Barca weren't even playing their best football and they still won easily, I would have loved united to win but was almost 100% sure that Barca were going to win, Barca are just simply better in every area of the field

Sunday Dinners

bitches are sabotaging our pitch :nono:

I hate Rio Ferdinands face.

Mourinho is still better then you Pep

Try winning the CL with Porto

19

The factory that makes the goalposts and nets is about a mile from my house. They did them all for the South Africa World Cup as well

Mascherano saying that was for the Liverpool fans aswell as Barca fans :) Legend

Nice balanced review.

Including the 7 players you said would walk into the Barca team?

Oh wait, 6 players, Rafael didn't even play :tongue:

Obviously gutted but Barcelona are something else, world class and totally dominated United.. they are a team to not rest on their laurels and will only get better so congratulations to them!

As for United well coming second (yet again) is nothing to be ashamed of because it was tough getting to the final and we admitted we were beaten by the better team. Proud of the United players for giving it a go and it wasn't to be but I look forward now to the summer revamp that is going to take place at OT:).

I think United were beaten mentally before they even took to the field.
They got the tactics completely WRONG.

Mourinho and Inter proved Barca are beatable, despite how beautful and great a team they are.
Why did United not choose to follow the same tactics as Inter did as they should have.
PRESS THE MIDFIELD, especially XAVI and INIESTA. Do not let them have ANY time on the ball whatsoever.
When you win the ball back counterattack at pace.
Everyone knows Man Utd are one of the best teams at fast paced counter attacks, so WHY did they do so much long balls?

Here is couple of quotes from BBC report of Inter v Barca

Inter produced a performance of which Barcelona would be proud; pressing high up the pitch and hitting Barca on the break with pace and incisiveness when they won the ball back
Barca, denied space with which to operate, were struggling to find anything like their usual fluency as Inter doubled up on Messi and denied the influential Xavi the time to spray passes around.


After the game Ferguson, Ferdinand, Evra etc are all saying Barca are so much better than everyone and blah blah.
If they thought this before the game then why bother turning up.

We could have beat Barca but we failed miserably with our tactical choices and starting 11.

Carrick is a great passer of the ball, but he is totally the wrong choice of midfielder against Barcelona.
Need to have quick agile nippy players to pressure midfield, stop them having time on the ball. Once steal it off them break at pace and on the ground. Not long ball it and give it straight back.

Inter did it last year and United could have done it but they failed.
Beaten before they took to the field.

I disagree with anyone who says Inter got lucky last year beating Barcelona, they were for me the better team in the two legs, tactics were spot on and Barca were surprised by just how determined Inter was.

Just one thing I have to say about Barcelona is that they need to make their squad bigger as it is actually small compared to the likes of Real and even Atletico Madrid.

If there's injuries to more than one of their top players then they're a bit buggered depending if those that are on the bench don't pick up injuries when training or when the coach rotates the squad?

Arsenal have played beautiful football over the years.
Barcelona are like Arsenal only better.
How do teams beat Arsenal? Everyone knows the answer.
You stop them playing beautiful football and deny them any time on the ball.
If you allow them time on the ball so they can pass the ball around all day long, you are ******ed.
This is what United did and is why they lost.

The British press like to portray Arsenal as the UK's version of Barcelona when in fact they're miles apart in the style of football they play IMO.

Everyone rightly praises how they play but because other teams don't play that way it doesn't make their football ethos rubbish. Arsenal currently have more problems than United to deal with atm with their team.

I post this before the game so it not hindsight. :tongue:

This is what each players job should have been

Park and Anderson - follow Xavi and Iniesta around the pitch, sticking like glue to them. Ignore all other players and only focus on the ball and the player they target. Not only do they follow when they in possession, but when they not in possession, this is most important.

Rooney - stick to Busquets when Pique, Mascherano, GK or fullbacks have the ball. Then they cannot pass to him. When Messi drops deep forget Busquets and pick up Messi as extra man in midfield and stick with him best you can.

Evra and Rafael - marshall the wide players Villa and Pedro.
Nani and Valencia - watch the FBs

Messi - he is too good to man mark. When he drops deep its best if Rooney tries his best to disrupt him and steal ball if he can, if not keep with him. When Messi is final third Vidic and Ferdinand have to be top fo their game and stop his path. Its possible of course Messi can dribble through the lot. But he is not gonna do this every single time he is great but not that great. Most important is for Park and Anderson to keep with Xavi and Iniesta and not be tempted to leave them and try go after Messi no matter what, because then Messi can just pass to one of them and get ball back etc.

Using thesse tactics we may still have lost but we would have faired a hell of a lot better than whart he did do.

Now when we do get the ball NO LONG BALLS, its a pathetic waste and just gives them possession back.

Eg Park wins ball of Iniesta, Nani and Valencia burst forward down the wings and Rooney and Anderson down the middle. ATTACK THEM and put them on back foot. Barca FBs get forward a lot so there is plenty space in behind them for wingers.

Barcelona were going to win no matter the line-up, Utd don't have enough quality in the middle of the field to cope with Xavi, Iniesta, and Busquets.

Anderson :joker:

What you laughin at? :conf:

Anderson is good player and is the right type of player to use for United against Barcelona. Carrick and Giggs were wrong choices because they too slow and would not be able to be all over the arses of Xavi and Iniesta.
Hargreaves would be best of all but he is always always injured.

Text message : Barcelona set a record at Wembley Stadium last night : 90,000 showed up to watch them train.

True and although Barcelona hardly have that much weaknesses but I would say that their defence is probably the weak part of their team.

Barca are in a different league to Arsenal. They're more concerned with winning and are cynical enough to kill off teams when they have the chance. Arsenal play like a bunch of 15 year olds who have been told to simply enjoy themselves and not care about the result

They’re the best team of this generation and comparable with the great teams like the Ajax team of the mid 90’s so individual players would not have helped you. What is remarkable about Barca is not just their ball retention but their workrate. Every player puts a full shift in closing down and pressing, giving the opposition no time on the ball. Man Utd were barely able to string three passes together before losing the ball. Barca have players who can pick up a loose ball and instantly start an attack. Its as impressive to watch as their passing game.

Teams that have had success against them have either turned the game into a spikey foul laden game – Real Madrid – or outmuscled them and got away with it – Chelsea, even though Barca won the tie over two legs Chelsea were the better team – No one can truly out play them cuz they are simply that good. As Roy Keane pointed out they have the ability to play their way out of trouble. No hoofing it in to row Z they are good enough to find their own men in tight spots.

Man Utd were lucky Barca didn’t turn it on or it could have been 5 or 6. the managers around the world need to get together to work out how to beat them or else this team will dominate for years to come.