Ahead of Barcelona’s Champions League game against Stuttgart, Pep Guardiola has urged his team to show the European form of Manchester United.
“It’s a marvellous challenge to try and be one of the best eight sides in Europe and to emulate Manchester United, who last year became the only recent champions to make the quarter-finals the following season,” said Guardiola.
The Barcelona manager hopes his team don’t suffer the same fate as rivals Real Madrid, who were knocked out by Lyon last week.
“Of course, it is possible the same could happen to us, this is a great competition,” he continued. “It’s a warning. We could lose but it would have been impossible for us to achieve the titles we did last season if we had under-estimated our opponents.”
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Chelshit out! C’mon Stuttgart, make us champions!!
Of course they can go a step further and retain the trophy.
Got a great team,the best player in the world who is in good form again.it isnt easy because luck also is needed like they got against chelsea last year.the exit of chelsea and madrid will aid them too.
Having seen them of late they dont look as good as last year
Take Messi out of Barca team, and they will seriously struggle.
I hope Barca will be knocked out of the competition so we can take the trophy from Inter and Arsenal… who else? Bayern? Lyon? we gonna win the CL. come on UNITED.. let’s close the gap to Loserpools
Take Xavi and Iniesta out and they will struggle. They will go through. I would rather we didn’t get them in the next round; a trip to spain in that period will not be ideal. Plus they are capable of beating us over the two legs. Lyon or Bordeaux would be good; France is just around the corner, and they will pose less threat than Bayern or Barca.
They may well get to the final but if we are the opponents again then we will not let them retain the trophy; that will be broken by us in the next few years. After all we are renowned for our history making…
Good to hear him say that.
Pep, you’re not a bad judge.
United look to be the strongest team in the competition for me, even before tonights results.
Luck invariably plays its part though.
I’m personally not in the slightest bit concerned about playing Barcelona as long as we dont get any key injuries.
There is no way on earth we would fail to show up this time!
Time for a gloat ! I watched the RentBoyz crash out of the CL again. Such a joy to behold. And, of course, they lost with dignity and great sportsmanship – NOT !
What will this mean in the EPL ? Two possible scenarios – they just disintegrate or else they gird themselves for the battle ahead. They still have a very difficult series of away matches ahead of them before they come to OT so the first scenario is a very, very distinct possibility. How good would that be ?
About Barca – I hope that they lose tomorrow; their tippy-tappy game is very boring to watch and a loss would remind those “experts” that they were bloody lucky in Rome that Fletcherinho was disqualified, Hargreaves was injured, and that Anderson limped off at half-time. Of course, to recognize those factors would be a big ask for all those “experts” who have extolled Guardiola’s team as God’s Gift to Footie.
pep flattered by your comments but like fergie said we have to calm down milan were shit to be honnest and we got the easier milan, but we got to give fergie and the boys credit last year for out foxing mourinhos’s inter, giadiola seems the calmer and more collective version of mourinho its never about himself always the team which I hope pep gets the job at united he would be awesome.
Yeh, we’d definitely show up against Barca, the motivation would be there. Not watched em recently so can’t really comment on their form but I’m sure they wouldn’t want to meet us any more than we’d want them. Coming up against Fergie and his massive squad must be a nightmare for opposition managers, even just predicting a starting 11.
Great time for Sir Ryan to return, he could inject that calmness as things hot up and he’s always likely to create something.
Leave Barca for the final.
never had a problem with barca seem to be a class club go about buisness the right way.its those other pricks i hate.i know it would have been better for our chances to win the prem if chelsea had gone through but have to admit enjoyed seeing those rentboys get bumped,it opens the cl up for us to have a good run only a few teams left that look a threat get the right draws we’ll be there again.kinda pumped right now things seem to becoming together nice for us{i’m touching wood}
It looks as if Guardiola is aching for a move to OT.
With Fergie’s retirement imminent Guardiola would be a perfect replacement.
well with the champions league, you never know. the year porto won, i never would’ve thought they’d knock us out…whether they benefitted from poor decision making or not. but i really do think Utd seem like the strongest team in the champions league…but barca’s not really far behind. they might not look like the all conquering force of last year, but if xavi and messi are in good form, they can be very dangerous. esp cause they got the rock puyol at the back, and pique whose not doing a bad job either. they are def the team to beat this season.
if we were playing barca next round tho…what kind team would you pick? the only position i’m having trouble deciding on is right back, because i’m not sure who would be back from injury etc. but based on our available options now (including giggsy) i think i’d go
VDS
….. rio vida evra
scholesy
valencia fletch park giggsy
rooney
scholesy’s done a decent job as a holding mid, and fletch and park are always good at helping him out. fletch would also be effective in closing down xavi, esp because he haaates being kicked and barca have trouble coping with teams that neutralize xavi/iniesta. it would be a very counter attacking team, where scholes would pass off the ball to the wings for crosses in. and of course the wingers would be expected to track back. i dont know…what do you guys think?
