May 27
United Barca Preview
This is the big one. Win this and we become a part of history — lose this, and while some of the shine will be lost, there won’t be too much of a grudge losing to a side that has been awesome for most part of this season.
There has been plenty of talk about how United are favourites going into this game. Worryingly some sections of the media have been debating the margin of our victory rather than whether we’ll win this or not. Always trust them to build us up in preparation for a fall.
Contrary to popular belief in the English media, I think there is little that separates us from Barcelona. We have the better defence, but they’ve shown a better ability to play possession football.
Guardiola sees us as a side that plays counter attacking football which is why he’s stressed the need for their side to hold their shape. Xavi reckons Carrick is a more potent threat and needs to be curtailed.
Soccerlens did an exclusive interview with some chap called Lionel — worth a read.
There is an alcohol ban in Rome, but the fact that people still get stabbed despite this ban, hasn’t dawned on the authorities; the Guardian reports, one United fan and an American mistaken for a British fan have been stabbed. One hopes there isn’t more of this as the day wears on.
In team news, Rio Ferdinand was confident in the press conference that he’s fit. Ferguson really wants to win the European Cup badly — and we all know he’s made no bones about that in the press in the past.
With O’Shea guaranteed a place in the side, and Park looking certain to play a part, the starting XI will be like this:
EVDS, O’Shea, Vidic, Rio, Evra; Giggs, Anderson, Carrick; Park, Ronaldo, Rooney.
The key match ups today will obviously be, Evra-Messi (where Rooney will certainly track back) and Ronaldo-AN Other defender. In midfield Anderson will be expected to track Iniesta as well as Xavi — if both are played in midfield, and that will be the boy’s biggest challenge of his career.
I will be a tad worried about how Rio will hold up after being out for a while, but then that’s the pessimism in me. He did fit in flawlessly against Porto.
Anyway, let me move on to my infamous predictions before you folks take it from here…
Prediction: I’d say 1-0 to United. It’s really hard to say anything about this game.
Related items from Red Rants:
- Porto it is then…
- Derby County v Man Utd: Preview
- Why Becks and van “the man†were sold so cheaply to Real
- Can Barca be beaten in Europe?
- Man Utd v Everton: Preview
Tags: Manchester United News
Opti (542)
Stephen (500)
RedDevilEddy (463)
Craig Mc (349)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
@Grognard: I just finished watching the game and so I’m way behind all you guys, and frankly I haven’t read most of the comments.
My feeling of disappointment is only surpassed by my sense that we could have played this game so much better! Not just because we played bad individually, and in some areas we did, but because it was an absolute no brainer to control midfield against a team like Barca – and we didn’t put forth the effort to do it!!
We let them control the entire game by playing a soft midfield and lost the game by not aggressively putting pressure on an undermanned backline that should have easily been penetrated.
Carrick was abysmal tonight, he showed no desire to attack the ball and had a harder time at delivering than my Mailman (and that really is saying something!). He over passed and underpassed and held on to the ball longer than he should. He made passes into gaps that were not there and then nonchalantly sauntered back into a neutral position that basically, took him away from the ball. He was playing our key role tonight, he failed miserably and he should be ashamed of himself!!!
Our approach play was like watching a tortoise stalking a snail, yeh, that exiting. And when it broke down, we metamorphosed into a scurrying bunch of rabbits trying to put numbers behind a potentent 3 man thrust. Run Ronnie, run, run Rooney, run, and of course, eventually, run Tevez, run!
I think a lot of hacks out there would say we “chased the game”, but the fact is we started chasing the ball, and Messie and Co. made sure we were always a step away.
Well I’ve now seen United handed their chops twice this season, and that compares poorly to the last one. I would have been tempted to call this season a successful one, had we’d won today – and even though we eked out the league, I must conclude that some form of regression has transpired!!
I’ll look forward to a few months of retoric in this regard!!
Like?
0 
0
@Darth Red Diablo: I love Hargreaves and I cant wait for him to get back in our team, but dont you ever try and say he is in the same class as Essien. Essien is the best pound for pound player in the world. You can play him as a left back, Defensive mid and a attacking mid, and he is world class in all of them. I still rue the day that Fergie let him go to chelsea. He should have done what he did to Berbatov and kidnap him from the airport and drive him to old trafford.
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard:
Like?
0 
0
Park is a solid squad player, but he should never start on a CL winning caliber team… NEVER.
Anderson isnt good enough now, but atleast he has the outside chance of being good enough, but Park is the finished product, and its fergies fault for puttin ghim in a position where he wasnt capapble of winning.
