Got to say,when Barcelona cut out all the diving/play acting etc they are an absolute joy to watch,completely outclassing the champions of England. There is no team in the world on their level.
Rooney was playing on his own. mufc totally outclassed. Messi's speed from a standing start and change of direction magnificent to see (unless you were a mufc supporter.)
Got to say,when Barcelona cut out all the diving/play acting etc they are an absolute joy to watch,completely outclassing the champions of England. There is no team in the world on their level.
I don't think any team could have lived with Barcelona, different class. What were the stats for possession - something like 67% to Barcelona and 17 or 18 shots on goal to 3 for Man U. Stranger things have happened, but you don't beat teams when they don't let you get the ball.
World cup anyone? Another example of the English rating themselves higher than all the evidence stacked against them.
A youth policy at Barcelona to match the youth system found in Italy, Spain and Germany, way and above the petty three-way club love-fest that is the English game.
When, oh when, will we wake up and act?
Wasnt the humiliation of the past two world cups enough for us to re organise the game? What will it take?
Don't think it has anything to do with England Floyd, utd did get to the final yet again, but were just outclassed by the best team in the world. Agree we could learn alot from there set up etc but I don't think we are ever going to encourage technically gifted players as much as Spain etc, as we don't have that style.
Don't think it has anything to do with England Floyd, utd did get to the final yet again, but were just outclassed by the best team in the world. Agree we could learn alot from there set up etc but I don't think we are ever going to encourage technically gifted players as much as Spain etc, as we don't have that style.
Have to disagree here, anyone please correct me if I'm wrong but Utd had 1 home grown player (Giggs), by my count Barca had 5 (Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro and Messi [I know they bought Messi young but he has been there since about 13?]). And when you look at the Spain U21 squad, quite a few Barca players and the rest of the Spanish young international sides you have to start questioning what they are doing to have all these exceptional youngsters coming through.
As I've said before I think over time our country will develop technically better players, at youth level it has been identified that smaller pitches, different styles of player etc. are needed to what we have at the moment. And we have a lot more people now playing shorter versions of the game i.e. 5 a side, which encourage the passing game. Right now we are nowhere near the level some of the Spanish sides are but I do believe in time we will get there.
Don't think it has anything to do with England Floyd, utd did get to the final yet again, but were just outclassed by the best team in the world. Agree we could learn alot from there set up etc but I don't think we are ever going to encourage technically gifted players as much as Spain etc, as we don't have that style.
Have to disagree here, anyone please correct me if I'm wrong but Utd had 1 home grown player (Giggs), by my count Barca had 5 (Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro and Messi [I know they bought Messi young but he has been there since about 13?]). And when you look at the Spain U21 squad, quite a few Barca players and the rest of the Spanish young international sides you have to start questioning what they are doing to have all these exceptional youngsters coming through.
As I've said before I think over time our country will develop technically better players, at youth level it has been identified that smaller pitches, different styles of player etc. are needed to what we have at the moment. And we have a lot more people now playing shorter versions of the game i.e. 5 a side, which encourage the passing game. Right now we are nowhere near the level some of the Spanish sides are but I do believe in time we will get there.
That is absoultely spot on save the fact that our academies still have a tendancy to prefer the more athletic and earlier developed kid against the more diminutive one who has a better touch and sees a pass. The Hungarians showed us how to play football over 50 years ago but until we learn that the love of the ball is more important than the ability to close down and tackle we will never be able to compete on a technical level with the best.
Barca are the best club side I've ever seen and that was prolly the poorest man utd side to win the premiership and that realistically barring a miracle was only gonna lead to one thing and the best team in the world one As someone mentioned above it was rooney v the rest Confirming myself as the worlds worst gambler I laid pedro to score @ 4 to 1 on betfair
Can believe all this bollocks about you can't be a 'true Englishman' by not wanting Man Utd to win?! I've more than done my share of being a 'true Englishman' going to places like Macedonia etc on A Wednesday night at the age of 18.
The club to me sums up everything that is wrong with football. The whole plastic support for them impacts clubs like ours in such a big way, kids that should be supporting us following them because they are impressed with petulant wankers like Rooney etc. Their constant harassing of officials to intimate them into rolling over. As I said before who on earth do they think they are genuinely believing they are bigger than the national side?!
I have to be honest, If Real madrid drew Man United in the semi final, I reckon we would have seen an El Classico final this year, Madrid are the only team I have seen come close to beating Barca this season.
Man United are a poor team for a title winning side, Park, Giggs, Carrick, Valencia against Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets and Messi (when he dropped deep) didn't stand a chance.
I also feel Van Der Sar showed us exactly why he is retiring, every shot Barca had he struggled with.
I can't understand why Berbatov wasn't even on the bench, when you are up against a team of technically gifted hobbits surely him up top with Valencia and Giggs wide would have caused major problems?
Yesterday's match proved this Barcelona team are a class above anyone else.If they continue at this level then I would rate this team with my choice of best ever team which was the AC Milan team of Rikjard,Gullitt , Van Basten,Maldini,Baresi ,Donadoni and so on.Yesterday's match also proved Man U's patethic support.No passion.So rightly labelled plastic.Pity because Man.U do play entertaining football and do try and give their youngsters an opportunity to shine.
Good to see Ferguson showing his decency again by going on about Barca's team not lasting. Blokes a great manager but is a classless petulant spoilt little brat.
And regards English football changing it's set up; Forget it. The self serving idiots in the FA are making far too much money to see a need for change. They really don't care about making any effots at grass roots or for England being successful because even though it's mostly failure we still follow them in higher numbers than any other country and the Prem is the biggest money making league. As David Baddiel said (paraphrasing) "Give the FA the choice of England winning the World cup or hosting it they would choose hosting it".
Basically it's us the fans fault as we put up with it and keep paying over the odds and travelling to watch failure. Stop going to England and Prem games and it will soon change, but that's not going to happen.
Thought Barcelona mullered United, Messi, brilliant as usual, but the one player that shone for me was Xabi. Never really took much notice of him before, but he was awesome last night, controlled the midfield and was at the heart of everything they produced.
Comments
I don't think any team could have lived with Barcelona, different class. What were the stats for possession - something like 67% to Barcelona and 17 or 18 shots on goal to 3 for Man U. Stranger things have happened, but you don't beat teams when they don't let you get the ball.
It was just like watching Charlton v Brighton
:-)
Another example of the English rating themselves higher than all the evidence stacked against them.
A youth policy at Barcelona to match the youth system found in Italy, Spain and Germany, way and above the petty three-way club love-fest that is the English game.
When, oh when, will we wake up and act?
Wasnt the humiliation of the past two world cups enough for us to re organise the game?
What will it take?
I can tell you Sir A that the next Messi's and Xavi's are safely tucked up in La Masia as we speak!
Dream on!
As someone mentioned above it was rooney v the rest
Confirming myself as the worlds worst gambler I laid pedro to score @ 4 to 1 on betfair
The club to me sums up everything that is wrong with football. The whole plastic support for them impacts clubs like ours in such a big way, kids that should be supporting us following them because they are impressed with petulant wankers like Rooney etc. Their constant harassing of officials to intimate them into rolling over. As I said before who on earth do they think they are genuinely believing they are bigger than the national side?!