But the platform is there in the Premiership - we're giving ourselves a real chance.Villa's close-season recruits were a Serb, Sasa Curcic, and Portugal's Fernando Nelson. Under the previous regulations, Little would have had to think twice about compounding the complications of team selection in Europe by such signings."Of course it [the abolition of the limit] will be a factor. His qualified optimism for the English representatives is influenced by the Bosman verdict."I do feel this country is on the verge of achieving something in Europe again," he said. It wasn't a big problem for me except that I wasn't able to have the keeper on the bench I wanted, but it was a major drawback for Alex. What a penalty to have, when you're competing against the best, to have to leave out someone of Schmeichel's quality."But I'd have expected United to do better this time anyway.

They won the double with a team in transition, and Alex has made some excellent signings since. It's still going to be difficult because we don't have the experience of Europe we had 20 years ago, but it must help not having to juggle about with nationalities.''For Aston Villa's Brian Little, tonight marks his managerial debut in Europe. To re-establish our credibility we really need to win the Champions' Cup again.''Clark expects the rule change to enhance United's prospects "Our game was uniquely affected by it. If we don't win it, it will be because we're not good enough. But I think we are.''Nottingham Forest's Frank Clark, a Champions' Cup winner as a player, was the only British manager whose involvement in Europe extended beyond Christmas last season. Despite Forest's run to the Uefa Cup quarter-finals, a backs-to-the-wall affair, he noticed that the domestic game was still the only one in step."European competition is all about keeping the ball," he said.