UK: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson vows there will be no repeat of last season's early Champions League exit ahead of their home match against Galatasaray.

Record ID: 336458

  • Title: UK: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson vows there will be no repeat of last season's early Champions League exit ahead of their home match against Galatasaray.
  • Date: 18th September 2012
  • Summary: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (SEPTEMBER 18, 2012) (REUTERS) WIDE SHOT OF MANCHESTER UNITED PLAYERS TRAINING MIDFIELDER TOM CLEVERLEY (TC ON TOP) CHASING THE BALL STRIKER ROBIN VAN PERSIE (NUMBER 20) WITH MIDFIELDER PAUL SCHOLES (53) JUST BEHIND HIM DOING RUNNING DRILLS MANAGER ALEX FERGUSON WATCHING ON DURING TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGE
  • Embargoed: 3rd October 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA5EU5I55JND2BLC9ACCY5VYQ9Z
  • Story Text: Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson vowed there would be no repeat of last season's early Champions League exit as he prepared for Wednesday's (September 19) opening Group H fixture at home to Galatasaray.
    The triple European champions failed to progress from the group stage in 2011-12 after suffering a shock 2-1 defeat by Swiss club Basel in their final fixture.
    "I think we all agree that we were careless in two of the games last season at home," Ferguson told reporters at a news conference on Tuesday (September 18). "We were in a winning position against Benfica and got a draw 2-2. I thought we played well in that particular game, but the Basel game was the one where really where the criticism quite clearly lies; 2-0 up and played very, very well, we got really careless in the second half and it ended up a 3-3 draw which really in effect knocked us out because having to go there and get a result we were chasing our tails a little bit.
    "So that was disappointing; hopefully our home form, as it has been for many, many years, will be as good again."
    Starting with their defeat by Barcelona in the 2011 final, United have won just three European matches out of 11 and have lost four of their last five.
    Striker Javier Hernandez added: "We know the history of this club. They teach you and they know the tournaments you're going to play you need to look for the top or for the best and on this occasion in the Champions League you need to look to the final and to try to win it, no? "As well as the league and the other two cups so that is the only thing in our mind to prove that we learned some lessons from the disappointments of the last season, and we don't want to make the same mistakes."
    Ferguson's side, playing in the competition for a record 18th time, will be without long-term injury victim Wayne Rooney on Wednesday but on the plus side they have a red-hot Robin van Persie ready to make his first European start for the club.
    Van Persie has been in good form since leaving arch-rivals Arsenal in the close season and is already the joint top scorer in the Premier League with four goals, alongside Swansea City's Michu.
    The Dutch international was left out of the starting lineup on Saturday (September 15) before coming on as a second-half substitute to help United crush Wigan Athletic 4-0 in the league.
    Galatasaray are making their first appearance in the Champions League for six years.
    The Turkish club have not won any of their seven away games against English teams but can count creditable draws against Manchester United, Liverpool and Leeds United in their record.
    Galatasaray are leading their domestic league, having won three games out of four this season, but they are going into the match at Old Trafford as underdogs.
    Umut Bulut, who has scored five goals in four league games this season, is set to partner former Bolton Wanderers forward Johan Elmander in attack.
    "I think there is several points about them that they have two players that we know about, (Emmanuel) Ebou�and (Johan) Elmander who played in English football of course," Ferguson said. "But they have two excellent central midfield players, Inan and Melo, very good players, and a centre forward called Bulut, that is a good name for a centre forward, isn't that a brilliant name for a centre forward.
    "I think that they are very strong in these positions and I know from experience of playing against Turkish teams in the past that it is never easy so it will be a very, very close game tomorrow."
    Galatasaray are without injured central defender Tomas Ujfalusi and right back Sabri Sarioglu.
    Probable teams: Manchester United: 1-David De Gea, 2-Rafael, 15-Nemanja Vidic, 5-Rio Ferdinand, 3-Patrice Evra; 7-Antonio Valencia, 16-Michael Carrick, 23-Tom Cleverley, 17-Nani; 20-Robin van Persie, 26-Shinji Kagawa.
    Galatasaray: 25-Fernando Muslera, 27-Emmanuel Ebou� 3-Cris, 26-Semih Kaya, 22-Hakan Balta; 10-Felipe Melo, 8-Selcuk Inan, 7-Aydin Yilmaz, 53-Nordin Amrabat; 9-Johan Elmander, 19-Umut Bulut.
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