UEFA Champions League Final - Manchester United vs. Barcelona

Heart says we'll win, head says otherwise

Personally I think we should go like this....

----------------VDS----------------
Da Silva--Ferdinand--Vidic--Evra
Valencia--Carrick--Giggs--Park
-------------Rooney
----------------Hernandez

Subs: PIG, Smalling, O'Shea, Scholes, Nani, Anderson, Bebatov

Plenty of engery in that side, Rooney playing the no10 role means he drops deep to help out the midfield anyway and Hernandez can buzz around their defenders to put them under pressure. Plenty of energy with Park and Valencia also. Hernandez has to play to give us an edge going forward with him always looking to get in behind which is why we need the creativity of Giggs playing also.

You could argue Fletcher for Carrick but I don't see him being able to play enough games between now and the final to push himself into the team.

Of course Fergie could just look to do a containing job for 60 minutes and then bring on Hernandez....
 
Messi has never really done anything when he's played in England, still have to keep a close eye on him though, I would think we'll have to go with Valencia over Nani as he's better defensively, Park for the same reason, I really wouldn't be surprised to see Fletcher play providing he's match fit, as we need lots of energy in midfield as they are going to have to work there balls off, we might even need the extra man in midfield which would mean sacrificing Hernandez. I don't like the idea of playing one up front but it would be better than getting torn apart.
 
Man Utd can stifle a lot of Barca's attacks imo, when we beat them our defenders had to be on top form and the midfield and attack did what they know, tried to keep the ball away from them for a few spells of a minute or so and over the game it worked well, they had to do a bit of chasing too, and coupled with their mad pressing it resulted in them being absolutely shattered come an hour, after that we had so much more space. If Man Utd can keep it down to 0 or 1 goals come an hour I'd really fancy them
 
Interesting couple of points coming out of the media today...

1- is Fergie suggesting that Fletcher will play in the final but will be on the bench at best this weekend, that gives him the Blackburn & Blackpool games to get up to match fitness. I can understand his inclusion but it will certainly be harsh on whoever he displaces from the team especially as he wasn't pulling up any trees himself prior to the virus

2- Steve McClaren was on talkSport suggesting that the mistake Fergie has admitted to making in Rome was not having a member of the midfield pick up Messi and that we were left with Rio & Vida not marking anyone and that Carrick was left asking the bench who he should be picking up.... that to me suggests a 3 man centre midfield with Rooney up top on his own at Wembley
 
I'd imagine then with that in mind the team will probably be...

----------------VDS----------------
Da Silva--Ferdinand--Vidic--Evra
----Fletcher--Park--Carrick/Giggs
Valencia-----------------------Nani
---------------Rooney--------------

With Park doing the marking job on Messi. Not sure what that means for our attacking play though because Barca will probably have Busquets as a spare man in midfield meaning Rooney will have to work his socks off getting in and round him whilst still be a goal threat. I'd imagine our out ball will be with Nani and Valencia hoping to catch Alves high up the pitch

EDIT: actually with Alves' threat down their right I'd maybe expect to see Park play from our left meaning Nani on the bench and maybe Anderson picking up Messi. Cant see it being a job Carrick or Giggs can do
 
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Man U have always got a chance over one game but I'd still be rather surprised if barca don't come away with the win. :(
 
Tom84 said:
I'd imagine then with that in mind the team will probably be...

----------------VDS----------------
Da Silva--Ferdinand--Vidic--Evra
----Fletcher--Park--Carrick/Giggs
Valencia-----------------------Nani
---------------Rooney--------------

With Park doing the marking job on Messi. Not sure what that means for our attacking play though because Barca will probably have Busquets as a spare man in midfield meaning Rooney will have to work his socks off getting in and round him whilst still be a goal threat. I'd imagine our out ball will be with Nani and Valencia hoping to catch Alves high up the pitch
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I see it more as being:

----------------VDS----------------
Da Silva--Ferdinand--Vidic--Evra
------------Fletcher------------
------Carrick-------Anderson/Giggs
Valencia-----------------------Nani
---------------Rooney--------------

With Fletcher chasing Messi everywhere, Nani won't track Alves so I can see him going with Park and having Nani on the right. He does seem to be in love with Valencia at the moment though, given that he rarely loses possession and will track back.
 
