Champions League Final 2009: FC Barcelona vs ManUtd: Champions of Europe!

Quash

Ricky Martin clone
Jairzinho, I wouldn't be so confident, let's not border on arrogance, United are officially the best team in the world in terms of results and they have a very, very good squad. As much as we all hat to admit it there were quite a few times when Chelsea outplayed us and United are better. The defence isn't my biggest concern (though obv plays a huge part), it's the attack that will decide it, they must be top-notch. The majority of play in the 2nd Chelscum leg was in our half/final third because the attackers couldn't link up or penetrate at all, Ini and Messi were trying but couldn't do it alone and Eto'o might as well not have been on the pitch for all he contributed to the front line, so we were limited to long balls. United will shackle Messi effectively like Chelsea did, 3 men on him as soon as he gets the ball so I think he'll be a lot more limited in the dribbling dept. which is unfortunate cause we all know how good it is. Thankfully he can pick out very good passes so we should look to keep the ball in constant movement. Also, Henry is a real confidence booster, he's been incredible in the big games this season and we looked much worse without him. Heath, what do you expect the midfield lineup to be for United?
 

Metaphysical

Bomb Dropper
injuries permitting, our lineup has to be-

valdes
puyol*, pique, caceres*, sylvinho
xavi, yaya, iniesta
eto'o, messi, henry

*maybe swap these two around

yaya at CB worked coz he was a perfect physical match for drogba and could basically fight him all game. and he still made a few mistakes in possession that a faster player would have punished him on. ronaldo is a faster player and would burn him alive. if berbatov were gonna start then yeah, fine, but he won't. fergie will adopt his arsenal tactics.

whoever plays at RB will have to be ON. rooney is their biggest threat now dani isn't playing to keep him in defensive mode. he will play ronaldo in down the channels so much.

messi in the middle because, as good as vidic is, he's vulnerable to pace and skill. he didn't play the semi-final last year and thus we never got to see it but I think messi could give him a very hard time (if he can get away from ferdinand that is. fucking hell he is some defender).
 

redout

New member
We needed a big, tall and strong CB in the semi, and Chelsea don't have a huge amount of pace. Man Utd have pace but not so much the aerial threat of Chelsea.

Ronaldo is lethal in the air and Berbatov aint half bad neither. From Corners Vidic is also a massive threat. This is going to be an area exploited by United in my opinion as its common knowledge Barca are not comfortable defending high balls into the box.

To all those going on about Man Utd being favourites I dont know were you are getting this information because not according to the British bookmakers who all have Barcelona as the favourites.
 

Warik

New member
Ronaldo is lethal in the air and Berbatov aint half bad neither. From Corners Vidic is also a massive threat. This is going to be an area exploited by United in my opinion as its common knowledge Barca are not comfortable defending high balls into the box.

Yeah and for corners and other set pieces around our box Yaya will be in there anyway as he always is. Caceres is hardly a weakling in the air anyway, nor Puyol who will likely be at RB but enter the box to mark in set pieces.

To all those going on about Man Utd being favourites I dont know were you are getting this information because not according to the British bookmakers who all have Barcelona as the favourites.

British bookmakers obviously forget we are missing 3 of our first choice back 4...They continue to overstate us tbh.
 

Heath Newton

New member
Jairzinho, I wouldn't be so confident, let's not border on arrogance, United are officially the best team in the world in terms of results and they have a very, very good squad. As much as we all hat to admit it there were quite a few times when Chelsea outplayed us and United are better. The defence isn't my biggest concern (though obv plays a huge part), it's the attack that will decide it, they must be top-notch. The majority of play in the 2nd Chelscum leg was in our half/final third because the attackers couldn't link up or penetrate at all, Ini and Messi were trying but couldn't do it alone and Eto'o might as well not have been on the pitch for all he contributed to the front line, so we were limited to long balls. United will shackle Messi effectively like Chelsea did, 3 men on him as soon as he gets the ball so I think he'll be a lot more limited in the dribbling dept. which is unfortunate cause we all know how good it is. Thankfully he can pick out very good passes so we should look to keep the ball in constant movement. Also, Henry is a real confidence booster, he's been incredible in the big games this season and we looked much worse without him. Heath, what do you expect the midfield lineup to be for United?

to be completely honest,i'm not sure i could make a guess and it be anywhere near right.
for me,it'd be 4-3-3/4-5-1 and i'd pick Giggs/Park, Carrick, Anderson and then go with Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez/Berbatov up front.

if he wants to have cover/workrate it'll prob be Park/Tevez but if he wants a less frenetic game then it'll obv be Giggs and Berba.

tbh though,the 4 of the front 6 tend to have license to go wherever and do whatever,which makes it a bitch to mark anyone all the time,and results in goals being spread around en masse,which is how we've tended to prosper over the years,so bearing that in mind,one will probably produce a 1-0 or 0-0 + pens again :bangHead:,and the other,a brilliant 2-3,3-2 or high scoring game,which i'd prefer.

