SIR Alex Ferguson believes United have the potential to be the bookie bashers of Europe.
The Reds are third favourites to win the Champions League with bookmakers Betfred but the Old Trafford boss believes his squad has the potential to leapfrog Barcelona and Chelsea.
Fergie's outfit are 8-1 joint third to win the Euro prize alongside French side Lyon while Fred Done rates Barca as the leading candidates at 7-2 and Chelsea are 4-1 in second spot. On domestic League form the Reds' boss believes a firm favourite hasn't emerged yet in the competition.
But with a six-point Premiership lead and an uncatchable goals haul, Sir Alex is convinced United can cement their authority in the Champions League after last season's group stage gloom.
"At this moment in time there isn't an outstanding side in the tournament. There is nobody you could make a favourite," he said in France ahead of tonight's game against 125-1 outsiders Lille.
"Barcelona have had their troubles in the last few weeks in La Liga. AC Milan had a poor start to the season in Serie A though they are getting a bit of consistency now.
"The only team showing something, whether it is because of AC Milan's poor start and the fact Juventus aren't in Serie A, is Inter.
"They are running away with their league. But it is difficult to judge them. Maybe they are there by default because it is not a real Italian League without Juventus (Juve were relegated after a match-fixing scandal).
Confidence
"Lyon were doing well in France but have started to have one or two bad results. So nobody has been outstanding domestically. However, I have been encouraged with the confidence
and ability we have shown to play top level football in such a competitive league in which we are playing.
"We are doing it with a great goal surge about us. We are well ahead of most teams in the goalscoring department.
"The amount of goals is an area in which we say the Premiership is the best league in Europe. So I am pleased with that.
"So there is good evidence for me to be encouraged and optimistic about this season's progress.
"Europe last season was a poor one for us. The whole campaign was poor.
"Last season we just weren't good enough. We have to get back to the consistency of the previous decade when we consistently got to quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final."
United's Premiership goal haul has been beefed up by Cristiano Ronaldo's 15-goal contribution and a 12-goal input from Wayne Rooney. But Rooney hasn't scored in 15 Champions League matches since his stunning treble on his debut against Fenerbahce in September 2004.
And amazingly Ronaldo hasn't scored in the tournament proper at all for the Reds in 25 European group and knockout matches since he joined from Sporting Lisbon in August 2003.
His only goal came in the qualifier against Debrecen in 2005.
"It would be timely for them to score," added Sir Alex as he inspected the troops.
"We don't really care who scores but it would be nice to see them score because with the talent they have got you would have expected them to have been better.
"But they are young and everything is front of them."
How do you rate United's chances against Lille? Have your say.
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We have a good chance if we play to our own strengths, annoyingly ever since real knocked us out playing 4-5-1 we have taken it upon ourselves to adopt this policy when we dont have the personnel/ patience for such tactics, let's just play our game and let them worry about us. I cant believe going by the article that Ronaldo has struggled for goals in europe as much as Rooney, that's quite worrying. We could still have done with some more movement in the transfer windows to help. PLAY 442
I think the CL is there for the taking and has been for years. The only problem is we never take our chances. I would not call it apathy exactly more an expectancy of failure United has that other big European clubs including Liverpool seem to be able to overcome. I think we may get to the semis then crash out to a team that want it more that's what usually happens.
My money's on Inter. They're the most likely for a treble (title almost won, in cup final and most in-form and strongest squad for CL). Back to us, will all those slagging SAF for 4-5-1 please shut it. The real reason for failure when it happens is obviously profligacy. I'm sick (so is SAF) of the ridiculous amount of clear chances we fluff in front of goal. If you take chances, you win games and nobody will mention 4-5-1!
can't see where ou goals will come from to win it !
I think Lyon are a bigger threat than Chelsea in the CL but Barca are deservedly favourites. It's a knockout competition though, so anything can happen.
if we can field our first 11 and we all know who they are, and fergie has the courage to play to our strengths ie attacking fast flowing football. resist the urge to play rooney as a left wing back then we are a match for any side in europe and there is no reason we cant go all the way.
I wish it was the case that we are serious challengers for the Champions League but you have to say that on past results we really aren't in the running - missing chances has not been the problem when we play away because, bar the odd exception, we hardly ever create any (check the stats and see for yourself). We have to lose the negative approach and start playing to our strengths again before being taken seriously.
We wont win it... 3 reasons...
REASON 1. FOUR
REASON 2. FIVE
REASON 3. ONE
NOTE: The longer we keep playing 4-5-1 in Europe, the longer Fergie will have to wait to lift the Famous trophy again.
In 99, we played 4-4-2 all the time.. home and away.. Why play Rooney on the left wing? Opposition must laugh at us when we do... Remember Celtic and Copenhagen..? 2 games, no goals... If we harbour any hopes of winnig this year, we must attack teams for 90 mins... i.e. Barcelona last year....
Agree with all the comments about playing to our our strengths. I think it's fair to say Alex & Carloz have been inept in their CL tactics in recent years & deserve stick for it. What also concerns me is the lack of options to come off the bench to change a game particularly Larsson insists he's leaving in March. Lille shouldn't be a problem surely lessons have been learnt from last year.
Inter are definitely the form team in Europe right now. All the other usual suspect are struggling in their domestic leagues. There's no reason we can't go on a decent run though. If Arsenal and Liverpool can both progess so far while regularly getting spanked in the Prem, there's no reason we can't go far, in a season where we've currently got our highest league points total ever. But, at the end of the day, it's a cup competition and anything can happen. There's a certain Portugese manager in London who wouldn't be where he is today, if it wasn't for an over-eager linesman and Tim Howard's inability to touch a routine free-kick over the bar. And don't get me started on the outrageous good-luck that saw a team with Traore and Smicer in their squad actually win the damn thing!
Lille will win tonight, fergie must then resign, Sven must get the job. Sven for united!!
A nice show is all we should expect...no one at Utd. can be serious about winning the CL. With our weak midfield we are hopeless...Fergie knows it....everyone in Europe knows it...they have no fear of us. We are great at the back, solid up top, but we are slim and weak in the belly. Couple that with Fergie's usual tactics brings even the 2nd rate teams a chance to take us down. Frustrating....our lack of acquiring "world class"/strong Midfields will be exposed again...someone tell me Fergie doesn't know this....he's taken this team to "battle" without the right "equipment"!!!!
We need some Liverfool LUCK I'm afraid.
Well for me Lyon is the form team and more capable of doing it! If they don't implode!
If we get to the last 4 then it's possible of course!
What the ratings don't take into consideration is our management's ability to nullify our threat,which is attacking football ie; 4-4-2, nçest pas!!!
Allez United
Q.F's at best again. However we'll WIN it next year, mark my words. Why? I hear you ask. Two reasons: 1) 50th anniversary of Munich; 2) Owen Hargreaves - the final piece of the jigsaw!
My favorites for this year: 1-MU 2-Inter 3-Lyon 4-Barca.......
cantona's upturned collar , work are you on drugs hargreaves the last part of the jigsaw dont make me laugh well over rated no where near worth 20 million hes that good we are the only team in for him does that tell you something.. we need a left winger someone like pedersen we need another striker someone like torres and a decent dm not hargreaves and for me a couple of decent up and coming kids ie bale we then need to get rid of fletcher smith sad to say but oles past it richardson as to go and oshea is ordinary dont listen to fergusons bull GLAZER GET YOUR MONEY OUT BECAUSE YOUVE SPENT NOTHING SINCE TAKING OVER! we will not win the cl no strength in deepth end of!
cantonas collar the two cm players for lille looked decent players and would cost a fraction of 20m and would both be worth looking at