The what we could have done against Barca thread...

[Skywarden]

Bloody nightmare indeed.

I just want to see a more defensive minded formation next time, accept the fact that we still cannot play strength to strength with these players and try to change that 2v3 situation to a 3v3 one, press them more and retain more possession.

We definitely have the skills and pace to counter attack them... It was sad really that we didn't expose their poor defense enough.

Valencia only had 1 dribble against Abidal in a wing position if I'm not mistaken and he put the cross way beyond any player...

it's perhaps the safest (best?) way of battling these lot, I agree in hindsight. I mentioned it in the Scholes retirement thread but I believe that he should have gotten more minutes. He's excellent holding on to the ball and his passing range doesn't need an introduction. Nani is also good at holding on to the ball and perhaps he should have replaced Chicharito while moving Rooney up front.

Valencia's take on came around the 70 minute mark which was a sad sight really.

 

[robertsoncrusoe]

We needed a marker -a new Nobby! Set him to mark Messi and then play 10 against 10

 

[barros]

We needed a marker -a new Nobby! Set him to mark Messi and then play 10 against 10

Marking Messi will not help, RM used Pepe to destroy that triangle of Xavi-Messi-Iniesta and worked fine, matter of fact I'm waiting for the next RM-Barca to see how Madrid is going to play.

 

[barros]

For me this game had 2 phases:
1) We played like United and gave away a cheap goal but we came back.
2) We started the second half in terror and tired legs from the older players, another cheap goal and we played like some 5th division team against a top team from the Premier.
Was Barca that good? Yes but we helped them.

 

[Eugenius]

I think we'd have been better off leaving Hernandez off the bench, wasn't even going to get much service and doesn't have Rooney's strength and bulldozing abilities to make 10 yards out of nothing etc. His touch when he got the ball was often poor.

I think we carried him and sacrificed the extra man in midfield, would have liked to see Fletcher or Anderson instead of him to give some energy. Aside from that, I think the main problem was we never had anything to hold on to; I think had we scored first that would have galvanised us and I don't think Barca have the mental strength to come from behind and would've opened space on the counter.

 

[RedDevilCanuck]

I must admit when I saw the lineup I was like "spot on" just like in 09.

In 09 we pretty muched used the lineup that dicked on L'Arse. This season we pretty much used the same lineup that dicked on Chelski.

Fergie should have realized that Barca aren't an English side.

Hindsight of course:

We should have played an energetic midfield. I know Giggs has been immense this season but he does need a second or two on the ball because his vision and passes are so intricate.

And I know Anderson usually can't last a full game but he provides instant energy. Even when his passing is off he can dribble out of tricky situations well and he has the quickness and moves to shake off pesky pressing players like Barca has.

With Hernendez up front it was kind of a repeat of the 09 final with Ronaldo. It is all well and good having a target man with pace and excellent finishing but when you can't keep hold of the ball it doesn't matter.

So here is what I think we should have played looking back:

-----------VDS-----------
Fabio ----Rio----Vidic--Evra
------Carrick----Park-------
Valencia---Anderson----Nani
------------Rooney----------

Pace, energy, technical ability with Rooney and Nani to provide the moments of magic.

Looking at this lineup, feck me this is fantastic. Dropping Giggs would have been harsh but how could you really expect a 38 year old to keep with Barca's pressing? I actually did and this is why Im just a fat internet manager.

 

[Commadus]

Two of their goals were from outside the box - we dropped off too much outside the box and huddling around the 18 yard box.

 

[Ruud_boy_10]

It still hurts. I cant get over this one like I did the last CL final.

I keep replaying the final over and over again in my head and I just don't understand why SAF didn't change things at half time. We need more men in midfield. Scholes and Fletcher should have come on for Valencia and Hernandez. It was literally Carrick vs Xavi, Messi Busquest and Iniesta. No contest.

The whole "we would have lost to Barca any way" is a load of BS. Arsenal almost beat them by packing the midfield and Madrid as well. How SAF and his coaching staff not notice this is one of the biggest mysteries of the final.

 

[Doevle]

I must admit when I saw the lineup I was like "spot on" just like in 09.

In 09 we pretty muched used the lineup that dicked on L'Arse. This season we pretty much used the same lineup that dicked on Chelski.

Fergie should have realized that Barca aren't an English side.

Hindsight of course:

We should have played an energetic midfield. I know Giggs has been immense this season but he does need a second or two on the ball because his vision and passes are so intricate.

And I know Anderson usually can't last a full game but he provides instant energy. Even when his passing is off he can dribble out of tricky situations well and he has the quickness and moves to shake off pesky pressing players like Barca has.

With Hernendez up front it was kind of a repeat of the 09 final with Ronaldo. It is all well and good having a target man with pace and excellent finishing but when you can't keep hold of the ball it doesn't matter.

So here is what I think we should have played looking back:

-----------VDS-----------
Fabio ----Rio----Vidic--Evra
------Carrick----Park-------
Valencia---Anderson----Nani
------------Rooney----------

Pace, energy, technical ability with Rooney and Nani to provide the moments of magic.

Looking at this lineup, feck me this is fantastic. Dropping Giggs would have been harsh but how could you really expect a 38 year old to keep with Barca's pressing? I actually did and this is why Im just a fat internet manager.

Swap Ando for Park and have Fletcher in cm next to Carrick instead of Anderson.

 

[Spoony]

I've got over it...took me three days mind.

 

[TheReligion]

Is this still rambling on?

fecks sake, get over it

 

[amolbhatia50k]

It still hurts. I cant get over this one like I did the last CL final.

I keep replaying the final over and over again in my head and I just don't understand why SAF didn't change things at half time. We need more men in midfield. Scholes and Fletcher should have come on for Valencia and Hernandez. It was literally Carrick vs Xavi, Messi Busquest and Iniesta. No contest.

The whole "we would have lost to Barca any way" is a load of BS. Arsenal almost beat them by packing the midfield and Madrid as well. How SAF and his coaching staff not notice this is one of the biggest mysteries of the final.

It doesn't hurt for me but it is rather bewildering how we went into and it and through it with such few bodies in the middle of the pitch.

And the problem is having such few in the centre of the pitch also caused confusion in the defense of whether to come out and close down or not. If we had packed the defense like that there was no way Messi would have gotten his shot away.

Anyways it's hard to say whether we would have won the match that way but we certainly wouldn't have gotten shat on. When a team has 70 percent of the ball and is faced with a lot of hurdles to cross it's not the same domination as 70 percent while piercing a light weight midfield time and time again and hence causing panic in an defense that has almost no protection.

 

[Jason F]

I cant be arsed reading all the posts but my thoughts were this:

We should have got amongst them more, they way we used to treat Arsenal. Hard in the tackle, pressure them and try rattle their ball players. Lets see how well Messi can run without legs as it were. Obviously within the rules but tried to put them off.

Instead of letting them pass us to death put some pressure on the ball, can Xavi and Iniesta pass with someone on them all the time.

Our line up was wrong, Hernandez should have been on the bench and we shouldnt have played 2 up front unless it was Berba on the point and Rooney essentially playing midfield. We were crucified with Giggs and Carrick in the middle, what I would have given for a fit Hargreaves in there. I would probably have gone for a 4-5-1 and stacked the midfield.