UEFA Champions League Final - Manchester United vs. Barcelona

[Tom84]

Hell, even Owen could make an impact too but he probably won't be used.

I was thinking about Owen as well, he does keep saying he's got one big goal in him between now and the end of the season after all....

Like you said though I cant see where even on the bench where we could fit him in, if Hernandez starts then we've probably only got room for Berbatov on the bench, if Hernandez doesn't start then both will be on the bench so still no room for Owen to be involved

 

[ffstream]

I hope he uses all of the forwards during the game whether we're in-front or behind, Berbatov is great at holding the ball, Rooney is good running down and flushing out and Valencia always plays well off Rooney, its the other midfield I'm worried about. Carrick/Fletcher I guess but they need clear instructions on who they're tracking and not to get flustered on the ball, i.e. Carrick making a silly pass.

Chico is brilliant but he's perfect for when there is 15mins to go, they all know he is a poacher and tries to beat the trap but it depends on service too if Carrick/Fletcher are holding back in-front of Rio/Vidic.

Hell, even Owen could make an impact too but he probably won't be used. Rafael is a worry also if he loses his temper, especially as Barca players like to barrel roll at least 8 times when touched.

I am a fan of berbatov. I love to see him starting in the final but honestly speaking I do not see any chance that he will play unless we are behind.

 

[jonneymendoza]

Berba wont start. hernandez is my fav united player and im an arsenal fan

 

[Naff8000]

Im thinking th only way we can win is to deploy cropper scholes in a sacraficial role and see how many 'scholes' challenges he can get away with on messi hopefully taking him out before getting red carded. Barca are a great team but attacking wise are not that strong without Messi.

I'd bet he can get away with 0. Straight red. Personally I think Barca can still dominate Utd without Messi, I saw a game not long ago where Xavi & Iniesta we're playing far better

 

[FrankJH]

Really not sure that's the answer though, what happens if while we're doing this containing job we go 1/2-0 down - mountain to climb then even with Hernandez on the bench

Personally I think the best way to start is on the front foot, that's how we almost took the lead in Rome and at the Nou Camp the year before, that means starting with Chicharito and giving them a problem from the off. Besides which if we are negative from the off then should Hernandez come on with an hour gone then their defenders are hardly going to be tired are they because chances are we wont have put them under any pressure

Where's atpbx when you need him, he'd know what we should do

With a side like Barca though, imo anyone else needs a really strong central midfield - and as Utd dont have one or two central players who can do everything, imo that means you need three players in there to stand a chance.

I totally get your point about going 1 or 2 down and still not being able to get one back, but imo that scoreline would only be worse if any other team have less in midfield

Admittedly SAF could always have Rooney as the central AM - ie playing a little deeper than he has been recently, with Chicharito alone ahead of him, but even though Chicharito has been doing magnificently from the start recently (without even considering the fabulous goal today) - I still think he would be more dangerous after Utd have hopefully worked Barca for an hour

It will be nigh on impossible either way - but Utd have a chance, albeit a slim one

edit I adore Scholes as a player, and without doubt he bleeds for Utd through and through - but against Barca his legs wouldnt last and we would be playing with 10 before 1/2 time. The other issue is that without doubt he would only last 45 minutes maximum (and possibly less), just from energy point of view and imo I dont think Utd can afford to be forced to replace someone that quickly in such a crucial game (ie all other players are likely to be in the rhythm immediately, however Scholes replacement could take a few minutes to get upto speed, in such a crucial area of the pitch I think that could only backfire)

 

[Azza]

This just come up on my Twitter...

Barça has registered 96,267 applications from club members for tickets for the final at Wembley.

 

[Robert]

I really do want Fletcher to play...I really rate him.

My team would be:

--------VDS--------
Rafael-Rio-Vidic--Evra
Fletcher
Valencia Giggs/Carrick Park
Rooney Hernandez

 

[Robert1986]

This just come up on my Twitter...

You got to be kidding me? wow.

Wonder how much will get tickets?

 

[Bucket]

I don't think Fletcher should play. He's just coming back from injury, has had next to no playing time and he hasn't really played that great all season, just because he was the so called missing link last time I don't think it's an automatic place this time, he's not been playing anywhere near as well.

I think the line up vs Chelsea with Evra is what we should put out.

 

[BaZ87]

You got to be kidding me? wow.

Wonder how much will get tickets?

If you're talking about official tickets from the club, then 25,000 tickets. The same as Utd.

 

[FrankJH]

£3,500 for UEFA/FA Hospitality package tickets

 

[FeFiDoh]

Well Barcelona have just won La Liga so can take it easy until Champions league now

 

[JPMslither]

Good. So they'll have no excuses when Utd wipe the floor with them

 

[Tom84]

Well Barcelona have just won La Liga so can take it easy until Champions league now

As will United, Fergie's already said every training session between the Chelsea game and the Champions League final itself will be geared towards tactics to stop Barcelona and I dont expect full strength sides against either Blackburn or Blackpool not with just 1 point required to win the title

 

[jonneymendoza]

Good. So they'll have no excuses when Utd wipe the floor with them

united aint wiping the floor to anyone. messi will run rings around vidic and ferdinand

 

[elmuzzy66.]

united aint wiping the floor to anyone. messi will run rings around vidic and ferdinand

Thats if rio dosen't break down before the final, i would order a few new hips for some of the utd defender

 

[guyfawkes5]

Why can't it be that both sides are good but one is better?

As far as I'm concerned Messi is obviously a great player, but that doesn't stop Vidic and Ferdinand being one of the most effective centre-back partnerships in Europe...

Barcelona may have beaten Arsenal but they didn't 'wipe the floor' with them, now United are a demonstrably better team this season than the Gunners so wouldn't that suggest a 'trashing' is even less on the cards than when Wenger and co. entertained the Catalans?

Why does it always have to a dichotomy of 'brilliant' and 'awful'? Surely the fact both these teams progressed to the Champions League final shows that they are both 'brilliant' and it will be a hard-fought contest on the night, with it being unlikely either side will blow the other away.

 

[elmuzzy66.]

Agree with you but they did wipe the floor with arsenal.

 

[guyfawkes5]

Even though they were beaten in the first leg?

Real wiped the floor with Spurs in every sense of the word, not so with Arsenal and Barca. For that tie to be very different you'd need only two or three situations to have come out differently, in the Spuds slaughtering you'd be going into the hundreds. That's a true example of butt-rape.

 

[elmuzzy66.]

Even though they were beaten in the first leg?

Real wiped the floor with Spurs in every sense of the word, not so with Arsenal and Barca. For that tie to be very different you'd need only two or three situations to have come out differently, in the Spuds slaughtering you'd be going into the hundreds. That's a true example of butt-rape.

Wil have to disagree then.