Sporting fans show class unlike United...

Manchester United somehow managed to scrape a 1-0 victory over Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League on Wednesday night. The Reds had Cristiano Ronaldo to thank for the win, his second half headed goal was United's highlight on the pitch in an otherwise disappointing performance.

Having scored against his former club Ronaldo bowed as if by way of apology to the home supporters, who in return stood and applauded him in appreciation of the gesture. It was a mark of respect from both the player and the home fans who later gave the United winger a standing ovation when he was withdrawn late on in the second half.

While the Sporting fans were showing class in the stands, their team was having the better of things on a surprisingly poor pitch that was cutting-up at every challenge for the ball. The pitch problems didn't seem to bother the home team, so much so that but for Edwin van der Sar in the United goal Sporting would have been two goals to the good. The Dutch stopper made two top-class saves, one in either half.

At the other end Ronaldo was by far United's best attacking player on the night as once again the Reds tactics in Europe left a lot to be desired, as did the overall performance of United's midfield and forward line.

Ryan Giggs was supposed to be playing in a five-man midfield, but in truth he looked lost and in the first half especially on the few occasions when he actually touched the ball he gave it away. Scholes was marginally better, but his passing was off-key too as was the totally ineffective Nani and Michael Carrick. On the night collectively, United's midfield was not much short of a shambles in an attacking and passing sense, the only plus point was that they did get behind the ball quickly when the opposition had the ball.

Ferguson had opted to start the game with just Rooney up front with Ronaldo supporting from midfield, but it simply did not work and Rooney was all too often left isolated.

Personally I'm hoping that once Hargreaves is fit again United will go with a 4-4-2 because against Sporting, and it has to be said on other occasions when Fergie has gone with 4-5-1 it does not seem to work.

If United had someone like Drogba, then playing with one striker might be an option, but the truth is they don't have a Drogba. Saha is the nearest thing United have to a proper out and out target-man. But Fergie isn't going to leave both Rooney and Tevez on the bench is he?

Apart from Ronaldo's goal and Van der Sar's saves, the other major plus point on the night was that the partnership of Vidic and Ferdinand, which is looking better by the week, as once again they were rock solid.

While United did not play well as a team on the night, they got the thing that mattered most, a win on their travels, which is the best possible way to start a European campaign.

Going into the game Graeme Sounses commented 'I honestly don't think Fergie knows what his best team is'. Quite. The thing is, the United manager has been without key players until this week. Now Fergie has the luxury of having a virtually fully fit squad barring Hargreaves and Neville, but both should be back soon and in an attacking sense United can only get better.

However, Fergie has to get his formation right in Europe. In 1999 United won the Champions League with two strikers up front in Yorke and Cole. We need to get back to that, because that is the United way. We do not do boring negative football well, we never have and I doubt we ever will.

Chelsea and Liverpool fail to impress on a night of missed chances..

Chelsea were somewhat surprisingly held 1-1 at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night in their Group B Champions League tie with Rosenborg. Sans Drogba, Chelsea are not the same team, that much is clear, despite Shevchenko scoring a very good goal against the Norwegian's the Ukrainian striker does not pose the same threat as Chelsea's Ivory Coast star.

However, despite the scoreline Chelsea should have won this game by some margin, only the thickness of a post denied Malouda twice who was extremely unlucky on the night in front of goal. The Frenchman wasn't the only one who failed to register, as the home team somehow managed to squander a number of gilt-edged chances.

Poor result aside there was some plus points, none more so than Joe Cole who was once again outstanding for the home team in his new central role just behind Shevchenko.

Cole pulls the blues strings in the same way that an on-form Paul Scholes does for United. The Red Devils will need to marshal Joe Cole this coming Sunday when the two sides meet at Old Trafford.

After the game, Jose Mourinho who is forever the drama queen, went overboard about the Blues inability to convert chances. But the Portuguese manager knows only too well that the time to worry is when you're not creating them - and clearly that is not the case with Chelsea.

Mourinho hinted that Drogba will not be fit for the United game this weekend. Personally, I think Jose isn't telling the truth here and I for one will be amazed if Chelsea are not at full strength when they pitch up at Old Trafford for the season's biggest game so far.

While Chelsea should have been tanking Rosenborg, that certainly wasn't the case with Liverpool, who showed nothing like their early season league form against what can only be described as a very average looking Porto side in another game that ended up 1-1. Nonetheless, Liverpool should easily qualify from group A, as should Chelsea and Arsenal in groups B and H respectively.

United have a tough group for sure, with Roma currently lying top of Serie A and Sporting Lisbon have an excellent recent record against English clubs. Dynamo Kiev are currently third in the Ukrainian league and will no doubt pose a few problems for United who have an appalling recent away record in the Champions League.

Rangers and Celtic will have a real fight on their hands to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition. Celtic currently lie bottom of their group after being spanked 2-0 by Shakhtar Donetsk.

United v Sporting: No Hargreaves but Rooney could be back....

