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 (541)
Stephen (485)
RedDevilEddy (459)
Craig Mc (348)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
Okay.. m off to sleep. Chow everyone!!!
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Ronaldo…
From 40 Yards he scores some goals..
He has a six pack…
He kicks messin in the hole!
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@R:
, well I am all of 24 years YOUNG Bro, so does that make you seem errrr Geriatric 
.
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Arsenal are just going downhill. Even with Arshavin, players might leave. This season nearly ended in desaster, and from the looks of it Wenger might have to sell some players. I know about the bond between United and Arsenal, but we could surely get a player off them? We did sell them Silvestre, and Fergie and Wenger are practically best friends! So I wonder, is there a chance that we might get Fabregas this summer?
Cause I feel he is the kind of player that comes closest to Xavi…
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@Rahul: I’m not saying we should sell him Bro, but I do believe he wants the move, but would not muddy the waters before the CL.
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owen just opens so many doors, he can take out park and fletcher in one swoop and gives nani a chance to play knowing that hargo can provide cover for the forwards. i really hope he gets fit before we start next season and be injury free
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Well my thoughts on the game. This time last year we were standing triumphantly where Barca were tonight and the Catalans where the dejected losers in the semi final. Now the tables have turned, and deservedly so. After that initial 10 minute spell at the start of the game, we completely lost our footing and were second best throughout the match. Iniesta and Messi were absolutely sensational tonight, and everytime they ripped through our team with their hypnotic dribbling, I seriously feared the worst. Xavi was desperately unlucky to smack the woodwork with that free kick and they should have been long out of sight before Messi finally buried us with that sensational header! Congrats to Barca on their thouroughly deserved success, playing the game the way it shoud be played!
Everytime Man Utd got the ball, we kept on giving it away sloppily and you just cannot do that against a team like Barcelona. I seriously did not see us scoring after the initial 10 minutes, purely because we lacked guile and penetration, and Barca were far more disciplined than us and won the ball back whenever they lost it. Barca also made far better use of space then we did, and I’m afraid to say it, but they gave us a footballing lesson tonight and we must lick our wounds and be stronger for it!
Everytime Henry skinned O’Shea with ease or drew a foul from the Irishman my heart jumped in my mouth! So its back to the drawing board and a new right back must be a priority – O’Shea is just not good enough at the highest level and he got found out today. Rafael is far too young and indisciplined, Gaz Nev is finished and Brown is not reliable with his injury record. I dunno about the people who say get rid of Evra – the only player who I think is a better replacement would be Lahm. Hargreaves coming back would be like a new signing and would certainly inject some steel into our midfield – my God how we missed him tonight when he could have broken up the play in the middle of the park where Xavi and Iniesta had all the time in the world to pull the strings. I agree with the comments about Carrick – a very, very good player on his day, but just a shade or notch below the ‘world class’ bracket that Iniesta and Xavi occupy. We have no midfielders that could be deemed ‘world class’ in comparison to those two and that is why we are not European champions. And one more final point, I thought SAF should have started with Scholes rather than Anderson, as ball retention was the order of the day, and, while his legs are not as quick as they once were, there’s no one better in our team at that than the Ginger Prince.
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@craig But he is getting no ‘service’, you know. (here service for him implies playing time for some ‘others’)…. Any way i am off… Hope Three of us go for a pint some time… Me You and ….Nani.
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Nino i agree but for me it should have been scholes instead of giggs
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@craig me geriatric…Naw. Just makes you a bit ‘raw’ and ‘playful’ for your age.
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@RedDevilEddy: You know about fabregas i was just thinking about that today mate. Its very unlikely though that we would even consider making a bid even though i do actually feel he could be more realistic than you think. It would have to be a bid in the region of say £30 to 40 million however but i think they would defo agree that. Fabregas is though as you say the closest thing to xavi, just imagine what he could do in our team.
Just think spain must have the best midfield around. Xavi, fab, iniesta, senna. Man thats just the central midfielders and thats some bloody awesome bunch of players. How we played tonight i would kill just for 1 of them and spain have all bloody 4 and more to boot.
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@Duffstuff: Did Scholes play one single good game this season?
I thik the old guard are very much afraid of hanging up their boots. They have to start a new career from scratch. Ole at least with all his injuries got ample time to plan his post playing days careeer. Not so much our engkish trio. Neville said it himself : its like standing off a cliff.
I really think Fergie should take it upon himself to offer those three (or at least scholes and neville) jobs as coaches. They will not likely come fforth and ask for it.
