CL Final Barca v Man U Sat 28t May

[Microdot]

the daft pillock's now on ignore

Welcome to the club mate.

[Numeric]

so do you think that united would have fared better with a different starting line-up? i know it's easy in hindsight but i'm thinking that the game may have been a little more balanced if we'd packed the midfield and played rooney as a lone striker or maybe berba up front, with rooney wide

[Burningherb]

Tbh if they played 10 times then barca would win 8 of them imo. There is no need for a complete overhaul (why change a team that is quite obviouslly the best in the prem) but maybe add a few players that are better suited for the european stage (not so big and ruff) i.e modric

oh yeah and am sayin they are the best in the prem and i aint even a man u fan lol

think all the arse fans are gettin a bit bitter cause of they trophy drought lol

[Microdot]

so do you think that united would have fared better with a different starting line-up? i know it's easy in hindsight but i'm thinking that the game may have been a little more balanced if we'd packed the midfield and played rooney as a lone striker or maybe berba up front, with rooney wide

maybe. It would have at least cut their possession down a bit.

I actually think it's United's tendency to stand off opponents and not close down quickly enough that really played into Barca's hands..
We get away with it quite alot in the prem because 9 times out of 10 we have the ball alot more than our opponents.
It's risky to close down too quickly and commit to tackles, but it seems the only way to deal with Barca to me.
Although you then run the risk of it ending up a rugby score if it doesn't work and all your players end up on their arse watching Messi etc exploit the extra space.

A fully fit Owen Hargreaves would have made a big difference imo, but I'm not one for "ifs" "buts" or "maybes" (I'll leave that to the Arsenal fans).

We didn't win because we aren't good enough, simply as that.

[ritaheed]

I thought Scholes should have been on for the start....

and whats the script with berbatov? Totally left out and not sitting with his team mates!?

But aye wouldnt have made any difference anyways - Roll on next year though

[Will]

he's basically saying that arsenal are the only team that could come close to beating barca, despite the fact that they were soundly beaten by them in the quarter finals, he's sighting the first leg win as possible proof of this even though that anyone else who watched the game could see that barca were happy with the draw and were attempting to see out time, he's not mentioned how arsnenal didn't have a shot on target in the second leg

he's also not mentioning how arsenal finished fourth in the premier league and that they should probably be concentrating on beating the likes of stoke before getting ideas above well their station

he also says that united are in need a complete overhaul, where anyone with a balanced view can see that it is only the central midfield area that needs strengthening

he also wanks a little over barca as he hasn't been able to over his own team for a very ling time

We at least created a legitimate chance at the Nou Camp, and Real Madrid lost 5-0 there, then beat them on neutral ground. I have to admit, I didn't think even United fans could be so deluded about the gulf between the two teams.

Still, at least Fergie knows what's what, I should know better than to expect any sense out of you lot, but Fergie's talking about a complete overhaul of the youth set up in order to create a team in the future that can compete with what Barca are doing, so he at least has a clue about what's needed. I mean I didn't need to try to make United look bad, Barca did a good enough job on their own, I felt a bit sorry for United really.

I was just trying to inject a bit of realism to what it'd take for United to beat Barca, ie an overhaul of how they play the game.

And I hate to break this to you, but just because United won the league it doesn't mean they're the best team in every respect. Arsenal conceded the fewest goals from open play, had the best away record and were the only team to average over 60% possession, so obviously we were better equipped to deal with a team like Barca, but ill equipped to deal with a team like Stoke, hence why we lost 3-1 away to both of them.

In our head to head with United we lost 1-0 at OT, but won 1-0 at the Emirates, so were equal, it was at teams like Stoke where we lost the league, where you need physicality as well as technicality, which isn't the case against Barca.

[Will]

Still, I guess that's not simple enough for United fans...

[blistanbul]

We at least created a legitimate chance at the Nou Camp, and Real Madrid lost 5-0 there, then beat them on neutral ground. I have to admit, I didn't think even United fans could be so deluded about the gulf between the two teams.

