made Bayern stronger. We played well that day [in 1999] but it proved that if you let your guard down for a moment against a team like United you get punished.”

And even if that United team contains a host of changes from the exciting side that won its first five Premier League games in a row, the smart money still lies on a comfortable win for the Reds tonight.

Match Facts
Manchester United v FC Basel, Champions League, Old Trafford, 7.45pm, 27  September 2011.

Likely Line-ups
United (4-4-2): Lindegaard; Fabio, Jones, Ferdinand, Evra; Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Park; Welbeck, Berbatov. Subs from: de Gea, Amos, Fletcher, Fryers, Pogba, Nani, Anderson, Diouf, Young, Owen.

Basel (4-4-2): Sommer; Steinhöfer, Dragovic, Abraham, Park; F Frei, Cabral, Xhaka, Zoua; A Frei, Streller. Subs from: Ajeti, Schürpf, Huggel, Streller, Yapi, Chipperfield, Stocker, Voser, Xhaka, Herzog, Kusunga, Colomba. Buess, Andrist, Kovac, Tembo, Wieser, Kwang-Ryong.

Form
United: WDWWD
Basel: WWWWD

Indeed, Ferguson could restore some of his more experienced players, having started so many youngster stars in the opening weeks of United’s campaign, with the effervescent energy that it has brought to his team. Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher, Ryan Giggs and Park Ji-Sung are each in contention for a place in Ferguson’s team for Wednesday’s match at Estádio da Luz , northern Lisbon.

“I have not picked my team yet,” said the 69-year-old, now in his 26th season with the club.

“We are coming into a period where we have the game tomorrow, then Chelsea on Sunday, Leeds United on Tuesday, then Stoke away on the following Saturday. Obviously the squad will be used but first of all we are giving a lot of consideration to Benfica. I have a few things to think about. But it wouldn’t worry me at all to play the [same] team that is doing well.”

Once again, the romance of European competition has captured Ferguson’s heart, with the United boss hoping to improve on last season’s run to the final. Indeed, while three finals in the past four years presents a huge achievement for the Scot, two crushing defeats to Barcelona still weigh heavily. It’s a challenge that Ferguson believes United is now closer to meeting, having seen his side begin the new campaign in such positive fashion.

“It’s always the challenge for us,” added Ferguson, who was in a jovial mood ahead of United’s eighth European Cup meeting with the Portuguese giants.

“We’re coming closer all the time to getting another trophy. The consistency has been very, very good over last few years. That’s a good guide to the standard we are in Europe and also the progress we’re making. I think the last three years we haven’t lost an away game, apart from the finals. Of course we want to improve, that’s the drive of every coach and player, to improve. We hope we can improve. The most important thing is to win it – that’s the improvement that we really do want.

“It is different winning the Champions League in the present day than it was 30 years ago. All the best teams are in Europe; Real Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Villarreal from Spain, Benfica and Porto from Portugal. Ourselves, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City. It is a very difficult tournament to win now. That is why I am pleased with the progress my team has made because you can see the consistency has been the hallmark of our game in the last few years.”

With Ferdinand rested as a precaution, Ferguson may restore Chris Smalling to United’s starting line-up, with Phil Jones moving inside despite the highly successful showing at right-back against Bolton Wanderers at the weekend. Meanwhile, the Scot may bring both Carrick and Fletcher into central midfield, despite Anderson’s positive start to the season.

Unbeaten away from Old Trafford for three seasons, Ferguson’s team has found a highly successful, if sometimes negative way of playing on the road in European competition. This may colour Ferguson’s selection should the Scot choose to implement a three-man midfield for United’s first European game of the season. Indeed, although Benfica finished some way behind Porto at the head of the Primera Liga last season, Ferguson is aware of the talent still available to Jorge Jesus.

“We know all about Pablo Aimar,” added Sir Alex.

“Aimar played against us for Valencia a few years ago, he is a very talented player. [Ezequiel] Garay and Luisao at the back are also very experienced, good players. It won’t be easy for us; it will be a difficult game. But it will be difficult for Benfica too.”

