Champs League 2011/12

patrique wrote:

I shall look back with nostalgia when soccer was about skill, movement, vision.

Suppose Lee Clattermole is a cert for world player of the year?

FIXHED!

Yes yes we all know Tyrone and Man Utd have ruined Soccer and Gaelic Football by... playing better than everyone else..

Then again we can't really take your opinion on soccer seriously as your information seems to be taken from the match of the day highlights, but surely even that would have shown you the goals United scored that night? A free kick from 40 yards and a 4 touch end to end classic?

[quote="Jonsmith"]

patrique wrote:

I shall look back with nostalgia when soccer was about skill, movement, vision.

Suppose Lee Clattermole is a cert for world player of the year?

FIXHED!

Yes yes we all know Tyrone and Man Utd have ruined Soccer and Gaelic Football by... playing better than everyone else..

Then again we can't really take your opinion on soccer seriously as your information seems to be taken from the match of the day highlights, but surely even that would have shown you the goals United scored that night? A free kick from 40 yards and a 4 touch end to end classic.



Against the Gers? Was it not 0-0?

By the way, I would disagree with you that it was Man United who ruined football. Football was well on the way down the "ruined" path before Alex brought his defensive methods to the club. And they do attack at home against the 16 bad clubs in the premiership.

Loved the bit in a magazine called "The Season". On Fergie it said "Extremely defensive away from home in big games, although nobody seems to have noticed........"

Brilliant.

United scored roughly the same amount of away goals as Chelsea last season.. The goal scoring Chelsea machine as we were told..

There's 16 bad teams in most leagues Pat. Then again if you'd just watch the games instead of letting the writers of "The Season" tell you what to think, you might realise that..

I see da Silva and Jo got on the scoreboard the other night.. I'm surprised he played the big guns in the Mickey Mouse European Cup.. Is Mancini not saving them for Champions League 2012?

Can't see past Barcelona this season...utter quality.

Jonsmith wrote:United scored roughly the same amount of away goals as Chelsea last season.. The goal scoring Chelsea machine as we were told..

There's 16 bad teams in most leagues Pat. Then again if you'd just watch the games instead of letting the writers of "The Season" tell you what to think, you might realise that..

I see da Silva and Jo got on the scoreboard the other night.. I'm surprised he played the big guns in the Mickey Mouse European Cup.. Is Mancini not saving them for Champions League 2012?

Da Silva did not score, as the game was 0-0. Mind you I am beginning to have doubts as that is twice now you have mentioned United scoring.


As for City and Mancini i would very much expect Silva and Jo to be playing in the CL in 2012. Silva has already won a world cup medal and as Jo plays for Brazil he is likely to win one in 2014.

Fortunately they are no longer managed by someone who doesn't rate Brazilian football...........

You seem to be keen to focus on the fact that United drew 0-0 with Rangers. I'll assume that you didn't see the game and inform you that Rangers parked the bus in front of goal and United had a stonewall penalty denied. Not that anyone cares really as United will still qualify easily. The draw at Everton was much more embarrassing..

I'm still not convinced that City will be there in 2012. Not with Hart doing jumping jacks outside his penalty area and Tevez missing chances that I could have talked into the goal. They might sneak into the top 4 by virtue of Liverpool's demise and if 'Arry decides that one season in the Champions League is mission accomplished. But I doubt it.

Jonsmith wrote:You seem to be keen to focus on the fact that United drew 0-0 with Rangers. I'll assume that you didn't see the game and inform you that Rangers parked the bus in front of goal and United had a stonewall penalty denied. Not that anyone cares really as United will still qualify easily. The draw at Everton was much more embarrassing..

I'm still not convinced that City will be there in 2012. Not with Hart doing jumping jacks outside his penalty area and Tevez missing chances that I could have talked into the goal. They might sneak into the top 4 by virtue of Liverpool's demise and if 'Arry decides that one season in the Champions League is mission accomplished. But I doubt it.

Liverpool's demise?

From what I saw on sunday I suspect they might sneak in with more than Liverpool's demise.

Final on Saturday then.

Personally I would love to see the despicable United ripped apart by Barca and the quality of the Barca team would suggest that they will have a tough job of it at Wembley.

Barca 2 United 0

Man utd are 2-1 to beat Barcelona on Saturday. For people unsure about betting, If you put £20 on them to win, you will lose £20.

mugsys_barber wrote:Man utd are 2-1 to beat Barcelona on Saturday. For people unsure about betting, If you put £20 on them to win, you will lose £20.

2-0 United. Chicharito Hernandez in the 56th and 79th minutes.

United in the Final again - always evokes a great memory.



And Solksjaer has won it!!

