Following the 1-0 win over Benfica, Manchester United skipper Gary Neville has given an interview to the Sun in which he says that United need to change tactics in some games and adopt a more pragmatic approach “We are very aware of what happened last year — we didn’t respect the opponents in our group. You have to show respect to the teams and the players you are playing. I think you saw against Benfica this time that we have done that.
“You could see from the start we are starting to realise you have to show an incredible amount of respect.
“Hopefully the Arsenal game was a realisation for us. We realised you can’t go out and play full attacking football against top teams. You need to respect them first and earn the right to win the match".
Those of you who read this blog will know that during the opening period in Lisbon, Neville sought clarification from United's bench against Benfica asking who was playing in the holding role.
The amount of 'respect' United afforded Benfica led to the home side out-shooting the visitors by 6-1 in the first half. Clearly, whatever the pre-match plan was it hadn't worked, as United could easily have gone into the break being a couple of goals down. Granted it did improve second half and United did go on to win.
No matter how welcome and much needed the result was against Benfica, many reds will be hoping that United don't try to emulate the Liverpool of old and more recently Chelsea. It still irks older Liverpool fans when United fans say to them 'Liverpool were never the same team once they scrapped the back-pass rule'...
More recently Jose Mourinho said he'd be happy to win 1-0 every week if he had the option.
United fans realise how important winning is, but we're used to attacking football. Please don't ever forget that Gary and Fergie.
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