On another note , its funny how listening to one of your favourite music albums can have a calming effect…
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@Matt: @RedDevilEddy: Even Fabregas is going downhill… I’ve been asking myself if he has not been a one season wonder… His passing is nothing like Iniesta or Xavi.
And I can’t picture him as the kind of player who would relish in the challenge of carrying an entire team, becoming the backbone of play and having the drive to do so.
Trust me, we should go for Gourcuff. Until last year few people would have bet Ribery to become what he has become. Most world class players are not bought from one big club to another. They come from smaller clubs and explode in the limelight of the big club.
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@NicoQB: Gourcuff played for Milan and flopped didnt he? There’s nothing wrong with this team – we just didn’t turn up on the night. If Man Utd has turned on the style and played to their ability as we know they can, and won the cup, everyone on here would have been ranting and raving about us being the greatest team in history. Instead we get all sorts of bullshizzle like selling one of the best left backs in our recent history. Trust me we just need a tweak here and there rather than major surgery. Although I think Berbatov, while there is no doubting his ability, has been a major flop and I knew that bringing him on would have no effect whatsoever. In addition to a right back, and perhaps an optional extra midfielder, we could also do with a clinical world-class finisher, and the one player who certainly ticks all the boxes unfortunately plays up front for our most hated rivals
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We don’t need to dismantle this team. Keep Anderson and Nani for one more season, but for God’s sake PLAY THEM MORE OFTEN AND THEN JUDGE THEIR PROGRESS!! However, Giggs, Scholes and Gaz Nev are HISTORY now for certain and the sooner they are reminded of that and nudged towards retirement the better! They just can’t cut it at the highest level anymore. That might be blasphemy, but I have the utmost respect as a lifelong United fan for that trinity. However, for the good of the club, I think I am within my rights to point out the naked truth and call a spade a spade. Those three musketeers need to retire ASAP while they still have a semblance of dignity left. It’s like seeing an old lady about to die on a hospital bed lying in her own urine!
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@R:
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@Nino: One of the best left backs in our recent history,
. Oh your serious about the best left back bit – well I guess can’t defend, and fails to ever get a good cross in when he often thinks he’s our left winger, is good in your book Nino Bro 
. My mind boggles however 
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@NicoQB: Yeah good point that. I always see comments on this blog, when talking about potential transfer targets, saying that certain players are not ‘United quality’ purely because they play for a small club. Well, was Solskjaer not ‘United quality’ when we bought him from Molde in 1996?? Or the relatively unknown (at the time) Schmeichel when we got him from Brondby? Or Cantona from Leeds? Or Vidic from the murky depths of Russia?
There are plenty of unpolished diamonds out there playing for small clubs across Europe and the world. We just need to find them and take a chance on them, instead of splashing out cash we havent got on established world-class superstars like Ribery and Kaka.
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@R: That would really be something wouldn’t it
. I think my drinking days are severely numbered now R, cos I will be a Dad soon 
. Will have to grow up then, and hence cometh my SOBER days 
.
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@Craig Mc: Craig Bro….I vehemently disagree
he might have had a shite game today but Evra has been our best and most solid left back since Denis Irwin and thats a FACHT! 
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@RedDevilEddy: Cesc is a lightweight! We need an Essien-like figure to dominate MF like Grognard said! Hell, we might as well sign the actual guy, cos theres only one real McCoy! We’ve sold Chelsea Veron and Mark Hughes in the past – could they possibly return the favour???!
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@Nino: If I’m not mistalen, Gourcuff didn’t have much playing time at Milan. Milan, as we all know, give way too much repect for experience and youngsters rarely impose themselves there.
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.
Anyway I’m with you on the transfers thng. Ribery though I really want him, I think we should have bought earlier back when he was in Marseille. Then we could have got him on the cheap a d get him from 23-24 yrs old and still having his best years ahead of him. Now he’s hitting his peak. Even though the fact that he’s small should guarantee that he’ll still have good legs until past 32-33 yrs old…
But what riles me is that now Gourcuff is the hottest bargain property – in the right team he will be huge, only he plays in Bordeaux and that automatically gives him -5 in attractiveness. Didja see the youtube I posted? In recent memory only one player could do that – none other than the ZZ.
Anyways, me too I’m off to bed. I expect further transfer rumours and Tevez declarations to crop up tomorrow…
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@Matt: Cesc would never in a million years come to Man Utd! Barca are his boyhood team and the only club he would leave Arsenal to join. I think it’s awesome how so many players like Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Pique are so dedicated to their club and willing to commit to Barca for their whole career. I wish we had a new generation of players coming through who are just like that! The days of Giggs, Scholes and Gaz Nev are long gone unfortunately and Barca are the new Man Utd in terms of raising one club men!