i say go for it.
Screwface says in Marked For Death "Everybody wants to go to heaven,but nobody wants to get dead",and i for one agree,if you're not prepared to take the big risks,how will you appreciate the biggest rewards??
 

redout

New member
Uniteds midfield is most likely going to be Anderson to stifle Xavi, Park (would have been Fletch I think) to hassle Iniesta as he can run all day and Carrick to clean up the loose ends. Scholes to be a little further forward in a creative role with Ronaldo a total mystery as he is usually allowed to wander all over. Rooney and then Tevez/Berba ? Think it was a massive statement by Fergie not to pick Berba in the semi against Arsenal - most important game of the season and he went with Tevez but I think he will go for Berba because he is class at holding the ball which will be very important for United against Barca.
 
O

oyetunde

Guest
Manchester United Will Have No Problems Against Barcelona - Berbatov
Manchester United only have to repeat their showing at the Emirates to lift the Champions League trophy for the second successive season, according to their frontman...
Dimitar Berbatov believes that if Manchester United can repeat their Champions League semi-final display when they take on Barcelona then they will have no problems.

The Bulgarian striker has goaded the Catalan giants by stating that the Red Devils are a better side and also teased Arsenal by claiming his team are way above them in class.

United earned a one-goal first leg victory in the all-English European tie, before two early goals in the second leg set them on their way to a comfortable aggregate win at the Emirates in midweek.

Sir Alex Ferguson's team performed well to ease into the finals in Rome later in the month and Berbatov is ultra confident that the team will retain their title.

“We were a class, even two, above Arsenal," the former Tottenham Hotspur forward is quoted as saying by The Sun.

“Most teams are afraid of us and if we play like we did against Arsenal, we will not have any problems.”

Many have already stated that it will be a great final that will be delicately balanced, even though Berbatov does not appear to agree that will be case.

:flagvl8::flagvl8::flagvl8:
 
O

oyetunde

Guest
----------------Valdes----------------
Puyol------Piqué-----Yaya--------Keita
--------------Busquets----------------
-------Xavi------------Iniesta---------
---------------Messi-------------------
----Eto'o------------------Henry-------

I can't think of anything better than this for the final. (If Abidal's card get's revoked then Keita for Busquets and Abidal takes his place.)

wit uniteds speed:bash::bash::bash:
 

Heath Newton

New member
Manchester United Will Have No Problems Against Barcelona - Berbatov
Manchester United only have to repeat their showing at the Emirates to lift the Champions League trophy for the second successive season, according to theirfrontman...
Dimitar Berbatov believes that if Manchester United can repeat their Champions League semi-final display when they take on Barcelona then they will have no problems.
The Bulgarian striker has goaded the Catalan giants by stating that the Red Devils are a better side and also teased Arsenal by claiming his team are way above them in class.
United earned a one-goal first leg victory in the all-English European tie, before two early goals in the second leg set them on their way to a comfortable aggregate win at the Emirates in midweek.Sir Alex Ferguson's team performed well to ease into the finals in Rome later in the month and Berbatov is ultra confident that the team will retain their title.
“We were a class, even two, above Arsenal," the former Tottenham Hotspur forward is quoted as saying by The Sun.
“Most teams are afraid of us and if we play like we did against Arsenal, we will not have any problems.”
Many have already stated that it will be a great final that will be delicately balanced, even though Berbatov does not appear to agree that will be case.
:flagvl8::flagvl8::flagvl8:

:$
:mad1:

i hate these interviews.
SHUT UP, even if you think it,you don't/shouldn't say it.:rolleyes:

especially if you play for one of the teams involved!!
leave the punditry to the pundits Berba.
 

nebeer

Love is All
Fletcher's was red - so non-lift that one.

Pep must appeal for Abidal's, surely everyone knows the ref. had a bad day at office.

Ya, Pep must appeal for Abidal's card as UEFA have accepted MU's appeal for lifting Flecher's red. UEFA are supposed to decide on Monday, whether Flecher can play or not. So this is time that Barca appealed for Abidal, as it was clearly not a red card.
 
O

oyetunde

Guest
sylvinho-piq-puyol-Cáceres

ronaldo, like other united fowards cant beat a man 2 save his life
all we need is SPEED
if we use yaya at CB vs thier speed, we would ship at least 4 goals
 

Warik

New member
:$
:mad1:

i hate these interviews.
SHUT UP, even if you think it,you don't/shouldn't say it.:rolleyes:

especially if you play for one of the teams involved!!
leave the punditry to the pundits Berba.

Agree 100%. Secretly every player in both squads thinks they can win and who can blame them? Thing is you never come out and say it. Last week Real Madrid players came out talking crap about Barça saying they could outplay us, saw us as no problem etc and we went and won 6-2. Obviously Man Utd are a different beast to Real but its stupid to give added motivation to your opponents.
 

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