Apr 23
Barclona v Man Utd: Preview
Manchester United return to the stadium where we experienced our greatest European night. That night in Barcelona was something all United fans would savour, as would Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs. Today, however, we will face the home team in the intimidating cauldron that is the Camp Nou.
Much has been made about how mouth watering this clash is going to be but that would be the media talking. Yes, we will get to see the odd flourish or two because of the number of creative players that will be on display. But I think it would be a cagey affair.
Barcelona, for one, are not in the best of form and are full of internal squabbles. United on the other hand are in the rudest of health as far as team unity is concerned. In terms of form though, we’ve come out of a tiring draw against Blackburn. So we can’t really say that we’ve been annihilating teams.
Barcelona have something to cheer about though. The return of their talismanic forward, Messi, the probable return of Deco and the presence of Xavi and Iniesta will ensure that they will always be a threat. Moreover, with nothing else to play for other than the Champions’ League, they would give everything to get past us and save their season.
Formations? I would want Fergie to go with a midfield three of Carrick, Hargreaves and Anderson. The back four and ‘keeper is a foregone conclusion, barring injuries, and the forward line should be Rooney, Ronaldo and Park, with Nani to come on later on. I went for Park because I think Fergie might be swayed by his European exploits against Roma, and by the fact that he was well rested over the weekend.
If Fergie is really sentimental about wanting Scholes to play in the final — although, I’d hope he does not succumb to sentimentality — he could consider playing Scholes in the home leg only and not today because of his propensity of picking silly yellow cards. But then who am I to second guess him.
Prediction: 1-0 to United. It will be an ugly goal by some defender from a corner.
Over to you…
Related items from Red Rants:- Man Utd v Everton: Preview
- Rooney Out For A Month
- Derby County v Man Utd: Preview
- Update on Red Rants
- Chelsea v Man Utd: Preview
Tags: Game Preview · UEFA Champions' League
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:17
Vidic is a question mark for the match after being rushed to the hospital with some stomach problems and he didn’t train yesterday.
I hope to see Hargreaves and especially Nani start where good delivery from set plays could pay dividend against a weakened Barca defence where again Vidic’s presence would be a big plus so hope he does make it.
I can see Tevez, Anderson or Park coming on after half time to pressure Barca which will be the key in the later stages of the game when the extra energy they bring will be needed and make the difference in the game.
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:20
I was watching the liverpool chelsea game on ITV in the u.k where they said there is talk vidic is injured as well as brown and park is gonna start with rooney on the other wing and ronaldo up front with anderson carrick hargreaves as the midfield three. aargh!!
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:31
Anderson should start instead scholes and Nani instead of Giggs
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:30
Lets hope that Rooney keeps his cool tonight. It’s not Scholes I’m worried about in terms of picking up a yellow card because frankly we can afford that when looking at the numerous talents we have in the middle.
What we can’t afford though is a red card to a pivotal player. Wazza has been fiesty as of late. He should be cool tonight because there is no doubt in my mind that the match will be tenacious and emotions will be flying high.
Hopefully I’m wrong, but if Barca should nick a goal at 63 mins, then I think it will turn out to be a very ugly scene. The star of that scene will most likely be Wayne Rooney.
As for the unrest within the Catalan giants, then we all probably know that its a double edged sword issue. It can certainly deflate them, but on the other hand it can also be a motivating factor. Absolutley something that we don’t need given the fact that we all know their capabilities.
Back to United. I honestly feel that we can overcome anything thrown our way later this evening. We have the man power, stamina, agility and most importantly we have an unrivaled determination. The latter will hopefully be the factor to which we will triumph.
Predictions; Totally concur with the “ugly goal from defender”, aswell as a huge mistake from the poor Victor Valdez resulting from a powerfull shot on target from either Carrick or Nanny. Final score : 0-2.
Good Luck.
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:45
Viresh its not so bad.by the way vidic is not injured he is just suffering from a stomach bug that’s all and has a sore knee.
Wes is a big question mark,we might deploy either owen or Oshea there.Oshea tends to lift his performances for the big games so he should stand up and be counted tonight.
I am just worried if fergie is more concerned on stopping barcelona than allowing our forwards freedom to punish them at will.Johan Cruyff urges Barcelona to attack Manchester United’s weak spot. He writes: “Where are their least technically talented players? In the back four. So put pressure on them and force errors.”
Just switch it back and reverse the entire scenario.Hurt them where it counts thats which is the back of the net.That’s all .GGMU
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:55
The press should shut up about this Ronaldo Vs Messi thing don’t they just learn.Last season and every other season it will always be about the collective not individuals.
