Champions League: Euro exit would leave United feeling 'flat'

Alex Ferguson claims it will be "a flat year" if Manchester United lose in the Champions League quarter-finals.

As delighted and as proud as the Manchester United boss is of his side's achievement in winning a seventh Premier League crown in nine years, he knows Europe is where they are really judged.

The Champions League is United's true measuring stick.

And he realises many people will feel their season will have been a failure if they go out to Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.

"It would be a very flat year for us and it would be disappointing, particularly as the league campaign has not been as exciting as normal," said the United manager.

"Both are important and we want to win our domestic league because it's such a competitive league in terms of the rivalry between us and Arsenal, Liverpool and Leeds. It's also an important league to win.

"But we have to progress as a football club and Europe is the place to progress.

"That is the focus of people's estimations of you in terms of your football power and we want to be considered that way.

"That's why losing would be a big, big disappointment to us."

Ferguson does not expect to be disappointed come the final whistle, even though United will have to produce one of their finest away performances to turn the tie around.

Ferguson admits Bayern are hot favourites to reach the semi-finals following their 1-0 win two weeks ago in the first leg at Old Trafford.

But then United triumphed against Juventus in the Stadio delle Alpi despite similar long odds two years ago and Ferguson can see definite parallels between the two games.

He is adamant United will score - even if it is in stoppage time again - and when they do, it will be game on.

"They're favourites, they must be favourites and the record book tells you that," he said.

"It's a similar situation really. Juventus had never lost in Turin in a European tie and, as I understand it, Bayern have never lost a second leg if they have won the first leg so it should be interesting.

"But Bayern also know very clearly that if we score the whole pattern of the game will change and Bayern will then have a problem.

"I think we can score, I really do think we can score, and I think it will be very interesting when we do score.

"It doesn't matter when you score a goal. At the top level you need patience and sometimes you have to wait.

"Bayern proved that in the last game and their best football was in the last 15 minutes.

"So if we have to wait another 88 or 89 minutes it doesn't matter to me. I'm used to that.

"I'm not just talking about against Bayern, I'm talking about against all the teams and we are a team that tends to leave things very late.

"We know we are going to have to perform to the best of our capabilities. If we do then we will have a big chance."