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:

mugsys_barber wrote:Man utd are 2-1 to beat Barcelona on Saturday. For people unsure about betting, If you put £20 on them to win, you will lose £20.

2-0 United. Chicharito Hernandez in the 56th and 79th minutes.

Wong again loyal

6 years on from this and 44 years since Celtic triumphed in Lisbon....both to the day oddly.

Boxtyeater wrote:6 years on from this and 44 years since Celtic triumphed in Lisbon....both to the day oddly.

Thought you didn't like socccccccccccer

The big final, the game everyone wants to see.

The leading scorers versus the ultra defensive least conceded.

Which is which?

mugsys_barber wrote:Man utd are 2-1 to beat Barcelona on Saturday. For people unsure about betting, If you put £20 on them to win, you will lose £20.

Brilliant - very good Mugsy, and very true!

It's far from impossible but still very hard to see United getting a result here, Barca are simply a much better side than anyone else in the world now. I can't envisage a hammering and I do think United will score, 2-1 or 3-1. Hope I'm wrong though.

Ji-Sung Park will drop back and double-mark Messi along with Nemanja Vidic.

He will also use one of his four lungs to get into attacking positions when United have the ball.

It's a cunning plan by Fergie but if Park can fill his insides with oxygen and go for 90 minutes, he is the man to win United a fourth ever European Cup.

Big question is who partners Park in the middle. We know Van Der Sar, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Park, Rooney and Hernandez are all assured of starting positions and hopefully Johnny O'Shea lines out at Right-Back leaving three midfield positions up for grabs. My guess is:
Valencia - Carrick - Giggs - Park
Nani recent drop in form will see him on the bench. One of Fletcher, Scholes, Anderson, Gibson and Nani are the alternatives.

Evra is a liability at left back and has got plenty of roastings in big games in the past.

Messi is unmarkable.
United need to get an early goal and defend like f***.

johnnos bulls wrote:Evra is a liability at left back and has got plenty of roastings in big games in the past.

Messi is unmarkable.
United need to get an early goal and defend like f***.

I haven't been impressed with Evra this season at all.

Messi could have an off-day, the English hostility has not sat well with him in the past. Seven games and counting without a goal on English turf.

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:Ji-Sung Park will drop back and double-mark Messi along with Nemanja Vidic.

Park will spend his evening chasing after Dani Alves, and won't be anywhere near Messi, who will play deep and to the right. Ferguson will be tempted to play Nani on the left, and try to exploit the space behind Alves, but he will go for the safer option in Park. Valencia will be on the right wing.

As Loyal says, United's big dilemna is who to play in midfield. Giggs and Carrick have been favoured up until now, but they failed to make an impact in the 2009 final, Ferguson will be very tempted to play Fletcher. He could, of course, go for all 3, and drop Hernandez, but that would be to match Barcelona man-for man, and risk being exposed by better technicians. It would also remove their main goal threat. 4-2-3-1 looks like the system.

Ultimately, United will lose on Saturday because they will have 2 statues marking space at the back, and will be outnumbered in midfield. Barcelona do not play with a centre forward, as Messi drops deep from that position and gives them an extra man in midfield. This will leave Vidic & Ferdinand marking space and conceding huge amounts of possession. Eventually, that possession will result in a goal, Barcelona will play keep-ball, and maybe add a 2nd or 3rd as United push forward.

Oh, and Rooney, will get a red card for persistently kicking Bousquets. That's my take on it anyway.

I'm sure Fergie would only love to play Fletcher but he's simply not fit enough, that was obvious against Blackpool. And even before his absence he was in terrible form and hadn't been at all effective. I'd be surprised if it wasn't Giggs, he brings out the best in Carrick. Nani starting would be a real shock.

The only question for me as regards selection is whether he plays Chico or not, leaving Anderson or Fletcher to come in midfield, but I think he stick with the formation that faced Chelsea. Hernandez's pace is bound to create at least a handful of chances for United.

Then again this is Fergie so it's extremely hard to predict a starting 11 with any level of accuracy!! He spoke about how much he obsessed over the defeat in 2009 and admitted he got the tactics wrong that night so it will be interesting to see what he comes up with on Saturday.

It will be:

Van Der Sar

O'Shea - Ferdinand - Vidic - Evra

Valencia - Carrick - Giggs - Park

Rooney - Hernandez

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:It will be:

Van Der Sar

O'Shea - Ferdinand - Vidic - Evra

Valencia - Carrick - Giggs - Park

Rooney - Hernandez

There's not a hope in hell Fergie will play 4-4-2 Loyal, as they would be destroyed by Busquets, Iniesta, Xavi and Messi in midfield. The personnel you've gone for are probably correct, but not the formation.

And Fabio should start instead of O'Shea..