Champions League QF: Manchester United v Barcelona - Build Up Thread
- Thread starter charlenefan
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To be fair even if we're all singing, all dancing, we still need to hope Messi has an off-night (ideally twice).
It'll be a good test though.
It'll be a good test though.
Whatever happens please don’t scar me like this has...
We are capable of winning while playing badly. That is what most elite team fears. We have done it against Juventus, PSG, Spurs, and so on. As long we don’t shite ourselves and our defense put on an impressive performance, I feel we can get through this round.
Just have a feeling we will play better away than at home (PSG all over again). I hope we play at a high intensity and that the weeks rest we have after the Wolves game helps us. I think Barca are playing Atletico next weekend too.
We've won one game at OT this season in the Champions League and even that one we should've drawn after the ref missed a blatant dodgy handball from Fella. In contrast, we've beaten both Juve and PSG away this season where we had "no chance" and the only game we lost was a dead rubber.
I understand what you're saying but Juventus hadn't lost at their stadium in Europe for 10 years before we went there. PSG had only lost 2 home games in their last 50 in Europe before we went there. I would rather do the business at home but I have a nagging feeling the players and OT crowd won't be up for it (again) and will let us down when they should be getting ready for the biggest game so far in our season.
The difficulty of this game dropped from insane to hard now that they don’t have Xavi and Iniesta anymore.
If we can match a hard game from Barcelona is a different story. Idk.
If we can match a hard game from Barcelona is a different story. Idk.
Madrid beat them 3-0 there in 2018
We have a week off before it
Barca have Ath Madrid
Okay they can rest players but still
Good for us boy do we need to prepare for it
Barca have Ath Madrid
Okay they can rest players but still
Good for us boy do we need to prepare for it
It's a funny one If you don't follow the media nonsense that we play attacking football and actually look at the fact we are a one dimensional counter attacking side, the possession based style Barcelona play would surely suit our best tactical approaches.
Only if you think they are vulnerable to our tactics (they don't seem to be, this season)
That's not Pep's Barca. Valverde isn't a very offensive manager.
We probably won't progress but it's good to play in another game by which we can gauge where the players and coaching staff collectively are as a team.
If we can get a score draw at Camp Nou then anything can happen at OT.
If we can get a score draw at Camp Nou then anything can happen at OT.
Why aren't you keen on Juventus possibly winning the Champions League.
--------------------------De Gea------------------------
Young-------Smalling---------Lindelof--------Shaw---
---------------Herrera-------Matic---------------------
---------------------Pogba-----------------------------
--Lingard-------------Rashford------------Sanchez--
Young-------Smalling---------Lindelof--------Shaw---
---------------Herrera-------Matic---------------------
---------------------Pogba-----------------------------
--Lingard-------------Rashford------------Sanchez--
In a scoreboard context, Barcelona had a comfortable win vs Espanol but the performance wasn't great. Barcelona enjoyed lots of possession but weren't threatening enough. Solskjaer wouldn't have been shitting bricks on the strength of yesterday's performance.
Ronaldo
Reports of messi missing first leg.
Really? Where from?
Happy days if true!
On 1st April these came out
Only Pogba for sure.
And then De Gea and Shaw are fine players but so are Ter Stegen and Alba so probably be down to who the manager was and how much he values Ter Stegen's superior passing or Shaw being a bit sturdier a defender or De Gea's shotstopping or Alba's clever runs in behind and experience.
So, yeah, like 2 I'd say.
Park the bus, no silly mistake, OK for a draw, goal-less draw even better.
It seems that Utd's big chance was Umtiti in the Starting XI.
After the Villareal debacle, bench it is.
After the Villareal debacle, bench it is.
Shocking state of affairs for the self proclaimed "biggest club in the world".
Villareal was an encouraging game any way you slice it. Malcolm was excellent but probably won't start and Chukweze and Etambi (and even Bacca) showed that pace can work on the counter against Barca.
I think we all know that Pogba, Shaw and De Gea are the only players that would challenge for first XI places on the great Ferguson teams, though obviously Martial and Rashford (and very possibly Lindelof and Dalot) have talent and time on their side.
Both games we weren't amazing at all and Barca is stronger than both of them at the Camp Nou
At the moment I'm leaning towards a better home performance with the failure and anti climax of juventus and psg at home to stand by us, but ultimately not be able to contain barca.
My gut says 2-2 at home while beaten without fuss away
My gut says 2-2 at home while beaten without fuss away
Shaw is nowhere near Alba.
De Gea
Young Smalling Lindelöf Shaw
Dalot McTominay Matic
Pogba Rashford
Lukaku
I think we should treat this home game as an away. We don’t yet have the stamina or cohesion to play with high press or possession for much of the game, nor the defenders to pick up a countering Barca. Young, despite shit passing lately, is the only one adept enough at defensive movement and positioning to survive Alba and combination play at our right. Dalot is defensively more solid innidfield than behind, and has the speed, stamina and crossing for us to attack on the counter with behind balls to Lukaku and Rashford. Pogba cannot be one of three mids against Barca, but Shaw and Rashford can hold the left with Pogba as a sort of 10. We’ll get three chances this way. Hopefully we’ll take one of them and avoid personal mistakes at the back.
