Man Utd Want To Use Historic Old Trafford Match To 'push Team Forward'

Women's Champions League: Man Utd v Paris St-Germain

Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester Date: Wednesday, 12 November Kick-off: 20:00 GMT

Coverage: Watch connected BBC Three & BBC iPlayer, commentary connected BBC Radio 5 Live & BBC Sounds, unrecorded matter commentary connected nan BBC Sport website & app

Manchester United's Champions League lucifer pinch Paris St-Germain will beryllium historic.

It is nan first clip nan women's broadside has played a European crippled astatine Old Trafford.

At a nine built connected nan fable of nan Busby Babes, nan 1968 European Cup winners and nan Champions League triumphs nether Sir Alex Ferguson, it is simply a important milestone.

And it is simply a further measurement for Marc Skinner's broadside who, until Saturday's astonishment Women's Super League defeat by Aston Villa, had enjoyed an fantabulous season.

"Manchester United has an astonishing history successful European competition," said Matt Johnson, nan club's caput of women's football.

"For america it is astir nan future. We must put a caller lens connected it.

"This is simply a really bully chance to push guardant pinch nan women's squad and hopefully create a early that successful 40 to 50 years' time, intends personification other is saying really they collapsed down barriers, conscionable arsenic Sir Matt [Busby] did successful nan 1950s and 60s and Sir Alex did aft that."

United person begun their debut Champions League run impressively, winning their first 2 games.

Beating a PSG broadside that has mislaid some of theirs would virtually guarantee astatine slightest a spot successful adjacent year's play-off information earlier forthcoming encounters pinch heavyweight duo Wolfsburg and Lyon successful nan first phase.

It is an awesome effort for a nine whose committedness to nan women's crippled has often been questioned.

United were nan past of nan awesome Premier League clubs to motorboat a Women's Super League team, initially joining nan 2nd tier successful 2018.

The absence of number proprietor Sir Jim Ratcliffe's astatine caller cup finals has been noted, peculiarly successful 2024, erstwhile he elected to watch nan men's broadside suffer to Arsenal successful nan Premier League astatine Old Trafford alternatively than beryllium astatine Wembley arsenic Skinner's squad hammered Tottenham.

Add successful nan women's squad being forced to relocate to impermanent dressing rooms to let nan men's broadside to return complete their purpose-built £7m training crushed installation during past season's extended Carrington overhaul and it is easy to understand why United's level is criticised.

Johnson feels nan claims of disinterest are unfair.

"Manchester United is wholly committed to nan women's team," he said.

"This is very overmuch 1 club. We get entree to each nan aforesaid accommodation and each nan aforesaid staffing resources.

"There is simply a existent family consciousness to nan club. Being wrong nan bubble, you consciousness wholly supported and embraced by nan club.

"But this is simply a increasing manufacture and we want to beryllium sustainable. When we were late, it was because we wanted to make judge erstwhile we entered, we could do it well. Sometimes it is precocious to nan statement but champion dressed."

Best dressed intends investing smartly. Inevitably, being Manchester United, it besides intends attracting attention.

United's Champions League qualification run began pinch stories emerging of players making their ain measurement backmost from Stockholm erstwhile nan nine opted against a nonstop return to Manchester aft beating Hammerby successful nan first shape successful August.

Then location was the funny lawsuit of nan mislaid boots earlier nan first limb of their necktie pinch Norway's SK Brann successful September. The boots, it turned out, had been loaded connected to nan incorrect level by airdrome staff. United officials, connected discovering nan rumor hours earlier kick-off, dashed to a section sports shop successful Bergen to get replacements.

"The Stockholm point was taken retired of proportion," said Johnson.

"We had been distant for 5 aliases six days and nan head gave nan players 2 aliases 3 days off. Some of our Scandinavian players asked to enactment pinch their families. Some of our English players said they wanted to spell to a performance successful London.

"What was missed pinch nan boots was that nan nine recovered a solution and each subordinate played successful marque caller boots successful their ain make. That was nary mini feat."

Mary Earps besides offered a cloaked disapproval of United erstwhile she joined PSG past year, saying nan club's "transition" was "not aligned" pinch her profession expectations.

The nine consciousness it is an illustration of their squad readying that Earps' replacement, Phallon Tullis-Joyce, was past week 1 of 7 players nominated successful nan Fifa 'Best of' grant for champion women's goalkeeper.

United's determination to move nan PSG crippled to Old Trafford is symbolic.

It is improbable to consequence successful a important attendance, instrumentality move retired whitethorn not moreover beryllium beyond nan 12,000 capacity of their regular location astatine Leigh Sports Village, 15 miles away, wherever nan Lyon lucifer will beryllium played adjacent month.

Johnson says United's women's cognition has a sound astatine nan array of each discussions astir a caller stadium but feels alternatively than talking astir moving games distant from Leigh, nan attraction should beryllium connected expanding nan fanbase truthful they person to.

"First of all, nan players emotion Leigh," he said. "It is cleanable for women's shot and we tin make a really bully atmosphere.

"On nan speech astir whether we play much games astatine Old Trafford and what does nan caller stadium look for illustration for nan women's side, location is simply a batch of activity to beryllium done wrong nan nine and connected nan trading broadside to spot if we tin turn nan fanbase truthful we are getting much than 12,000.

"That would springiness america nan statement that we request to spell to Old Trafford because we tin commencement to capable it and tin create nan typical atmospheres.

"That is nan longer-term plan. I would for illustration to deliberation that nan eventual imagination would beryllium successful 10 aliases 15 years' time, Manchester United are playing successful a 100,000-seater stadium and it is afloat for nan women's team.

"That is utopia but it is what you person to purpose for."