Yeah fellas I reach.
A day late, but I been real busy since the game and I want to make sure I find the right words to describe what went on.
Congrats to Barca the team of the year and Messi will probably pick up the player of the year award this year although one of Iniesta or Xavi should run him close. They could easily do a 1,2,3 but the way the nomination and voting does go C. Ronaldo will probably end up somewhere in the mix.
Now for the game, United get outplayed. That ent bad Barca is a good team and there's no shame in losing but they get outclassed on the night. Much of that is Barca just being better man for man but the general play was sloppy. Also Ronaldo had in right in saying that Ferguson got his sums wrong. Anderson just wasn't doing it and get replaced. But once the team was a goal down Park become useless and he shouldna walk out for the 2nd half either. Rooney also get isolated on the wing and the game pass him by. It is also disappointing that they didn't put Ronaldo out wide earlier on the right to test Sylvinho.
United actually had a lot of possession but in the first half Ronaldo was isolated and Barca was able to collapse on him too easy. 2nd half was too many nearly balls and half chances. The opportunities were there to get something but they just were not up for it. With a better performance they probably would have still lost but not look so bad.
In Xavi and Iniesta Barca have 2 bona fide world class playmakers, who not half bad at the physical aspects of the game. COmplete modern midfielders. They also play the kind of football that everybody's try to teach. The front 5 space them selves perfectly and move forward and back as one. When the front three move forward as a line with Xavi/Iniesta in possession defenders don't know when to stick or twist. Just watch Vidic on the 1st goal. Obviously he was too far from Eto'o but if he drift left Iniesta could drive into space and buss a bullet or play into the empty space for Eto'o to steal behind him. Damned if you do and damned if you don't. United on the other hand try diagonal balls that were always too long and into obvious channels.
In retrospect, I'm sure Sir Alex would've been more than glad to have the stifling, physical presence of Essien/Lampard/Ballack in midfield instead of Anderson/Carrick/Giggs.
Good observation but yuh can't play one way all season and then switch it up if you don't have the personnel. They really needed to put pressure on Xavi and Inesita but the most athletic of the 3, Anderson, had a bad game, Fletcher suspended and Hargreaves injured last year. The reason why Chelsea had so much success at slowing Barcelona in midfield as opposed to their back four is that in Essien, Ballack and Mikel they have 3 great athletes (4 if you really count Essien). The good news is that the problems there to be seen and fixed. this game do plenty for the stock of Hargreaves (if he ever play again) and Fletcher. Not so much for Park and the Rooney-Left, Ronaldo-Center formation. This team ent get bad overnight. Looking for them to get back to the final next year.