Seldom has there been a better time to remind Europe of the difference between the football played in England and the football played by England. At present it is fair to say that the two are poles apart.
This week the onset of a revamped and considerably expanded Champions League, accompanied by an equally vast UEFA Cup, will offer the Premier League fresh opportunities to refute the charge that, far from being the best league in the world, it is a competition of cheap thrills and cheaper goals emanating from defending that would be considered risible elsewhere.
For many, the fact that Manchester United won the European Cup last season after eliminating Internazionale and Juventus is proof positive of the superiority of the English game, even if the winning goal against Bayern Munich was scored by a Norwegian. All it established, however, was United's superiority in the face of a sudden weakness among Italian and German defenders when dealing with crosses.
Tomorrow night, Croatia Zagreb may hope to exploit Alex Ferguson's chronic shortage of defenders and the loss of the injured Roy Keane. If so, it will be a slim hope, since United's triumph last season was largely born of an unshakeable conviction that however many times the opposition might score they themselves would score more.
In spite of Ferguson's injury problems there remains a robust confidence about United which should see them safely through to the second group phase. The way they tore into Liverpool's fragile defences on Saturday was typical of their mood, and, provided David Beckham can learn to withstand being fouled without throwing his rattle out of the pram, they will take a lot of catching at home and abroad.
Assuming Dennis Bergkamp's car knows the way, Arsenal's earth-bound inspiration should reach Florence this morning, in good time to join the team's preparations for tomorrow's Champions League opener against Fiorentina, when Gabriel Batistuta will be waiting. Arsene Wenger's side flopped badly last season and will need to avoid repeating the lapses of discipline which cost them so dearly.
At least Arsenal appear to have recovered better form after defeats by Manchester United and Liverpool which raised questions about their ability to mount serious challenges on two fronts. Davor Suker, a centre-forward slightly reminiscent of Reg Lewis, whose goals won the FA Cup for Arsenal in 1950, may have found his best finishing touch at just the right moment. His two goals against Aston Villa on Saturday revealed the full power of the Croatian's left foot.
Of England's three Champions League representatives, only Chelsea were prepared to keep their powder dry on Saturday, and with Milan visiting Stamford Bridge on Wednesday one could hardly blame them. Gianluca Vialli left Dan Petrescu, Gustavo Poyet and Tore Andre Flo on the bench until the second half against Newcastle and will need all his resources if Chelsea are to make an impressive start in the Champions League proper.
The heart of Chelsea's strength, as Alan Shearer was reminded, lies in the consistent excellence of their French centre-backs, Marcel Desailly and Frank Leboeuf, and the sound goalkeeping of Ed de Goey. Since Milan are now able to partner Oliver Bierhoff up front with either George Weah or the exciting Ukrainian Andrii Shevchenko, this should be an intriguing confrontation.
With their thoughtful, possessive football, Chelsea are the nearest the Premier League has to a continental team. As Bobby Robson, beginning life back in the English leagues after an absence of 17 years, pointed out: "It's still a little frenetic, full of pace, power and commitment. How do we stop it, change it or slow it down? Even the foreigners who have come into our game play that way now."
Most teams, along with their supporters, like it that way.
