Manchester United: Under Pressure...

Its been a tough week for Manchester United in both England as well as Europe.

United have had a mini collapse of sorts since their 2-2 draw against Middlesborough. A last gasp draw against Blackburn and a loss at Stamford Bridge, saw Chelsea draw level on points at the top of the table.

In Europe the most anticipated semifinal in a long time turned out to be one of the most disappointing ones as Barca failed to score and United preferred to sit back. Since the loss at The Bridge it has been a tense few days for Sir Alex Ferguson. A bad run of form has pushed them from favourites to leaders.

Cristiano Ronaldo has not scored of late and the defence has not been upto the mark. Vidic and Rooney are flirting with injuries and people don't know what to expect from the side. All in all the manager is not a happy person.

This is not the first time that he has been under such pressure, he has been in such situations numerous times, and that will make things easy for the club. However, most of the players are facing such a crisis(??!!) for the first time.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been the driving force behind United all throughout the season will be thoroughly tested now and his true character will be revealed. Whether he is a pressure performer or not will be assessed this week.

Other like Ryan Giggs will have a point to prove as many fans have begun to lose faith in the veteran's capabilities owing to his performances over the past few weeks. He is clearly over the hill ,at least physically if not mentally, and his staying power will be tested against Barca at Old Trafford.

United have seemed to run out of steam at the very end of the season, and Chelsea have gained momentum at the same time. Barcelona having rested a horde of players in the weekend will be a fresh bunch, whereas United will be a tired lot having played 3 matches in 6 days. Also psychologically, Barcelona will have an edge as they know that all they need to do is get a goal scoring draw against United.

United on the other hand, will have the weight of the world on their shoulders. Also the added pressure of fixture congestion would have tired them. However this is what Sr Alex calls 'squeaky-bum time', his favourite time of the season.

How well his team can do in such circumstances will test the team's credibility as champions?

No matter who wins or loses we are in for a great few weeks of football. Can United dominate and win or will we see a repeat of Leverkusen 2002..??? So near yet so far..