Still, at least Fergie knows what's what, I should know better than to expect any sense out of you lot, but Fergie's talking about a complete overhaul of the youth set up in order to create a team in the future that can compete with what Barca are doing, so he at least has a clue about what's needed. I mean I didn't need to try to make United look bad, Barca did a good enough job on their own, I felt a bit sorry for United really.

I was just trying to inject a bit of realism to what it'd take for United to beat Barca, ie an overhaul of how they play the game.

And I hate to break this to you, but just because United won the league it doesn't mean they're the best team in every respect. Arsenal conceded the fewest goals from open play, had the best away record and were the only team to average over 60% possession, so obviously we were better equipped to deal with a team like Barca, but ill equipped to deal with a team like Stoke, hence why we lost 3-1 away to both of them.

In our head to head with United we lost 1-0 at OT, but won 1-0 at the Emirates, so were equal, it was at teams like Stoke where we lost the league, where you need physicality as well as technicality, which isn't the case against Barca.

it is nice to see some football iq here sometimes.

[Numeric]

the arsenal fans are indeed bitter, who can blame them though when their team is so rubbish

totally agree about hargreaves, if he'd been available to play and fit then we would have stood a better chance, the same for the last final in 2009, we desperately need a player who's gonna shield the defence

not sure what's going on with berba, sir alex tends to laugh off his little tantrums and forgive him, it was very harsh leaving him out of the squad though, he seemed happy on the parade bus on monday morning tbf

[Numeric]

We at least created a legitimate chance at the Nou Camp, and Real Madrid lost 5-0 there, then beat them on neutral ground. I have to admit, I didn't think even United fans could be so deluded about the gulf between the two teams.

Still, at least Fergie knows what's what, I should know better than to expect any sense out of you lot, but Fergie's talking about a complete overhaul of the youth set up in order to create a team in the future that can compete with what Barca are doing, so he at least has a clue about what's needed. I mean I didn't need to try to make United look bad, Barca did a good enough job on their own, I felt a bit sorry for United really.

I was just trying to inject a bit of realism to what it'd take for United to beat Barca, ie an overhaul of how they play the game.

And I hate to break this to you, but just because United won the league it doesn't mean they're the best team in every respect. Arsenal conceded the fewest goals from open play, had the best away record and were the only team to average over 60% possession, so obviously we were better equipped to deal with a team like Barca, but ill equipped to deal with a team like Stoke, hence why we lost 3-1 away to both of them.

In our head to head with United we lost 1-0 at OT, but won 1-0 at the Emirates, so were equal, it was at teams like Stoke where we lost the league, where you need physicality as well as technicality, which isn't the case against Barca.

you said yourself in a previous post that barca's priorities lay elsewhere when it came to playing madrid in the copa del ray final, i'm not even sure that barca started at full strength in that game, i only saw the second half

and don't talk to me about realism when you were saying that arsenal could win the quadruple just a few short months ago

you're also forgetting that united played arsenal in the f.a. cup and won with what was considered an under strength team

[Will]

Let's not forget that you lot go on about Arsenal being massive bottlers, then say we're ru bbish, so which is it? You can't have it both ways.

[Will]

You lot are bitter about being hammered.

[Microdot]

Let's not forget that you lot go on about Arsenal being massive bottlers, then say we're ru bbish, so which is it? You can't have it both ways.

Arsenal are not rubbish.
Arsenal are not as good as Manchester United.
Arsenal are bottlers.

Hope this clears things up for you dude.

[Numeric]

Let's not forget that you lot go on about Arsenal being massive bottlers, then say we're ru bbish, so which is it? You can't have it both ways.

was just winding that pillock blister up when i said you were rubbish, arsenal are a decent team

united may have been battered by barca but we have little to be bitter about, 19 times champions my dear fellow

[Microdot]

.............arsenal are a decent team

And one day, with the right manager, and 4 or 5 more world class players, and nicer socks, and a faster team bus, they might even get to be as big as Aston Villa, and win the European Cup!

[BloodStar]

And one day, with the right manager, and 4 or 5 more world class players, and nicer socks, and a faster team bus, they might even get to be as big as Aston Villa, and win the European Cup!

:-)