Man Utd vs Barcelona, Champions League Final 08/09

kas wrote:

L-r d wrote:Do you know what poaching means? I'd say Etoo was more of a poacher than those two. Ruud is the ultimate poacher. Ronaldo makes his own goals half time this is not poaching.

I'd agree with Kas team but Toure and Carrick is not clear cut. You cant put Rooney in midfield, as much as i rate Rooney i'd prefer Iniesta there.

How and why?

It's not even close IMO. Toure is 10 times the player Carrick is. The only reason that he doesn't get the praise he deserves is because he was under the radar before coming to Barça, and even now he is always forgotten among the praise for the attacking players in the team. His passing is a very underrated feature of his game.

Nah i don't see it. And he wasnt anyway. I remember the world cup 2006 everybody seemed to rate Zakora but Yaya was the stand out. But 10 times the player..what? Carrick is severly underated sometimes and i don't like the guy. Toure is a decent player but he's not THAT good, and i think Carrick offers a lot defensivly while being very creative and adds in with a few goals. Toure has more power and height combined with some other things, but he's hardly a better pass or creator so why is he ''10 times the player''

A 15 year old in La Masia can do what Carrick does. Toure has so much more to his game. Ok, perhaps he doesn't pass as consistently as Carrick, but that's not his style anyway. Maybe 10 was an exaggeration...just trying to prove my point. How about twice?

Carrick + Fletcher = Toure? So twice eh?

Manchester United have already planned a victory parade:
http://football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_5321046,00.html

Always the case isnt it?..you have to get police and all that sorted dont you?

So have to plan ahead..

Yes but I'm going to email the Spanish tabloids anyway, no doubt they'll put a different type of spin on it

Exactly.

Not planning for a victory parade would just be stupid.

getting arrogant i see

kas wrote:Manchester United have already planned a victory parade:
http://football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_5321046,00.html

Messiah wrote:getting arrogant i see

The reaction you wanted.

Parks lives wrote:

kas wrote:Manchester United have already planned a victory parade:
http://football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_5321046,00.html

Messiah wrote:getting arrogant i see

The reaction you wanted.

Didn't take long either

Barca had bad times against EPL teams, still I hope it will be a good final

Silly Little Girl wrote:Barca had bad times against EPL teams, still I hope it will be a good final

I think we would do a lot better if we could play the West Broms, Wigans and Sunderlands at times as well.

I like Man utd vs Barcelona. Two top-teams with great players. Looking forward to see the match.

I am curious how Pep will stop Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez.

Just as i am curious how Sir Alex will stop E'to, Messi and probably Henry. But still then they have in midfield Eniesta and Xavi.

If i put money on the game it will be on Barcalona

kas wrote:A 15 year old in La Masia can do what Carrick does. Toure has so much more to his game. Ok, perhaps he doesn't pass as consistently as Carrick, but that's not his style anyway. Maybe 10 was an exaggeration...just trying to prove my point. How about twice?

Carrick is one of the most underrated players in the World, as proven by this very statement.

He was integral in the Spurs team that came 5th twice in a row - we've struggled to fill the void he left when he moved.

Superb passer of the ball - it's the angles of the passes that are so good - he makes it looks os easy that you don't even notice.

Biggest problem with Carrick - he plays well when the team is playing well. If United need someone to pull them through a game they're struggling in, Carrick goes missing too often. This is why Ronaldo and Rooney (and to a degree Tevez) are such important players - they rise above the mediocrity and drag the reast of the side with them.

That will be the case with this final - if United are playing badly, you can sure as hell bet Carrick is too.

Very excited about this game as a neutral - Barcelona are far better than they showed against Chelsea, and will show it in the final. Anyone thinking about writing them off is a MUG

Messiah will spent the next 12 days writing Barca off.

borocooper wrote:Messiah will spent the next 12 days writing Barca off.

MUG

we will win 6-2

Bojan
Messi
Iniesta
XaviX2
Pique

With the goals

Tevez x2 for man utd

Berbatov or Tevez then for the final?

After his recent form and the fact it's not like Barcelona have got a Terry/Vidic type centre back I'd rather we started Tevez supported with Rooney and Ronaldo either side. With Carrick, Anderson & then Giggs or Park the third midfielder.

