DOABLE DRAW FOR UNITED…TOUGH FOR THE REST
Quarter Finals
Lyon v Bordeaux
Bayern Munich v Manchester United (1st Leg Away)
Inter Milan v CSKA Moscow
Arsenal v Barcelona
Semi Final vs Lyon or Bordeaux (1st Leg Home)
“Destiny” is such an abused word in everyday football language! Everything and everyone seems to be “destined” for something or other. “We were always destined to win this or that game” or “The boy was destined for greatness” How often have you heard the word used, many times without any real justification?
There’s an old saying in football that a manager earns his money during the half time break. Many more attributes are obviously required in order to be consistently successful but the ability of a manager to lift his players to another level, read the oppositions game and correctly tweak his tactics is invaluable.
Yesterday massive victory against Arsenal saw Manchester United reducing the points different with Chelsea to one point. Chelsea have one game in hand, but they are playing Arsenal next week and If Arsene Wenger' side can bounce back, we will be top of the table.
DOABLE DRAW FOR UNITED…TOUGH FOR THE REST
Quarter Finals
Lyon v Bordeaux
Bayern Munich v Manchester United (1st Leg Away)
Inter Milan v CSKA Moscow
Arsenal v Barcelona
Semi Final vs Lyon or Bordeaux (1st Leg Home)
Owen Hargreaves is hoping to play a part in Manchester United’s run in after making his comeback from a long term knee injury in the reserves. The midfielder has not played a first team game for United since September 2008 and has encountered several setbacks en route to a return to action. The England international was originally predicted to be back last autumn, but finally pulled on a United shirt again when playing 45 minutes for the reserves against Burnley last night.
The eight quarter finalists for the UEFA Champions League have now emerged and the anxious wait to find out who United have to face will end on Friday night. The UEFA general secretary will make the draws at its headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. The pairings will be determined by an open draw in which no teams are seeded and clubs from the same national association can be drawn against each other.
Manchester United will be the ones on red alert when Liverpool visit Old Trafford on Sunday for a Premier League match neither side can afford to lose. United were thumped 4-1 by Liverpool at home last March and still went on to win the championship but the stakes are higher than ever now.
The league leaders are just two points clear of Chelsea, who have a game in hand and no Champions League to distract them after being dumped out by Inter Milan, and Arsenal as the season enters the final stages.
At some point during the next season Sir Alex Ferguson will have to make a decision which will be present him with an agonising dilemma. Goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar will turn 40 in six months time and while the giant Dutchman continues to show the same class that has been his hallmark throughout his long career, the time is fast approaching for him to hang up his gloves.
