Champions League Final 2011

[soccer11]

The Champions League Final is set. Let's start the discussion. Who will win? What are you looking forward to the most? Where do you think each team has an edge?

[ajc]

Sorry for messing with your post but I added a poll, hope you don't mind

If Barca are playing at their best I can't see them getting beaten, even by a strong Man U side. But if they aren't playing at full throttle and United put out a tremendous effort and capitalize on all the chances they get I think they could win. In my opinion Barca are heavy favorites though.

[panchester07]

Bah you can call me crazy but I think its not that unbalanced.. its 11 vs 11, Madrid proved Barcelona isn't invinsible- In the Copa del Rey they had the same amount of chances or more than Barcelona did pressuring them on their own territory, and if im not mistaking the goal came from messi loosing it to marcelo in his own half and then wall pass with di maria to cross it to ronaldo-

They aren't invinsible, another team that played well against them was Arsenal, yes barca had a few chances, but for the second half Arsenal was probably better in Emirates - Hercules beat them 0-2 in camp nou, Barca bleeds, and if it bleeds it can be killed. You just need to have the right tactics and attitude.

That being said Barca is the best team in the world right now, but they aren't invincible, less in 1 match- If it where a league, then yeah i'd say its much harder for man utd to win, but its one single match and if Man Utd scores first the pressure on the cule's will be inmense..

Plus you have to mention that Fergie has done rotations all year - and this has been harder for Barcelona to do because they have such a short squad, basically playing the same or a very similar 11 every match , and the clasico's and long season have worn these players down, so Man Utd has an advantage physically -

Those are a few reasons to believe, it isn't imposible, Fergie's the man, and if you analyze the match vs Shalke, or vs Chelsea this weekend, when Man Utd attacks they have an inmense facility to create clear cut chances-

I'm sure Barcelona fans also have many reasons to be confident about their team though..I like both teams becasue Barca plays so beautiful and attacking - but as a Man Utd fan i say we can do it if we play to the limit and die in that field for the cause.

We can play a 4-5-1 with lots of pressure on xavi-iniesta-messi and clusterfuck that midfield, chicharito on top maybe to see if he can snatch a goal- a more delayed rooney- giggs - park- carrick and valencia would be good -evra-ferdinand-vidic-fabio

[klc123]

Ok, you definitely are crazy.

Seriously though, I don't like the air of confidence many Barca fans are currently radiating. It is as if they have already won. As a completely biased barca fan, if barca play their best they will win, it is just a question of whether they play their best.

[soccer11]

Sorry for messing with your post but I added a poll, hope you don't mind

Not at all. Good call.

We can play a 4-5-1 with lots of pressure on xavi-iniesta-messi and clusterfuck that midfield, chicharito on top maybe to see if he can snatch a goal- a more delayed rooney- giggs - park- carrick and valencia would be good -evra-ferdinand-vidic-fabio

what about Nani?
Also, I think Fletcher will be playing as to disrupt Barcelona's midfield.
United is just so deep, it's hard to guess what Sir Alex is thinking. He could go 4-4-2, 4-5-1, 4-3-3 (Nani and Valencia on the wings.) If I had to guess, taking into account what he's done in big games before, he'll have Park and Fletcher out there. It'd be silly not to play Nani and Hernandez. Rooney goes without saying.

[panchester07]

actually, i would play nani but not start him.... park and valencia have shown they can defend and attack exellently while Nani is very good offensive he doesn't offer so much defensively--

did ya see the chelsea match, they would drop back like full backs and destroy on the offense, park got an asist and valencia was driving cole and terry crazy down his wing and playing milimetric passes to the fowards- when chelsea attacked they would both return and give their all in the defense, therefor i think they are more necesarry and useful for the team than nani- i don't think its silly, its a smart tactic choosing players that offer you more depending on your strategy, united prolly will be spending quite a bit of time pressuring and defending like they know how to play very well, and nani isn't made for that -

[nick117]

^this i would start with park and valencia. I'm not sure if i would try a 4-4-2 or a 4-5-1 and maybe bring on nani and chicharito later in the second half their speed would be amazing. On the other hand i think 4-5-1 with chicharito up front and rooney behinde might work something like

fabio vidic ferdinand(or smalling) evra

valencia fletcher carrick park
Rooney
Chicharito

[shahensha]

Stopping barcelona is simple.......cut out the xavi-messi-iniesta triangle. however, simple things are difficult to do in this sport but not impossible ofcourse.