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@NicoQB: Yeah, 15 goals and numerous assists is good, but for £30m we have the right to expect more than a flat track bully that Berbatov currently is. In the big games this season against the big teams, he has failed to show up or make an impact (barring a late goal against Chelsea which didnt mean anything as the game was already won by that point). I am willing, however, to give him next season to prove himself as a big match player, because I know that the great RvN himself took a couple of seasons before he started firing in the goals against the truly great sides.
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I think the myth that Barca wouldn’t finish in the Premier League Top4 just got blown out of the water tonight! They made mincemeat of the best PL team and are just head and shoulders above any team in the world at the moment. Let’s see how they fare next season though and whether they can sustain the incredible success that they’ve enjoyed this season…my bet is that they suffer a hangover and flop in Europe like we did in the season after we won our own Treble in 1999-2000. Also its likely that Guardiola could suffer from ‘second season syndrome’ as its just surreal to win a PROPER TREBLE of domestic league, cup and CL (Liverpool fans take note!) in your first season as manager!
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The problem with United is we are too damn predictable! Everyone knows we are this counter-attacking team who rely on Ronaldo for our goals. Barcelona kept possession, got men behind the ball and we hardly created a decent chance after their first goal.
We need someone who can cross the ball, someone other than Ronaldo who can head the ball and finish, and someone who can pull the strings because Scholes and Giggs are past it and Carrick disappoints too often.
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@RedDevilEddy: Ah….. Yes I can. Anderson is garbage and anyone who thinks he’s good needs to have their head examined. Hows that?
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@Matt: I was not advocating that we sign Essien. I’d love it if we did but Chelsea would never let it happen. I mean would United ever let Chelsea sign Rooney?
No, what I meant is we need to find a dynamic two way midfielder who has grit and graft and who can lead with his mouth and by example. Hargo comes close but we need somebody who can get louder, meaner and do more at the offensive end of the park. I like Marco Senna a lot but he’s too old.
It’s not an easy player to find so United have a real problem on their hands. At least for now, if they can find a strong winger for the other side to compliment Ronaldo, it may cause teams not to focus so much on him and allow Rooney to go back and play where he is most effective, in the middle. If we had such a player it might allow Carrick to play farther up and contribute offensively more than he is now.
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@Stephen: You said mate. Just long haired beach volleyball skirt chasing ponce. I fucking hate him.
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@Nino: I completely agree with this comment. This is the team that beat Arsenal 3-1 in the semis. Are they somehow ALL not good enough now? For everyone who says we need a new midfielder I have 2 words: Stephen Ireland. Best midfielder in the premiership this season and without him City would’ve been in a relegation battle IMO. Completely gutted by the performance tonight but well done Barca, you were better on the night
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@RedDevilEddy: Our needs are not up front. Our needs are replacing he who shall not be named, Giggs and Scholes in the middle of the pitch. Strikers are only good as the distribution they receive and defenders are only as good as the tracking back of midfielders can assist them. I never thought I’d hear myself say that we really missed Darren Fletcher out there. Think about that. I think it says it all.
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Hi folks!!! haven’t posted in a while.. exams and stuff! Actually dumped my books for one night to watch us anhialate Barca and what do I witness? Men against boys.. at least that’s how Evra would put it. Where was the conviction, the desire, the never say die attitude. After we conceded that goal, like a boxer who just received a surprise haymaker, we struggled to find our feet. I mean, the difference btw the first 10mins and the last 80mins was so telling, I suspected, like a corrupt boxer, we had been bribed bountifully to just take a dive and let Barca walk over us. No way was that Manchester United I was watching.
Honestly, till now I am in utter disbelief. We didn’t even prove worthy competitors on the night!! A night that Ferguson promised would make this team legendary. Funny enough, after a few sober hours failing to concentrate on my books, I have come to the conclusion that it was that desire to finish off in style and Fergie’s sentimentality that proved our undoing. What I noticed today about our team was the lack of that disciplined shape which we have employed all season to great effect even against lowly opponents. It’s as if Fergie just told them to go out, play, enjoy themselves and make it a great final; which was why the first ten minutes or so were almost vintage United circa 2007/2008. Unfortunate thing is, we haven’t done that alot this season and after we took that killerblow of a goal, the whole team panicked and just bottled it.
