Manchester United: Good Enough to Rule Europe?

Once again we go into the knockout round of matches wondering whether Manchester United will be good enough to conquer the UEFA Champions League, European Club Football's most coveted prize. So the question in everyone's mind? Can they conquer Europe this time round?

Fergie and his team think so, and so too, do most United fans. Then again, that's the case every year. However, this season I think, may be something special. A 4-0 drubbing of bitter rivals Arsenal, a much needed rest for Cristiano Ronaldo and Sir Alex's desire to bring back his most treasured accomplishment to Old Trafford may just be the antidote Manchester United require.

First up for United - Lyon. Champions of France. According to Sir Alex, Lyon will be a tough nut to crack and rightly so. With class players, a great work ethic and with nothing to lose, Lyon will be attacking United with all guns blazing. They've won the French Ligue 1 for the last 6 years running and once again on top this year so as some may feel United can romp to victory like they did against Arsenal, they are making a mistake. Lyon may dominate all too much in the domestic league, but on the European Front its a whole different ball game. So can they beat United tonight, can they show that they are worth being called one of Europe's top clubs, can they say that they are as good as Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan and Liverpool? Two matches against the Champions of England may decide that.  

Manchester United are quite simply on fire. After an embarrassing home defeat to Manchester City, which as a Manchester United fan I was deeply disappointed about, not just because of the result, but because of the way we played on such an emotional occasion. Manchester United needed to bounce back, they needed to prove that this wasn't just a mid-season slump that could mean the end of competing not just in the Premier League, but in the FA Cup as well. So what do Manchester United do to defy those critics? They dump league leaders Arsenal out of the FA Cup with a 4-0 win, humiliating the Gunners. Arsene Wenger couldn't complain much, except of course, for the pitch - which as silly as it seems, is his excuse for most losses. 

The game against Arsenal may prove to be the turning point of the season, not just for Manchester United, but possibly for Arsenal as well. The win provides a much needed morale boost for United going into the Champions League as well as the close of the domestic season. With Rooney and Ronaldo in prolific form, the only thing standing between success and failure is the Manchester United players themselves. There's no doubt about the talent and class they have in their squad, but is that enough is the question...