Manchester Utd v Barcelona Champions League Final

[Duracell]

It did last autumn for a few games.....

Then we decided it wasn't for us

Remember Ipswich at home? Didn't know whether to laugh or cry. We came out strong, tried to stamp our authority on the game by passing it around and then the "supporters" got all lary and edgy, and the players lost it.

[Bris Vegas]

So what time does the CL final start then?

I don't know if any of you missed it but they just played out a 90 minute attack vs defence game in a warm up for the CL final.. Was fairly entertaining.

Carrick and Park are in great shape for the game as they did a 90 minute fitness session of chasing shadows..

Valencia was working with a stand-in rugby coach.. Rio and Vidic were doing 10 metre sprints from the edge of the box to the half way line, attracted by Messi' shiny green boots.. Evra was practicing his 2 on 1s with Pedro and Dani Alves and Chicharito was testing the linesmans flag on the far side.

Giggs didnt fancy it so went back to Wales with Imogen. And then there was Rooney who kept complaining so he decided to take things into his own hands and went against the rules and netted a goal for the defensive team.. Usually these goals arent allowed to count Giggs (who teleported back to London for 20 seconds) was offside, but the linesman refused to raise his flag as his arm was in agony due to Chicharitos previous antics.

All in all Man Utd have definately done their homework and with Bris Vegas' comments of 'David vs Goliath' and 'Easy Barca win' they are surely going to give them added motivation. Afterall, Man Utd are the best team by a country mile in the best league in the world, it would be foolish to write them off right?

[Hucknall Ram]

I always thought this but Barca only weakness is Victor Valdes, never rated him.

[froggg]

Great game very embarrassing for the premiership......Barca were unstoppable..

Anyone make any dosh on the game??

[ANGERMAN1]

Didnt really know where to start with your post buddy, I could pick peices from it all day.. Bayern are a top team for starters (anyone that saw them against Inter will know they were incredibly unfortunate), beating Valencia 1-0 thanks to a goal 10 mins from time isn't 'effectively' beating a team.. Plus your logic on Spurs beating Italian teams therefore excluding them doesnt make any sense, and that of Shakthar who topped Arsenals group.

Anyway, guess we'll just have to see what happens.. Either way I think I'll stay away from the boards tonight, they'll be a host of bickering and I told you so posts.. Plus Plan B will be around shortly to tell everyone how Barca cheated there way to glory.

I personally think (and hope) Barca will win easily enough.. This English pride thing is nonsense, especially when Man Utd are littered with foreign players.

I was writing that 'tongue in cheek' as I also found your comments completely ridiculous....

[ANGERMAN1]

The owners are American, The manager is Scottish, The best players are from Mexico, Wales, Serbia and the fans are from Asia..

So what part of Manchester Utd is English?

So Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand aren't two of their best players???

And they have fans all around the world because of their success. If Derby County had fans in every corner of the globe and it raised a hell of a lot more revenue...........Would you be bitter??? (Maybe not as bitter as I am now tho )

[Alph]

What a sublime footballer Xavi is. It's hard not to be mesmerised by Messi, but if you can take you eyes off the greatest player for just a moment and watch Xavi..... wow.

I've always thought he's never had enough praise. He was there, pulling the strings like a master puppetier when Iniesta was trying to break into the team. He was there when Cristiano Ronaldo and Wesley Sneijder were tipped and praised in respective cases at international compettition. He was there when Bale was suddenly worth £50m instead of £5m. When Kaka and Ronaldinho were the great entertainers, when Thierry Henry was unplayable, when Iniesta set the World Cup up for Spain..... on and on and on....

Xavi has always been the Xavi everyone saw and acknowledged last night. A master of manipulation. If Barcelona were a film then Pep the producer, Messi the star, Iniesta, Villa and co the support..... Xavi would be the director.

The thing is, Iniesta over the last few years has turned into a perfect partner in crime for Xavi. His balance, passing, movement, energy the way they dictate the game...... how can you play against these two?

David Villa is probably the best striker around right now, but how can you pay him any attention when your watching Xavi and Iniesta dictate play so that they can work Messi free, facing the opponent in a dangerous area.

People talk about stopping Messi.

But surely he's not the source of the problem? The way that Xavi and Iniesta dictate how to use Messi is the root of the problem. Stop these two perfect midfielders from dictating how Messi will be used and you might find Messi is slightly less incredible.

Real Madrid look closest to unlocking Barca. Their ruthless tight treatment of Xavi and Iniesta atleast makes Barca v Real a MATCH!

I'm glad that now, all these british pundits and papers will finally give Xavi the credit he deserves. He was simple genius last night. He makes Messi unplayable.

I doubt Barcelona will ever lose a match of importance when the opponent plays 442.

[Bris Vegas]

It stems from the whole team.. Even Victor Valdes is the best GK in the world when it comes to distribution.. Bywater could be the best shotstopper on the planet but Barca wouldn't touch him with a barge pole.. I've mentioned countless times before that Pique IMO is the complete defender. Won everything in the air and his distribution is brilliant.

Sergio Busquets is also world class in positioning, possession, awareness.. He's just as key to Xavi and Iniesta, he's just not liked for his behaviour (which incidentally is only against Mourinhos teams).

Yesterday all 3 strikers scored a goal, and all 3 midfielders created a goal.

Agree about Xavi, the best midfielder of his generation. People use to think Scholes was truelly world class, Xavi is on another level to Scholes (no disrespect as Scholes was brilliant).

This team is virtually complete. Who can they possibly get in to improve them? They say Adibal is a weakness, he's not, he's the perfect LB as he doesn't venture too far forward and is solid as a rock, with decent distribution. Rooney, Ronaldo, Kaka, Xavi Alonso, Fabregas, Schneijder, Schweinsteiger would all make good bench players for Barca but wouldn't make their first team, they don't have the guile, movement, passing ability, team ethic as the current Barca players. They may have better individual talents (Ronaldo is better than Pedro for example) but Pedro is the far better team player to fit in with this style.

No superlatives can describe what talent this team has.

Angerman1 I'd like to know what comments you thought were ridiculous? The ones where I said Barca would win comfortably or the ones where I thought Man Utd have had the easiest run in to a final in probably the history of the CL.

[EastKentRam]

Could watch Barca play all day, it's a joy to watch. Even the anti-Barca group must have enjoyed that, i dont think there was an excessive 'passing around the back' at all, not that im against that.

I do think however that Dani Alves is dog ****, they could get far better than him. Last night some of his crossing/passing was woeful.

[Bingy]

Great game very embarrassing for the premiership......Barca were unstoppable..

Anyone make any dosh on the game??

Yep I had £5 on first goalscorer for Pedro at 8/1. All other losing bets on Paddy Power got refunded. Happy days