Weak Man Utd struggle against negative Rangers

Manchester United 0 Rangers 0. Alex Ferguson saw Manchester United held to a goalless draw at Old Trafford by Rangers and was left to rue his decision to field a weakened side for the Champions League clash.

The United manager made ten changes from the side that drew with Everton at the weekend with only Darren Fletcher retained, while the likes of Paul Scholes, Nemanja Vidic and Dimitar Berbatov were all rested.

Their deputies struggled manfully against a tenacious Rangers side but could find no spark of inspiration to break down the Scottish defence.

And while Ferguson would have been pleased to see Rio Ferdinand come through his first full game for four months without mishap, he will now be without the services of Antonio Valencia after the Ecuadorian winger suffered a terrible ankle injury in the second half that will require surgery.

United must have known that Rangers - without a win in the Champions League in ten matches - would arrive at Old Trafford with a game plan that stretched little beyond holding out for a draw, but the hosts seemed unsure of how to take the game to their visitors.

Wayne Rooney, playing his first game since the allegations about his private life, looked off-colour and it was left to striking partner Javier Hernandez to produce the first attempt on goal, his header just shaving the right-hand post midway through the first half.

By the end of the first period, United were reduced to taking pot shots from long range through the powerful boot of Darren Gibson, a sign that they were becoming increasingly frustrated in the face of stern Rangers resistance.

Fifteen minutes after the break came Valencia's injury when he caught his foot in the turf and appeared to snap his ankle as he competed for the ball with Kirk Broadfoot.

The injury was deemed so horrific that television bosses decided not to replay the incident, though the sight of Valencia being carried off with an oxygen mask over his face told its own story.

The rest of the match petered out and United never looked like scoring, though on one of their rare forays into the United half, Rangers claimed a penalty when Broadfoot was felled by Chris Smalling just inside the penalty area.

Referee Olegario Benquerenca saw nothing wrong in the challenge and declined to give the visitors the opportunity to snatch a goal that they hardly merited for their negative tactics.

Afterwards their manager Walter Smith was unrepentant for the way his side had approached the tie, saying: "Scottish teams are not in the position we were once in [financially], where we could compete to sign the best players in the British Isles, so we have to find a way to nullify the opposition as best as we can.

"It's down to a manager to try to find a way. Unfortunately, in any walk of life it is easier to stop someone doing something than it is to actually create it. We don't feel proud of the fact that we are doing it but there is nothing else left for us."

As for Ferguson, he confirmed that Antonio Valencia would likely be out for the rest of the season with what "looks like a dislocation and a fracture," but he dismissed suggestions that he got his team selection wrong.

"The criticism will be why didn't I play a stronger team," he said. "I played a very strong team. Eight of them played in the Charity Shield. It's a terrific squad of players we have and there was no problem playing them.

"They should have won that game, but give credit to Rangers, their system is very difficult to break down. I think we played with great intensity and good commitment. But Rangers just went back to the penalty box and it was successful."

Nonetheless, Ferguson is bullish about United's chances of progressing from the group stage, though he knows they can't afford to lose in Valencia in their second match of the competition in a fortnight. "You need 10 points to qualify and tonight was a blemish for us," he said, adding: "We need nine points now from five games." ·