AMONG English clubs only Liverpool have won the European Cup while retaining the league championship. They did so in 1977 and again in 1984. Now the feat is rather more demanding, as Manchester United have already discovered.
Without taking anything away from Liverpool's past achievements, it is an inescapable fact that whereas once a team competing in the Champions Cup could concentrate on domestic matters between the second round in October and the quarter finals in March, the Champions League allows rather less licence.
For Manchester United it is not so much a question of winning both as striking the right balance, so that if they are again frustrated in the Champions League the Premiership title will still be in sight. Alex Ferguson has set his heart on winning Europe's most prestigious club trophy, and Saturday morning's performance against Liverpool reflected the United manager's outlook.
Ferguson's team had Asia Minor on their minds. On Wednesday they face Fenerbahce in Istanbul. If United take four points off the Turkish champions, who visit Old Trafford a fortnight on Wednesday, they will be strongly placed to reach the last eight.
Hence Saturday's somewhat absent minded display against Liverpool, which drove Manchester United's supporters to distraction in the second half after Beckham had given United the lead midway through the first. But for the excellence of May and Johnsen, an emergency centreback partnership in the absence of the injured Pallister, Butt's extraordinary industry and Schmeichel's reliability in goal Liverpool might have won. Certainly they should not have been beaten for the first time this season, subsequently losing to Newcastle the Premier League lead they had held for a month.
Some feel that Liverpool are the side most likely to exploit an extension of Manchester United's involvement in Europe beyond Christmas, yet Saturday's performance did not support this view. Roy Evans's team had an abundance of possession and passed and moved with flair and imagination. But they simply could not take their chances.
McManaman, Barnes, Thomas and Berger all missed opportunities in front of goal which a fit and in form Fowler, badly missed ton Saturday, or the Rush of old would have taken with scarcely a moment's thought. Well though Schmeichel and his centre backs played, Liverpool's profligacy was equally responsible for the twin which has left Manchester United a point behind them and two points off the lead.
There is still something missing Anfield; not so much the muscle that Smith or McMahon provided at various times but the mental hardness of a Souness or a Dalglish, either of whom would have cleaned up on Saturday. Barnes's feathery touches provided a leitmotif, but Liverpool needed a stronger central theme.
Berger did eventually appear behind May and Johnsen, Schmeichel saving each time, but before that Liverpool had tended to fence at United's flanks without making serious thrusts through the middle.
With Europe in mind, Ferguson asked his full backs, Gary Neville and Irwin, to push up on the wings in order to restrict Liverpool's normal attacking width.
Whether Ferguson intends playing this way in Istanbul remains to be seen. Certainly United will have to show more powers of concentration than they did for the last 45 minutes against Liverpool.
At least the winning goal was smartly and expertly taken by Beckham, who drove the ball in off a post after it had come back to him following Matteo's interception on Solskjaer.
James had charged beyond Liverpool's penalty area to chest the ball clear before colliding with Solskjaer. With United still in possession, David Elleray waved play on and, clearly deciding James's challenge was legal, took no action against the goalkeeper.
"Someone will be sent off next week for the same thing," Ferguson forecast. If so the referee will be as wrong as Elleray, on this occasion, was right.
