The gist of the ITV discussion was simple and predictably pro-British . . . the other clubs will fear Chelsea et al.

The strange thing was that nobody was dismissing their hopes over on RTE, the lads a little sadly resigned to the fact there might be nobody out there to put manners on the hyped-up crowd across the water.

Truth is, scan down through the top teams in Europe right now and there aren't many names that send shivers down spines. Some fancy players, sure. Technically better, little doubt. In fact, we'd bet you could take a lesser-known light, a Shakhtar Donetsk or a CSKA and they'd weave pretty passes around any of the English clubs all night long. But would you bet on them to win?

And as much as the big four in England have their problems, how many of the teams that are left do you fancy showing them up?

Barca, maybe. The odds on them getting a good old-fashioned spanking are slim as we're just not sure there's too many up to the task.

Now if there's one team with greatness in their bones out there and capable of administering some serious punishment, it's got to be Barcelona but they're probably going to need another couple of Champions League crowns to get that nod.

They've wobbled this season, been a touch lucky to beat Sevilla and got mauled by Real in El Classico domestically, along with being outfought and outmuscled twice by Chelsea; Ronaldinho seems to have taken some essence of Cristiano Ronaldo with the showboating; and anyone running at their defence often enough has got a chance. Still, there's Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o to come back and it'll be a treat to watch their one-touch, football-as-eye-candy philosophy.

Spain has been bandied about as the thinking fans' favourite for a few years now and there really is nothing like a home crowd roaring on some random mid-table side against Real or Barcelona as they zip the ball about like, well, Real or Barcelona, to showcase the quality running through the league. (Actually the form team in Europe right now is Sevilla . . .

thumpers of Middlesbrough in the UEFA Cup final back in May . . . with Freddie Kanoute leading the line. If you get a chance, check their hightempo attacking game out.

Whether they're another Villareal/Deportivo, only time will tell. ) Valencia have been championed as a 'proper' team, yet have lost five league games already (admittedly with a freakishly long injury list) - three of them to lowly-placed teams, all away from home . . .

and look close to losing another manager. Still they will have David Albelda back, Joaquin and David Villa are hitting form and will be a tough ask for anyone at the Mestella. Real Madrid are working on making themselves hard to beat but shouldn't be dishing out too many beatings at this stage.

Of the three clubs that are left from Italy, none quite fall into the sure thing category.

Even Inter with their peerless record of generally mucking up the handiest opportunities couldn't pass up the 2006/07 Scudetto but any side that pins a large slice of hope on the flittery feet of an ageing Luis Figo and a frustratingly hot-and-cold Hernan Crespo, Adriano and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, to name just a few, can always come to a sticky end. Ditto Roma (currently 2nd in Serie A) with their bizarre no-strikers formation . . . Francesco Totti the furthest forward with a slew of quick midfielders rushing beyond him whenever possible . . . and whose overdependence on a number 10 that just can't seem to bring his genuine excellence in domestic football to a higher stage will cost them.

Milan have taken the step from experienced to plain old and slow, a lack of pace at the back (still Maldini, Nesta, Cafu, even Costacurta) and freshness in midfield (still Seedorf, Pirlo and Gattuso) among their problems.

They've lost four times already, only managed draws with the likes of Cagliari and Sampdoria in the league, and have three goals between their two strikers. Kaka has been Kaka, the one bright splash on a fairly dark season.

Overall Serie A is as weak as it's been right now. Palermo are in third spot and they lost to Newcastle in the UEFA Cup, Catania are fourth and they were whipped 7-0 by Roma a couple of weeks ago, while other spots in the top ten are taken up by the likes of Atalanta, Livorno, Empoli, Siena and Torino. Not a vintage crop by any standards.

Which brings us into the bottom rungs of the top tier.

Lyon have a tidy look to them, a bit more steel and cuteness this year and playmaker/setpiece expert Juninho Pernambucano on top form, but they've yet to beat one of the big boys in the knockouts stages (Real Sociedad, PSV, Bremen make up the list) and their leading scorer all season, Florent Malouda, is a midfielder. Add to that a manager in Gerard Houllier whose default setting has been negative and they've a bit to prove in a European sense until they close out a big game.

Bayern Munich are struggling down in fourth spot in the Bundesliga having lost four games already, missing an injured Lukas Podolski and relying on Sebastian Schweinsteiger for inspiration more often than not.

PSV are running away with the Eredivisie but are still suffering post-Hiddink syndrome and unlikely to be causing any waves.

It's not that there isn't potential for the English/ Scottish sides to get a stuffing, it's just we're not sure we trust Milan's legs to dole out the necessary at Celtic Park and there's a worry about a small Barcelona side defending Steven Gerrard's whipped corners/free-kicks against Kuyt, Crouch, Hyppia and Agger.

There's not a lot of great teams out there to rely on, just a lot of very good ones.