I hardly remember anything about those two Barcelona finals, inebriation + never expected United to beat them.
Carrick: 'I left Rome but I don't think Rome has ever really left me'
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) was joined by comedian Ali Woods to look back at the best and worst moments of a rollercoaster season with the annual United Hour Awards.
Has Ten Hag been sacked yet? We're not sure and we hope not, but it's looking more likely as the days pass.
Who should replace him and why is it taking so long to make a decision?
We started well in that game and had 5 shots in the first 10 minutes but Barca scoring with their first attack really stunned us. We really missed Fletcher and Hargreaves as well (though he missed almost the entire season) in this game. Having these 2 or even one besides Carrick would have allowed us to get him on the ball more. Anderson was completely out of his depth and Giggs (and Scholes who came later on) didn't have the legs by this point that you needed to keep Xavi and Iniesta off the ball. Still this match was not as one sided as people make it out to be, we did have some chances. But it has to be said that the illusion of invincibility that this team had developed over the previous 2-3 years was well and truly shattered.
The 2011 final though was the first time that I had felt absolutely helpless and hopeless while watching Utd play.
The 2011 final though was the first time that I had felt absolutely helpless and hopeless while watching Utd play.
Dortmund 1997 - just how many chances can you miss in a fecking CL semi?
Leverkusen 2002 - we could and should have won that, the final would have been in Glasgow...
Bayern 2010 - I'm still bitter about Rafael's sending off, considering they were kicking the living shit out of us all evening.
fecking German teams, now I come to think about it. And Porto.
But I agree, Rome wasn't THAT painful for me. The 1-4 defeat to Liverpool that season hurt a lot more. In Rome, we got outplayed by a better team that had more quality in their squad and, as you say, had a special season. In contrast our third title win felt a bit like we're on autopilot at times, much like in 2001.
I still can't watch highlights or images from that game. Don't care much about the 2011 final, but the 2009 one hurt me real bad back then.
Agreed, 2009 still really hurts, we really should have won that game with the team we had (minus Fletch). I was there in 2011 and we had no chance.
I was so excited in the first 10minutes. SAF had deployed Ronaldo as the 9 in order to physically dominate their cb's and it looked to be working. However, sure enough Barca got into their swing and we couldn't get near the ball. Again.
If we had won it that year, we’d have probably won in 2011 too 
All I remember is the dodgy Fletcher suspension lost us the game before the first whistle - the guy was playing out of his skin at the time. UEFA basically wanted Barca to win. They did the same to Chelsea loads of times.
No way were Barcelona strong favourites. We beat them a year before in the Champions league semi finals and they some how scrapped past Chelsea with the last kick of the game in the semi final. (Chelsea should have had 3 blatant pens too).
This was no way near the Barcelona of 2011. They were a good team but not amazing. It was a chance to win back to back European cups. Yes that's right back to back European cups. Something which will probably never happen in my lifetime again. If there was one result that I could change in Utd history, it would be that one. I remember feeling so low after the game. I've still not got over it and I'm just a fan. I see where Carrick is coming from.
Agreed. We were actually quite good in the 09 final, possession was pretty much 50-50, and we were in the game for a while, which made it much more painful when we lost.
2011 was one of the most one-sided finals you'll ever see, we were completely and utterly outplayed.
Same for me.
We lined up with a midfield of Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Park against Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets. We were never going to win at Wembley.If we had won it that year, we’d have probably won in 2011 too
Wish Fletcher hadnt been suspended for this clash for that wrong call.
He was immense particularly in big games that season.
We had to change our game a bit to accommodate.
He was immense particularly in big games that season.
We had to change our game a bit to accommodate.
Yeah that Barca team wasn't that good like the 2011 one.
Chelsea got scammed tbh in the semis.
That 09 final just left me with a horrible feeling for ages, it was a big slap in the face telling us that we weren't the best in the world any more. 2011 was horrible too but I didn't expect much from it, we had an easy run to the final and our team just wasn't as good as Barcelona's.
I really took that period for granted. 3 CL finals in 4 years ffs.
I really took that period for granted. 3 CL finals in 4 years ffs.
Winning mentality and sense of responsibility (which could even extend to guilt).
Pressure of playing can be so huge.
Players are not robots.
That said, that game is still also a pain for fans.. well I still felt it.
Pressure of playing can be so huge.
Players are not robots.
That said, that game is still also a pain for fans.. well I still felt it.
Quite some fall from grace we've sufffered.
Feck Arsenal for getting Fletch sent off and feck Ovrebo.
Carrick is a winner, has commanded respect from the likes of Pogba and part of the reason why I think he'd do well as United manager.
Carrick is a winner, has commanded respect from the likes of Pogba and part of the reason why I think he'd do well as United manager.
I hardly remember anything from those finals now. I've never watched a second of video footage from them ever since. It's like they never happened.
