By EmptyRed
November 27 2006

In his latest column, messageboard regular EmptyRed looks at the state of our season following the Champions League defeat in Glasgow. United's place in Europe is on a knife edge following defeat at Celtic Park. So here we are again. Looking down the barrel of failing to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages again. Fate plays her own cruel trick upon us. Last Season, we were knocked by Benfica, losing 2-1 in Lisbon. How we had to put up with the grief from opposing fans. Last year we were poor and probably deserved not to progress. This season we started off with a flyer, winning the first three games; as well as winning our first away game on the continent for three seasons.

However, with United just needing a point in Copenhagen to guarantee qualification, Fergie changed the team. It has become rather frustrating and tiresome that under Sir Alex, when we are in a strong position, the United boss weakens the team. We usually end up beaten. Perhaps the old master needs to take a leaf out of Jose Mourinho’s book. Jose firstly makes sure his side has qualified and has won the group, before he plays a weakened side.

It was at Copenhagen where the rot set in. Instead of getting those 3 valuable points which would have got us through, we came away with nothing but embarrassment. It was as bad as getting beat by Harry Redknapp’s Bournemouth in the 1980’s when we were supposed to be defending the FA Cup! However, we knew a point at Celtic would be enough to send us through. Fergie puts out, on paper at least, our strongest side. But in reality he didn’t. Ryan Giggs has been a great servant of this club, but he has never been a centre forward. Fergie pushed El Blanco Pele out on to the left wing, where he is so ineffective and pushed Giggsy up the middle. It didn’t work. We had loads of possession, but we only forced Boruc to make three saves and one of those was from the penalty spot.

So now we have to make sure that we aren’t beaten and we qualify. But here is the rub. Benfica have won their last two games, scoring 6 goals and only conceding one. They know that they have nothing to lose. They know that if they fail to win, then there is no disgrace in finishing third in this group. The pressure is off them. We however cannot afford to slip up and fail again. Fergie certainly can’t afford it. The pressure is truly on us.

What makes this worse is if we had beaten Copenhagen, we could have rested several key players ahead of the big league clash with Chelsea on Sunday. It’s a game where we can’t afford to be beaten. It is not about losing three points; it’s the psychological damage that will be inflicted if we don’t get the result. We have only beaten Chelsea with Mourinho in charge and in reality it didn’t real matter to the Blues in the end. Our season will be decided over the next 10 days. The sad thing was this was all so unnecessary.

W are the ones under pressure on Sunday, not Chelsea. We need a victory to spurt us on defeat is unthinkable. So soon you may think, but our season is now on a Knife Edge.