Paul Scholes views the resumption
of the Champions League as the
beginning of the end for
Manchester United this season.
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Although United are not in action
this week, the resumption of
hostilities across Europe, including
Wednesday's mouthwatering clash
between Arsenal and Barcelona
at Emirates Stadium, marks the
emergence from the depths of
winter.
And for Scholes, it is also the
start of a run-in to what he
hopes will be a glorious end to
the season.
"It's the sign for the run-in,'' he
said. "It just kind of happens
without you knowing it. You know
there are 12 games left in the
league, the FA Cup is getting
down to the latter stages and
Europe is starting again. Every
game becomes more important. It
is the time to stand up and start
playing.''
United could not have made a
better start, securing a derby-
day victory over Manchester City
at Old Trafford. As that result -
and Chelsea's failure to overcome
Fulham at Craven Cottage on
Monday - have virtually turned
the title race into a straight fight
between United and Arsenal, the
Red Devils could do with Arsene
Wenger's men coming out on top
in north London on Wednesday.
On the basis that the more
matches Arsenal have to play,
the less likely they are able to
eat into United's four-point
advantage at the top of the
table, it will presumably be the
same on Sunday, when the
Gunners make a short journey to
Leyton Orient in the FA Cup.
However, Scholes only has eyes
for United's own opponents, non-
league Crawley, and then Didier
Deschamps' Marseille, who stand
between United and a place in
the Champions League quarter-
finals, where they lost in
agonising fashion to Bayern
Munich last season.
"Marseille won't be easy,'' he said.
"It's a tough place. We played
there before quite a few years
ago and got beaten. But we are
looking forward to it. Hopefully it
is the start of a good end to the
season for us and we can go all
the way to the final again and
win it.''