At the beginning of every season, winning the league title is top priority at United. You have to prove you’re the best in your own country for any European title to prove anything.
Sir Alex Ferguson is eager to win another European Cup, reiterating the point several times that a club of United’s size should have more than two winning seasons in the competition. He therefore took a gamble when we travelled to Stamford Bridge a few weeks ago, playing a weakened team, with the hope of preventing a Chelsea victory. Had it not been for a penalty 4 minutes from time, this gamble would have paid off.
Ferguson said the reason behind his team selection was that he felt our players deserved the strongest chance possible to get their place in the final. Playing Barcelona days later meant we had to be fresh. We had to win that game to go to Moscow.
Several sources said his team selection pointed to Fergie’s desire to win the European Cup being stronger than winning the league. Maybe that is the case, but not of us can judge that but Fergie himself. Before kick off against Chelsea, Ferguson had to be confident that even in the face of defeat we would go on to win the league with victories over West Ham and Wigan. However, a defeat against Barcelona meant we wouldn’t win the Champions League.
Regardless, we did win the league and we did book our place in the Cup final, but what effect has our title win had on the team. Petr Cech says it could make us complacent, whilst Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez argue missing out on the league will make Chelsea more anxious. Who’s right?
“Football is sometimes a game with no logic,” said Cech. “Having won the title, you would say it was a big boost for them because they finished above us and celebrated. But that can be destructive. When you know you’ve won something you can relax more because in the back of your mind you have already succeeded. Maybe they will be more relaxed and this could be the advantage for us because we have to remember the feeling of going so close and ending up so disappointed.”
Rooney has spoken of his great excitement ahead of the final, claiming that we will be more relaxed, but that’s an advantage over the nervous Chelsea. “We will be bit a bit more relaxed with the Premier League in the bag and they might be anxious if they don’t win anything,” he said. “It’s a horrible feeling waiting for the final. I’d like to go to bed tonight and wake up on Wednesday. It’s a bit like Christmas when you’re a kid, so I just can’t wait.”
Carlos Tevez has claimed we are a better side than Chelsea, and that the fact their whole season hangs on the Cup final, that the pressure will be on them. “We are a better side than Chelsea and that is a psychological problem for them,” Tevez said. “They may say that the Premier League is another story but we are convinced it will have an impact on what happens. We are favourites and everyone knows it. We are not worried by Chelsea. We are concentrated and focused. But for them it is different, this is more than a final for them. Their whole season rests on this game and I am convinced they could have some problems. They need to win to avoid a season without a trophy so the pressure on them will be huge. We have no extra pressure.”
Who do you think is right?
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both have pros and cons..
Losing means you’re pumped for revenge, bitter..want to get your wn back, seen other team celebrate, hence get your payback..hence very up for it. On other hand, you can be nervy, tense and apprehensive losing 1 final, confidence may be a tad low..a bit worried of finishing with nothing.
Winning tiitle may mean we are more rellxed as roon put it, 1 in the bag, play with enjoyment and freedom. May not be as pumped as them. However winning breeds confidence and confidence can play such a huge part in life….esp mentally. The psyche and mind are a very fragile thing…small things can alter your thinking, mood and body energy and belief.
Id rather be in our position ofcourse..as shoulders should be less tense..even though this i feel for us is a bigger game for us than them.
Saying all that though..we won title last year and lost fa cup. So none of the complacency, relaxed factor etc may matter
I think SAF will be so pumped for this game he won’t let the team fall into any complacency, especially after the last big flop against city on the anniversery occasion. I hope he will try to keep them a lot more loose for this game. What I wonder is which United will we see the bomb ass goal scoring hardasses of the Premier league or the defensively tighter than five virgins in a volkswagon counter attacking grinders they have been in the CL. I don’t really care which they go with, they can beat them either way, I just wanna win!!!
Typical that both sides are trying to gain a psychological advantage going into the biggest game of the season (if not career). But honestly, it’s all a load of rubbish.
Pressure is pressure is pressure and it is on both teams – that’s why i expect a cagey game.
I would hope that we are not ‘relaxed’ as Rooney put it – but i’m sure we’re not!
All a load of rubbish – but atleast it gives the press something to write!
i think we are better prepared than chelski. c’mon United!
Scott your article said what I was thinking.
Its hard to judge if it is better being more relaxed comming into a final is better preperation than feeling under more pressure
Pos for us feeling more relaxed would be better as we may now knock the ball about better with some wait off our shoulders.
We played Barca away looking like a side under pressure but did not perform so maybe now we will go out and show chelski a master class of high tempo classic Englishfootball.
UTD have the bird-in-the-hand and no one has the bird-in-the-bush, YET !
Like “Tote”, I expect a cagey game. The first goal might be the only goal.
But after the first goal breaks the ice then all hell should break loose.
If you’re complacent going into the Champions League final then you shouldn’t be playin football at that level and i’m sure that is somethin that Fergie wold have told the players.
How can you not be motivated when you have the opportunity to win the biggest club competition in the world?! Complacency next season if win the big ‘un I’d expect but complacency going into the final?!?!
Rubbish
The mind games aside this game will be decided by who makes the least number of mistakes. Like many others i expect a tight cagey game in which both teams will be reluctant to push too many men forward in the first half.
Chelsea will be dangerous from free kicks and the height of Ballack and Terry and Lampards uncanny ability to score off deflected kicks will be something that United have to watch out for. The first goal will be absolutely crucial and we can hit them first i think we will have the mental strength to see the game through.
Still, i have a nagging feeling this might go beyond 90 minutes and somewhere along the way a penalty will decide things.
I’m happy that in the battle of nerves at least our boys go in knowing they are champions, i think that gives them a 1% advantage. But that’s it. Chelsea have a good team and this will be a hard battle which I expect United will win — but we need to play to our best and keep our concentration for the duration of the game.
Ps. Ronaldo will have a good game. So too will Rooney and i expect him to score the goal that wins the game for us.
tevez to score the winner,mark me as i say this!