This idea of man marking Messi is great in theory but I can't see how it will work. Not only can he rinse Fletcher everytime he gets the ball anyway but what happens when he drifts out to the right and Pedro comes inside? Does Evra follow Pedro inside or does he stay in position and leave Pedro in the space that Fletcher's just left?

The movement and ability of Barca's front 3 make it nigh on impossible to stop them if they're playing well. You've got to cut the service to them and if you're going to man mark anybody, I'd stick Park and Fletcher on Xavi and Iniesta and leave Busquets to try and pick out Messi et al.
 
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Yep, can't see them man marking Messi, would disrupt the shape of the team too much, and with the CM being by far Man Utd's weakest point, I'm sure Ferguson will want complete organisation in there rather than his CM's drifting out wide etc.
 
In a fair game I would fancy Man Utd to steal a win, but I expect to see Barca theatrics (which are completely disgusting, to the point where I have zero respect for them anymore, no longer consider them a great team and hope that they never win anything again despite how unlikely that is with the refs on their side) and get someone sent off. Then they will turn the screw and probably end up winning by a couple of goals. I have went from loving to loathing Barca over the course of this season and I hope the way they have cheated themselves into the final they will end up with a ref who picks up on it.

Despite how much the pains me.... COME ON MAN UTD!! :(
 
haha it's as though the whole world only just realised the other night that Barcelona are huge cheats, they've been doing the same for years, it just took Mourinho to bring the very worst out of everybody.
 
When Barca actually play football they can be unstopable.
The whole side presses when in posession and as soon as they lose posession they all put lots of pressure on the other team, giving the opponent no time to think about stringing an attack together.

No1newts said:
In a fair game I would fancy Man Utd to steal a win, but I expect to see Barca theatrics (which are completely disgusting, to the point where I have zero respect for them anymore, no longer consider them a great team and hope that they never win anything again despite how unlikely that is with the refs on their side) and get someone sent off. Then they will turn the screw and probably end up winning by a couple of goals. I have went from loving to loathing Barca over the course of this season and I hope the way they have cheated themselves into the final they will end up with a ref who picks up on it. :(
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+1

BaZ87 said:
While I agree with that, Ferdinand isn't as mobile as he once was, Vidic can be drawn into making needless challenges and whoever they play RB could be targeted; the twins like a tackle a bit too much and O'Shea is ... .
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I would prefer it if they played with 10 men instead of having that ****** on the field.:mad:

BaZ87 said:
Regardless of their defense, you can't rely on stopping their front 3. You've got to stop their service, starting from the very back. Sky praised Valdes last night for his passing out of the back but he looks hugely suspect with the ball at his feet and Barca always look like playing themselves into trouble at the back; their saving grace being that teams are too afraid to press them high up the pitch to take advantage of it.
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True, United's best chance will be to attack as much as possible as they can't expect to soak up Barca attacking for 90 mins. (not that that's how they go about playing anyway)
 
jakeke said:
haha it's as though the whole world only just realised the other night that Barcelona are huge cheats, they've been doing the same for years, it just took Mourinho to bring the very worst out of everybody.
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To be honest, I've only seen Barca cheat like that against RM. They still dive and fake it in other matches but do it more against RM. I can't remember them doing that against Arsenal in the knockout round.
 
Robert1986 said:
To be honest, I've only seen Barca cheat like that against RM. They still dive and fake it in other matches but do it more against RM. I can't remember them doing that against Arsenal in the knockout round.
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Same here, it seems to be getting worse as well. I'm not naive, everyone does it to a greater or lesser extent, but for a team as lauded as Barca that when the going gets tough rather than trying to play through their problems they cheat to give themself an advantage. It just sticks in the throat a little.
 
No1newts said:
Same here, it seems to be getting worse as well. I'm not naive, everyone does it to a greater or lesser extent, but for a team as lauded as Barca that when the going gets tough rather than trying to play through their problems they cheat to give themself an advantage. It just sticks in the throat a little.
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That and Guardiola calling his players 'honest'. Some are, and Messi does amazingly well to not get injured every time he plays the way some tackle him.

They are outstanding at their best though.

I want a Man U win, but then I would want a win for pretty much any English side.
 
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