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:21
Im praying for Vidic to be fit, we need him so badly….. I would disagree with you on the starting of Paul Scholes, I would 100% start with him with the experience he has and the way he makes us tick….. Anderson would be too jumpy, nervous and I think he is a better impact sub. I agree with you though on the Park issue. My team to start would be the usual back 5. a middle three of Hargo, Scholes & Carrick and a front three of Park, Ronnie & Rooney. I would then bring on Anderson for Scholes, Tevez for Park as the game comes to the 60 min and we have not scored as I feel we need an away goal tonight.
by the way Im 100% sh*tting at the moment,im so bloody nervous, god help me as the day goes on and we nearer kick off….please say im not the only one feeling like this today….
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:22
You aint John T!
If United are going into this match to attack, I think they can win by 2 or 3 goals. This is going to be one of the games of the season, no doubt about that! I just hope Fergie and the team are ready for this test. Scholes shouldnt start because of the tecnical ability that Barca have. If he plays he will a yellow card tonight. Anderson loves playing big games, and he has already said that he thinks of this game as the CL final. He should start in midfield with Carrick and Hargreaves. I hope Owen man-marks Messi out of the game, that would be great! VDS is fit so he should start. If Vida is unfit, Pique should play. It looks like he can play though, it isnt that bad. Wes doesnt seem to make it, so I would pick Sheasy there. Pique if Vida makes it! Barca have fast attackers so United need quick defenders. Rooney has been a little frustrated these last couple of games, but I would still play with him. He, like Anderson, is a big game player, and I think he will be very important tonight against slow Barca defenders. And why does people want Park to start? Nani has to play, if he doesnt play United cant score from a corner! And his speed will make it difficult for Barca too! My team:
VDS
Brown/Pique/Oshea Rio Vida/Pique Evra
Ronaldo Owen Carrick Anderson Nani
Rooney
subs: TK, Neville, Pique/Park, Silvestre/Oshea, Giggs, Scholes, Tevez.
Prediction: 4-2 to United. Vidic/Pique from corner, Ronaldo free kick and Rooney brace. COME ON YOU REDS!
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:23
cant get any bigger than this, jus hoping fergy will unleash the boyz n let them play the attractive attacking football we all used to in the premier leaue than the cautious kind of game that he adopts during european ties, lets remember this is barca and we cant afford to sit back, defend and wait for the counter attack..
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:29
To Red Ranter, I just want to tell you that I have a big Pathology exam this thursday morning and Ive been studying my ass off since friday and although thats no excuse for my misbehaviour last night I unfortunately put out my frustrations on the first person I saw and although stressed and tensed it was inexcusable so Im putting out my sincere apologies.
Anyway, as a big Real Madrid fan I have 2 reasons for wanting United to win tonight, and hope we beat their sorry asses.
And another thing, I was thinking of the whole buying a striker issue and I realised most of our wishlist players will be playing in the euros this year, now hear my point , they will finish their respective leagues and go to their respective national teams and if they reach the later stages of the competetion that would keep them busy untill july then they would probably take a break for 2 weeks, that makes mid july the earliest time for them to join the team and if Im correct thats the time when everyone would be in south africa on their tour so not untill august will they be with the team, now isnt that going to be a problem??
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:36
whoever has fergies contacts pliz call him and tell him to pliz not start neither shcoles nor giggz,,pliiiiiiiiz
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:40
what a game in prospect……..kinda agree wit you redranter out the midfield 3 of OWEN/ ANDO/CARRICK as its the most balanced combination i feel. Those lads compliment each other the best i feel. Dunno tho…..hink tonights game could be taylor made for scholesy. If barca play with Deco/Iniesta/ Xavi scholes should have the time n space he needs these days to do his thing! Nani/Rooney/ Ronaldo should complete our team with tevez coming on wit 30mins remaining. Just got the feeling our midfield is gonna bb to strong for barca- As long as we stick to our game, not get intimidated we will be fine.
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:46
Barca should be frustrated, first and foremost…by that I mean no space or time to play how they want…when their moves break down, go straight for the throat (metaphorically speaking)
Barca aren’t Milan or Chelsea, they will want to attack whenever they can…pace and closing down in midfield will be a must…the ball must be won back in midfield, unfortunately I don’t see Scholes doing this, I hope that Anderson gets the nod
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:03
I really wanna see the midfield of hargo andy carrick with rooney and ronaldo on the flanks and tevez up front I think this would be leathal defensively we should be stong and attacking wise i can think of anything better, i really wanna destroy em in barcelona so we can concerntrate on premiership come saturday!
