Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic had a poor game yesterday, particularly the latter, in not showing up when they were needed. Samuel Eto’o ran past Vidic with ease to score the opening goal and somehow that midget Messi managed to get to the ball first to head in to the net to make it 2-0.
Both our centre backs are rightly disappointed with their performance.
“We didn’t come here and give a good account of ourselves,” said Ferdinand. “We have played better 99 per cent of the time this season, but saying that we created four or five good opportunities to score, but they scored two goals at crucial times and two bad goals on our part. But we have no arguments, they were the better team on the day, you have got to do it on the day – if we played better or played to our strengths it would have been a different game, but if you don’t do it on the day you don’t deserve to win.”
Vidic agreed.
“We didn’t play well,” added Vidic. “They had a good game and scored at the right time – then we chased the game and they had space to counter attack us, they deserved to win.”
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WAS VIDIC INJURED
it’s just a shame that despite all Barcelona’s good play, their two goals could have easily been avoided. No-one tracked Iniesta’s run for the first, while Vidic was turned too easily and Ferdinand did not pick up Messi for the second. I won’t blame them though, they have been outstanding for the last 3 years.
Vidic is not make 4 big games.
It will be a very interesting silly sesaon this summer. Eventhough we won the Premier Leauge and got to the CL final I think we need to do some rebuilding. I think it’s time to let Ronaldo bug off to Real and get Ribery in. Also we must find better replacements for Giggsy and Scholes, as well as buying a proper striker.
He is not “make” for big games?
Bar last season’s champions league final when he bullied Drogba out of the game, actually bar last night and one game against the Dippers every other game he has been immense.
Vidic is just fine for big games.But sometimes,strikers like Eto aren’t his forte.He is better in the air.Brown had a better time with Eto last year because he is better on the ground.Mind you,i am not saying that Brown is better than Vida.Just that they are different defenders.
Goals change games. That’s axiomatic. That’s what happened last night. For the first nine minutes, UTD had three excellent scoring chances that came to nought. Ronaldo was looking like the best player in the world but, then, in the ninth minute, the first time Barcelona brought the ball out of their own end, Iniesta ran unopposed for forty yards and passed the ball to Eto’o who turned Vidic inside-out, like a pretzel, and scored. That was it for TheLads who deflated like a pricked balloon. GAME.
Playing without belief for the next hour, TheLads were uninspired. SET.
Then, in minute 70, Evra lost the ball in midfield to Puyol who passed Xavi who found Messi at the back post – completely lost by Rio who seems to have ignored LittleLeo’s run into space. MATCH.
The the benefit of 20/20 hindsight – which all the commentators and experts have displayed today – it was a one-sided contest. That’s not what I saw. What I saw was a real lack of PlanB when PlanA went out the window. SAF had TheLads playing too soft, yielding space to Barcelona in midfield. That was a form of suppuku, hari-kiri, suicide. Slow and agonizing.
It also negated our best players – Ronaldo and Rooney – because, I think, Guardiola, out-strategized SAF: his second-stringers in defence/midfield (Pique, Busquets, Sylvinho and Puyol/Toure who were playing out of position) were not challenged.
So, the goal changed the game. Now we’re going to hear a load of blather about Messi/Iniesta > Ronaldo; and more about Guardiolo > SAF. All we can do is grit our teeth and wait for next year because the ABUs won’t want to acknowledge that the Eto’o goal changed the game – all they will see is that UTD lost and were timid, weak, and unconvincing in the fight-back. Of course, they’ll be half-right so we’ll just have to take it this time and wait for next year. And, of course, about next year – God only knows !
Ok NOW can we all admit that Anderson is a complete pile of shit. It was fking embarassing. Can’t believe he actually missed the ball at one point. Can we all just drop the act and stop pretending he’s good.
Yes we all played badly, Park/Carrick especially too. But Anderson really is a laughing stock. He will never become the player you all think he is.
This reminds me of our defeat to Milan in 2007, the press have built us up so much but now, given the chance, are making the most out of a rare United defeat. Some of the comments by the pundits are completely outrageous and unfounded – chris waddle saying that without a shadow of a doubt Barcelona are better in all departments. They beat us in one match but it wasn’t as if we didn’t have chances – our final ball wasn’t good enough and they were superb. We will hopefully fight our way to the final next year.
Park played well, it’s a shame his legs aren’t a little bit longer, then he could have reached all those balls that were just out of his reach.
Vidic has been immense three bad games all year twice against the dippers and last night, He is great against the strong powerful striker the likes of drogba
Arni you think whatever you want on Anderson.But you have to talk better about players of the team you support.Anderson wasn’t too bad until the goal was he?After that,even Rio was jittery!What did you want Anderson at 21 years of age to do?He missed the ball?DISASTER!Sell him and bring back Djemba Djemba.
Anderson was out of his dept to be honest, Feel sorry for the lad taken off at half time,I think alot of people underestimated Barca, La Liga shite bla bla bla, Just heard tevez didnt leave with the club back to Manchester
Arnil- You are being too harsh on Anderson. Anderson was not that bad i honestly thought Carrick was much worse. i cant name one player that played well except maybe EDVS.Everyone else was just shit.