At this point in times I dont care what any of your “die hard, stand in the terrace” fans think. Scholes, Giggs and Neville are done. D-O-N-E. There is no easy way around it, at this point in time they are more hurtful to the team than helpful. They are all great servants of the club, but even Pele has to move on sometime. I will be very dissapointed if they are in the squad at the beggining of next season.
Hopefully this summer Fergie will spend the required cash to bolster our midfield.
Like?
0 
0
@Redrich: You are so right. Their back four was a shambles before the kickoff and we never put enough pressure on them and we never really even attempted crosses until the second half and when we did, they were low liner that would never get to their targets or they were blocked. We had a suspect back four and a goalkeeper who has always been suspect to crosses and we never really sent men into the box and into dangerous positions to challenge him. Nani should have been brought in at the same time Tevez was because he is a good supplier when it comes to crosses.
We were poor in midfield and Carrick like Anderson, Evra and Park was exposed for being only an international class player and not a world class player like Xavi and Iniesta. And frankly, we deserve world class players at every starting position. We are Manchester United for crying out loud. Go out and buy a central midfield general who knows what to do with the ball and who with the help of Carrick and especially a healthy Hargreaves can shut a team like Barca down. How much was Hargo missed tonight? Does anyone remember how massive he was for us this time last year?
Like?
0 
0
@johnsom33: I am Canadian and I absolutely love Hargreaves but lets be serious, Essien isn’t only better, he’s arguably in the top ten players in the world and the best overall player in the world because there is nothing he can’t do well or no position he cannot play.
Like?
0 
0
@johnsom33: “Hopefully this summer Fergie will spend the required cash to bolster our midfield.”
Don’t bet you rent or mortgage payment on it. United are cheap and broke. If Ronaldo goes, then maybe we will see two or three player show up. Other than that, I expect Fergie to go after Valencia and perhaps Benzema because he suffers from Benzema on the brain. In reality Benzema is not what we need. We need speed in the center of our midfield and grit. Tonight Iniesta and Xavi exposed our central midfielders for the slow war horses that they are. Not able to able to keep up with Grand National winners.
Like?
0 
0
@johnsom33: Gee, I just find it funny that now all of you are coming around to what I was saying early last season. That Scholes and Neville especially were done. I still feel Giggs can help us as a sub but the other two are finished. And although I do not blame EVDS for tonight and I actually think he had a strong game and cannot be blamed for the goals, we need to find a starting keeper that is world class and that is available and above all, doesn’t pick up injuries picking his nose like Ben Foster. And I read today that Artur Boruc is available. Sign him up Fergie.
Like?
0 
0
Red Ranter. Sad day for us all mate but I must say that I am a little disappointed that you have been so silent on this big event day. I realize you are a busy bloke but there are times when you just cannot afford to ignore your blog. It needs your input and we all would love to know your feelings on the match. So have at it mate.
Like?
0 
0
I honestly feel like we’ve over acheived this season,
and I’m basing this on the way we’ve played over the year,
yeh there was good run of clean sheets, but the way we won was not the prettiest ever, don’t get me wrong, I’m glad we took the league title, and over the scousers at that.
We had the integrity to grind out wins and the such, but we never dominated as we should’ve.
I guess Barca have blown open a few of the gaps we have in our team, something the other teams haven’t been able to.
This season perhaps has shown us not how good we are, but how terrible everyone else was.
I hope SAF can see what he needs to do to fix it for next season though, as I expect more of a challenge for the title next year.
I wonder if United would ever adopt the playing style of Barca, Arsenal…
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard:
that is probably the most ridiculous comment i’ve ever read from you. Have you not watched City this season? Right so your little Marin or whatever his name is is only lower Bundesliga class then? So going by that logic last season Villa was a mid table player? And for the record Ireland is a grade A weirdo, but he is total class on a football field
Like?
0 
0
@Natzca: We don’t need to adopt a new playing style, but we do need to address some areas of our game that have been exposed this year.
1/. Our attackers have been woeful this season. Game after game, month after month, they have failed to deliver even when the ball has been served up on a plate.
Even taking away the fact, that service to them has been wanting, the killer instinct has just not been there. While we have several notable possibilities already, we lack a large skillful, center forward that can dominate a backline one on one, and more importantly, during set pieces.
2/. For our European games, a CMF with the bottle to play an aggressive lead role is vital.
