KEY POINTS:
The Premiership's big beasts prowl back into Europe this week, led by the club who regard themselves as the mightiest of them all.
Having reasserted themselves in the domestic arena, Manchester United return to Continental competition tonight determined to restore their prestige in the Champions League.
Since the Premiership leaders won the trophy in 1999 they have been eclipsed abroad by the rest of England's big four. United have not qualified for the quarter-finals of Europe's premier club competition since 2003, during which time Liverpool have won the tournament, Arsenal reached the final and Chelsea the semi-finals.
This trio are also in action this week, Arsenal in Eindhoven tonight, Chelsea and Liverpool in Iberia tomorrow.
Manchester United are in northern France, meeting Lille in Lens. It is a fixture guaranteed to evoke the memory of last year's inability to emerge from the group stages, a failure sealed by a 1-0 defeat to Lille in Paris (Lille's own ground is deemed inadequate by Uefa, so they are European nomads).
It was a bitter defeat, with the absence of a handshake between Sir Alex Ferguson and Claude Puel, the coach of Lille, much commented on.
"There wasn't a chance to shake hands," said Ferguson after training yesterday, "he was busy celebrating." Ferguson smiled as he said this, but his eyes did not.
This year's United are a different proposition to the one humbled in the Stade de France last November, but they still struggle on the road in Europe.
In the group stages they won once and lost twice in three away ties. That victory in Lisbon over Benfica is now their only away win in 11 in Europe.
If this team are to realise the potential Ferguson believes they possess, that record has to change and should do so tonight.
While Lille are "well-organised and hard-working", as Ferguson said with approval, they are short of class, struggling for form and, after last year, no longer have the advantage of surprise.
United, meanwhile, having been reinforced by the signing of Henrik Larsson and healing of Edwin van der Sar's broken nose, have four former winners (Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs are the others) and, in Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, two of the best young players in Europe.
"We should have done better in this competition," admitted Ferguson, adding: "hopefully, over the coming years we will. Manchester United have won the European Cup twice but clubs like Milan, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Ajax have won it four times or more. We really should have a better record.
"A couple of years ago we decided to try to reconstruct a team we knew was getting older. The main issue was to be successful in our own country. We now have a group of young players developing who are the future, who can grow as a team for the next six or seven years.
"We have shown a very good consistency this season. That is because the team is growing together. I expect and hope they will have a big chance of winning things and, hopefully, the European Cup will be one of them."
Giggs, Neville and Paul Scholes, who was famously suspended in Barcelona in 1999, do not have six or seven years. For them, said Ferguson, "this is the time".
No one has shown better how to seize the moment than Larsson did in Paris last May. Tonight he is likely to play his first Champions League fixture since transforming last season's final to Barcelona's delight and Arsenal's despair.
"He has already made a tremendous impact," said Ferguson of the on-loan Swede.
"Rooney and Ronaldo can learn so much from watching his movement, his awareness, his concentration, his professionalism and his finishing. He has been fantastic for us. If he takes us into the later stages of everything, we are challenging for at the moment that will be a bonus."
Ferguson can pick from a full squad. Lille are missing several players including their captain, Stephane Dumont, Guinean forward Souleyman Youlou and the suspended Ivorian striker Abdul Kadar Keita.
In their absence they will rely upon the Nigerian striker Peter Odemwingie, midfielder Mathieu Bodmer, and the Cameroonian Jean "The Cleaner" Makoun as they seek to gain a first-leg advantage.
Makoun has long been considered a transfer prospect by Ferguson and the opportunity to post a performance against a Premiership giant should not be overlooked as a source of home motivation.
Lille qualified from a weak group (AEK Athens and Anderlecht were the dismissed clubs) but did beat Milan to come through.
However, Lille are without a win in four matches, during which time they have scored just once. That goal was in Friday's defeat to the runaway Championnat leaders Lyon. Watched by Ferguson, Lille led until seven minutes from time.
"I'd like to win the competition again because I'd like to savour it," said Ferguson.
"In Barcelona it was so sudden. But if I do not win it again, I can't look upon it as a failure. I have been lucky to achieve what I have achieved."
He said all this with a straight face; but you knew, and he knew, that he will spend his retirement regretting it if he is unable to steer United to the European crown again. The journey starts again tonight.
- INDEPENDENT