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:13
Y’know, if Vidic doesn’t make it, I’d rather see Pique playing at CB than Brown or O’Shea shifting there. Pique, apart from being a good CB, also has the advantage of having played this opposition last season and obviously the fact that he’s a Catalan and the son of a board member or something like that. It would be fun for him
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:16
Well, i guess irrespective of who starts, away results are always crucial. So i help we get a good one. Entertaining football with plenty of goals. But a good result
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:41
*A few observations from yesterdays match…Ronaldo and Rooney we are playing an away match with 80 thousand fans so expect no favor from there 12th and 13th player the ref and fans respectively.don’t dive or make an necessary complains.
*If we get a goal struggle to force in another one so that we can kill the game earlier …..we don’t want any Riise cases.
*The game will be won in the midfield…possess the ball,spoil there moves and make there 18yard box busy and we shall win.
*Finally lets cheer our team despite the nervousness.
*Any news on Vidic?
April 23rd, 2008 at 13:14
It’s a gigantic [even... massive ;-)] game today in various aspects. Barcelona were the last kings of Europe (AC Milan don’t count, it was a fluke), a team acclaimed by almost everyone because they were capable of playing attractive football and winning the trophy, so it’s important to show the whole world tonight what WE are capable of.
April 23rd, 2008 at 13:37
I’m not a United fan, but believe that your team is very strong. But playing away to barcelona is a whole new thing.
April 23rd, 2008 at 14:21
i wouldn’t want to spoil the mood for today’s game, but just found out that “Rob Styles was demoted to League Two”….get the useless twat out of here !!!
Telegraph report
April 23rd, 2008 at 15:23
Same freacking old story our deffenders go down like flies for CL semi. I hope Vidic and Brown play. I am not gonna predict anything, I just hope we will be strong and will dictate the game
April 23rd, 2008 at 16:01
Conor: I just checked the stats, in all competitions tevez has played 1 less game than Rooney and has 5 more goals.
As for today I say we attack! Start ronney,rooney, tevez and Nani and make barca defend. If we can get an early goal I think they will fold.
April 23rd, 2008 at 16:13
Tevez Manchester United 13 1 4 0 18
11 Rooney Manchester United 11 2 4 0 17
April 23rd, 2008 at 16:34
A joke to lighten to the mood!
“John Arne Riise has just been arrested on the M62. Apparently he was heading in the wrong direction.”
April 23rd, 2008 at 16:42
Ronaldinho might start!
Pique will start!
3-1 to United! Pique, Park and Andy to score!
GLORY GLORY MU!!!!!!!!!
April 23rd, 2008 at 16:47
lol to the joke above…
i hope nani starts…. barca have no aireal threat…. corners + nani = goals
April 23rd, 2008 at 16:51
Read this from the BBC on Vidic
Breaking news from Spain - it’s been confirmed that Nemanja Vidic was indeed taken to hospital with a stomach problem last night, and remains a doubt for the game tonight.
A spokesman at Barcelona’s Hospital de Bellvitge said: “He was brought here last night with a stomach problem and kept in for a couple of hours, but was later released as the condition was not very serious.
“Whether he plays or not is not our decision. He is back with the team and the club doctors will decide if he is fit to play this evening.”
I reckon it’s some good old fashioned Fergie mind games ahead of a big match. Make Barcelona think that there’s a chance that Vidic and Wes won’t be able to play, so they think they’ll have an easier time especially the attacking players then when he is found to be in the starting lineup psychologically Barca think twice about an all out attacking approach. Perhaps not but I really hope Vidic starts and if not what better time for Pique to prove himself on the biggest stage against his former club.
April 23rd, 2008 at 17:01
Check out this article about Giggs and Scholes and Fegie’s general decision making, its pretty good:
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/04/23/is_it_time_for_fergie_to_ditch.html
April 23rd, 2008 at 17:09
[Jay] Hey mate, hows life at Infy?
Well anyway, its gonna be major…Larger Than Life itself. Atleast all of us want it to be. And thats where I feel, like RedRanter, we might be disappointed. Having expectations of free-flowing end to end stuff might be what dreams are made of, and both the sides on display today are totally capable of that, but it will certainly be cagey, atleast the first half I think, due to the whole lot of mutual respect for each other.
I say, eff the respect. We play to win, not to get wowed or to give respect. That can happen after the game has been won (by us ofcourse)
And RedDevil, I love your optimism mate, but 4-2 to United??? Doooooddddd…hehe, even I, whose blog title is “The Eternal Optimist” won’t make a prediction like that
April 23rd, 2008 at 17:12
2-0 to United!!! Rooney to bag them both!!!
April 23rd, 2008 at 17:31
Well Boyz i have a sinkin feeling today.As Taron mentioned all our defenders seem to fall like flies when it comes to the CL semi final and it Looks like we will go down say 2- 1 but should win at home 1-0 hopeful we get an away goal today”"”
April 23rd, 2008 at 17:54
Oooooh…i can’t fckin wait!! The tension is just too much!! I wish I were at home with the beer flowing and all hell breakin loose..sadly I’m in office and will have to watch with my mouth shut
April 23rd, 2008 at 18:08
I am hopeful for nani to start this game ahead of giggs or maybe park ji sung ahead of giggs. This is an important game of our season so we must field our best combination to battle barca.. 1-1 for this game..1-1 is a good result for us considering the valuable away goal..