I still love the Fletcher thing, it was Man Utd who were supposed to take massive advantage of suspensions and/or injuries, not Barca going into it. Bit odd that Barca worked around it, dominated the game for like 80 minutes, need to move on. They were the better team in 08/09, comfortably so too, had United played Chelsea and Barcelona played Arsenal...the same final likely would of occurred with United also clawing their way past Chelsea and Barcelona ruthlessly dispatching Arsenal.
It was seen as an even final going in, likely swung in United favour odds wise in the UK due to the bets going in, and Barcelona on the continental side, both by minor margins. It's very rare you get a matchup like that in CL. Clearly the two best teams in Europe at the time from separate leagues...as I'd argue 08 was the two best teams too, but neither were going into it as reigning Champions.
It was seen as an even final going in, likely swung in United favour odds wise in the UK due to the bets going in, and Barcelona on the continental side, both by minor margins. It's very rare you get a matchup like that in CL. Clearly the two best teams in Europe at the time from separate leagues...as I'd argue 08 was the two best teams too, but neither were going into it as reigning Champions.
I think we all did bud. An unbelievable time to be a United fan.
To think in 07/08, if we would’ve beat Portsmouth at home, we would’ve done the treble and in 08/09 we were what a penalty shoutout away from the FA Cup final. We had already won the CWC and Carling Cup by February. A whisker away from 5 major trophies that season.
Blimey yeah Portsmouth was another one I can't get over. We should have done a clean sweep of trophies that year.
We still were a comfortably better team than Chelsea domestically (including a 3:0 win) — a team that should've beaten them on the way to the final. And Barca had terrible problems with their backline prior to the final. Retrospectively it doesn't look that way, but we were rightly considered favourites back then. Plus we were seen as a very clinical side with top-notch defence (as you said it yourself — it was an "efficient" year for us). On paper it was a good approach against the ultra-attacking Barcelona — we got rid of naive mentality from 2006/07 and were ready for anything that Europe had to offer.
We all know how it ended though
There at least two stonewall penalties not given. And possibly a 3rd one. If Chelsea were 2-0 up it makes a big difference physiologically to the game. Barcelona would never have come back probably. Abidals red was harsh but Chelsea should've been out of sight already. I don't remember what penalty they should've had in the first game?
This is the one defeat I still can't accept. The fact that we actually won the game doesn't help
We should've trashed them 10:2 that night.Imagine how Terry must have felt the year before.
I have no qualms about that game either, we could barely get the ball off of them. Its like playing with your older brother and his friends while you were 10.
I have no qualms about that game either, we could barely get the ball off of them. Its like playing with your older brother and his friends while you were 10.
Yeah this unfortunately. Carrick and especially Anderson were hopeless and Park could not get into the game. I remember thinking we have made a mistake going to the game with the Arsenal template - Rooney left and Ronaldo up top isolated. He even said so at the end of the game that he isn't a forward. Our best midfielder Scholes was on the bench. When he came on, far too late though, he showed us how it should be done - calm on the ball and recycling possession. That loss really hurts, but we were outplayed completely after the first 10 minutes.
That 3-0 happened in January.....and pretty much finished off Scolari. I don't feel confident against a Hiddink led Chelsea at all, probably less so than I did going into final against Barcelona, that 3-0 was one of the best games we had that year though, and one of the best I've witnessed against Chelsea in general I think.We still were a comfortably better team than Chelsea domestically (including a 3:0 win) — a team that should've beaten them on the way to the final. And Barca had terrible problems with their backline prior to the final. Retrospectively it doesn't look that way, but we were rightly considered favourites back then. Plus we were seen as a very clinical side with top-notch defence (as you said it yourself — it was an "efficient" year for us). On paper it was a good approach against the ultra-attacking Barcelona — we got rid of naive mentality from 2006/07 and were ready for anything that Europe had to offer.
We all know how it ended though
Henry got pulled back in the box - could have been a penalty. And Eto'o was one-on-one with the keeper but was wrongly called offside. Ref does his job and Barcelona win the first leg 2-0 - the tie is dead.
Yeah. I would have loved to face Mourinho's Inter in the CL final that year.This is the one defeat I still can't accept. The fact that we actually won the game doesn't help
It still hurts but not as much as our exit to Bayern the following year. 2011 final was totally expected, that Barcelona side were the best club side in history I think. Absolutely untouchable.
I remember him being shit for quite some time after that final. Looked like a scaredy cat on the pitch
I had the exact same feeling. It was the start of the Barce wankfest era too. I am just dying for the day we get our revenge against Barcelona.
white text?I remember him being scapegoated on here for that
And for a couple of years on here after that wasnt favoured much even though he still put in solid performances for us
Typical
And for a couple of years on here after that wasnt favoured much even though he still put in solid performances for us
Typical
Prefer that to the Liverpool/City wankfest we are currently living in.
Well that explains where he disappeared for 2-3 years after that.
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To be honest it was a harrowing experience for all of us and it should have been used by the club as a springboard to modernise our style of play. Instead we went backwards.
Always wondered what would have happened had Ronaldo took that chance and made it 2-1 with about 15-20 mins still to play.
Or that one in the first few minutes when he hit it straight at the keeper.