Champions League QF: Manchester United v Barcelona - Build Up Thread

[KrasHammerhand]

This is what the CL is. It is a tough draw, we will need to play well to get a result. If we had drawn an easier foe and played the shits we would go out at this point. I am hoping for 2 competitive matches.

The negativity here is surprising. We are not the United of Mourinho any more

 

[SportingCP96]

If United dont win at home without conceding then they are getting blown away in Spain.

 

[crossy1686]

Barca have been on fire this season and Messi is in top form with 36 goals in 36 matches (8 goals in the Champions League, which is top of the scoring chart) and 18 assists.

Messi also is historically great against English teams with 22 goals against top 6 English sides.

Most goals vs Top 6 teams in England.

Rooney - 54 (141)

Aguero - 43 (71)

Vardy - 32 (54)

Van Persie - 31 (70)

Ronaldo - 28 (70)

Kane - 24 (47)

Messi - 22 (30)

Every team is beatable but Barcelona with Messi less so.

We beat them over two legs in their pomp, we can do it again now.

 

[GBBQ]

Looking at their Copa Del Rey progression they lost their first leg in last 16 and quarters and had a draw with Madrid but then went out and swept the team away in the 2nd leg. Its like they get cocky for the first leg but refocus when they know what they need to do.

You'd nearly want it to be 0-0 at old Trafford and hope to do a smash and grab in Barcelona.

 

[Orestetes]

We still need to avenge two lost champions league finals. Let's do this...

 

[BrianMcClair'sBarnet]

We beat them over two legs in their pomp, we can do it again now.

We did ?
Thought their pomp was when they played us off the park in the 2 CL finals.

 

[DeGea]

We will be fecked in the arse by Barca but it will be 2 enjoyable games.

 

[Adisa]

vs Watford
vs Wolves
Barcelona
west Ham
Barcelona
Everton

...

Villarreal
Atletico
United
Huesca
United
Real Sociedad


They are playing Atletico immediately before visiting Old Trafford, which could count slightly in our favour too.

League might be done by then.

 

[BrianMcClair'sBarnet]

Messi-Suarez-Dembele-Coutinho

vs

Young-Smalling-Lindelof-Shaw

 

[Sir Scott McToMinay]

Feck this, that is all.

 

[LingiBW]

Im glad we got a stronf team instead of say Porto. Imagine what would happen to the morale of the players if we played an 'inferior' team and got knocked out. That on its own has the potential to even derail all hopes of a top 4 and/or FA cup run if we still in the race.

Playing Barca allows us as a club to see where we still have shortfalls and what strengths we got. If we win against them it could spur us onto potentially greater things and if we lose to them having put in a good performance that too in the long term will give our players the belief that we are not too far off and with new additions next year we wouldnt be as afraid if we have to face the big boys be it in the groups or knockout.

 

[crossy1686]

We did ?
Thought their pomp was when they played us off the park in the 2 CL finals.

Like I said, we beat them over 2 legs in 2008, I remember it vividly, was at the game at Old Trafford and yes, we can do it again.

 

[DeGea]

The key to winning this is to beat Barca at home 2-0 at least. Then play on the counter at the nou camp. If we don’t turn up at home, they will punish us.

 

[Adisa]

Messi-Suarez-Dembele-Coutinho

vs

Young-Smalling-Lindelof-Shaw

Dembele is out, thank God .

 

[Casanova85]

Call me crazy, but I think it's easier for Man Utd to face Barça now (had to happen, right? ) than in the semis or final.

Why?

a) The NT break. Barça often plays godawful football for a couple of weeks after the NT breaks. Plus, new injured?

b) Dembélé possibly still injured and/or not fully operational.

c) Countinho. He will play godawful football in both legs. The alternatives, Vidal, K.P. Boateng (why did Barça sign him), are not much better.

d) Pressure for Suárez too high at OT? Plus Suárez is forbidden to score in most UCL matches, it seems.

e) Lenglet and Semedo (if he plays, although Sregi Roberto is not a Top Top RB either) are the weak link. Ole will exploit this.

f) Man Utd could truly harm Barça with fast counter-attacks at OT. Plus Man Utd is a lot more comfortable with the ball than most English clubs.

g) Ole knows that Arthur is the key. Hell is waiting for the young brazilian.

h) Man Utd are the enthusiastic underdogs with nothing to lose. Barça should remember what happened to PSG. Plus Barça has yet to break the psychological QF-wall of the past three seasons.