Go for the magic square

Ronaldo will be up top with Rooney and Tevez either side.

Rosicky wrote:Ronaldo will be up top with Rooney and Tevez either side.

Against Arsenal in the first leg it was Tevez up top with Ronaldo & Rooney either side and worked a treat. No reason it won't work again. Tevez never seems to work well in wide areas.

The Tupac Twitch wrote:

kas wrote:A 15 year old in La Masia can do what Carrick does. Toure has so much more to his game. Ok, perhaps he doesn't pass as consistently as Carrick, but that's not his style anyway. Maybe 10 was an exaggeration...just trying to prove my point. How about twice?

Carrick is one of the most underrated players in the World, as proven by this very statement.

He was integral in the Spurs team that came 5th twice in a row - we've struggled to fill the void he left when he moved.

Superb passer of the ball - it's the angles of the passes that are so good - he makes it looks os easy that you don't even notice.

Biggest problem with Carrick - he plays well when the team is playing well. If United need someone to pull them through a game they're struggling in, Carrick goes missing too often. This is why Ronaldo and Rooney (and to a degree Tevez) are such important players - they rise above the mediocrity and drag the reast of the side with them.

That will be the case with this final - if United are playing badly, you can sure as hell bet Carrick is too.

Very excited about this game as a neutral - Barcelona are far better than they showed against Chelsea, and will show it in the final. Anyone thinking about writing them off is a MUG

I think the team played relatively close to their best against Chelsea, except for a few spells in the first leg. I am worried about nervousness in the final (similar to 2006), whereas Man. utd. are winning machines and big games are drilled into them. Also, 3/4ths of their defense is absolutely fantastic and really difficult to get past...it'll be tough to create chances anyway, and when you factor in Etoo's poor form, I'm a bit less confident on that aspect too. And of course, defensively we all know Barça's flaws.

That said, the main factor that makes me optimistic is that Anderson/Carrick/Park may work as hard as the Chelsea midfield did, but at the end of the day they don't have the size or strength, and arguably quality, of Ballack/Essien/Lampard.

I don't think either side is favourite, and both will be treating each other with a lot of respect. We'll definitely play our normal possession game with a high defensive line and lots of ball pressure, but let's see whether Ferguson uses his European bus or let's his attacking players play more freely and try to go at us.

Parks lives wrote:Berbatov or Tevez then for the final?

After his recent form and the fact it's not like Barcelona have got a Terry/Vidic type centre back I'd rather we started Tevez supported with Rooney and Ronaldo either side. With Carrick, Anderson & then Giggs or Park the third midfielder.

Tevez

If its his last game then he will be well up for it.

Hope we play similar tactics to the Arsenal home game.

But i also have faith Berbatov could also do a good job in the final if he starts.

Neither Tevez or Berbatov should start the final IMO

L-r d wrote:Neither Tevez or Berbatov should start the final IMO

It's a choice between tevez or scholes I think

Berbatov hasn't got a chance of starting

COTR wrote:

L-r d wrote:Neither Tevez or Berbatov should start the final IMO

It's a choice between tevez or scholes I think

Berbatov hasn't got a chance of starting

Scholes is done for.

Anderson..Carrick..Rooney...Ronaldo are guaranteed. Fletcher probably would have started. Now i'd say Giggs and Park, but Tevez it could be i guess.

L-r d wrote:

COTR wrote:

L-r d wrote:Neither Tevez or Berbatov should start the final IMO

It's a choice between tevez or scholes I think

Berbatov hasn't got a chance of starting

Scholes is done for.

Anderson..Carrick..Rooney...Ronaldo are guaranteed. Fletcher probably would have started. Now i'd say Giggs and Park, but Tevez it could be i guess.

Totally forgot about the POTY

Yeah scrub scholes, it will be giggs and park. It'll be interesting to see who he goes with on the left for you. Rooney and Evra is risky to leave against Messi. If you let messi get anywhere near Vidic you are fucked

Anderson can take care of Messi

Batman wrote:Anderson+Evra+Rooney can take care of Messi

He will choke again me thinks.

Oh dear. Put your money on Messi MOTM folks.