The latest injury news ahead of United's first game in this season's Champions League with Sporting Lisbon is that Owen Hargreaves looks set to the miss the match due to suffering a thigh-strain. The former Bayern Munich midfielder is on the mend but he hasn't trained over the last few days and so it's likely he will miss the first leg in Lisbon on Wednesday at the Estádio José Alvalade.

Better news to report regarding the return of Wayne Rooney because it is highly likely that he will start the game after recovering from a broken bone in his foot. Rooney has gone on record (no doubt following pressure from his boot sponsor Nike) saying that his football boots are not the problem. Yeah right.

Silvestre is definitely out after breaking down at Goodison Park on Saturday with a knee ligament injury so Gerard Pique and Jonny Evans are on standby to fill in at left-back, but more likely Patrice Evra will revert to his normal position which will leave at least one of the United youngsters on the bench for what is going to be a very difficult game.

Altough Sporting Lisbon have pretty much a new team, they will be looking to progress to the knockout stages of the competition for the first time. The home team will be encouraged by their excellent home record against English sides, because they haven't lost at home in five encounters.

The Red Devils have a very patchy record on their travels in Europe, in fact they have won just two of their last 14 away games in the Champions League. If United are are to reach this year's final on the 21st May 2008 at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, then they will need to start winning against the likes of Sporting.

Sporting Lisbon have one of the best youth set-ups in Europe, the list of players who've gone on to play for some of Europe's top clubs is very impressive and Ronaldo and Nani will no doubt receive a warm welcome from the home fans.

Sporting Lisbon coach Paulo Bento has several key players, across the back he has Anderson, Polga and Tonel. In midfield Miguel Veloso and Joao Moutino pulls the strings, while the goal threat comes from Marat Izmailov and Liedson.

Anyone who thinks game is going to be easy for United is deluding themselves, the Reds aren't firing on all cylinders currently, but they need to find their best form given the task that faces them in Lisbon and at Old Trafford on Sunday when Chelsea are the visitors. Bring them on.

Sporting Lisbon fans still love Ronaldo...

I have received an invitation from a Sporting Lisbon (Sporting Clube de Portugal) fan to ask a few questions and exchange views ahead of the Red Devils impending Champions League tie with his club. Unless you've been living underneath a stone you will know that United have signed two former Sporting players, firstly Cristiano Ronaldo and this summer Nani.

Nuno Neves is 32 years of age, he is a member of Juve Leo (Juventude Leonina) the Ultras of Sporting. He also writes a blog on his favourite team Bancada Sul

What was the general reaction of the Sporting Lisbon fans when it was revealed that Ronaldo and then Nani were to join United?

There was two different types of reaction. In the case of Ronaldo, in general we are sad with his exit, he already had an enormous potential and Sporting had the promise of a huge fee for a very young player. In the Nani's case, it was a good price too, but even so it was not so important to Sporting as it was when we sold Ronaldo.

Do the Sporting fans bear any grundges against the star duo after they joined United?

We supporters don't have any problems with the fact that they joined United, Sporting cannot compete with the economic power of Manchester United or the other rich clubs of Europe.

When Ronaldo and Nani return to face Sporting, will they receive a good reception from your fans?

They will have a enourmous reception, especially Cristiano Ronaldo who we have great care and consideration.

In 2003, United were supposed to have formed links with Sporting Lisbon, we the fans were told that this would lead to players being exchanged and more besides. However, in signing Nani this summer, the Red Devils had to invoke a get-out clause in Nani's contract. This wouldn't on the face of it seem to be the actions of two clubs who were in partnership. Were you the Sporting fans aware of the two clubs linking up? If you were aware, do you know if the two clubs are still working together in any way?

Well since that date, we Sporting fans, know the existence of that contract. In the time that it was linked, we thought some of dispensed players from United could came to Sporting squad, but we never exchanged anyone from Manchester United, to be sincere with you, we've never understood the link between the two clubs (JR adds - neither do we Nuno)

I understand that Sporting are not the team they were because of losing the likes of Nani and Ronaldo, who should United fans look out for when the two clubs meet?

Well, this is a new team this year, we have 10 new players, and there isn't yet a connection between all the players. But the best Sporting player is without a doubt Liedson. Here we say "Liedson resolve", it means "Liedson solves" or "Liedson decides"

How do Portuguese fans view Jose Mourinho and where do you see him managing in the next few seasons.

Well we have a love and hate relation with Jose Mourinho, we Sporting fans, never liked him. He was born to football as an assistant manager at Sporting when Bobby Robson was our coach, but eventually he went on to be the manager of Benfica and Porto - two teams that we Sporting fans hate. In one game when coaching Benfica, Mourinho did the finger salute to us the fans, when they scored a goal, this on the same day that that he was fired from Benfica. He didn't lose his job becouse of the teams results, he was going to sign a contract with Sporting, but we the fans went to Alvalade and said firmily that we did not want this kind of man leading Sporting. A few years later when he was Porto´s coach, he ripped off the team jersey of Rui Jorge, our left-sided defender in a game at the Alvalade. The incident took place in the dressing room, but it was something that we will never forget.

Nuno has submitted a review of Lisbon to the BigEasy Travel Guide for any fans who are travelling to the city.

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