Masters of Europe: English sides top dogs again claims Fergie

But after the embarrassment of England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea have at least restored some pride in the national game.

These are exciting times for English football — as exciting as it was in the late 1970s and early 1980s when English clubs dominated the European scene.

Sir Alex Ferguson is clear about the quality of football in England and told MUTV: 'The Premier League is the strongest in Europe.

'For a spell it was the Spanish league — I remember about seven or eight years ago they had three teams in the semi-finals.

'The English game has reached that level now.We now have a 40 per cent chance of being drawn against an English team, which is a measure of the quality of this division.'

A member of the Barclays Premier League now appears likely to reach the Champions League final for the fourth season in succession. Three of last year's semi-finalists were English and, judging by the quality of the opposition, that feat could be repeated.

Tomorrow's draw at 11am in Switzerland to determine the quarter-final and semi-final ties could, of course, rule out such an eventuality.

But it could also open the way for the Fab Four to march on Moscow. Two English teams for the first time in the final? It has never looked more likely.

Barcelona might have something to say about that and it would be foolish to dismiss them even if, like AC Milan, they appear in a slow but steady decline.

Manager Frank Rijkaard wants to move on and certain senior players, Ronaldinho among them, seem past their best.

Beyond the Spaniards, there does not appear much to concern the English quartet. Zico's Fenerbahce look defensively fragile, Schalke are in the quarter-finals for the first time and Roma may have eliminated Real Madrid, but were beaten 7-1 by United last season.

The prospect of an English team in Rome is enough to give UEFA nightmares but Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, Rafa Benitez and Avram Grant would not lose sleep over it.

The two Milan sides were the best Italy had to offer and they were so comprehensively beaten by Arsenal and Liverpool that even the magnanimous Milanese could not help but applaud.

Serie A have been stunned by the Premier League's might. Roberto Mancini responded to Tuesday night's defeat against Liverpool by announcing his intention to resign in the summer.

Heseemed to have concluded that he might have built a side good enough to secure the Scudetto, but has fallen short on the European stage. However, Mancini was soon persuaded to reverse his decision by president Massimo Moratti.

That will close one door to Jose Mourinho but the former Chelsea manager may instead have his eye on Barcelona once Rijkaard has moved on, quite possibly in the direction of Stamford Bridge.

The next few weeks will determine if Grant stays or goes and the manner of Chelsea's performances, as much as results, will dictate if he survives. Is he able to inspire his team? At this stage, the evidence suggests otherwise.

Unless Tom Hicks believes he can deliver Mourinho as well as the many millions he needs to prevent George Gillett's stake in Liverpool going to Dubai, Grant should be the only casualty at the top of the Premier League this summer.

Benitez has earned at least one more season and not just because he has outwitted the Italian champions and runaway leaders of Serie A.

As six successive wins have demonstrated, this Liverpool team is delivering for the Spaniard.