April 23rd, 2008 at 18:33
Its tough supporting a club… Am slowly turning superstitious…damn… im fidgety and tense…
April 23rd, 2008 at 18:46
Mihir- just wait and see…:-D
No-one has predicted a big win for United, but I do! I have said earlier that I am an optimist. Even if United would be under 2-0 at half time(hopefully not!) I would still think they could win! Hell, yeah even if it only was 15 minutes to go!
Cant wait for this game! United are fielding a 4-4-2 for the first time away in Europe this season! Hopefully it will turn out to be the exiting game we all hope to see. And must all the goals go Uniteds way!
GK: VDS
RB: Owen
CB: Brown
CB: Rio
LB: Evra
RM: Ronaldo
CM: Carrick
CM: Scholes
LM: Park
ST: Rooney
ST: Tevez
subs: TK, Pique, Silvestre, Sheasy, Anderson, Giggs, Nani
Well, would have preffered Anderson tonight. Still think we can win 4-2 though
Owen takes decent corners too!
April 23rd, 2008 at 18:46
ferguson has finally GONE FOR IT rooney and tevez satart. AT LAST!!!!
April 23rd, 2008 at 18:46
It’s tough supporting a club like Man United, but we’ll have got our reward by the end of May. No Vida, after all, but with Andy and Nani on the bench, we can win even if we’re 3-0 down by the end of halftime.
April 23rd, 2008 at 18:50
Barça’s team officially announced:
Valdés, Zambrotta, Marquez, Milito, Abidal, Xavi, Toure, Deco, Messi, Eto’o, Iniesta.
April 23rd, 2008 at 18:50
I’m going out on a limb and say that I think United should start Pique over Vidic today. If Vida isn’t 100% he could end up hurting us like his mistake did at Blackburn. On the other hand Pique will be sky high wanting to play in his homeland and in front of the Catalans who he idolized as a boy. I think he would come up big for us tonight.
This game is making me nervous because Messi is back and that player second only to Ronaldo in explosive talent. You can cut the tension with a knife. I just hope Scholes and even Giggs are not in the starting lineup. Play the warm weather boys and play an up tempo game while still only playing Rooney up front. I’d even be brave enough to say sit Rooney down and start Tevez. He is used to the warm weather and playing in a Spanish speaking environment would elevate his game too.
Anyway all the best of luck to the lads and lets get an away goal and keep the damage down to a goal or less. A victory would be absolutely MASSIVE. My prediction? 1-1.
April 23rd, 2008 at 18:51
saf is being cautious starting park over nani, lets hope his winning run continues aye.
April 23rd, 2008 at 18:52
Barca lineup:
Valdes
Zambrotta
Marquez
Milito
Abidal
Xavi
Yaya Toure
Iniesta
Messi
Deco
Etoo
April 23rd, 2008 at 18:54
is the lineup official or you guys just guesting?
April 23rd, 2008 at 18:55
One- Official lineup!
Some other facts from Barcelona.
Temperature: 18 degrees
Humidity: 46%
Pitch: Dry
Weather: Clear night
Referee: Massimo Busacca(SUI)
BRING EM ON!
April 23rd, 2008 at 18:56
one its OFFICIAL line up
April 23rd, 2008 at 18:57
I think it is a positive lineup. My only worry is we will be exposed in central midfield as Carrick and Scholes are not renowned for their defensive capabilities. But we are very strong on the wings and will be able to play with overlapping fullbacks now we have Hargreaves as right back.
April 23rd, 2008 at 19:00
Carrick and Scholes?
April 23rd, 2008 at 19:00
Could someone please post up any links for the Barca game please (as my Sky is f***ed up)? Cheers
April 23rd, 2008 at 19:01
At least there is some justice in the world. Apparently Rob Styles has been demoted and will be reffing Division 1 games this week and possibly the rest of the season. The league apparently did this because he missed what they feel were two obvious penalties for United that were not given. I say send the pillock down to Division 4 for life.
April 23rd, 2008 at 19:07
oh man..i am worry about brown..hopefully the lad’s concentration doesn’t slip against eto’o..
April 23rd, 2008 at 19:07
Man Utd: Van der Sar, Evra, Hargreaves, Ferdinand, Brown, Ronaldo, Rooney, Park, Carrick, Scholes, Tevez. Subs: Kuszscak, Anderson, Giggs, Nani, Pique, O’Shea, Silvestre.
