2011 CL Final: FC Barcelona - Manchester United FC 3-1 - Champions!

[Corb]

Best ManU player of the match: Rooney, he scored the goal, he created chances, he tried to win at all cost
Worst ManU player of the match: Chicharito, simply missed in action

 

[Seamus]

Could've been rage at loosing the game too.

 

[Wilshere]

Lol you had much more problems with us than with Man Utd.

With a good ref that calls on legbreaking tackles, barca pwned your ass with a 2-0 win.

Best ManU player of the match: Rooney, he scored the goal, he created chances, he tried to win at all cost
Worst ManU player of the match: Chicharito, simply missed in action

Word.


So happy that Man United lost!

 

[Wilshere]

Breaking a leg without making contact, that is really something.

Anyway, footballing masterclass yesterday, there is no denying that. I thought Van der Sar should have always stopped the 2-1, but that aside you were superior in every department and pretty much cruised to victory. There is really no team that can properly challenge Barcelona out there. I do believe we came closest but in the end you cannot beat this Barca playing football.

Nah there was no chance van der Sar could have saved that as he saw the ball too late, Vidic was in the way

 

[the-don]

What a game when you look at the 1st and 2nd goal it really comes to me that most of the time when we score there are like 7-8 players behind the ball but today we had space. That hasn't been so for ages. Hope more teams play like this against us that would show us more FOOTBALL. SAF is a brave coach he wanted to play and it didn't work so well for him. I enjoyed how our players feel each other in the field.

 

[Unbiased United]

Well done Man Utd, the best team we have played the whole season. That's how football is played, not like RMs destructive tactics. Classy players and classy manager. Better luck next time. A tactical miss from Fergie though was to shift Park into a CM and drag Giggs to the LM.

Was really impressed by Rooney.
Villa's goal was... iono what to say.

Nice post.

I used to want JM as United's next manager, but after his and RM's preformance in the semi's I really don't now. I'd rather lose having given it a go (granted we didn't have too many chances, but we tried our best to), than win using such negative tactics. Not everyone will agree, but If United and Barca meet next season I wouldn't want us to change our style. We would probably lose again, but if we were to win we could hold our heads high knowing we did it the right way.

Best ManU player of the match: Rooney, he scored the goal, he created chances, he tried to win at all cost
Worst ManU player of the match: Chicharito, simply missed in action

+1

 

[barcetia]

Nice post.

I used to want JM as United's next manager, but after his and RM's preformance in the semi's I really don't now. I'd rather lose having given it a go (granted we didn't have too many chances, but we tried our best to), than win using such negative tactics. Not everyone will agree, but If United and Barca meet next season I wouldn't want us to change our style. We would probably lose again, but if we were to win we could hold our heads high knowing we did it the right way.



+1

You know, there is a clear difference between JM and SAF. And that is the very same difference between a man and a boy. JM is very childish and immature while SAF is classy and full of wisdom.

 

[Sergio]

Best ManU player of the match: Rooney, he scored the goal, he created chances, he tried to win at all cost
Worst ManU player of the match: Chicharito, simply missed in action

Yep, and I think in hindsight that decision is what really cost them. I understand totally the logic in deciding to field Valencia and Park instead of Nani from the start - the work rate of those 2 is essential to get in the face of Barca. And it actually worked, from the start of the game you saw Barca looking very uncomfortable at the back, there was a point where it was even panicky cleared for a throw, and how often do you see Barca surrender possession so easy?

But with Hernandez that pressure dissipated quickly as with him Utd weren't able to keep any sort of possession in the Barca half, they were aiming at a ghost, and that pressure quickly fizzled out to the one sided match it became. So I wonder had they played Nani from the start instead, a player who if nothing else could have kept the possession, received the ball better, dispersed it better, whether they could have kept that pressure on for longer and made more chances for Rooney to finish - and more importantly kept the ball off Barca more.

Not saying Hernandez isn't good btw, just that this really wasn't a game for him to start, if they had started Nani and kept the game closer later on, he would have been the perfect sub role, but from the start seems like he was wasted, as was Nani.

 

[barcaboy15]

Nice post.

I used to want JM as United's next manager, but after his and RM's preformance in the semi's I really don't now. I'd rather lose having given it a go (granted we didn't have too many chances, but we tried our best to), than win using such negative tactics. Not everyone will agree, but If United and Barca meet next season I wouldn't want us to change our style. We would probably lose again, but if we were to win we could hold our heads high knowing we did it the right way.

^This exactly.

That is the difference between managers like Guardiola and Ferguson and ones like Mourinho.

And I pray for Utd's sake that Jose never takes over from Ferguson, I mean from Ferguson to Mourinho! Jesus that would be hard to handle.

Ferguson has been with Man Utd how long now? Decades I think? Mourinho on the other hand can't stay with a team longer than 2 seasons as he is an attention seeking self-important prick (to put it simply).

