CL Final

[jebus]

Oh by the way is the Arsenal central midfield the same one that got destroyed by Anderson and by Carrick over two legs.

Wow you pick out the partnership where I state 'Cesc and whatever rubbish player Wenger puts alongside him' and call me on that.

I'm starting to believe you're not cut up about Utd losing tonight alright

[Dodge]

And that link was 2007, and two points, not many disagreed with my querying of why Iniesta was in there on for

Only 18 months ago, and I thiink you'll find I said Iniesta was one of the top 5 midfielders in europe...

[superfrank]

Agree with jebus on Scholes. He has to be one of the worst foulers in the game and he seems to get away with an awful lot of reckless tackles.

Barca were outstanding tonight, thoroughly deserving winners. I guess that settles it for who's the best team in the world at the moment.

Two brilliant finishes in the game. I think people are being very hard on Vidic as dozens of defenders fall for that move week in, week out.

Man U were fairly average. They never seemed to have anything in an attacking sense tonight. After the first goal, the only chance I remember is Giggs kicking the ball against his own man. I was surprised by how far behind Barca Man U were/are. After all the talk about Barca's defence, they stood up to what Man U had tonight and it never seemed like they'd score.

[jebus]

Who mightn't be first choise if Hargreaves and Fletcher are available. In last night's game, Carrick was nowhere near Utd's weak link and I think you're being OTT in singling him out. He got no support and had to try and eadl with Xavi, Iniesta and Messi as well as try and start the attacks. If he's given enough support, he'd be OK.

Hargreaves isn't going to be available and even then Carrick would push him as a starter in fergie's eyes I think. Fletch was a big loss for them alright, and actually wait, I'd have Basquets over Anderson from what I've seen of him to go back to your original point

[jebus]

Only 18 months ago, and I thiink you'll find I said Iniesta was one of the top 5 midfielders in europe...

Shall we change the thread title 'We're Not Worthy'?

[Dodge]

Yes please. Fairly apt given the performance of Iniesta and Xavi, no?

[NeilMcD]

Wow you pick out the partnership where I state 'Cesc and whatever rubbish player Wenger puts alongside him' and call me on that.

I'm starting to believe you're not cut up about Utd losing tonight alright

YOu do not get it. I am disagreeing with your OTT comments about Man Utd and some of their players. Barca were a joy to watch and I could watch Iniesta and Xavi and Messi all day. A joy to watch but you believe what you want to believe.Just like I would not dismiss Barca and Messi when Utd beat them last year I would not do the same with Man Utd and the Man Utd players you mention this year.

[jebus]

Agreed Dodge.

YOu do not get it. I am disagreeing with your OTT comments about Man Utd and some of their players. Barca were a joy to watch and I could watch Iniesta and Xavi and Messi all day. A joy to watch but you believe what you want to believe.

I will. And you responded to my criticisms of the majority of United's players on tonight's performance by going on about the last few seasons for some odd reason.

That's what you don't get

[NeilMcD]

eh Carrick Giggs, Anderson and Berbatov you made damning judgements on and not just commented on tonights game. Your comments on Rooney, Ferdinand, Vidic and Evra were about tonights game the others were not.

[jebus]

eh Carrick Giggs, Anderson and Berbatov you made damning judgements on and not just commented on tonights game. Your comments on Rooney, Ferdinand, Vidic and Evra were about tonights game the others were not.

4 players, two of them squad players and one of them who has just arrived this season and you respond by going on about their success in 2007 and 2008?

Not to mention that Berbatov has hardly been a key member in their title winning squad, in fact most United fans I know would say he has been more of a hinderence than anything as he slows United's free flowing game down. Giggs is a 20 minute sub and thats it, the fact that he's come on as a sub in most of his appearances this season kinda makes that a fact and Carrick and Anderson, well I stand by my comments on them.

You're convincing me more and more that you're not cut up about the loss tonight though

Oh and I didn't realise that United only had 8 players on the park by your count. Schoolboy error by United! Fergie Out!

[NeilMcD]

Berbatov 10 assists and 9 goals for Man Utd this season. Take them out and they would not have won the league. Anyway I am deligthed that Barca won the league over many other teams but I will admit that any Irish player who is playing in a champions League final I will cheer for them. Shoot me for that. If you are an ABU that is not my problem. I think the point about tonight is that Barca were great and Man Utd were not at the races but to reach any conclusive decisions or opinions on any of the players based on tonights performance, and thats including Anderson Carrick and Giggs, is stupid, esp coming from a guy who did not rate Iniesta 2 years ago when he was a great player then.

[Dodge]

Berbatov 10 assists and 9 goals for Man Utd this season. Take them out and they would not have won the league.

Of course, because they'd have been playing with 10 men. Stick nearly anyone into his position and they'd have done just as well.

How many of those 10 goals were winners?