Barcelona: Valdes, Milito, Marquez, Xavi, Iniesta, Eto’o, Zambrotta, Messi, Deco, Abidal, Toure. Subs: Jose Pinto, Gudjohnsen, Henry, Sylvinho, Giovani, Thuram, Bojan.
April 23rd, 2008 at 19:07
Fergie’s lineup for this game is absolute shit. I cannot believe that he has chosen Brown at CB over Pique in a game in Spain. Thats really going to give the lad the desire to commit more years to our club. Scholes and Park instead of Nani is a big mistake. I am hoping for the best but the lineup has me very nervous. And 4-4-2 is positive but possibly foolhardy. Why respect Roma by playing one striker up front and show no respect against a far superior Barca team? Possibly he feels he can exploit their defensive weakness without Puyol in the lineup.
April 23rd, 2008 at 19:08
nino chk http://www.myp2p.eu or http://www.justin.tv
April 23rd, 2008 at 19:08
hargreaves plays in right back brown in centre looks like SAF has gone for 4-4-2
April 23rd, 2008 at 19:09
Hey Cmon brown has been a disaster for us in the recent games just hope he does’nt make any mistakes
and wers anderson????Scholes is too old cmon fergie wake up”"”"”
April 23rd, 2008 at 19:12
Grognard..relax..just trust SAF..his judgement can’t be underestimated..he proved us again and again about his brilliance..just hope for this one to be another SAF brilliance..
April 23rd, 2008 at 19:30
One says; You coukld be right but I am certain that Scholes is a mistake because we need to play an up tempo game against Barca. He will slow it down too much and then he will do nothing but back pass all game. Then again, fresh Nani and Anderson subs in the second half could make the difference after Barca are tired. You get the feeling Fergie is going to play slow and grinding football until th 70 th minute when they will pick it up and try to snatch either the win or the draw.
April 23rd, 2008 at 21:15
get anderson on pronto
April 23rd, 2008 at 21:27
Oh boy…we certainly aren’t gonna get an away goal tonight it seems…
Yeah we needed Anderson on quickly in the 2nd half, as Barca were bossing our midfield all over the place, but we got Nani for Rooney instead. SAF should have taken off Scholes for Anderson and Park for Nani instead. But to be honest we’ve been really poor tonight; I think we gave them too much respect.
April 23rd, 2008 at 21:35
well im not sure what to think. Am I happy we didn’t lose or am I dissapointed we didn’t get a away goal???
April 23rd, 2008 at 21:38
Although I hated the way United played, this seems like the way Europe is played.. Milan, Liverpool style like discussed earlier… I still maintain that its a bad result only because 2 out 3 results at OT favour Barca: A draw and a barca win…
And was it just me, or did Brown look awesome at CB?
April 23rd, 2008 at 21:38
what a borefest, we were deflated, lifeless, lazy. we didnt control the tempo of the game. everytime we got the ball, BANG long ball…throw in.
April 23rd, 2008 at 21:38
What a joke. They were all over us.
Ronaldo lost his bottle.
United were thoroughly battered today and lucky we didn’t concede.
Remember Liverpools performance here? It was a lot better.
We just defended deep. Didn’t even bother push up. What a joke.
April 23rd, 2008 at 21:40
i am so disappointed with our play..like a lifeless dead body hovering barca player..damned it..i think ronaldo blew it.he made other players loss their spirit..hopefully at old trafford it will be better..
April 24th, 2008 at 7:52
Interesting game
April 24th, 2008 at 8:02
Let’s not over-react now and try to look at things from a different perspective. I have watched the game twice now and it appears the primary objective was to contain Barca and not concede. Compared to our performance last season against Milan at the San Siro, we are already 3 goals better at this stage. We still have the advantage at the home leg and the tie is there for us to take.
Perhaps some of us have let the media shape our view on the Barca team. Yes, they are missing Ronaldinho and Henry only played 15 mins, while Messi is just returning from injury. But this is a really good Barca side with quality players. Just look at how they controlled and pass the ball. Almost everyone had an excellent first touch while the weight of the passes were more often perfect than not. And do bear in mind that this is a team 3rd in La Liga, which is not inferior compared to the Premier League. Do you expect us to go to the Emirates and win 4-0?
Perhaps we overlooked certain other factors, such as a large, partisan home crowd; the familiarity of the home team with their huge home pitch; the pressure on our players from expectations of the media, fans (yes, you and me) that they should, can, must emulate that 1999 side that won the treble at the very same ground.
