I keep hearing pundits saying things like "United controlled Barca at OT" (last I looked we won 1-0 but they had 57% possession - ie 'The Chelsea Plan') and predicting scores like 3-1 or 3-0 and I want to smash them so hard on the head that they explode like melons.
The reality is that we are insanely evenly balanced. There is very little to chose between us.
I meanwhile stand on a precipice wondering whether to jump off.
I watched last year's second leg again last night and a few things struck me which are bad omens.
Just as many things struck me that are good omens
So, I'm still on that precipice. It is finely balanced.
Do I jump?
The reality is that we are insanely evenly balanced. There is very little to chose between us.
I meanwhile stand on a precipice wondering whether to jump off.
I watched last year's second leg again last night and a few things struck me which are bad omens.
- 1) Frank Rijkaard was still there and everyone hated each other.
- 2) Deco was still there and hideously diabolically ineffective.
- 3) They then had totally lost their touch and hadn't scored in three games.
- 4) We are nowhere near as slick and fluid as we were.
- 5) They are exponentially more slick and fluid than they were.
- 6) Scholes was an important part of that game, and this year he's had a hard time quite a lot.
- 7) Evra owned Messi that night, but Evra loves to bomb forward and has started to look a bit jaded and slow getting back. If Messi or Eto'o along their right get behind him and there isn't adequate CB cover (this is ESPECIALLY the case if Evans plays, sorry but he's just not quite as experienced yet at cleaning up serious messes as Rio) then we could be in huge trouble.
- 8) Rio's potential injury would be a massive blow. Evans is wonderful and has made a huge contribution this year. He is Rio's natural replacement, and is one of the best young CBs in England if not one of the best of his age in Europe. But a game like this hinges on perfection and tiny margins. Rio has cleaned mistakes out of his game and performed miracles at times. Evans can still be prone to them, and doesn't quite have the sort of experience or expertise to slot in and not cause us to lose something against such a quality opponent. This is especially true if Evra starts to have problems down the flank.
- 9) Fletcher would have been the ideal candidate to start and put it up them in MF, and he isn't available. Bugger.
Just as many things struck me that are good omens
- 1) Tevez was invisible much of that game, so those who dislike Berbatov can't complain if he sits in a deck chair all game sipping martinis and eating bruschetta. No, this is not a BerbaBash, BerbaWankers. I BerbaLike BerbaTov. In fact, I would BerbaLove him to BerbaScore a BerbaHattrick to BerbaShut the BerbaMouths of the BerbaDoubters once and for BerbaAll.
- 2) Their defense consisted of Abidal and Marquez and yet we got enough joy where we should have gotten a second.
- 3) Evra owned Messi that night, and it was only when Messi cut inside to the centre that he got any joy at all (Messi started on the right, with Eto'o theoretically in the centre - they shifted over when Henry came on) and even then he never got behind the back four.
- 4) Our back four that night included Brown in lieu of Vidic and Hargreaves slotted in as Brown moved to CB.
- 5) Xavi struggled to get into the game, and when he did his passes generally went astray when they mattered.
- 6) Hargreaves handled Iniesta so well he seemed to go so comprehensively missing at times it was like he was teleported off the pitch Star Trek style. Hopefully we can nullify him again by getting up him, depending on how much the ref will let us. He doesn't fancy a battle at all.
- 7) Nemanja was out for the game against them at OT. Depending on how divey they decide to be and how the ref allows the game to go this could be a huge asset. They simply cannot stand (literally) to be tackled. Cannot take it.
- 8) Their hotheadedness. No, this is not a stereotype latin-lover thing. But Barca really do sometimes lose the plot quite a bit when things don't go their way with the refs or in the game in general or whatever else. They fanny around on the ground like fumigated cockroaches, they start sliding into two-footed lunges everywhere, and they start screaming at the ref with their hand up for imaginary cards all over the place. They really can lose control quite easily if you get inside their heads, and if you've got the lead and they're so wound up they're doing their own time-wasting then you've got a pretty big extra added advantage.
- 9) Our experience. We've already won it and if anything the hunger seems to have grown. This experience could level the nerves at a vital moment to get the job done. He hopes.
So, I'm still on that precipice. It is finely balanced.
Do I jump?
