Manchester United's Champions League Hopes Laughed off by Gary Lineker

Former England international striker Gary Lineker has ruled out Manchester United’s chances of Champions League glory and has branded their bitter rivals Manchester City as English football’s best hope of going all the way.

“Not great, I wouldn’t have thought!” Lineker said when quizzed on Wayne Rooney’s hope of adding European success to his recent England all-time top scorer record, per Mike Walters of the Daily Mirror. “Manchester United are in a big transition period. I think their fans might have to be patient for a while.”

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The Red Devils get their Champions League campaign underway on Tuesday against Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven. It’ll be a welcome return to Europe’s top-tier competition for the club following a one-year absence and it’ll be fascinating to see how this much-changed side copes with the demands of such an unforgiving tournament.

ESPN FC’s Miguel Delaney thinks the brand of football played by Louis van Gaal’s side could see them fare well:

The meticulous passing style implemented so far this season should give the Red Devils a sure footing in the Champions League. One of the key factors when it comes to success on the continent is being able to keep the ball well and while they can occasionally lack penetration in possession, United will be able to nullify dangerous opposition.

Still, Lineker thinks City are the Premier League team best equipped to go all the way in the world’s biggest club competition:

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City have got to prove themselves in Europe because so far they have struggled. But they have started really well, and Manuel Pellegrini seems to have worked out the best way for them to play.

Most of us have been screaming that you can’t play with two wingers, and two up top, against the good teams. He seems to have worked that out and they look a much better team for it.

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The early signs have certainly been positive for City. Manuel Pellegrini’s men have recruited tremendously well in the summer, refreshing a side that has been growing together for years. But it’s imperative the core of this squad and the manager show they’ve learned from their previous European experiences if they’re to go far.

As noted by WhoScored.com, the team’s defence seems to be in much better shape to cope with some of Europe’s brightest attacking talents:

Lineker also ran the rule over England’s two other representatives, Chelsea and Arsenal. The former Barcelona striker insisted “don’t rule Chelsea out just yet,” despite their sluggish beginning to the Premier League season. As for the Gunners, Lineker claimed “they are not far off” but still a “great goalscorer” away from winning the competition.

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It’s been a while since the Premier League had a really successful representation in the Champions League. After boasting eight of a possible 16 finalist spots between 2005 and 2012, no team has made it beyond the semi-finals since Chelsea’s triumph three seasons ago.

Lineker thinks the amount of football played by the top English sides has been detrimental to their chances of strong European performances:

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We completely kill ourselves over the Christmas period with the madness of our fixtures. I understand the tradition of playing on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, but why the middle Saturday as well?

You’ve got to remember as well that our football is more frantic than in countries like Spain and Germany, so we don’t really help ourselves. You come to February and all the other countries have had a nice little break, but we’ve been going ‘bang, bang, bang’ non-stop.

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City certainly look the best chance for the Premier League at the moment, but faring well in the Champions League is about timing a surge in form at the right time. Indeed, Barcelona and Juventus both clicked into gear superbly in 2015 and built up momentum that saw them progress to the final of the competition.

So if a side like United can find a groove in the latter stages of the season, they’ll have a chance. Van Gaal is a manager who knows all about the Champions League, having managed some of Europe’s biggest clubs and won the iconic trophy with Ajax in 1995. But at the moment, for this Red Devils squad, it’d be fanciful to consider them as genuine contenders.