Fergie picked the wrong team. We played with little creativity and were missing Fletcher a lot. Carrick cant tackle so when Anderson was taken off i was baffled. Giggs didnt do anything right. Park was not good going forward and his first touch was just horrible. I really thought park should of been taken off for Nani. Nani could of ran at their defenders and crossed the ball for ronaldo. Scholes didnt impress. Rooney was wasted on the left should of played centre. Tevez was not getting help from our midfield. Berba had a couple of good touches but thats it. Vidic had a bad game. Rio forgot the basics of defending. Oshea didnt help rio out. Evra was good going forward but forgot to defend. We were shit.. deservedly got beaten by Barca. But cant help but think that we shouldnt even be playing them. The support though was amazing. Sorry for sounding so negative but we really did let ourselves down.
I a world class Barca.that is not to say that it didn’t hurt,but just imagine losing to chelsea….there is no excuse yesterday,we were out-classed,we even played like we were scared..what a shame.Rooney’s display reminded me of last year final,he put almost every feet wrong.
i though rio was playing two so why was he not covering for the first goal.he would not go up for corners although he never does anything.so if he wasent fully fit he should of been a man and let a fit player play so vidic did not have to cover his ass
where was rio for the second goal ???????? he dident jump cause his groin is fu@@@@ hes an arshole
I’m not just blaming the whole game on Anderson. Obviously our whole team was outclassed. This is 2 seasons worth of frustration at seeing Anderson perform on a sub-par level and STILL receiving all the plaudits from media and fans. I was so disappointed to see him on the teamsheet for yet another big game, and my apprehension was completely justified…it wasn’t coincidence that he was the man chosen to come off at half time.
The standards of kids these days, at 21 and coming from a Brazilian background, yes I DO expect him to be a lot better than he is…especially when he’s wearing a Manchester United shirt.
i have actually watched the game again . even after their first goal we were playing reasonably well until around the 23 min. in the second half if carrick had measured that pass to rooney a bit better the ball wud not have run out of play and we wud have scored bcos we had 3 players in the middle.ALL I WANT TO SAY IS THAT GAMES NOWADAYS DEPEND ON ONE SITUATION SOMETIMES. GET IT RIGHT AND IT TURNS EVERYTHING AROUND.
here here.
Arni– Anderson wasn’t too bad in the two Semi finals now was he? Are those not big enough games for you?
Not to mention last season’s games against Arsenal and LIverpool.The media and the fans have been ecstatic about Anderson,because he showed glimpses of what he can do.But he had a mediocre second season.No one has denied that.I blamed him a lot at the 4-1 defeat.But as Drew says,he was very good in the semi final games against Arsenal.There are no standards for kids depending on age alone.It’s about experience.Fabregas is the same age as Anderson,but he is miles ahead in consistency,because he has been playing at this level for 4 years.It’s Ando’s second year at top level football.I do expect him to switch off after a goal like that.When you look and act like a kid having fun(not saying it in a degrading manner,just my opinion on his body language),then when the going gets tough you won’t know what hit you.I hope that he slowly mans up.
kapti14@17:15 – good points; there’s a lot of revisionism in the media accounts. To hear the Barcelona players tell it, they were very nervous until they scored the second goal. What’s disappointing about UTD’s performance is that it was tactically sterile which was made worse because the two players who would have made a difference weren’t able to play – without Hargreaves and Fletcherinho, the midfielders were reactive, not proactive. Anderson was unusually quiet, too. Our midfield needed to get at them, they didn’t and that played into Barcelona’s hands. Behind that thinking was, I think, an undue fear of letting Barcelona get too much space so, in effect, SAF traded time for space and it didn’t work out as he planned. Still, as kapti14 writes, UTD did have a number of scoring chances from the very first minute right until the end but none of them materialized. Such is life BUT NOW the revisionism starts in and the experts, commentators, and ABUs gleefully tell us that it was a one-sided slaughter. That’s revisionism.
colla what the fuck is wrong with you, you cunt
i think anderson since his broken leg is not the same player but rivaldo said he will be great so i believe him.
And Costas, lets be honest here, what Midfield in the world can get close to Xavi and Iniesta?? Chelski did a decent job at it, but thats because in my opinion, they have Essien who is one of the best defensive CMs in the world. And last night, Ando had Carrick and Giggs next to him, not exactly “destroyers” in the middle. So he was chasing shadows all night from two of the absolute most brilliant one touch passers of the ball I’ve ever seen! I really think if we had Fletch or Hargo in there last night it would have carried over to Ando and he would have played better. But as my uncle would say, If “if” was a fifth, we’d all be drunk”
mates, how exciting were those first few minutes though? everyone saying united were gonna come out there and sit back and counter and we just took it to em like the first leg against arsenal. I was jumping up and down like a kangaroo, oohing and ahhing. And then….but when scholsey came on in the 75th and took the armband from giggsy, supporters were singin we’ll never die, i was sure this would be a special comeback. Shit wasnt meant to be i guess and it hurts. I like ando, but lad needs to calm the fuck down during games, i mean hes brazilian for gods sake. His first touch and his touch in general baffle me sometimes, and Im sure its coz he gets nervous and it isnt for a lack of skill. I will never doubt or question fergie but a diamond shaped midfield with giggsy at the top against a barcelona team that thrives on space????Then tevez came on and i was happy, but in hindsight i see that killed our shape even more. Still yet, i would rather lose tryin to attack than do what the rent boys did and try to bully and defend with 11 and win with a fluke goal.
Rio and Vidic ensured the damage was far less than the scoreline which read. They are Rock solid and ever ready for big big games. Like I said, its just one of those days.. http://tinyurl.com/mhgglo