Barcelona vs Man United

Juligen wrote:Poor Rai, This must be torture for him, I am not sure he will sleep well before the game. I hope he has something to make him company.

Supermadrid wrote:Cruyff tips Barca to beat 'long ball' United

Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff believes his former side can pull Manchester United apart by keeping possession when the teams meet in the Champions League semi-final.

Cruyff, who now acts as an official adviser to club president Joan Laporta, denies there is any reason to be pessimistic, however, and says that Sir Alex Ferguson's men have as much to fear as anyone.
The Dutchman coached Barcelona to their first European Cup triumph back in 1992, and he believes he knows the way to beat the English champions.

He told El Periodico today: 'They run a lot. Their style of football, and that of all the English teams, gives the false sensation that they run more than anyone.
'That's because despite having a majority of foreigners in their squads they maintain the philosophy of long-ball football and sprinting 60 yards.
'That is how they exploit spaces in front of the midfield. If they played in the other team's half more often those spaces wouldn't exist.
'Despite recognising their effort, you can disarm an English side that presses and looks for the long ball by keeping possession and moving the ball around quickly.
'And if you know they will expend all their energy on closing down and chasing long balls, then you know where to beat them: by playing the ball horizontally.
'However badly Barca is doing we have at least the same chance of progressing to the final as United.
'They are very good, that's true. Of the three English teams in the semis, for me Manchester is the best.

'But I'm absolutely convinced that they're thinking exactly the same about Barca. That of all the semi-finalists, the Blaugranes are the strongest.'

great at least we can get some drama from Cruyff. Rai must be torn between his god and his favourite team. so who will it be Rai?

Calidad wrote:He say's all Barca need to do is "to keep possession and pass the ball about quickly", well Barca are currently incapable of doing either.

shazlx wrote:He's right though. ManU will play like they did vs Arseanl where Carrick and Scholes were trying to out long ball each other with VDS beating them both. The only problem is the Fronaldo is great in the air and Rooney is an amazing unorthodox target man. Barca can do exactly what Arsenal did to ManU but they have Eto'o instead of Ade and Messi instead of Eboue.

DS wrote:

Supermadrid wrote:Cruyff tips Barca to beat 'long ball' United

Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff believes his former side can pull Manchester United apart by keeping possession when the teams meet in the Champions League semi-final.

Cruyff, who now acts as an official adviser to club president Joan Laporta, denies there is any reason to be pessimistic, however, and says that Sir Alex Ferguson's men have as much to fear as anyone.
The Dutchman coached Barcelona to their first European Cup triumph back in 1992, and he believes he knows the way to beat the English champions.

He told El Periodico today: 'They run a lot. Their style of football, and that of all the English teams, gives the false sensation that they run more than anyone.
'That's because despite having a majority of foreigners in their squads they maintain the philosophy of long-ball football and sprinting 60 yards.
'That is how they exploit spaces in front of the midfield. If they played in the other team's half more often those spaces wouldn't exist.
'Despite recognising their effort, you can disarm an English side that presses and looks for the long ball by keeping possession and moving the ball around quickly.
'And if you know they will expend all their energy on closing down and chasing long balls, then you know where to beat them: by playing the ball horizontally.
'However badly Barca is doing we have at least the same chance of progressing to the final as United.
'They are very good, that's true. Of the three English teams in the semis, for me Manchester is the best.

'But I'm absolutely convinced that they're thinking exactly the same about Barca. That of all the semi-finalists, the Blaugranes are the strongest.'

great at least we can get some drama from Cruyff. Rai must be torn between his god and his favourite team. so who will it be Rai?

And we have two under 6 strikers upfront ,Cruyffism at its best it seems.

Senor Woody wrote:

DS wrote:

Supermadrid wrote:Cruyff tips Barca to beat 'long ball' United

Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff believes his former side can pull Manchester United apart by keeping possession when the teams meet in the Champions League semi-final.

Cruyff, who now acts as an official adviser to club president Joan Laporta, denies there is any reason to be pessimistic, however, and says that Sir Alex Ferguson's men have as much to fear as anyone.
The Dutchman coached Barcelona to their first European Cup triumph back in 1992, and he believes he knows the way to beat the English champions.

He told El Periodico today: 'They run a lot. Their style of football, and that of all the English teams, gives the false sensation that they run more than anyone.
'That's because despite having a majority of foreigners in their squads they maintain the philosophy of long-ball football and sprinting 60 yards.
'That is how they exploit spaces in front of the midfield. If they played in the other team's half more often those spaces wouldn't exist.
'Despite recognising their effort, you can disarm an English side that presses and looks for the long ball by keeping possession and moving the ball around quickly.
'And if you know they will expend all their energy on closing down and chasing long balls, then you know where to beat them: by playing the ball horizontally.
'However badly Barca is doing we have at least the same chance of progressing to the final as United.
'They are very good, that's true. Of the three English teams in the semis, for me Manchester is the best.

'But I'm absolutely convinced that they're thinking exactly the same about Barca. That of all the semi-finalists, the Blaugranes are the strongest.'

great at least we can get some drama from Cruyff. Rai must be torn between his god and his favourite team. so who will it be Rai?

And we have two under 6 strikers upfront ,Cruyffism at its best it seems.

Is this the biggest load of $h!t I've heard this year so far in the CL? I think so.

Man U a "longball team" ?

Mixing it up a bit, as Parky says, does not make one a longball team.

Longball in comparison to the purist football that Cruyff loves to peddle, but generally speaking, having a variety of attacking options like United have is far more impressive that watching a side pass the ball around simply for the sake of passing the ball (Arsenal anyone?)

Supermadrid wrote:Cruyff tips Barca to beat 'long ball' United

[cut : nonsense Cruyff story]

robert wrote:

TM wrote:Not like Onwee has terrorised Mu.

Some 7 goals against us says he has.

Markus wrote:Vidic is back so the defence will have no absentees. Manchester United will be missing Saha + Fletcher.

Juligen wrote:

Markus wrote:Vidic is back so the defence will have no absentees. Manchester United will be missing Saha + Fletcher.

So you will have no excuses Rai, its now or never

golsud wrote:Messi - Eto'o - Henry probably. Iniesta - Xavi in midfield is suicide but Rijkaard will play them. With a decent manager we could get something out of the game but he's going to play the wrong players and f@ck it up

Juligen wrote:

Markus wrote:Vidic is back so the defence will have no absentees. Manchester United will be missing Saha + Fletcher.

So you will have no excuses Rai, its now or never

• Anderson - passing, tackling, pace, skill, creativity, link up play with forwards
  
• Hargreaves - work rate, athleticism, aggression, tackling, crossing, freekicks
  
• Scholes - passing, creativity, experience, shooting

• Giggs - experience, off the ball movement
  
• Nani - crossing, pace, skill, unpredictability
  
• Park - work rate, energy, creativity, off the ball movement

kas wrote:All this Championship Manager stuff with your squad bores me. All I ever see in the Man. Utd. thread is endless permutations of starting lineups and what-if scenarios if you happened to sign a certain player.

But to answer your question, I want to not see any of Van Der Saar, Ferdinand, Evra, Vidic, Ronaldo, Rooney, Carrick, Hargreaves, Tevez, Anderson, or Nani starting the game

kas wrote:All this Championship Manager stuff with your squad bores me. All I ever see in the Man. Utd. thread is endless permutations of starting lineups and what-if scenarios if you happened to sign a certain player.

But to answer your question, I want to not see any of Van Der Saar, Ferdinand, Evra, Vidic, Ronaldo, Rooney, Carrick, Hargreaves, Tevez, Anderson, or Nani starting the game