[NeilMcD]

Of course, because they'd have been playing with 10 men. Stick nearly anyone into his position and they'd have done just as well.

How many of those 10 goals were winners?

I do not have the stats at hand but I think most of his goals and assists came in the run where they were winning games 1-0 and keeping lots of clean sheets. I am sure somebody could find this out but Berbatov had a huge impact on a large amount of points this season for Man Utd. He is a lazy ****e and for the last 2 months he has not been on form since his injury but for people to dismiss him and say he should be sold is a joke, esp when they are the same person who does not rate Iniesta in the top 55 players in 2007. I seem to remember Pires bein rubbish when he first joined Arsenal

[Dodge]

Arsenal dind't spend a fortune on pires and it was his frst season in England.

Berbatov shouldn't really have any excuses

[Rovers fan]

Iniesta is in the top 3 players in the world imo. Probably the second best player in the world this year, behind messi. He has everything. People were saying that fabregas should have been starting for spain but he hasn't a patch on xavi or iniesta. They absolutely ran the show today, made bits of anderson and Carrick. United were chasing shadows and couldn't get their front men on the ball. Everyone was harping on about Barca's defense (I myself was worried they would cost barca) but in the end they hardly even needed a defense.

Delighted to see barca win tbh.

[jebus]

I do not have the stats at hand but I think most of his goals and assists came in the run where they were winning games 1-0 and keeping lots of clean sheets. I am sure somebody could find this out but Berbatov had a huge impact on a large amount of points this season for Man Utd. He is a lazy ****e and for the last 2 months he has not been on form since his injury but for people to dismiss him and say he should be sold is a joke, esp when they are the same person who does not rate Iniesta in the top 55 players in 2007. I seem to remember Pires bein rubbish when he first joined Arsenal

Captain Hindsight rears his head I see.

Dodge was the only one that disagreed with me in that thread, so there must have been some validity in me saying that Iniesta wasn't one of the best midfield players in the 2006/07 season, can't quite remember what he did or did not do that year tbf and I doubt you do either

[tetsujin1979]

to wish congratulations to Barcelona would do them a massive disservice, they are simpley one of the best teams I have ever watched play the beautiful game. United spent the first 15-20 minutes in possession, Barcelona spent the rest of the game teaching them a lesson in possession football. Simple, short, incisive passes, building towards creating a chance on goal, with the best player in the world left to do what he does better than anyone else.
Just amazing. Anyone who's spent the time since the game arguing about whether or not Fletcher would have made a difference, or if Berbatov should have started is out of order.
No team could have stopped Guardiola's men tonight, they are that good.

[37Beour]

I think tonights performance showed that United are still missing that gritty midfielder to get in the face of opposition. Fletcher has it to a certain degree but still is quite soft and def think United would have had more control in the middle if he wasn't banned. Carrick, Scholes and Anderson can't even spell tackle let alone make one. For the first goal Carrick ran alongside a Barca player for maybe 10-15 yards and didn't even stick a foot in....who d f**k does that!!!! But that wasn't the only instance, for the whole game United were backing off and only attempted making a tackle around the 18yard box which is absolutely nuts considering the attacking ability of Barca. And Messi one of the smallest men on the field managed to jump between 3 defenders all ranging in 6ft height for second goal!!

Overall best team won. Utd let it go way too easily. No spirit, no determination, no heart everything Barca had. The likes of Ronaldo, Rooney and Park could not breach the makeshift defence of Barca either which you would expect but it wasn't happening! O' Shea was the best United player on the pitch tonight, didn't give anyone much a sniff!

[Rovers fan]

to wish congratulations to Barcelona would do them a massive disservice, they are simpley one of the best teams I have ever watched play the beautiful game. United spent the first 15-20 minutes in possession, Barcelona spent the rest of the game teaching them a lesson in possession football. Simple, short, incisive passes, building towards creating a chance on goal, with the best player in the world left to do what he does better than anyone else.
Just amazing. Anyone who's spent the time since the game arguing about whether or not Fletcher would have made a difference, or if Berbatov should have started is out of order.
No team could have stopped Guardiola's men tonight, they are that good.

While I agree they are great team, the bit in bold is untrue imo. Chelsea more than matched barca in the semis and were very unlucky to go out.

[eirebhoy]

What impressed me about Barcelona so much tonight was the way their players moved off the ball, always seemed to be in a position to recieve the ball. It almost made it look like they had more players than United how well they used the space and got away from their markers. A joy to watch nonetheless and football really came out victorious on the night.

Yeh British and Irish people can talk about lack of technique all they want but passing ability is mainly down to intelligence. Technique is a born talent. Gerrard, Carrick, Beckham and others are some of the most technical in the world. They can all pass a 60 yarder very accurately. But they're not on Xavi and Iniesta's level with passing because of the coaching they received.