One thing is for certain, Rangers are not travelling to Old Trafford to face a Manchester United side containing such luminaries as Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.
More Joshua Zirkzee, Alejandro Garnacho and Diogo Dalot.
Times have changed since Rangers and Manchester United last met in European competition, Wayne Rooney’s late penalty securing a tight 1-0 win at Ibrox back in 2010.
After Bournemouth, Brighton and co rocked up to Old Trafford and secured all three points, the odds on Philippe Clement’s team doing the same will have shortened dramatically as the Red Devils lurch from crisis to catastrophe and back again.
Even Southampton – in line to become the worst team in Premier League history – ran riot away at Man United, especially down the wings. Rock-bottom Saints could, perhaps should, have been three or four goals up long before former Rangers loanee Amad Diallo struck a 12-minute hat-trick to break the visitor’s hearts.
And, speaking ahead of Thursday’s penultimate Europa League first-phase clash, the likes of Simon Ferry, Ross McCausland and legendary Ibrox skipper Barry Ferguson are all backing Rangers’ talented frontline to give Ruben Amorim’s beleaguered defence another tough test on home soil.
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Vaclav Cerny and Hamza Igamane could help Rangers stun Manchester United
“Man United, for me, are weakest in the wide areas,” former Celtic, Portsmouth and Dundee man Ferry says, backing Ianis Hagi and Vaclav Cerny to cause havoc in behind Amorim’s advanced wing-backs.
“That’s where Rangers’ best players are, with Hagi and Cerny.”
“Them two especially [can cause Man United big problems],” agrees McCormack, a graduate of the Rangers academy. “I also think [Hamza] Igamane against their defenders…
“That kid can be special.”
Igamane now has 13 goals for Rangers. Three of those came in Europa League clashes against Tottenham Hotspur and Nice. And while Hamza Igamane has been likened to Alfredo Morelos on numerous occasions, McCormack sides with Ferguson with the Moroccan vastly superior in the technical side of the game.
Ferguson thinks Igamane has more in common with Rangers hero Michael Mols.
“Technically, he is night and day better [than Morelos]. Morelos couldn’t kick a ball properly!,” McCormack adds. “He’s 22. Whether he stays for a year or 18 months, if you compare him from now to probably 18 months’ time if he does stay…
“He’s a talent, that kid.”
Barry Ferguson explains why Rangers can win at Old Trafford
Rangers, if the Europa League first-round was to come to an end right now, would have secured themselves a by into the round of 16. The Glasgow giants are currently positioned just inside the top eight.
A famous win over Man United, meanwhile, would lift the Gers above the Red Devils ahead of that home clash with Union Saint Gilloise next week.
“Rangers will need to be structured, disciplined and tight in everything they do because they could be walking into a backlash,” Ferguson tells the Daily Record. “But I do believe they can do some damage to United in the final third with the likes of Vaclav Cerny, Nedim Bajrami and Hamza Igamane.
“I also think Amorim’s preferred style of play leaves United at risk of being overrun in the middle of the pitch, where he relies on just two central midfielders.
“With Nico Raskin and Connor Barron in that area, Rangers have the legs and energy to exploit that potential weakness in United’s system. They just need to be wary at the back because, despite Amorim’s assessment [that this is the worst ever United team], they still have players with the calibre to hurt you.
“But, let’s be honest, this is not the Man Utd we were all brought up on.”
