Quest For The Holy Grail: Manchester United Seeks European Cup

So, it’s over for now. The Champions League comes to a deserved winter break after an autumn of great football action.

And one of its star performers has been a United side that seems to be full of confidence.

That is, of course, if you don’t count tonight's game against Roma—which was a really dull affair.

Still, it's nice to see some of the young lads get time on the pitch, and it was a good runout for Pique, Evans, and Simpson, especially. They had a decent game and 1-1 at the Olimpico is a good result. 

But looking ahead, does United really seem like a team capable of lifting the trophy in Moscow? There are several key aspects that need to be examined.

First of all: The players. United have a really large squad, with several important components. Their first 11 are pure class—a great goalkeeper, arguably the best defense in Europe in front of him, a youthful midfield bursting with speed and intelligence—and this season, some much needed steel in the shape of Owen Hargreaves.

Add two of the most energetic strikers in the modern game, and you’ve got yourself a really great team.

There are quality fringe players with big-game experience, and several youngsters coming up through the ranks. Taken together, United has one of the best-looking squads in Europe, without a doubt.

Of course, some players are more important to the club's success than others. Christiano Ronaldo is a world-beater, game-winner and—in my humble opinion—the best player in the world.  The contribution from the entity known as Ferdinand/Vidic is crticial in every aspect, as is the performance of one of the strikers.

No, I’m not talking about Wayne Rooney. What United need is a fit and in-form Louis Saha.

Tevez and Rooney are both automatic choices for the starting eleven—and rightly so—but believe me, it is absolutely crucial to have at least one dangerous option on the bench. United will need Saha to stay fit and ready—because frankly, there is no one else.

This is the one weakness that could speak against United. If not Saha, then who? Dong? His play is laughable, and his main contribution seems to be as a marketing tool for Asia.

One has to wonder, if you United have to carry a Chinese player on the roster, isn't there anyone better to choose from? After all, he's coming from a pool of 1.3 billion people.

However, with a fit team, United can beat anyone. So far, so good.

But it is not enough just to have a great team. Why? Because there are other great teams out there as well.

On December 21, United will be drawn against either Lyon, Celtic, Shalke 04, Fenerbache, or Olympiakos. United should be able to beat any of those teams rather comfortably, but then it gets trickier. 

The two teams that look most likely to play in the final—apart from United—are Barcelona and Inter Milan. The wealth of attacking talent at Frank Rijkaard's disposal at Barca is impressive, and the sheer strength and effectiveness of the Nerazzuri is enough to keep opposing clubs awake at night.

(Then, of course, there are Real Madrid and AC Milan—who are always dangerous, but doesn’t really seem to have what it takes this year.)

So, who will be the dominant force among these three teams? Which captains will be forced to walk right past the cup without touching it, and who will raise it to the skies and earn his place in history?

The truth is, it's too early to tell.

At the end of the day, the winning teams needs to have the margins on their side, and a little bit of pure luck along the way.

When things come together for a championship team, their rebounds fall to the right players, and the shots that rattles the crossbar bounce off the opposing keeper and in.

This element of chance is the harsh reality that every team faces in a knock-out competition, and also what makes these matches so thrilling.

So while United may have a great chance of winning the European Cup—probably the best chance they’ve ever had—this is the Champions League.

There are no bad teams left.