An important factor that cannot be discounted is the fact that we are playing Chelsea this weekend as well which could very well be the league championship decider. Perhaps the strategy to contain and not concede was also formulated with that in mind, that instead of playing our usual 90 mile-an-hour game, pressing all over the pitch, it would have been better to sit in our final third, let the Spanish side come at us, conserve our energy so that we would be fresh for the Stamford Bridge encounter. What was interesting was that at the end of 90 mins, it was clear that Ronaldo, Rooney, Hargreaves, Rio, Brown, Evra did not seem tired and could have gone on if needed. Perhaps that could be a factor against Chelsea on Saturday.
Moving onto the details of the game:
Defensively, we did very well. 65% possession counts for nothing at the end of 90 mins if you cannot score. If you watch the game again, you would realise at no time in the game did Barca had a clear chance of goal in the box. Most of the shots against us came from outside the penalty box from some distance. Messi was perhaps the most dangerous player but as long as he could not get behind the defense, he had no clear chances.
In the midfield, credit has to go to the midfielders for keeping the shape and protecting the back four by being the first line of defense. More often than not, the Barca offense broke down because they did not have the space to operate in front of our defense. Offensively, it is true we did not hold the ball enough and wasted possession far too often. Hopefully, we can improve on this on Saturday and next Tuesday.
Upfront, I felt Ronaldo showed why he is perhaps better off playing as a winger than a striker. His first instinct on receiving the ball was always to turn and face the defense, even when he was closely marked, rather than lay it off back to a midfielder or hold the ball with his back towards the goal. We would have had a lot more possession had he been a little more patient.
Finally, put yourself in the shoes of a Barca fan and imagine the frustration having watched your team have so much possession but not get the result, knowing you have to go to Old Trafford. Who has the advantage now?
April 24th, 2008 at 8:02
Well this game ended pretty well like I predicted. I thought both sides would be good for one goal a piece but as it turned out, 0-0 was not that far off from what I felt would be the final score. Where to start? This game has positives and negatives for United. Let me start by eating crow once again regarding the selection of Paul Scholes. Every time the Ginger Ninja starts to look over the hill, he comes back and proves me wrong with a great defensive performance tonight. The team played a fantastic game of zone defense and really soaked up the pressure well. Not once did I feel that Barca had a true scoring chance. All they had all evening is a number of half chances and speculative efforts. Had Ronaldo scored on his woeful penalty attempt, I think the game would have opened up a bit.
United’s game plan was perfect even though it wasn’t pretty or adventurous. A game like this requires more caution and courage in defense. The lads really played hard. Offensively they looked flat footed all evening and they were unable to string any passes together because they lacked that jump and the fact that Barca played a predictable press. After the first five minutes it was clear to me that Barca would have over 60% of the possession. United were terrible in counterattacks. They just couldn’t get into a higher gear and their passes and lack of imagination was stunning to watch. Yet, this was a very positive result. You have to love our chances back at OT. The away goal would have been sweet but I cannot believe that we are not going to beat them at OT, no matter how good they might be. They couldn’t get the job done against us tonight in front of a very loud pro Barca crowd. Their only chance at OT is if they catch us on the counter when we are attacking. With players like Messi, that’s possible but I think unlikely.
The three things that bothered me the most in this case were as follows;
1. Ronaldo has to stop crying after every foul that isn’t called in his favor. Enough already. Be a man and take it. It’s causing him to lose his focus and referees are not calling them on him not so much because of his diving, but because of his attitude towards them.
2. Wayne Rooney should have been scratched for this game. Not only was he unfit and totally useless, but playing him in a position like RMF behind Ronaldo wasn’t only neutralizing his skills, but incredibly stupid on Fergie’s part. What was the point? Park or Nani could have played that role with more success.
3. Not playing Anderson from the start was a mistake even though the result favors us. His pace and urgency may have helped on counters as well as helped us kick our game up an extra gear.
PLAYER RATINGS! PLAYER RATINGS! PARTY TIME EXCELLENT ….WELL;
EVDS 7.5/10 - Very solid game and made a few steady if unspectacular saves. Was well positioned all game but he did make a few poor clearances in the first half. Never looked like he would be beaten.
HARGREAVES 7.5/10 - Predictably never had the offensive influence in the game due to the pressure of the opponent but he defended like a true vet and like he has played that position all his life. How many threats can any of you remember that came from his side. It was clear they were going to pick on Evra instead. Good calm clearances all game long.
RIO 7/10 - At times he was magnificant but he was also slppy a few times on back passes and a few clearances that could have hurt us if it weren’t for Barca’s inability to take advantage of the gaffs. He commanded the high balls in the area and he never let anybody get behind us.
BROWN 7.5/10 - Very surprisingly strong performance. He looked calm and reserved and never made a wrong touch. Also made some good tackles and backed up Rio and Evra very well.
EVRA 8/10 - Was outstanding defensively. He had a massive job against Messi but did a decent job neutralizing him in the penalty area. Messi made some nice plays and moves but he never really got any shots on goal and his play making was off form thanks to the pressure and quality marking as well as tackling of the little Frenchman. His defensive game has really improved over the past 18 months.