Young Smalling Lindelöf Shaw
Dalot McTominay Matic
Pogba Rashford
Lukaku
I think we should treat this home game as an away. We don’t yet have the stamina or cohesion to play with high press or possession for much of the game, nor the defenders to pick up a countering Barca. Young, despite shit passing lately, is the only one adept enough at defensive movement and positioning to survive Alba and combination play at our right. Dalot is defensively more solid innidfield than behind, and has the speed, stamina and crossing for us to attack on the counter with behind balls to Lukaku and Rashford. Pogba cannot be one of three mids against Barca, but Shaw and Rashford can hold the left with Pogba as a sort of 10. We’ll get three chances this way. Hopefully we’ll take one of them and avoid personal mistakes at the back.
McTominay, Matic and Dalot in midfield with Pogba being the only real passing outlet? Suicidal line up imo, that's one proper double decker bus you're parking there. Matic is a liability and shouldn't be anywhere near this game as well. I wouldn't start Lukaku either, we need pace, pace and some more pace, Barca are very susceptible to the counter and Pique/Umtiti are far from unbreakable, we will score against them I'm certain. Can we score more than them? Time will tell.
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Does our season end on Wednesday? If we don't get at least a two goal lead then we are doomed. It's hard to see us getting anything next week from the past couple of performances to be brutally honest. As for the Nou Camp, we are a counter-attacking team so who knows. It depends how many they score there.
The honeymoon is over Ole. Time for the real hard work starting after the season finishes. We are currently deserving of 6th spot in the PL. At least he's given us hope which is what JM did not.
The honeymoon is over Ole. Time for the real hard work starting after the season finishes. We are currently deserving of 6th spot in the PL. At least he's given us hope which is what JM did not.
In both cases though we rode our luck to the max - I get we won but it's not like we can point to going away from home against big European teams and putting on a defensive masterclass. Juve & PSG both carved us open numerous times but just couldn't finish us off.
It's going to be a backs to the wall job but we're in the fight, I just hope we can keep a clean sheet.
Bayern have also beaten Juve at home in 2013
Lukaku is fast over the long distance and strong, which helps when laying low and countering. I think you should brace yourself for long periods of low blocks, little playing out through midfield where Barca’s counterpress is better. We should play out more on the sides where Shaw/Rashford/Pogba or Dalot/Young-long ball for Lukaku and Dalot coming quickly after are good options behind Alba. Lukaku and Rashford may trouble their CBs.
I’m more sceptical about Freds erratics or a rash out-of-form and out-of-position Herrera at the back of midfield. I’ll bet a fair few quid Matic will start if injury free.
Things we have to cover/do
- Alba's very high position on the left.
I'd go with a back three with wing-backs. If we played a back four it would pin Young back all game and we'd have no threat on the right. If we go with a back three, then the RCB can switch to that side to cover for Young operating higher up the field and help us not get pinned back by Alba's runs.
- Messi
Pray. Bring out all the gods. Sacrifice a fatted calf. Outside of that, don't pressure him too deep. He's used to it and we've got a better chance focusing on covering the runs of Suarez, Dembele, Coutinho or whoever is making making runs in front of him. Going with 3 CB's should allow us man-for-man against Suarez and Dembele, and one extra to cover any midfield runners. (assuming Messi is playing the pass).
- Matic and/or McTominay together
I'd like to see double-pivot here with Matic and Herrera/McTominay. Scott for his energy and recovery work, and Matic for his calmness and occasional good ball between the lines. We're not keeping the ball here, so, let's focus on chasing Barça's movement and hitting on the break.
- Lukaku and Rashford up front
Against Spurs, Lukaku drifted wide on the right. Almost as a target man, but on the side, rather than centrally. We'll need the out-ball to the wing. If the players know Lukaku is there, even if they're clearing it, then we've got a good chance that we can hit him accurately. I fancy him aerially vs Alba.
- Alba's very high position on the left.
I'd go with a back three with wing-backs. If we played a back four it would pin Young back all game and we'd have no threat on the right. If we go with a back three, then the RCB can switch to that side to cover for Young operating higher up the field and help us not get pinned back by Alba's runs.
- Messi
Pray. Bring out all the gods. Sacrifice a fatted calf. Outside of that, don't pressure him too deep. He's used to it and we've got a better chance focusing on covering the runs of Suarez, Dembele, Coutinho or whoever is making making runs in front of him. Going with 3 CB's should allow us man-for-man against Suarez and Dembele, and one extra to cover any midfield runners. (assuming Messi is playing the pass).
- Matic and/or McTominay together
I'd like to see double-pivot here with Matic and Herrera/McTominay. Scott for his energy and recovery work, and Matic for his calmness and occasional good ball between the lines. We're not keeping the ball here, so, let's focus on chasing Barça's movement and hitting on the break.
- Lukaku and Rashford up front
Against Spurs, Lukaku drifted wide on the right. Almost as a target man, but on the side, rather than centrally. We'll need the out-ball to the wing. If the players know Lukaku is there, even if they're clearing it, then we've got a good chance that we can hit him accurately. I fancy him aerially vs Alba.
I feel like we've got no chance of winning the CL but also a chance to fluke Barca out as well. I'd almost prefer they go through because they'd have more of a chance to stop City or Liverpool. I don't want another FA Cup scenario where we knocked out all the tough teams so City could walk it with their laughable draws.
If we don't win it, I will totally lose interest in the whole affair. It can be won with a bit of luck anyway so who knows, Ajax may come through