MANCHESTER UNITED might have re-established themselves in a Champions League group that looked momentarily dangerous this month, but victory against Rangers on Wednesday night seems to have reminded them of one little problem.
The quiet that pervades Old Trafford is a mystery the club treat like an embarrassing secret, but at Ibrox it announced itself with a roar that no one could ignore. The United players who came out of the away dressing room at the end for their first bit of peace and quiet of the night were all still recovering from the sound of an Ibrox crowd that barely let the needle quiver below deafening. There will be greater concerns at Old Trafford than the noise this season, but for the first time in three years it became an issue again. In November 2000, Roy Keane attacked the "prawn sandwich" section of the home support after a home victory over Dynamo Kiev was played out to a stadium of murmurs. With Fulham visiting tomorrow, one occasion that hardly promises to deafen the senses and quicken the pulse, it fell to John O'Shea to point out that the soundtrack 48,730 fans produced for Ibrox had been the key topic of discussion in the dressing room. "It was a great atmosphere but the players at United are used to tough atmospheres," he said. "The crowd gave them an extra lift but they won't have that at Old Trafford. We were saying in the dressing room afterwards if only we could have that every week. It seems to me that Celtic and Rangers have that - great backing." After the traditional 'welcome' at Elland Road last Saturday, and then Ibrox's wall of sound, tomorrow could just prove a quiet homecoming for a United team who seem to have found their rhythm again in Europe. They will be without their manager, who will be serving his two-match touchline ban in the directors' box, but they look set to be spared the trauma of fighting to the end of the group stage for the crucial 10 points. Gary Neville played down the importance of the atmosphere generated by the Rangers' faithful, declaring: "We would kick ourselves if we ever thought a crowd could beat us." He was impressed by it, nonetheless. "After Istanbul and Elland Road this was probably the hottest and loudest atmosphere of the three. It was certainly the loudest I've experienced in Britain. There have been some nights at Old Trafford where the atmosphere has been incredible, but this was right up there. "I was slightly surprised when I realised who the goalscorer was. Phil has played a number of positions and done well. In central midfield he has been outstanding for us this season and tonight he was on the right. He looks a natural in there now." He added: "I think Phil surprised everyone - 50,000 people were surprised that he was the scorer. I think even Philip was surprised when he went through like that and he showed decent strength and pace. I'm happy for him as a fellow player and a brother." So delighted was he with his defence's performance against Rangers that Sir Alex Ferguson even refused to offer a comparison with their calamitous showing against Stuttgart. It was a contrast to his mood in Germany when he described two second-half goals as a "surrender" though this time there was a flash of his temper in the invectives directed at Keane and Ryan Giggs. Ferguson believes the future of both United and Rangers in the Champions League will be decided by group rivals Stuttgart's progress in the tournament. United are well-placed to mount a challenge for top spot in the group and a favourable draw for the knockout phase after the win over Rangers, but the threat of the German side remains. Stuttgart followed up their victory over United earlier this month by overcoming Panathinaikos at home and, if the Germans can repeat their success in Athens in a fortnight, that will be bad news for the two British sides. Ferguson said: "The key games are the next ones. The important thing is what happens in Greece and both Rangers and ourselves will be hoping Panathinaikos take something from their game there with Stuttgart. "Stuttgart are a very difficult proposition on their own ground and if they get a result in Athens against Panathinaikos, we are both going to be looking over our shoulders." Phil Neville said: "It was vital we got three points, especially after Stuttgart. We let ourselves down in Germany and last night was all about getting the three points. "There was an awful lot of pressure on us because the 'Battle of Britain' thing put extra pressure on. "The manager said he thought we scored too early. When we did get possession we were too deep in our own half to counter-attack against them. We changed things around a bit in the second half and we counter-attacked better and created a number of chances." © Daily Telegraph, London. Sam Wallace Now a low fare airline. Low Fares. Way Better. 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