Cards on the table - I wanted United to win. They didn’t perform anywhere near their potential, though I attribute that mostly to Barca. Had they taken their chances at the start, maybe it would have been different, I doubt it. Despite the relative success, United have been very patchy this season. I hope for some more consistency next time. They’re going to need it…
I really wanted to stick it to Platini, the only man with a bigger smile than chowder right about now, I imagine.
Wow united were shit. I can’t remember seeing them play that bad for a long time - they kept giving the ball away, something they never normally do. My impression was that Barca were good but really nothing special. The occasional flash of brilliance. United just never turned up. I dunno whether they were nervous or something.
Oh well, who cares about being european champions, we’re still world champions.
Barca’s goals were down to mistakes by Vidic and Ferdinand… what more can you say?
What makes you think that I would rather Barca won than the rags?.
Just because I support a true Manchester team doesn’t mean that I’d rather a foreign team win than an English one.
On the other hand>>>>>>>:D
Mutant Moose Unless I’m mistaken. Italy are world champs
Crikey, what match were you watching?
I’m guessing that he means that’s what he thought heading into yesterday’s match. That was painful to watch, but I actually am not sickened by it. What can you say when a team is simply better? Sure, United could have played better than yesterday, but I’m not sure it would have been enough. C’est la vie. I haven’t followed United for ages like some others may, but I was reminded of the losses at Real Madrid in '03, Milan in '05, and Milan in '07. Those matches, United were simply outclassed and/or scared.
As the resident Citeh fan here can surely attest, the highs are only high because of the lows…really, really low lows. 
It’s kind of funny, because during the United-Villa match in April (Kiko!), I was thinking, “maybe it’s just not in the cards this year” and thinking about how it really is the journey, etc. I have that thought again today.
On to '09/10 and United’s pursuit of 19-4.
A big negative for me was the uncanny resemblance between Lionel Messi and 80s crooner Shakin’ Stevens.
Was rather suprised that there was only 3 mins of extra time.
Obviously the ref hadn’t read Fergies instructions 
Christ, I wanted the ref to blow the whistle at 80 mins just to end it. They could have played another 90 and united wouldn’t have scored.
The one where united kept making unforced errors. Time after time. They kept passing the ball to the opposition but not as a result of Barca pressure - most times there wasn’t a barca player anywhere near them when they did it.
Barcelona looked great compared to most other teams but they looked about the same level as how united usually play. Lots of one touch passes, an almost psychic knowledge of where your team mates are going to be.
In terms of form, Barcelona brought their B team, United brought their C team. If both had brought their A team we might have had more of a game. Barcelona may or may not still have won but United would at least have scored a few goals to make them work for it.
But, fairs fair, Barcelona were the best team on the day and deserved to win. It’s not their fault if United don’t show up. I just don’t see the scenario that others are describing that united weren’t allowed to play by a superior Barca. They were just shit on the day.
Complete bollocks. Barcelona brought a very good game. United’s manager and players have all said so. Barcelona kept the ball away from United for long stretches of the game. That’s not a “B” game at all.
United didn’t play its best game, and that was not the time to not play its best game. But to refuse to acknowledge the very good quality of football played by Barcelona is nothing more than sour grapes of the worst sort.
I agree Barcelona played well, but that early goal (well taken by Eto’o but poorly defended by United) gave them the chance to play the keep-ball game they wanted to play, while at the same time massively knocking United’s confidence that they displayed to great effect in the first 9 minutes. Had United converted one of their five shots on target they had in that first 9, it could have been very different.
By the phrase “keep-ball”, I don’t mean to imply Barcelona played negatively, just that at 1-0 there was less pressure for them to go for that killer ball once they were 1-0 up.
I wonder if what looked like a perfectly-prepared surface didn’t help United - countless times the ball bounced away from them where on a wet English pitch (such as they are more used to playing on) they would have had a chance - though this was somewhat true of some Barcelona play, too? Not meaning to make excuses, though - no doubt United were beaten by the better team, though I don’t think it was a great performance by Barcelona - probably 8/10 rather than the 9/10 or 10/10 some are claiming.
I gave up after the second goal went in (how did Messi get the better of Ferdinand in the air?) and watched the end of The Apprentice instead. It was always obvious (despite constant historical references from Clumpin’ Clive Tyldesley - don’t like him much as a commentator, even Motty might be preferable) that this wasn’t going to be another 1999.
I think you misunderstand me. I wasn’t criticising Barcelona. Barcelona’s B game is better than most teams A game. But I’ve seen Barcelona play better than that eg against Madrid a couple of weeks ago. That wasn’t their A game last night. If it was they would have won 6 - 0.
No sour grapes. I don’t mind losing but usually, in order to beat United, the other team have to be at the top of their form so games that United lose are often great games. But in this game, United just weren’t at the races. Barcelona didn’t need their A game to win.
This I could agree with more, although I still wouldn’t have described their performance as “really nothing special.” More times than I could count, Xavi and Iniesta took the ball into tight spaces and emerged still in possession, in defiance of all logic or reason. Again and again, I found myself thinking “give it! give it!” only to discover that they’d spotted an even better pass coming along. No speculative crosses from wide positions; they repeatedly delayed the final ball until there was a genuinely incisive opportunity. Even at less than full tilt, they provided more jaw-dropping moments than a month’s worth of Premiership fixtures.
I also think the United criticism is being a little overdone. A large part of Barcelona’s success was in harrying United such that they weren’t able to play after the first 10 minutes. While I do wonder at the inclusion of Anderson in a starting midfield against Barcelona of all teams, I think Ferguson’s tactics were a gamble that simply didn’t come off. He was hoping that, as many of us feared (myself included), Barcelona’s weakened defence would succumb to early pressure, ship a goal and allow United to shut up shop. The big surprise of the night, really, was how effective Barca’s back four were when under pressure (and there were sufficient spells of it for them to be properly tested). Having watched the 6-2 demolition of Real (which, although mesmerising, was a complete shower of shit defensively on both sides), I really didn’t think a second-string defence had it in them to hold out United for 90 minutes. How wrong I was.
Thought this was a really good article about the reasons for Barcelona’s success, and why the focus on their skill at keeping the ball misses their strenuous efforts to win it back high up the pitch.
Predictions for today? Will the Blues win? Or will the Blues win?
I’m going with an upset. Everton on PKs.
OMG!!! 26 seconds!!!
Bloody commentators, what are they for? That Malouda shot that bounced down off the bar – I, and I’m sure millions of others, immediately saw that it bounced behind the line and was therefore possibly a goal. But it took them a couple of minutes and a replay to be aware to the possibility.
The one’s I’m listening to here in the US (Taylor and someone) were immediately aware it might have been a goal, but noted the assistant referee wasn’t placed to make the judgment.
Well, barring a miracle, a pretty clinical Chelsea win, after that bit of early brilliance from Everton. Really should be 3 - 1, and would be with replay technology or something of the like.
Replay and magnification shows the ball to be definitely over the line after Malouda’s shot so the score should have been 3-1.
But it’s all academic now