Once again United will rely on Wayne Rooney as both creator and goalscorer. The 25-year-old Scouser has scored 10 goals in six competitive games for club and country this season, including two successive hat-tricks in the Premier League. The triple brought warm praise from Benfica coach Jesus, who compared the England striker to often more lauded Brazilians and Argentinians.

It’s a comparison Ferguson welcomes, although the Scot is unlikely to add a ‘ninho’ to the £30 million former Evertonian just yet.

”Wayne is a typical British player,” Ferguson added.

“But there have been British players who have great qualities that made them great players – [Paul] Gascoigne, George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law.

”Look at Pele. ‘He was a very aggressive attacker as well who could look after himself. So can Rooney. There are similarities that way in strength, speed and determination. But he is white, completely white. The similarities are that the boy has great courage. He wants to play all the time. He has incredible stamina. These are added extras to the talent he has.”

Jesus’ team, meanwhile, is refreshed, with the coach having rested key players Aimar and Nolito for the 2-1 win over Vitória de Guimarães at the weekend. Nolito, a summer signing from Barcelona, has scored five in as many games this season and has formed a potent partnership with Óscar Cardozo. The strike pair is complimented in the starting line-up by summer signings Ezequiel Garay and Axel Witsel, who joined after Benfica pocketed around €30 million for Real Madrid bound defender Fábio Coentrão.

“The Champions League is the maximum for any player,” Jesus said told UEFA.com.

“My experience is that whether you are playing Manchester United or Basel, the players’ motivation is the same. When you start the match and hear the Champions League anthem, the player is already so charged with adrenaline because he feels he is playing with the very best. Every player is super-concentrated, super-motivated, and will do everything to be at the highest possible level.”

History points to the sternest of tests for Jesus’ men, with United having won six of the clubs’ seven fixtures in this competition, including the 1968 final. However, few Reds will forget Benfica’s 2-1 Lisbon victory in 2005 that eliminated Ferguson’s team at the group stage. Five United players – Ferdinand, Park, Giggs, Rooney and Fletcher – remain from that game, one of the most dismal of Ferguson’s tenure.

Benfica is also seeking a seventh successive home victory in Europe, having already beaten Trabzonspor AŞ and FC Twente in the play-offs; a record of which Ferguson is understandably respectful.

Match Facts
Benfica versus Manchester United, Champions League, Estádio da Luz, Wednesday 12 September 2011, 7.45pm.

Likely Line-ups
Benfica (4-2-3-1): Guilherme Moraes Artur; Emerson, Luisao, Garay, Pereira; Garcia, Witsel; Aimar, Gaitan, Nolito; Cardozo. Subs from: Eduardo, Jardel, Amorim, Matic, Cesar, Saviola, Jara.

United (4-4-1-1): de Gea; Smalling, Evans, Jones, Evra; Nani, Carrick, Fletcher, Young; Rooney; hernandez. Subs from: Lindegaard, Fabio, Giggs, Anderson, Park, Diouf, Owen, Berbatov, Pogba.

Form
Benfica: DWWWW
United: WWWWW

Referee
Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia)

The Scot’s side will play three tough fixtures against direct rivals adjacent to Champions League groups stage matches, with Ferguson surely hoping for home European games when the draw takes place on 25 August.

The Champions League quarter and semi-finals are likely to be next to games against Fulham, Blackburn Rovers, QPR, Aston Villa and Everton. Only the match with City on 28 April 2012 at Eastlands, which backs on to the second leg of the Champions League semi-final should United make it that far, will concern Ferguson.

But it is the season’s end that will get Ferguson purring with only that City fixture likely to be against a direct rival for the Premier League title. March, April and May will bring games against likely relegation candidates including Swansea, Wigan Athletic, Blackburn, Wolverhampton Wanderers and QPR.

Rant would bring you a full fixture list but the Premier League, via the Football Data Co., insists that even not-for-profit blogs such as this site buy an annual license at the cost of several hundred pounds.