News of the introduction of income tax would have a much greater impact on the Monegasque in the street than yesterday's announcement that AS Monaco will face Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the European Champions Cup. Up on the seventh floor of a luxury apartment block on Monte Carlo's Avenue Princesse Grace, however, John Collins was utterly thrilled.

"It's really the one we wanted," said the little Scotland midfielder, half-way through his second year with the club he helped win the French championship last season. "A tough draw, but very exciting. Back to Blighty to take on the old English again."

Collins's recollection of Monaco's two victories over Newcastle in the quarter-finals of last season's UEFA Cup may be lip-smacking, but he anticipates that Alex Ferguson's United will be more formidable.

"I've heard they're favourites for the tournament and, on the evidence so far, they deserve to be," he said. "From what I've seen of them, they appear to have cracked the secret, which is outstanding players working as a great team.

"Guys like Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Ryan Giggs are very gifted players. But Fergie has them all working extremely hard for the team. That's a pretty unbeatable combination."

Collins, however, is encouraged by the steady, but irresistible progress of his own side after a summer of tumult and a bout of early-season form which brought severe pressure on the coach, the former international midfielder Jean Tigana.

Tigana sold seven players and brought in 12, making a settling-in period almost inevitable.

"The team has come together," he said. "When I came back from injury earlier in the season, we were 12th in the table and had lost our opening Champions League match.

"Six weeks ago, we were 10 points behind Paris St Germain, now we're three ahead of them and two in front of Metz. We are getting better with each month that passes and it's good for us that we don't play United till March. We'll be even better by then."

"The core of our team remains, with Fabien Barthez in goal, Dymas at the back and the same midfield as last year. That's myself, Martin Djetou, Ali Benarbia and Sylvian Legwinski. We still have Victor Ikpeba up front and he's just been made African Player of the Year, and Thierry Henri has scored a few goals in Europe."