Hes just lining himself up to replace Sir. He’ll never say a bad word about us.
That Drogba moron manages a unique record I guess, The player to be sent off each season in the final game for his Club ( 07-08 Final, last year retrospectively, and now this year )
Disgraces like him and Stevie Mee would never be taken in the right way inspite of any immaculate social work done by them off the field…
the chavs fans showed their lack of class by booing mourinho off. fucking cunts i really despise them. fucking great to see them get knocked out.
P.S. what was tiny tears trying to do after the match??? horrible knob
@ Irish Red
Exactly what I was thinking mate!! plus they arent that great, if we get them we will beat them!!
Pep = next united manager. fingers crossed…
Can’t believe how the competition has opened up for us. I make us joint favorites with Barcelona. This season has certainly had a few surprises up it’s sleeve. It is great to see that not only are we playing well but teams around us like Chelsea and Liverpool are doing so poorly. Champions League had been more in hope than expectation but the way it has worked out- I have my fingers crossed. Dare I hope that Barcelona get knocked out too!
hope we get bayern
Whoever we get we must be at our best. After watching Inter last Sunday being beaten 3-1 by Catania I’d have put my money on their being knocked out yesterday. However, they outplayed the rentboys in all departments. With their wily fox Murinho they can upset any applecart. Having said that I believe we can beat them over two games. Belief comes first.
if we want to win the champions league we have to beat the best clubs,would love to hear
“youre not special anymore”
My opinion is that is a bad that we didnt played with them intead of Stuttgart, becuause we would eliminate them. Than would be much easier…they play bad past few games.
I dont think any games are easy at QF stage. You could get unlucky and get a round at CSKA moscow. The travel would be a killer
@PG
Id rather be in with a chance of going to Moscow than in Chelsea’s position, though i do agree there’s no easy games at this stage.
If we get to the finals, the Bernabeau might be like home if we meet Barca. Ronnie will get us the home support against! Friday’s QF draw, please don’t let us meet Barca…..yet!
i’m not afraid of barcelona just go for 4-5-1 over the two legs and we’ll beat them
well done inter chelsea out.
i see man utd arsenal in final and of course we’ll win.
We will emulate the Manchester United. and get better. Barca v Man Utd final again, this time will be 3-2!
Winning Number Nineteen Is More Important To Me….I Don,t Work With Barca,Madrid,Milan,Or Bayern Munich Fans……Winning The League Is Over 38 Games A Season…Real Test…..
“It’s a marvellous challenge to try and be one of the best eight sides in Europe and to emulate Manchester United, who last year became the only recent champions to make the quarter-finals the following season,”
Fair enough wanting to make the last eight again but didn’t anybody tell him that we actually made consecutive FINALS?!
Has anyone considered the possibility of United v Munich final? Robben is on fire and I for one would love to have another go at them!
@ jellybean
Good comments on Barca style – if United meet Barca they should play similar style to the games against Arsenal – draw them in and hit them on the break!
United for the treble!
Plz i want to face barcelona and their midgest in the quarterfinal, plz let us destroy those small hobbits once and for all!
PUTA BARCA PUTA BARCA PUTA BARCA
VIVA UNITED VIVA UNITED VIVA UNITED
Would have liked to see Hargo back for any meeting with bcn, but Fletch will be itching to get involved. Pity about Ando too. Midfield harassment is definitely the key, but it’s how the central 3 are made up. Alvez and Messi down the right is tricky, I’d love to see Evra and Ji or Giggs taking the game to them, raiding down the left.
Guardiola’s a better prospect than the Special Education One (or ‘The Interpreter’ as I like to call him). Always remember that interview with Sir Bobby Robson saying how he didn’t understand how the guy went up the ladder like he did. The only person I’ve heard him say a bad word about.
Doesn’t matter if u made consecutive finals. U have 2 win it!
Bring on Manchester United!! we will crush them again. Roma was like a training session 4 us! and we were missing our defence!!!
But I think UEFA will fix the pots again so Barca and Man Utd will reach the final. And Barca will play Arsenal in the semi final because the people will want 2 c that game aswell!
my predictions:
FC Barcelona v Bordeaux
Arsenal v Lyon
Inter Milan v CSKA Moscow
Man Utd v Bayern Munich
Barca v Arsenal and Inter v Man Utd in semi finals
Barca v Man Utd in the final.
Barca 3-2 Man Utd!
the Messi v Rooney show, and its gonna get MESSI!
Javier – Oh come on. We had no midfield that night. Fletcher would not have given twinkle toes Xavi and Iniesta that kind of space and time on the ball. Scholes would dictate the tempo. Rio was fucked, Rooney was wasted out wide left and Ronaldo was playing for himself. Anderson and Carrick were both injured the latter with a broken toe I believe. We are a much different team this year and Rooney is leading the way. Really do hope we play you in the final, we owe you one!! I agree with your prediction for United’s draw tomorrow. I think we will get either Bayern or Lyon.