Ryan Giggs rates Manchester United’s Champions League chances ahead of Basel opener

In the latest Super 6 Class of ’92 diary, Ryan Giggs discusses Manchester United’s Champions League chances, the Old Trafford atmosphere and Salford’s long-term vision.

The Manchester United legend reckons his former club may be a little short in their quest to topple Real Madrid as Europe’s top club this season.

But he reckons that if Jose Mourinho could poach a certain player from Zinedine Zidane’s squad then they might have what it takes…
You look at the current Manchester United team and you wonder if they can they win the Champions League? Have they got the players to win it?

They’re probably a little bit short at the moment. You’ve got Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku, if he fulfils his potential, Marcus Rashford, David de Gea, a world-class player, and then if you add somebody like Gareth Bale to the mix, that’s when you talk about United having Champions League expectations.

Obviously, Mourinho has won the trophy before so we’re going to be there or thereabouts, but whether we’ve got the players to go the whole way, I don’t know.

Apart from Real Madrid, obviously you’ve got PSG, who have made big intentions this year, but it could be quite open otherwise with Barcelona losing Neymar and not making the best start.

You have to look at Real Madrid, what they’ve done after the last two years and the players they’ve got, as the team to beat.

Old Trafford atmosphere

Improving at Old Trafford is going to be vital. With the big games, it’s not a problem, the atmosphere is there, but it’s the games where you expect United to win 3-0 or 4-0 and after 20 minutes it’s 0-0 when the atmosphere isn’t great.

It’s a two-way partnership really. The players have got to excite the fans with a tackle or a shot or somebody taking the opposition on.

But also the fans, when the team are struggling, need to get behind them.
Rashford coming through is helping and I just think he’s exciting. Every time he gets the ball, with England or United, he’s just so exciting.

He makes things happen and sometimes it doesn’t come off but he’s not afraid to try things. If it doesn’t come off then the fans aren’t too hard on him.

We’ve got a lot of players like that now. Anthony Martial is the same and Henrikh Mkhitaryan as well, where they can beat players and make things happen and that’s what United fans are used to over the years, being excited and entertained with players playing with risk.

Class of ’92 blueprint
We’re really happy with the start of the season for Salford – except for the opening loss with Darlington. We’re happy, we’re up there in the top positions and it’s been a pretty smooth transition on the pitch.

Off the pitch, we’ve expanded the stadium, gone full-time and then added the youth team, so a lot has gone on behind the scenes.

Myself and the other owners came through the youth team at United and saw first hand the effect that youth players can have on the first team. That’s what we want to do.

We want to bring in the best players if they’re available but also we want to give the fans that feeling that there’s five or six players who are of their own, who they’ve seen coming through the youth team and then go on to be regulars.

That’s our philosophy really, giving young players a chance together with the more experienced players, who have played around the leagues.

Super 6 predictions:
Chelsea 4-0 Qarabag

Roma 1-2 Atletico Madrid

Manchester United 4-0 FC Basel

Barcelona 2-1 Juventus

Sunderland 1-1 Nottingham Forest

Aston Villa 2-1 Middlesbrough
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