Fergie backs Premiership clubs to shine

Alex Ferguson is convinced the four-pronged Premiership challenge is capable of bringing the Champions League trophy back to England again this season.

With Liverpool and Arsenal both reaching the final over the past two years, the English game is showing encouraging signs of getting back to the heady heights of two decades ago when, between them, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa won the tournament six times on the trot.

And, while Ferguson knows his own side need to improve drastically on their abysmal effort 12 months ago, when they were dumped out at the group stage, the Scot would not be surprised at all if either United, Liverpool, Arsenal or Chelsea ended up lifting the trophy in Athens next May.

“There is no doubt the Premiership clubs will be there at the end,” said Ferguson.

“It has been proven by past results.

“Arsenal were a surprise packet last year in terms of what other clubs had done against them because they had never been beyond the quarter-final before.

“They did well last season, while Chelsea have more experience and more big names, as do Liverpool more names, more players, while we are certainly looking to improve.

“England clubs are improving all the time, so there is no reason why one of the four of us cannot wn it.”

United open their quest to win the European Cup for a third time with a mouth-watering encounter against Celtic at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

In the entire group phase draw, the Battle of Britain’s two best-supported clubs is overshadowed only by the third meeting between Chelsea and Barcelona in as many seasons.

The score currently stands at one each and while Ferguson is not getting involved in predicting a winner this time around, he does agree with the theory Jose Mourinho’s summer transfer blitz has been carried out with the intention of focussing on Europe this term.

“Most people think Chelsea’s signings are more orientated towards European football,” he said.

“I would share that view.”