Giggs and Scholes cannot be relied upon in any other role than as backup now! Carrick has now proven that he is just a strong supporting player, and will not be a key to pushing us forward. Of course what we need is someone in the mold of Gerrard or Lampard, but that fulfillment of that is much easier said than done! Trying to develop the likes of Anderson, Gibson and Fletcher is a risky proposition that may well leave us with a huge vacuum to fill a couple of years from now.
While a proven striker could cost us upwards of 35m, the right investment here, would show strong returns in a short period of time. The chatter about 50/60mil for Ribery is insane when you think of what that kind of sum could bring us in the center of midfield!!
Like?
0 
0
looks like ronaldo rumors are already starting, i sometimes wish we would sell ronaldo and fix our problems we look like a one a man team at times
Like?
0 
0
@Redrich: you’re right, hence why I reckon we’ve over achieved this season, not that i’m complaining that we have 18. I know we have what it takes, feels like the right pieces of the puzzle aren’t always on the field.
I agree, a strong CMF would be the biggest need at the moment, it would also give the defence more to worry about than just our strikers which would hopefully give them more opportunites…finishing them off is another story.
Like?
0 
0
@Liam: Hey pal, I have a right to judge players any damned way I feel like. I think Ireland is a fine player but not what we need. Perhaps if he continues to improve over the next season or two I may change my mind but I am not going to jump on his bandwagon. And as far trying to piss me off by slagging Marin, you probably have never seen him play or you would realize just how ignorant you sound. At least i can claim to have watched Ireland play many times and I can honestly say he doesn’t float my boat , so fucking sue me. You have your favorites and I have mine and Fergie has his.
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: I am working on a post. Should be up in a few hours.
Re: Ireland, I think the reason behind Liam’s reaction was you stereotyping him — “Liam, and a player with the name Ireland” — pretty sure no one likes being called a biased nut.
As you said everyone has his favorites, so why then say Liam is biased because he’s Irish?
Like?
0 
0
@ROOOOONEY: If he wants to go I’m sure we can find somebody locally that will drive him to the airport. I love him as a player but I am truly sick and fucking tired of theis dog and pony show at the end of a season. Ronaldo, honestly mate if you want to go to Madrid then please by all means just fucking do so and please stop jerking us all around with your arrogance and petulance. We appreciate all you have done for the club but right now your attitude and head games are a cancer that needs to be cut out or radiated. If you want to stay schedule a press conference and tell the world and tell Marca and Madrid to fuck right off. Otherwise please face Fergie and man up and ask to leave. United should be like Milan. If one does not want to be here, then show him the door and hope it doesn’t hit him on the way out.
We have become far too dependent on Ronaldo for anything and I just hate watching the rest ogf the lads standing around waiting him to do it all by himself like he is some kind of Superman. Sell him for 70 Million, buy Ribery and a few other players that will make our club more dynamic, faster in the center of midfield and less predictable. Sometimes you have to let the ones you love leave. I only want players on United that want to die with United red on. Like Xavi, Messi, Iniesta and many of the Barca players who would never think of playing for anyone else. And why would they? And really Ronaldo, Tevez and any other malcontent, why would you want to leave our club? Because you are a couple of Spanish and Portuguese Speaking DP’s who have been brain washed from childhood to believe that Spain is some kind of Oasis of Utopian culture. It’s a hot dry ugly shit hole of a place that I visited 15 years ago and couldn’t wait to leave. They can have it and flush it down the toilet with their attitudes and lack of professionalism. And to anyone who is Spanish, if I offended you, tough beans.
Like?
0 
0
@Red Ranter: I was joking with him but I guess he never got the jest. And besides, he has gone on about this player before and nobody is listening because we all know just how average a player he is and how he is nothing but a Johnny come lately. Sorry RR but I am pissed off big time today and I am not even drunk. If my temper is short and I am a little more biting than usual, consider it a lack of patience and frustration and don’t take it too seriously. I’ll calm down like everyone else. I’m just totally gutted.
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: Fair enough, as long as the others get your joke and your mental condition at the moment. Meanwhile, I have the report up.
Like?
0 
0
@NicoQB:
“Calling Berbatov a flop? A player with around 15 goals and assists is a flop? Good god! Cantona had more or less the same stats. If Tevez had those same stats his fans would have been cumming all over the place.”
I would call Berbatov a flop this season:
Official United stats:
2008/2009 season
Tevez – Appearaches 34 (16 subs) – 15 Goals
Berbatov Appearaches 36 (6 subs) – 14 Goals
Like?
0 
0