ROONEY 4/10 - And trust me, I’m being kind. In all the years I have watched Rooney play, I have never seen him play so poorly or be so anonymous on the pitch. Clearly the lad was hurting but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he was tactically positioned poorly and that he did absolutely nothing when the ball was at his feet. No running and causing havoc. It was awful. I felt I was in a time warp and I was watching Rooney play at the age of 45. If he’s not better for Chelsea, sit him down.
CARRICK 5/10 - Carrick had a very poor game. Constantly made poor tackles drawing fouls, his passes were terrible and players were getting around him easily. His one great opportunity to lay in a pass to Ronaldo for a tap in goal was wasted when he uncharacteristically decided to take a crack with his left foot. We all no the result. A simple pass to any of three open targets in the 6 yard box would have given us a 1-0 win. Very disappointing performance.
SCHOLES 8/10 - For me he was the man of the match. His defensive play and surprisingly strong running and energy saved our bacon numerous times. Quite often it was he bailing out Carrick or Rooney from their poor touches or defensive errors. And he never laid off one poor pass all night considering Barca were using a press. He looked really young and energized tonight. The tactics and formation never really allowed him to do much offensively but boy did he do his job.
PARK 5/10 - Why was he out there? He clearly is not suited to a game where possession is important. Yes he works hard but most of the time nothing ever comes out of his effort. His passing was poor and he looked out of it quite a bit tonight.
RONALDO 6/10 - A poor game by his standards. He ran hard when he had the ball but quite often he was caught standing and looking at the play rather than sprinting to an opening. He was preoccupied with the referee all night long and he seems to get taken out of a game early if he is tackled harshly. Zambrotta should have received two yellows for all the poor and rough tackles on him. Still, he was nowhere to be found and his passes were terrible. And where was he for a shot or two. His free kicks were also useless.
TEVEZ 4/10 - Has just been cast as the lead in the new version of “The Invisbible Man” He was worse than Rooney because there was nothing physically wrong with him. Incredibly disappointing performance in a Spanish speaking city against his Argentine teammate Messi. I expected a heroic effort from him. Instead what I got was confirmation of everything I have said about him in the past. He is not good enough to start regularly for Manchester United. Doesn’t have the physical presence the ball holding skills to be a top line striker. He’s much better in short bursts late in a game but it was clear he didn’t have it today or Fergie would not have taken him off too after subbing Rooney off earlier. That was a clear statement from the Gaffer that he knew he was out of juice.
NANI 5/10 - Did nothing with his 20 minutes.
GIGGS - Not enough time to do much.
FERGIE 7/10 - Mixed result for the Gaffer. Tactically he got the game right as to what we had to do to keep Barca from scoring. Where he got things wrong was where he had Rooney play and why he had him and Park start.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:05
mcrx3; they were all over us and couldn’t score. That shows they lack the cutting edge from past seasons. Our home record is outstanding over the last 2 seasons; 11 consecutive wins, 28 goals scored and only 8 conceded. 0-0 is a job well done by the lads. We probably would’ve been saying how we gave another perfect away performance if Ronaldo had scored that penalty because we scored an away goal and kept a clean sheet. The line between success and failure in some fans’ eyes is very thin.
Utsav, he wasn’t awesome but he had a very good game bar one or two mistakes. So what if two out of three results favour Barca against us, we will be at home and their defence was incredibly weak, everyone could see that. Plus their away record is pretty bad in the league; D - 12, W - 5, L - 3
April 24th, 2008 at 8:16
Too many of you are analyzing this game all wrong. Do you want to play attractive wide open football and lose? Because that’s what would happen at the Nou Camp against a quality team like Barca. Our game plan was ugly and uninspiring but it was very effective. Redd75 was spot on when he said that 65% possession means nothing if you can’t score goals. Lets face it, how many clear cut excellent scoring chances did Barca get in the game? Perhaps one when Eto shot wide from the right side. Other than that their chances weren’t even in the category of half chances. More like half baked chances. Our defensive team play was heroic today and big credit has to go to our back four as well as Scholes. And even though I felt Rooney, Park and Tevez stunk the joint up, they did track back and do a good job defensively.