He's managed to embarrass Real to no end this season and the only comparison you need is Real vs Barca and Man Utd vs Barca. They both lost by two goals but I know for absolute certain which team I would be proud to say I supported and which team was an embarrassment to football.

Full credit to Man Utd, they were beaten (very comfortably) but they tried to attack and play their way but to be honest this Barca team is just on another level at the moment and I think rightfully considered as the greatest club team ever - so there is no shame in losing to them with dignity (not something Real can say, that's for sure!)

 

[Unbiased United]

Yep, and I think in hindsight that decision is what really cost them. I understand totally the logic in deciding to field Valencia and Park instead of Nani from the start - the work rate of those 2 is essential to get in the face of Barca. And it actually worked, from the start of the game you saw Barca looking very uncomfortable at the back, there was a point where it was even panicky cleared for a throw, and how often do you see Barca surrender possession so easy?

But with Hernandez that pressure dissipated quickly as with him Utd weren't able to keep any sort of possession in the Barca half, they were aiming at a ghost, and that pressure quickly fizzled out to the one sided match it became. So I wonder had they played Nani from the start instead, a player who if nothing else could have kept the possession, received the ball better, dispersed it better, whether they could have kept that pressure on for longer and made more chances for Rooney to finish - and more importantly kept the ball off Barca more.

Not saying Hernandez isn't good btw, just that this really wasn't a game for him to start, if they had started Nani and kept the game closer later on, he would have been the perfect sub role, but from the start seems like he was wasted, as was Nani.

I totally agree actually. But I have to admit before the game I wanted Hernandez to start and Nani as sub, but now with the benefit of hindsight we probably should have done the opposite.

That said, would it have made much of a difference in the end?...unfortunately for us probably not.

 

[Pedro17]

I totally agree actually. But I have to admit before the game I wanted Hernandez to start and Nani as sub, but now with the benefit of hindsight we probably should have done the opposite.

That said, would it have made much of a difference in the end?...unfortunately for us probably not.

Chicarritto is awesome, I just think it was an experience thing. It's a big difference from playing in Chivas to playing in Wembley, lol. I think he deserved the start but probably could have been subbed at HT. Don't know whether to credit our defence or nervousness to him playing like that yesterday.

 

[Unbiased United]

^This exactly.

That is the difference between managers like Guardiola and Ferguson and ones like Mourinho.

And I pray for Utd's sake that Jose never takes over from Ferguson, I mean from Ferguson to Mourinho! Jesus that would be hard to handle.

Ferguson has been with Man Utd how long now? Decades I think? Mourinho on the other hand can't stay with a team longer than 2 seasons as he is an attention seeking self-important prick (to put it simply).

He's managed to embarrass Real to no end this season and the only comparison you need is Real vs Barca and Man Utd vs Barca. They both lost by two goals but I know for absolute certain which team I would be proud to say I supported and which team was an embarrassment to football.

Full credit to Man Utd, they were beaten (very comfortably) but they tried to attack and play their way but to be honest this Barca team is just on another level at the moment and I think rightfully considered as the greatest club team ever - so there is no shame in losing to them with dignity (not something Real can say, that's for sure!)

Before last night I still needed to be convinced, but I have to agree now. There are no bigger clubs (Barca aside) than United and RM, and Barca have controlled both teams easily in the CL, and that makes them a very special team. There is nothing I dislike about them either, they are very classy along with everything else.

SAF has been manager for us for 25 years, and I really do worry about our future when he goes. Whilst he's here I think we will always be number one in England, but when he goes (and football being the way it is for managers these days), it could be tough times for United. I'd love someone like Pep, but I really can't see why he would ever want to manage anyone else other than Barca, either way it HAS to be someone endorsing attractive attacking football.

 

[barcaboy15]

One last post before I go for now:

Just wanted to point out that this Barcelona team has WON 2 of the last 3 CLs since Guardiola became manager! That is simply phenomenal and Guardiola is really not given the credit he deserves.

And here is the top goalscorer for those 3 years:

2008-2009 - MESSI - 9

2009-2010 - MESSI - 8

2010-2011 - MESSI - 12


And Messi is now pretty much guaranteed a third World Player of the Year award as well!

This team really will be remembered as the greatest club team of all time in my opinion, they are just absolutely phenomenal!

 

[Corb]

Unbiased,what do you think about SAF decision with Berbatov?

 

[Unbiased United]

Chicarritto is awesome, I just think it was an experience thing. It's a big difference from playing in Chivas to playing in Wembley, lol. I think he deserved the start but probably could have been subbed at HT. Don't know whether to credit our defence or nervousness to him playing like that yesterday.

Without a doubt he's awesome, possibly the signing of the season. But he needs chances created for him for us to see him shine, and in hindsight we were never going to create that many chances. I defiantely think not only your defence but the full Barca team should take credit for him being almost non existant.