Manchester United vs Rangers: Six similarities between Europa League rivals ahead of Old Trafford clash | Football News
Over recent months and years, Manchester United fans have often wondered ‘why always us’ when it came to issues around managers, squads, finances and more – all while their rivals were lifting silverware.
The truth is, they are not alone. Supporters of Thursday’s Europa League opponents, Rangers, have often been in the same boat.
While domestically the respective league tables do not make for happy reading – Europe offers that respite and a chance for Ruben Amorim and Philippe Clement to savour success.
The teams are separated by a point as they push for a spot in the knockout stages – with United seventh and Rangers eighth.
Here, we take a look at some of the similarities between the teams ahead of their clash at Old Trafford…
Managerial merry-go-round
Since former Rangers player Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down as United boss – David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag have been sacked.
Amorim is the latest man to be permanently given the reins at Old Trafford as United hit the reset button for the sixth time since 2013.
There were glimmers of hope during that time. A Europa League title, two FA Cups and two Carabao Cups were added to the silverware collection at Old Trafford.
However, with Amorim being the first manager appointed by INEOS, it remains to be seen what kind of grace he will be given in the post.
Meanwhile, in the blue corner – after Steven Gerrard left in 2021, Giovanni van Bronckhorst was sacked in 2022, and then Michael Beale was axed in 2023. Some fans called on Clement to be next on the dismissals list in 2024.
However, he has been backed by the club’s board, with new CEO Patrick Stewart revealing it would have been the “easy decision” to cut ties with the Belgian. Instead, he wants to end that yearly cycle of hiring and firing and figure out what issues lie beneath the bonnet at Ibrox.
At the time of his backing for Clement, Rangers had dropped points in four away league matches – with an Old Firm win at Ibrox sandwiched in between – and the Gers boss was offered no “cast-iron guarantees” over his future if results did not improve.
Since those talks, he has won all three home matches. Time will tell if he can deliver on the road with Man Utd away followed by Dundee Utd away – live on Sky Sports – on Sunday.
A shift in structure
After taking over the footballing operation at Old Trafford, INEOS chair Sir Jim Ratcliffe spoke of United becoming the “best in class in all aspects of football”.
To achieve that, he said he would need “the right people doing the right thing at the right time and doing it well”.
As such, working alongside director of sport David Brailsford and CEO of INEOS Sport Jean-Claude Blanc, they recruited Dan Ashworth. However, that partnership lasted just five months as he soon departed from his role as sporting director.
However, Omar Berrada remains CEO, working alongside new technical director Jason Wilcox and director of recruitment Christopher Vivell. After years of tension and calls for change, fans are starting to see things head in a new direction. Ratcliffe wants the club to be the best and time will tell if these appointments lead United to becoming just that.
While there has been no significant shareholder changes akin to Ratcliffe’s purchase of a 27.7 per cent stake in United, the key boardroom figures in charge of running the Ibrox club have changed.
When Rangers last won the Scottish Premiership in 2021 under Gerrard, Stewart Robertson was managing director, Ross Wilson was sporting director and Douglas Park held the role of chair. At the start of this season, none of them were in those roles. In fact, even some of those who started out this campaign have moved on.
A new structure is in place with former Man Utd chief Stewart the CEO, Fraser Thornton arriving from Scottish Golf as chair and Nils Koppen promoted to technical director. More changes could follow, with Stewart ordering an externally-backed “root-and-branch” review of the club’s football department.
He wants to “build an environment where success becomes a habit, not just a hope” and with every aspect of the club under the microscope, who knows how much more will change as he looks to turn his hopes into reality.
Big-game brilliance
Inconsistency has cost managers at both clubs their jobs in the past – so perhaps both are delighted to be counting down to a huge clash between two of Britain’s biggest clubs. Why? Because the big games are of course where they seem to deliver, more often than not.
United have beaten Manchester City at the Etihad this season and more recently Lisandro Martinez hinted at a mentality change when they went to Anfield and claimed a draw against Liverpool, in a game where they were underdogs. That same mentality also continued days later in the FA Cup where United progressed past Arsenal, despite being a player down.
However, the mentality seemed to change again – for the worse – as United returned to league action to host rock-bottom Southampton. A late Amad Diallo hat trick was needed to salvage a dismal display and claim the three points. However, they were unable to rely on Amad’s brilliance for a second game running, as United were beaten 3-1 by Brighton at Old Trafford.
United at this moment in time seem happy to take the role of underdogs and rise to the occasion but when the impetus is theirs, Amorim speaks of a “nervousness” that consumes his squad.