Even Fergie bottled it. I was expecting to see the ineffectual Giggs removed for either Scholes or Berbatov as it was obvious we needed possession and Giggs was neither keeping it or retrieving it. Instead, he went for sentiment and leaves him on. You could tell from his face that he knew he had made a balls-up in his tactics and he just could not alter the game quick enough. I would have brought on Berba for Giggs and maybe Tevez/Nani for Park, with Scholes replacing Ando in the latter parts when he has burnt out. What do I know though, I’m just an average supporter but on a night where we could have become football demi-gods, Fergie decides to leave the ethos which have got us this far this season in the shitter and now this is where we find ourselves despite a great season, because we supremely stunk last night.
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Sorry to deluge this thread with my comments but I was just on the BBC website and read Chris Waddles take on the outcome, and one comment in particular struck a nerve with me: “The gulf between the two teams was huge. Barcelona are, without any shadow of a doubt, the best team in Europe.” I don’t doubt the latter part of that quote, but there certainly is not a huge a gulf as he claims there is between Man Utd and Barcelona. I disagree and I think that on another day, we could have played a better game and proved ourselves as their equals at the very least.
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@MUFC Fan in America: Reminded me of New England in the 2008 Super Bowl. A frakken awesome juggernaut lethargically choking for air and life as a far inferior team beats them and ends their unbeaten season. It shouldn’t have happened, it couldn’t happen but it did.
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@Darth Red Diablo: I find your lack of faith……….DISTURBING. No, wait a minute. Check that, I find my lack of faith disturbing. You are right young apprentice Two Jedi dog biscuits for you. Good Dark Apprentice, good.
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@Rahul: He’s good but he’s also a puppy. It’s time to invest in some experience and seasoned skill. Enough of the kiddy corps. I’m sick of the kids. Great and all but we have more than enough of them to build a team of the future with. We need help right frakken now.
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@Stephen: Absolutely mate. I want a skilled master and commander running our midfield. Not kids and not followers. As good as Scholes and Giggs were once, they are no longer and they are quiet shy individuals who are not get in your face types like Ince Robson and Keano. I want a box to box leader with a mouth on him and an attitude that scares and intimidates not only the opponents, but his teammates.
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@RedDevilEddy: Come on mate, just five hours ago you were calling our team the best in the world. Man when you jump off the band wagon you break both legs don’t you. I am pissed off and I am calling for changes but I also still feel that when we are focused and playing up to our capabilities, we beat Barcelona. We beat them last year over two legs and were arguably not as deep a team. If we played them in a North American style best seven series, we would win, I am convinced of that. But they got us good today and hats off to them.0
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@Grognard: I think that sounds like a younger version of yourself! I reckon you could give the United players and opposition both barrels if you were a couple of decades younger!
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@Mr.Muhozi: Hey, I don’t want to hear anything negative about Jaba and Phil.
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@Mr.Muhozi: At least I have Gomez and Neuer to look forward to at Bayern and who knows who else. they are doing another house cleaning and rebuilding with players that under a great manager like Van Gaal will truly rock next season. I need to give my attention to United a rest because frankly this team needs to change it’s look and overall personnel a bit because they are going stale.
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@RedDevilEddy: See isn’t that the problem mate. We all hope for LLalic, Nani, Anderson, Tosic, Possebon, Gibson, the Twins, Welbeck, Eckersley, etc etc etc. It’s time to stop wondering and hoping and its time for United’s bank account to be purged and some true players with experience and skill are bought to sure up things.
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@Craig Mc: We need Park because he flattens the pitch before and during games at OT so that the ball rolls truer. He also does the laundry.
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@Darth Red Diablo: When it’s all said and done I think Ribery will stay at Bayern for one year. They are making major changes and with a great manager, he has got the motivation to stay put.
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@Nino: Goucuff didn’t flop for Milan. He was just at the wrong club. Ancelotti loves veteran players and hates taking chances with young and inexperience players. He tried with Pato this year and eventually sat him down in favor of Inzaghi.
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@Nino: Hint! They are Spanish or speak it fluently. Nothing breeds loyalty better than feeling at home and comfortable with your surroundings. Perhaps more English, Irish and Scottish lads are needed. Too bad most of them are shite.
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@Liam:
Jeez! With a name like Liam and a player named Ireland, I bet you there is no bias there huh? 
Oh, and Ireland is Man Shitty class, not United class. Then again neither is Anderson, Tosic, Park, Evra and a few others.
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@Liam: What a shocker!
Jeez! With a name like Liam and a player named Ireland, I bet you there is no bias there huh? 
Oh, and Ireland is Man Shitty class, not United class. Then again neither is Anderson, Tosic, Park, Evra and a few others.
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@Nino: Chris Waddle is massive wanker and an ex Spurs fluffer.
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@Nino: I don’t use a hairdryer. Mine is a movie wind machine.
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