That said, how Man Utd will deal with Messi and Rakitic is unknown...

May the best team win and hope to God VAR is not involved. Anyway, this UCL smells rigged. If Man Utd knocks Barça out, I will support Man Utd till the end, like I did in 2008.
If Barça knocks Man Utd out, we'll deal with City and Liverpool for you.

 

[crossy1686]

fecking hell, I hope the players don't read this thread, they might as well not bother getting on the fecking plane to Barcelona. You bunch of tarts.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

League might be done by then.

Hopefully not. But still I doubt they'll rest up many players.

 

[Xaviesta]

Remember Roma last season. More so after the first leg?

Lessons will have been learnt from that I'm sure. Plus, the 2nd leg is at Camp Nou, the 2nd leg vs Roma last year was in Rome.

 

[Adisa]

Lessons will have been learnt from that I'm sure. Plus, the 2nd leg is at Camp Nou, the 2nd leg vs Roma last year was in Rome.

Thought the second leg is in our place?

 

[Cee90]

fecking hell, I hope the players don't read this thread, they might as well not bother getting on the fecking plane to Barcelona. You bunch of tarts.

The PSG thread was similar, the boys did alright then.

 

[Vanya]

This is a really good draw.

Firstly, it suits us because we can play to our strengths i.e. on the counter attack against a possession based side. The coaching staff must have learned some valuable lessons about counter attacking a superior, posession based team from the PSG game.

Secondly it's a great experience for Rashford, Martial, Lindelof, Dalot, Shaw etc. (the players that are going to make the spine of our team for the next 7-8 years). They will learn more from these two games than from all the games they play against the bottom teams in the league.

 

[DRM]

It is a bit annoying though when people are shitting on their favourite team on purpose to make them look inferior. Some of our fan base on here has been doing that for a while and reactions to our losses are the prime example of that.

No one is shitting on anyone, they're simply stating that Barca are a better team than us and are more likely to win, a statement which I would guess 90% of football fans in general would not argue with. Some of the predicted scorelines (including mine) are a bit exaggerated, but I think thats more in fear of the opposition than purposely putting down United for the sake of looking inferior.

 

[Patrick08]

Messi-Suarez-Dembele-Coutinho

vs

Young-Smalling-Lindelof-Shaw

I think dembele is injured.

 

[Livvie]

Win win...no one expects us to beat Barcelona. If we do, we can beat anyone. If we don’t, I’d sooner go out to them than City or Liverpool. And if we do get beaten in the semis or the final, a win against Barcelona will still be an achievement.

 

[SAFMUTD]

Does anybody know if we will get the injured players back on time for this game? Herrera, Lingard, Mata? Martial already had some minutes so he’ll be ok I think

 

[Frank Grimes]

Well, if Barca beat us and they beat Porto, they are getting Barca as well, so no.

I am hoping for a miracle. No point turning up expecting to lose. Keep the faith.

True but they have a very winnable QF (they won at a canter last season v Porto). Whatever way you look at it it was a good draw for Liverpool as not only does it improve their chances in the CL but also in the league imo.

 

[Member 90887]

Thought the second leg is in our place?

City plays the second leg at home, since it's not possible to have both teams play at home at the same time or in a 24 hours period, our game got switched (we're below city in UEFA's ranking, so our game and not theirs got changed).

 

[BrianMcClair'sBarnet]

Call me crazy, but I think it's easier for Man Utd to face Barça now (had to happen, right? ) than in the semis or final.

Why?

a) The NT break. Barça often plays godawful football for a couple of weeks after the NT breaks. Plus, new injured?

b) Dembélé possibly still injured and/or not fully operational.

c) Countinho. He will play godawful football in both legs. The alternatives, Vidal, K.P. Boateng (why did Barça sign him), are not much better.

d) Pressure for Suárez too high at OT? Plus Suárez is forbidden to score in most UCL matches, it seems.

e) Lenglet and Semedo (if he plays, although Sregi Roberto is not a Top Top RB either) are the weak link. Ole will exploit this.

f) Man Utd could truly harm Barça with fast counter-attacks at OT. Plus Man Utd is a lot more comfortable with the ball than most English clubs.

g) Ole knows that Arthur is the key. Hell is waiting for the young brazilian.

h) Man Utd are the enthusiastic underdogs with nothing to lose. Barça should remember what happened to PSG. Plus Barça has yet to break the psychological QF-wall of the past three seasons.


