London – For just the second time in Manchester United's 137-year history, the team plays at Cambridge on Friday.
It's the latest trip into the unknown for Louis van Gaal, whose side overcame Yeovil in the third round of the FA Cup earlier this month but was humiliated by MK Dons in the League Cup in August.
FA Cup fourth-round opponent Cambridge is 76 places in the football pyramid below United, which is fourth in the Premier League.
“It's always tough to play against teams that, in the mind of the players, are weaker,” Van Gaal said Thursday. “In our minds you are believing that we are playing against a weaker opponent but that's not like that. It's another opponent with another playing style with other players and we have to beat them.”
The Dutch coach has been doing his homework on the fourth-tier side, which United last played over two legs in the League Cup in the 1991-92 season.
“Cambridge play very direct, with long balls,” Van Gaal said. “They have five or six players above 1 meter 90 centimetres (6-foot-3) so for us it's difficult to defend and that's why you have to prepare yourself very good. It's not so easy to beat Cambridge United.”
One face will be familiar with United fans: academy graduate Luke Chadwick. But the midfielder left Old Trafford in 2004 and never played with any of its current players.
“It's the first time I've been involved in a game against them, really looking forward to it,” said Chadwick, who made 39
appearances for United and won the 2001 Premier League.
“It's a great club here at Cambridge and we deserve this draw against a massive club ... we'll have the whole world watching on Friday night and they'll be able to show them how good they are.”
The game kicks off a weekend of FA Cup matches. – Sapa-AP