European rollercoaster hits top gear

"It's been a poor league this season," said David O'Leary at Saturday teatime. Squashed into a cramped office within the Stadium of Light, O'Leary was vocal about how he would have preferred it had things been as tight at the top of the Premiership.

"I think it's poor because I don't think Man United have played the football they're capable of playing and yet they haven't been pushed. The league has been a disgrace this year."

O'Leary said that Leeds United shared some responsibility for that - although he downsized self-criticism by giving Leeds excuses, such as the number of injuries they have had and the size of their squad compared to both Arsenal and Liverpool. He was especially hard on Arsenal, but O'Leary never misses the chance to have a dig at his former club.

But he had a point. Manchester United had just lost at Liverpool while Arsenal had beaten Tottenham and the gap between first and second was still 13 points. Leeds had gone third, 19 points behind Man United, having dropped 18 at Elland Road. Man United's goal difference is +47, Leeds' is +8. It's a striking difference.

Yet as one looked at the table at 5.30 on Saturday, the truth staring you straight in the eyes was that from first to fourth, Man United, Arsenal, Leeds and Liverpool, there was a serious European common denominator. For such a poor league, it is not bad that all four are still in Europe in April. The games of tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday make this one of the biggest weeks in English football for, well, weeks. In Italy, meanwhile, they will avert their eyes. How much hope will have been in Italian hearts at the start of the season that, with the European Cup final at the San Siro in Milan, an Italian team would be there. No chance now.

Even the normally absorbing Serie A has lost some of its domestic sheen. Roma began yesterday seven points ahead of Juventus in second and 16 ahead of Parma in fourth. O'Leary should not beat himself too hard. In Holland, PSV Eindhoven are strolling away with their league.

Thankfully there is some competition across the Continent. In France, six points separate the top five. In Turkey, Galatasaray prepared for their tie with Real Madrid by beating Besiktas at the weekend. But they are still six points behind Fenerbahce. In Germany, Bayern Munich warmed up for tomorrow night at Old Trafford by losing 3-2 at home to Werder Bremen. Bayern remained first, but just 10 points separate the top 10 in the Bundesliga.

And in Spain - "The best league in Europe," according to O'Leary - Valencia were beaten at home by Espanol on Saturday, and Real Madrid overcame Numancia by only a single goal from Luis Figo. Real stayed five points ahead of Deportivo La Coruna with that result, Deportivo having won 4-2 against Villareal. Should Real slip, Deportivo will be waiting.

Deportivo, as everyone needs to be reminded, are the Spanish champions. O'Leary was at that yesterday, saying that, in drawing Bayern Munich, Manchester United have an easier route than Leeds, who play host to Deportivo on Wednesday.

"Bayern aren't the same side who played in Barcelona two years ago," he said. "They are older and haven't really moved on. Deportivo might not have the name of a Real Madrid or Barcelona, but they are the current Spanish champions and that takes some doing." Getting into the last eight also took some doing for Deportivo. With 55 minutes gone of the last group game Deportivo were 3-0 down at home to Paris Saint-Germain. Then Djalminha struck. In Spain, Djalminha is rated as good as Zidane in global terms, and the Brazilian orchestrated the sort of comeback that becomes instant legend. Deportivo won 43, PSG were eliminated and Deportivo finished top of their group - just as Real and Valencia did.

Another Brazilian O'Leary will watch for is Emerson, coming closer to Middlesbrough than he probably would like. Emerson is playing the best football of his life.

And another midfield schemer we will see this week is Stefan Effenberg. The memory of Effenberg stimulating Bayern's comeback at Highbury in December is one of the season's most vivid. The more recent thoughts of Bayern's dismissal of Arsenal in Munich will doubtless worry Ferguson more.

Effenberg has said he will leave Bayern next year, adding that "Spurs have always fascinated me." It was Glenn Hoddle who said there were no more great midfield generals. Maybe he will have his mind changed this week. Whatever, hold on to your armchair.