The bottom line here is we are trying to win the CL. It’s not always going to be pretty. One thing Fergie has learned over the years id he knows what kind of play works this late in the tournament. He’s been there before and he’s been on the losing end enough times to learn from his mistakes. I think this time he has the team and the focus to get things right. Leave the pretty stuff for the meaningless road games. This game required patience and courage and discipline. The lads delivered in spades. Now they can open up a bit more in front of a hopefully loud and very supportive OT. A 2-0 home win is what we should get if we do not come out of the Stamford Bridge injured and demoralized. My God! Too many big games so close together. Fortunately it’s the same for Chelsea but Barca can rest a lot of players this weekend. We do not have that liberty. Although I think I would sit Rooney down because he clearly is not fit. Inject pain killers in that wasteoid Saha and put him out there. At this point I don’t care if he suffers another split end. Balsa Boy is needed by his team.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:21
Boys! Boys! Boys! Chill out already. Next week at this time you all will be sky high and shouting we’re off to Moscow. Bring on the Shite from Chelski or the Scousers from Loserpool. Sometimes winning is an ugly mistress.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:43
I felt the selection was wrong, the defending very good, the result? Could be good, could come back to haunt them.
To me Barca were poor, skillfull players, but flat…I think they were definitely ripe for a beating or a score draw…not with a crazy attacking style of play but with the style used in the second half against Arsenal. Why not have Anderson in the midfield when Rooney had to come back and defend all the time anyway? When the ball was won back there was no one to pass to.
Best players for me were Evra and Hargreaves
April 24th, 2008 at 8:52
match report is up guys…
April 24th, 2008 at 9:01
Conor according to Sky Sports Untied had less than 25% possession.
We call ourselves one of the best and if not the best teams in europe.
That performace did nothing to justify that.
Ronaldo was whinging at every opportunity and Rooney was playing right back.
Yes we didn’t concede but I have a horrible feeling Barcelona are gonna score at Old Trafford!
They grew in confidence because we sat back and they boxed us in and our back line didn’t push up when it had the opportunity.
Anyhow I’ll make sure I give all the Barcelona player grief when I’m up Old Trafford on Tuesday next week like they did United players.
April 24th, 2008 at 9:18
Before the negativity starts a 0-0 draw away at Barcelona is a decent result and our defence looked strong without Vidic which is positive going forward with a big game against Chelsea on Saturday. We were comfortably able to soak up pressure and took the best they could throw at us with over 60% of possession from one of the best attacking teams in the world. If you didn’t pay much attention to all the media hype than this type of game was expected from us.
As comfortable as we were in defence we were poor in attack and there was no flow in the counter attacks which is essential to this type of game in creating scoring opportunities. So it’s is ours to win in the 2nd leg with home crowd advantage, Ronaldo who is motivated to score, and the team know we took the best that they could give us with majority of the possession and they never looked like scoring. We can turn up the heat for the 2nd leg and with improvements in the counter attacks and better delivery and shooting from set plays we should win and book a place in the final.
April 24th, 2008 at 9:32
We played like a 4th division team. Hopeless performance… United players seemed clueless every time they got the ball. Not a single shot on/off target in second half!!!
Players were throwing away the ball/possession as if its not a ball but some bomb or grenade thats gonna burst anytime!!!
“Oh the ball has been passed to me… But what do I do with it???”
Only 37% possession!!! Joke!!!
April 24th, 2008 at 20:19
AndyCR7; Clearly you should settle for playing FIFA 08 because your understanding of the game of football is similar to an arcade game. The score was 0-0 in Barcelona. What were you expecting, a 4-0 win for us against the Catalan Giants? Get realistic. 0-0 was a fantastic result. Sure it was ugly but like I tried to say yesterday when the blog was down, winning can’t always look like a Vogue model. You are too wrapped up in useless statistics and spoilt by our pretty domestic football. That style doesn’t cut it this late in a very difficult tournament to win. The score is all that matters. I’m sure you will be laughing and shouting with joy next week when United will be booking their flight for Moscow. Until then, chill out mate. All I care is that Fergie and all United fans get that European Cup.
April 24th, 2008 at 20:50
Grognard I hardly thing what AndyCR7 is saying is unreasonable. Regardless of the system, the opposition, the venue or the occassion the level of passing we showed last night was woeful.
April 24th, 2008 at 20:55
JB; you think “we played like a 4th division team” isn’t unreasonable? It’s one thing to say our passing wasn’t up to scratch last night, but I think Andy took it a bit too far. I fully expected Barcelona to dominate possession with Scholes and Carrick playing, they may both have had good games defensively, but we all know that Anderson or Hargreaves would have broken up their possession a lot better. Barcelona are the kings of possession football at home and, up until this season, kept around 60% possession in away games to. It is what their team is built for.
April 24th, 2008 at 21:17
Conor: It was presumably an exageration used for effect. I agree that Barca are setup for possession football and will generally dominate in that respect. However that doesn’t excuse our pathetic attempt at passing. In 90 minutes we were only able to retain the ball for a worhtwhile length of time on a handful of occassions. I agree about using Hargreaves and Anderson to break up Barca’s rythem, but it still doesn’t excuse the performance of the lads out there.