Emerton believes United will want to avenge the defeat to a Singha All Star XI
A-League All-Stars captain Brett Emerton says Manchester United will be gunning for revenge after defeat in their opening pre-season fixture.
United opened their summer tour of Asia under a cloud as they were narrowly beaten 1-0 by a Singha All-Star XI in Bangkok last Saturday, in what was David Moyes’ first match in charge since taking over the Old Trafford reins from Sir Alex Ferguson.
The feeling is they now have their eyes firmly fixed on punishing their next opposition and former Blackburn midfielder Emerton concedes the All-Stars will need to remain steadfast if they’re to avoid a battering.
“Facing Manchester United is always a scary prospect, but well have to really be on our guard on Saturday against a team looking to take out some frustration,” the 34-year-old wrote on Fox Sports.
“Teams like United are expected to win every match they play, and their loss to a Thai All Stars team on the weekend means they’ll be fired up and ready to gain some redemption.”
Tickets for the game at the 84,000 seater ANZ Stadium are sold out, with United’s Sydney fan base gaining a rare opportunity to watch their team in action.
Emerton, who has experience of facing the Red Devils during his eight-year stint in England, is anticipating a memorable occasion and believes it is an exciting test for the A-League’s top performers.
“There’s a really good buzz around the camp. Everyone’s gelling really well and we’ll go out there on the weekend and do the A-League proud.
“As a footballer these are the games you look forward to, testing yourself against the very best in the world in front of massive crowds. It doesn’t get much bigger than the champions of England.”
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