The next live Champions League match on RTÉ Two and RTÉ.ie is the eagerly awaited Group F clash between Celtic and Manchester United on Tuesday, 21 November.
Looking back on Tuesday's draw between Barcelona and Chelsea, the Londoners have become a messy, cheating team that seem preoccupied with things other than the game of football. They spend enough money, they have the players and they should really be thinking about their football rather than getting involved in cheating, which they are doing now on a weekly basis.
Mourinho's antics are damaging the club and are damaging the game. He is the leader, he is the manager and he sets the tone and if he's not behaving himself then you can't really blame the players for following suit. He's giving them the lead and they're following. It's bad for them, it's bad for the team, it's bad for football and it's not the sensible way to go. They really don't need it.
Owner Roman Abramovich is seeing the same picture as the rest of us and Mourinho's really going to have to deliver trophies if he is to save himself from his own conduct. He's going to have to deliver more than the Premiership but it's anyone's guess how long he will be given to do that.
It depends how far they go in the Champions League this year but the first time that results cause problems he could be at risk because of the way he is behaving. He's a laughing stock in Europe and here, the English papers may see it differently, but anyone who loves sport would not like to see someone in his position accusing people of doing something he's doing himself, and that's cheating.
Manchester United's lack of strength in depth was cruelly exposed this week as they fell to a surprise 1-0 defeat in Copenhagen. As was shown on Wednesday night, if they have problems with injuries, as every club does throughout the season, Saha, Rooney and Scholes in particular, they'll have major problems replacing them.
They don't have strength in-depth in the squad and the younger players like Fletcher, O'Shea and Carrick are not up to much. They also don't have another alternative striker apart from Alan Smith, who's a good player, but they're thin as a squad and with a long season ahead they are really depending on their three key players to stay fit, especially for the big games.
Ferguson said he wants to buy Owen Hargreaves from Munich if he can get him, and I think he will. However, how much more he'll be able to offer is debatable and it certainly won't solve the problems they have up front. They're short of a striker, and while Hargreaves would help, he's a bit like Carrick and in my mind there's really not too much between them. They do need to invest in players in a big way, and while their league position is good at the moment after a very good start to the season, it's a long and demanding campaign.
I still expect them to go through to the knockout stages, there's no doubt about that, but their problems will begin when they meet the better teams. I don't think they're good enough to win the Champions League.
As for group-mates Celtic, qualification could be touch-and-go for them after suffering a disastrous 3-0 defeat to Benfica. I think United can do them a favour by beating the Portuguese at Old Trafford and that will strengthen their cause, but qualification won't be decided until they go to Copenhagen in the final match.
That will be the key match and they will have to get something there. If they can pick up a point or three in Denmark they will go through for the first time and I'd expect them to do that. If they can also get something against United at Parkhead they'll be in a great position as they have nothing to fear in Copenhagen.
I watched in shock at Arsenal's misses as they only managed a 0-0 draw at home to CSKA Moscow. It was a bizarre game but they are obviously creating chances and, once you're creating chances, that's the main thing. If you're creating the chances they are you'll be okay in the long run. I think Arsenal are going to be in transition for another year or 18 months before this team matures, but they have got a lot of talent, as they showed this week with several key players out.
After going with the same starting XI in consecutive games fro the first time in almost 100 starts, Rafa Benitez has now created a dilemma for himself after two very positive results. He seems to have found a side that works after a lot of permutations not working, so for now I think Liverpool have weathered a storm but they still have a lot to do to qualify for the Champions League next season.
That must be their number one objective, but despite leaving themselves with a lot to do after an inconsistent start, I think they will do it. They don't have much leeway for error from now until May and that's the problem they have left themselves with.
Finally, it's good to see Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy back on speaking terms following their much documented falling-out in Saipan. It's good to make peace not war. There's an awful lot of wreckage behind but if they've made peace then that can only be a good thing.
Eamon Dunphy was in conversation with RTÉ Publishing's Shane Murray.