Rangers’ inconsistency is so vast, that you can split the first half of their campaign into two. The first part was worrying fans, with a Champions League exit, defeats to Celtic and Aberdeen plus a host of dropped points on the road. Fast forward to part two of that first half and things look much better – with Rangers showing they can perform in the big games that matter.
Clement’s side won their League Cup semi, drew at Olympiakos, won 4-1 away to Nice, held Spurs in a game some felt they should have won, went toe-to-toe with Celtic in their League Cup final loss, then beat Celtic and Aberdeen at Ibrox following the turn of the year.
Perhaps the biggest games on the biggest stages will get the best out of players on both sides.
Fixing the finances
The cost of falling down the Premier League table and a redundancy programme saw United make an operating loss of £6.9m for the first quarter of the 2024-25 financial year.
However, it is not all doom and gloom as the club look to take action now that can lead to a successful future.
Those figures last year also revealed a record revenue of £662m, with Berrada believing United’s cost and headcount reductions remained “on track”, along with work to renovate the club’s Carrington training ground.
The Old Trafford club have previously said they expect the restructuring will lead to savings of between £40m and £45m, which they anticipate will have a positive impact on their financial results for 2025 and 2026.
Over at Ibrox, Stewart’s task is to turn Rangers into a sustainable club off the pitch, and a successful one on it.
Despite achieving record revenue figures, accounts showed losses of over £17m last year, compared to Celtic’s profit of around the same figure – highlighting how much work he needs to do.
Shareholders have shown unwavering support in recent years, covering those losses, but Stewart believes he would be “failing” in his duties if he let the club continue to run in that manner.
Like Ratcliffe and co at United, Stewart wants to create a well-run club that uses its revenue in the most effective of ways. Time will tell if he can deliver on his mission and what the external-led review will throw up in the spring.
Selection issues
For Amorim, the recent run of results has left him scratching his head as to what his best line-up is and that has been coupled with the likes of Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho being linked with a move away.
Former Rangers loanee Amad has emerged as one of the few bright sparks under Amorim, impressing at both right wing-back and in an attacking midfield role. Another to catch the eye has been Harry Maguire. The England international has often had his critics but has proven to be reliable in defence and calming in the dressing room.
Question marks also remain over United’s strikers. Rasmus Hojlund is the joint-highest Europa League goalscorer but it is form he has failed to replicate domestically. The 21-year-old has gone nine matches without a goal and worryingly, United’s next option, Joshua Zirkzee’s record is not any more impressive. Zirkzee is without a goal in his last seven games. Out-of-form strikers and an error-prone goalkeeper in Andre Onana means selection remains an issue.
While Clement may have identified who would feature in his preferred Rangers XI, it is injuries and ineligibility that will cause him some headaches for the trip south.
A contract issue at the start of the season meant Ianis Hagi was not registered in Rangers’ European squad. The good news for the club was those off-field issues were resolved and the Romania international has been one of the bright sparks since returning to the fold. The bad news – he is not in the squad for this fixture.
Nor is another forward option in Danilo, after he was left out of the group due to a long-term injury suffered last season. Clinton Nsiala – who has had to step in following defensive injuries – is also not in the squad and Mohamed Diomande will miss the game due to suspension, forcing Clement into another change.
The good news for Rangers will be the return of goalkeeper Jack Butland who is training again after missing their last six games, plus captain James Tavernier and fellow defender Leon Balogun have recovered from recent knocks.
Football is rarely far from ideal for managers, but both know it is down to them to come up with the winning formula.
Rivals succeeding
Second is last. A phrase known so well in Manchester and Glasgow.
While the odd domestic trophy has landed in at both clubs over recent seasons, it has not been enough for fans – especially as they long for the ‘big one’. To make matters worse, the league trophy has gone to their rivals.
Man City have won six of the last seven Premier League titles, with United’s other rivals Liverpool claiming the other.
Over in Glasgow, Celtic have been top of the pile in 12 of the last 13 Scottish Premiership campaigns. The only one to not go to the green and white side of the city was perhaps the most coveted in 2021, when Rangers stopped the Hoops from claiming a 10th consecutive title.
That triumph was enjoyed by Rangers fans for that summer, but by the nature of Glasgow, more was demanded next season and every year since. It has not followed and now they hope Stewart has the answers to see the glory days return to the blue and white side of the city, once again.
So there we have it. A host of similarities – which of course do not stop there. Man Utd have two wins and a draw in their three home Europa League matches so far. Rangers also have two wins and a draw in their three away Europa League matches to date.
Come Thursday at 8pm – something will have to give.