That said, how Man Utd will deal with Messi and Rakitic is unknown...

May the best team win and hope to God VAR is not involved. Anyway, this UCL smells rigged. If Man Utd knocks Barça out, I will support Man Utd till the end, like I did in 2008.

1.Lenglet was MOTM against us last season.Had most our attackers in his pocket.So I wouldn't class him as a weak link,from our perspective.
2.We're not.We still have this weakness,in my opinion.But we're good on the counter.
Problem is Barca can dominate any type of team with their use on and off the ball.They still have those key ingredients from Peps' philosophy.
They'll simply suffocate us if we start playing a possession game.
3.Arthur is a outstanding talent no doubt and can make Barca tick but,unfortunately for us,they also have players who can similarly do that particular job if one of their players is obviously being marked.If Arthur is closed down they'll simply switch play and make Busquets or Rakitic take up that particular role.In short,their midfield is simply far to versatile.

 

[Bastian]

We will be fecked in the arse by Barca but it will be 2 enjoyable games.

That doesn't sound right.

 

[shamans]

Man these are the night why you want CL football Ah wish I could be at Old Trafford for this I've been waiting for this game for so long. Revenge at last!!!!

 

[Okey]

Roma took out a full strength Barca last season. Messi aside, they'll just be another good side but not special with this current team. Get Ander at his man marking best and who says we can't do them? Come on United!

 

[Canagel]

is it first leg at OT?

 

[el3mel]

What the feck.

It's like we had spent our entire luck in our cup draws the last 3 years and we are paying for it now.

 

[Trizy]

We beat them over two legs in their pomp, we can do it again now.

Only difference between now and then was we had 9 world class players then, now we have about 2.

 

[Casanova85]

Man these are the night why you want CL football Ah wish I could be at Old Trafford for this I've been waiting for this game for so long. Revenge at last!!!!

Revenge? Perhaps if SAF was still on board and most players of 2011 still playing for Man Utd as squad veterans. Pep left Barça in 2012. That was a long time ago. Plus it was a clean final, no hard tackles, or refereeing controversies-mistakes.

I mean, I understand Chelsea, PSG or Madrid always looking for revenge against Barcelona, but Man Utd?

 

[BrianMcClair'sBarnet]

Only difference between now and then was we had 9 world class players then, now we have about 2.

Also,Barca were abit wobbly that season.

 

[shamans]

I was so glad we drew PSG when people talked about "bad luck". I knew this would be our chance to prove the critics/media wrong and witness a big game. Now I'm feeling the same for Barca. We're lucky we're facing them

Let's not forget we beat PSG without our entire midfield and an unfit attack. Just wait till Pogba, Rashford and Lingardinho unleash on this lot.

 

[Okey]

But gosh do we have 7 games in April?! In 27 days to be precise. Bloody...

 

[TRUERED89]

I was so glad we drew PSG when people talked about "bad luck". I knew this would be our chance to prove the critics/media wrong and witness a big game. Now I'm feeling the same for Barca. We're lucky we're facing them

Let's not forget we beat PSG without our entire midfield and an unfit attack. Just wait till Pogba, Rashford and Lingardinho unleash on this lot.

I love your optimism BUT Smalldini and the Ice Man will have to have the game of their lives against Messalona. And BTW it's Messy Lingard not Lingardinho

 

[shamans]

Revenge? Perhaps if SAF was still on board and most players of 2011 still playing for Man Utd as squad veterans. That was a long time ago. Plus it was a clean final, no hard tackles, or refereeing controversies-mistakes.

I mean, I understand Chelsea, PSG or Madrid always looking for revenge against Barcelona, but Man Utd?

Carrick was traumatized after one of the finals and he's a coach now. You bet he'd want revenge!

Yes it was clean. We got outplayed but that's what I meant by revenge. It's time for us to outplay them and show them who's boss! Also, among fans I've had years and years of Barca supporters telling me how shit we are compared to them.

I think it's the perfect plot for revenge. Both squads rebuilt. Another era. Time for some payback! Also doesn't help I have a heavy dislike for Barca and the fake image they portray of themselves as a "humble" team.