Man U is teh fackin Average!

[Xamonas Chegwé]

the first two goals didn't come from barca playing their way up the pitch from extended possession, they came from getting behind a high manu midfield, the third from a stupid mistake.

I would counter that that defence was playing too far up the field exactly because Barca were pulling them forward and out of position by their continuous passing moves. They kept running upfield, trying to win the ball and Barcelona snuck in behind them. They did it again and again. Or are you suggesting Barca played long balls into the box? I can't remember seeing any - I can't even remember a goal kick from their end that passed half-way!

[cowiz]

I suspect that "That young man knows nothing about football" ~ Brian (Lives in a field) Clough

Actually I played football competitively for nearly thirty years, entered the FA Cup for 12 years or more, met Brian Clough on many occasions and always gave him the benefit of my experience and he signed my shirt for me once.

Over time, as you slow down, I moved from playing at the front to back, always on the left. After a good few years at the back I was considered an expert left back. All Barcas goals came from the left back area of the pitch.

Evra got drawn into the centre for the first goal, instead of a back 4 manu had 2+2, when pedro made his run vidic should have gone with him but he was ball watching, really basic error.

the second goal was even worse, evra and vidic were stood next to each other holding hands, never a good tactic, but worse, evra left messi (the world's best footballer?) on his own 6-7 yards out from the box. criminal behaviour. with a player like messi you have to be tight, so he has to play with his back to goal, you don't let him turn and you don't let him build up speed and you don't let him shoot. vidic did send evra out when he saw him get the ball but it was too late, vidic wasn't watching, again.

nani, bless him, fucked up completely for the third goal, giving away possession in the box to barca is never a great idea and when the ball was played to villa no-one closed him down.

these things should be bread and butter for manu defenders, so why not tonight? the occasion was too much and they bottled it.

the first two goals didn't come from barca playing their way up the pitch from extended possession, they came from getting behind a high manu midfield, the third from a stupid mistake.

if you were watching on sky gary neville, ex manu right back, did admit that the defence was poor but the point wasn't drilled home.

So why were you not paying attention?

[HomerJay]

the first two goals didn't come from barca playing their way up the pitch from extended possession, they came from getting behind a high manu midfield, the third from a stupid mistake.

I would counter that that defence was playing too far up the field exactly because Barca were pulling them forward and out of position by their continuous passing moves. They kept running upfield, trying to win the ball and Barcelona snuck in behind them. They did it again and again. Or are you suggesting Barca played long balls into the box? I can't remember seeing any - I can't even remember a goal kick from their end that passed half-way!

i would look at two things, the number of players in the manu half when the goal is scored, and the number of passes before the goal is scored. at times of extended possession the ball moved very slowly up the pitch and eventually you end up with 14,15,16,17 players in manu half or even final third, which means no-one gets much space or time.

if passing moves move the ball slowly up the pitch you get more players in the opposite half, alves and abidal were up for long parts of the game, but not for the goals, and secondly the number of passes, you don't need to play long balls to achieve a low number of passes.

the modal number of passes for a goal in the Prem is 7-8, after that you get diminishing returns. barca would up the average but the goals didn't come from long passes moves, technically of course villa's was just a single pass, as they lost posssession and nani gave it them back.

all the goal scorers had both space and time, which is the worst thing to offer a striker (they set themselves, pick a spot etc) and manu seemed happy to let them have it.

[Clinton Huxley]

As an increasingly long-suffering Liverpool supporter, I enjoyed last nights game immensely.

[Santa_Claus]

English football has never really got over kung fu and drop kicks no longer being considered 50/50 challenges.

[redunderthebed]

Internet-less AND tv-not-dominated-by-fuckwits-who-want-watch-whatever-purile-shit-other-than-football less on saturday.

It seems i missed little.