Another thing is to make your chances count. Barcelona loves to attack all the time, which often leaves the two defenders and CDM vulnerable to counter attacks.

No wonder Valdes is very good at rushing out of his box to kick out a ball. Casillas, on the other hand is arguably the best shot stopper in the world, but he doesnt see 1v1 situations as a regular part of the game, which is where his weakness lies. Take the recent loss to zaragoza for example. Casillas rushed out to clear the ball and completely scuffed it, allowing the zaragoza player an easy goal.

Teams in La liga play good technical football through counters or momentarily holding on to possession, but their major downfall is lacking a clinical finish.

This is why I am worried of Manchester United. Counter attacks and wing play are their strong suits and with a player like chicharito, who is being praised by everyone as a clinical finisher........even pele says chicharito might be the new messi, then again pele refers to himself in the third person ....but in any case he is being praised by many so I will keep an eye out for him.

The second goal for Hercules in their win against Barcelona is the perfect example of a clinical finish. Nelson Valdez received a low cross from the right and hit a one time shot, which flew in the upper 90. All the life in Barca players had been taken out then.

[soccer11]

This is how United lined up against Chelsea. I could see something similar against Barcelona, with a few personal changes.

[collin]

i would do 4 in the middle if i was manchester united, a defensive midfielder, have the 2 outside mids tuck all the way in to be 2 holding mids and have 1 attacking mid. so it will like a diamond in the middle almost, and then play 2 wingers. Its risky though but it could take away barcas triangle

[TheBrilliance]

There should be a "doesn't care" option, because I really dont.

Possible winners are either:

-Scum (Manure, shat, whatever you want to refer to it as)

-Sooks/ MF's (match fixers )

I think Man U can set out there team as normal, try and get O'Shea/ Evra tight on Messi. Suffocate him out of the game by getting a little rough on Xavi-Iniesta. Pick up a few yellows for the cause.

If I was Barca, play as you usually would. Try and score early so the crowd doesnt drift off, so that means going at Man U hard in the first 10.

Ill probably save myself for the Championship play off final the night before tbh. Im not getting up at 4 to watch the CL final after a big night in an all Welsh final

[ajc]

There should be a "doesn't care" option, because I really dont.

All EF forum members reserve the right to abstain from voting

[panchester07]

So Barcelona won their league today with a 1-1 tie to levante, who parked the bus and fished for an opportunity or mistake from barcelona and found it with a confusion between pique and valdes that caicedo ended up finishing... there third league in a row, congratulations to them, the most regular and consistent team of the league this year again, and fair champion for the superiority they showed week in week out......they had never won 2 leagues in a row before, apart from the 4 Cruyff's dream team won back in the 90's... they could break this record next season-


lets see if united can do their homework this weekend and win the league as well to take it easy prior to the final - they also would have an impressive record winning 4 leagues in 5 years which is outstanding really - also, 3 champions league final in 4 years -

the 2 best teams in europe clash in wembley for a memorable duel - the champions of spain vs the champions of england -we'll see what goes down!

brilliance im sorry but whens the last time your team won anything significant not to mention play the last champions league? i wouldn't be making judgments if i were u cause coming from the mediocre team u have been lately nobody seems to care

[TheBrilliance]

Pal I hate Man U. And so I should.

Im looking into my 8 ball...

by the end of 2012/13....

Liverpool 20 titles
Man Utd 19 titles

SAF only fears one man my friend, his names the King

[panchester07]

hahaa if i'd get money everytime i heard that each season in the last 10 years id prolly be rich, or have enough money to buy a ticket to the wembley final and a few beers included dream on.......

haha seriously though bro- you come here and talk sh*t over an event we are all hyped over seeing and you say you prolly are gonna watch a second division match and most of us here are counting the days till its time for the final - you hate on one of the best teams in history (barca), and another one that has earned this spot out of sacrifice and work and a few good signings - haha i like you a lot but you come off as an arrogant guy and man not everybody has the pleasure to watch the team they support play the final for you to come and say all those nasty sh*t - i know i didn't play those matches but before the games the adrenaline was high and during the match i sure woke a few neighbors up yelling "GOAL" and sure sh*t myself a few times when the other team had the ball close to my box, so being in the final is a long journey even to fans-


anyway you're free to think whatever i know the game will be full as fu** and the world will be paralyzed watching this match more than last year for sure when it was inter-bayern, soo til then i guess