if any chance of English side to catch up with the Spaniards, is by overhauling the EPL itself. Over stressing on physical plays will not make any English side survive 21st century football. Look of what happen to England during last worldcup campaign, the english side was humiliated by mere Germans' youngsters and not even the mighty Spaniards. English football looks stiff and too predictable and lack of creative players. What any the English side must do is to start to produce more creative players like the Germans and spanish did. Superior techniques, and control is the future of football.

(p.s the Catalan is not owned by Yanks or Ruskies or Sheikhs or etc)

its not easy task to stop Barca link. We need a strong player in midfield which I dont think Carrick has. We may have a better chance if Fletcher fit to play.

SAF strategy in the match is to look for early goal. When we fail to score early goal, he opt for defensive tactic. Thats the only way to play Barca. We beat Barca before by good defensive and counter attacking. Inter Milal also play defensive and win last season. We are really good in counter attack. It just not a good night for Chicharito (cought many times in offside). SAF know what is the best for the team. I just think we could have a better chance if Fletcher fit to play..

Sorry for bad english..

basically u say, man-marking Barca. they have too many great players. impossible to mark it all. even we double-men Messi, then Villa and Pedro will have a greater field day.

the game plan wasnt -ve, i think oppositely. we started with 2 strikers (Rooney and Hernandez). the BIG factor, Fletcher isnt ready. if he 100% fit, i strongly believe SAF will opt to 4-3-3 /4-5-1 (last year formation for BIG games), like in the chalkboard with Fabregas.

SAF seem didnt trust Anderson (he started with Carrick-Giggs-Anderson in 2009). Anderson also failed in 2 man midfield against Arsenal /mini Barca (@Emirates this season). another candidates for 3 man midfield are Gibson, Scholes or Oshea, possibly a huge gamble for this magnitude of match.

so SAF opted to basically 4-4-2, theoretically we've tried (but failed) to play to our strength /an attacking game. off the ball, Park tuck in and roaming around, Rooney stay in deep to collect a ball and launch counter attack.

if SAF was negative minded, he'll opt to tuck Oshea as DM /Libero (like JM tactic, Pepe for Real Madrid), or basically play another midfielder in expense of Hernandez.

This post has been edited by dundermifflin: May 30 2011, 02:36 PM

somehow I'd agree with this. anyway I think there's only 1 team in BPL that can beat barcelona: blackpool

if Man Utd cant keep them on the bay for more than 30 mins .... dun even dream until after extra time

def and counter .. it seems much much safer and appropriate way

just tat man utd mid lack of speed and no closing down on them

xavi iniesta n messi roam as freely as they wan

should look wad how mourinho contain barca players

diarra to man mark messi

pepe to stop xavi and iniesta

and behind them has alonso to feed the ball when they get back the possession

yes i know its not easy, but it can be done!

arsenal is of cuz a way low level than Barca, because they dont have personalities like Barca.

9-10 Barca players play the same style, pass and move + keep the ball, and Messi the killer, dribbling pass, or dribbling shoot.

Arsenal dont have that kind of player, only 3-4 do pass and move, thats why is easy to beat them with Sir Alex tactic.

yes i think we can do it, copy their style to beat them..

not only with tactic..but oso with the type of players we have

we cant win easily with the team picked specially against barca

whose starting 11 did not change much for these past few years

http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/1898389

I have a spare Wembley Final Shirt to trade with Moscow Final Shirt

we shud the mour style to contain them...if we hav more speed in the mid...but i see we can replace it with more body... i mean if he let rooney charge down the middle of the park...its a burden for him...but i think he is capable of it... the midfield shud work their socks off...pack the midfield...stop them from making passes n roam...
actually i know the game will be tough...but i expect our team to give them a go...i wud luv to see rooney chase messi down...ahahaha...i really want to see us stop barca from playing...cos we r the only team capable of it...but when i see the game plan...vida back down from charge messi n let him drible...owhhh...i know they will put the ball in the net... there's always next season...i just luv to see we go against big team...who dont right...it give u chill like no other... glory glory man united...

They have been training together since they were 11 to play this style of football. Only the best of the best from that 10 years of training to pass and move graduate to the first team.

It's impossible to man mark Barca. SAF has also stated that he refused man mark Barca. He doesn't want to defend and wanted to play the United way as well. In the end, it didn't work.

Well, SAF himself said. Nobody is above the challenge. Now that Barcelona has thrown the gauntlet, who knows? SAF might decide to try and meet it. Again.

Barcelona's players have been doing this since they were 11. Training to play like this. Now you're suggesting that United not only need to match the skill and the intelligence that Xavi, et al have, but also match the stamina to play the same way that they do over 90mins? To learn in 2 weeks, what Barcelona took 8 - 10 years to train? Arsenal already build their game to play a similar way to Barca. Even they failed to match Barca.

That's why SAF chose to just play as close as possible to the way United normally. It failed. That's all there is to it.

lol..kind of funny..

This post has been edited by [eXorCist]: May 30 2011, 03:29 PM

anyway interesting stats from this season's bpl.. blackpool's total goal scored is 9th in the league.. on par with tottenham.. shame their goals conceded is highest though.... guess the relegated team that most people is going to miss is blackpool

so I guess sometimes the best defense it not offence, no?

This post has been edited by imin: May 30 2011, 03:41 PM

how come suddenly there's a lipas at SAF's shoulder?

Sepp Blatter escaped everything but others did not ...LOL

not funny imo, but why i find that the sound simlar to nobita and doraemon?

what im try to say is simple bro,

dont give Barca the ball..
keep it as long as possible, dont do risk ball, play safe ball..
do like them, pass pass pass..
get a corner, free kick, try to score from set piece..
we dont need to score from open play, play it safe,
let them frustrate,
then do sub,
total attack and pressing from 85-90 mins like we play in the first 10 mins!

well this is my personal opinion, im not professional player or manager..

Seriously the only team capable of beating barca is real madrid. They did pretty well against barca in the el-classicos this season, able to attack barca for 45 minutes, but things changed when they had one player red carded, ending up 10 vs 11 players. Mourinho's 3-man DM were effective against them, with pepe man-marking messi. I hope we do better next season, we need to improve our midfield....in SAF we trust!!

waiting to watch the parade in Manchester...hope there's a stream link to it

but barca press the way very fast and high. thats why we are not able to keep ball for long and not able to pass pass pass.. if we dont do risk ball, the only way to pass it is back to keeper or back to defender only.. midfield lost the battle to their 3 maestros that night..

btw, we did not even manage to get 1 corner that night..

hopefully after adding a midfield player, preferably an enforcer or playmaker, we are able to match them next season.


BELIEVE!

joke from FIFA, i told earlier he will escape