Barcelona vs Man United................Congratts Barcelona

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

Things couldn't have gone much better for Michael Carrick since joining United in the summer of 2006.

He has developed into one of the finest midfielders in the country and become an integral part of Sir Alex's trophy-winning Red machine, he's the proud owner of three Barclays Premier League titles, as well as Champions League and Club World Cup winners' medals.

And ahead of European football's showpiece final meeting with Barcelona on Wednesday, the 27-year-old tells ManUtd.com he's determined to further boost his and United's trophy haul...

In your opinion is this a final between the two best teams in world football?
Yes, probably. The fact we’ve both won our respective leagues certainly puts us up there as the best two sides in Europe. It’s going to be a huge game and it’s one we’re all looking forward to.

What kind of match are you expecting?
I’m not sure. We thought it would be very open and attacking when we played them last season and in the end there was only one goal over two legs. They can score and create chances at any time, but we believe we can defend well and attack them. There could be a bagful of goals or just one could be the difference - anything could happen, but that’s what makes it such an interesting game.

People talk about the threat of Messi, but the manager has highlighted the dangers posed by Iniesta…
He’s definitely a big player for them. He’s had a great season and scored a few goals, none more important than the one against Chelsea in the semi-final which put them through to the final. I know he’s had a bit of an injury recently, but I’m sure he’ll be fit for Rome and it’ll be a big test to play against him because he’s a really top player.

United can make history by becoming the first side to retain the trophy – is that something you think about as players?
It’s a strange one really because you try not to think about things too much, but at the back of your mind you know how special it could be if we could do it. We’re determined to repeat the feeling we had last season, it was something I’d never experienced before in my life and it really was an unbelievable feeling. To do that again would be incredible.

How big a boost is it to be going into the final as champions of England?
It’s a great boost. Just knowing that you’ve been consistent over a long period of time and have been good enough to finish on top of the pile gives you a lot of belief. We’ve hit good form at the right time and it’s important to reproduce that form on Wednesday.

Darren Fletcher obviously misss the game through suspension – how much do the players want to win it for him?
We’d love to. We’re all still devastated for Fletch, but hopefully we can win it and go some way to making him a bit happier about the situation.

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

Ando relishing 'special' final



Anderson believes the experience of having ruled Europe last season will aid the Reds' bid to do so again in Rome...

What kind of final can we expect on Wednesday?
Everybody knows that United and Barcelona are two great sides and it has all the makings of being a great final and one that will be talked about for many years to come. Getting to play in games like this with the chance to win trophies is the reason why we work so hard every day. I hope to be involved, but just being part of a team that is playing in a final is fantastic and I think it will be a very special occasion for every one of us.

Will you draw on the experience of last season’s showpiece?
Yes, of course. It’s always a great experience to play in a final and you learn many things. You understand how to better deal with certain situations and focus on the little things that you might have missed the last time round.

Will United take confidence from the fact Barcelona have not always done so well against English sides in the last few years?
Not really because every game is different. I’m sure Barcelona will be fully focused on doing well, just like we will be and it should be a great game.

How pleased have you been with your form of late?
I was injured for part of the season and coming back from that was a slow process because I had to get myself right physically and mentally. I’m enjoying my football at the moment and I hope I can keep helping the team to win trophies.
Is the chance to make history by defending the trophy something the players are thinking about?
Of course. We have every intention of winning the trophy, but we would want that anyway no matter whether we were going for back-to-back wins. We always want to win every competition we play in and it’s our aim to do that on Wednesday.

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

Sir Alex: This is our time


There are moments Sir Alex Ferguson rues in past European expeditions; missed opportunities that fuel his burning desire to maintain a relentless pursuit to put United where he says the club belongs: among the continent’s elite.

Reigning European champions, the Reds are the dominant force despite Barcelona's protestations, but Sir Alex wants more trophies to prove it. He joked in Rome that his team-talk will come to him during a restless night's sleep. You can bet it’ll be a spine-tingler.

Just as equalling Liverpool's 18 league titles was never even considered ‘job done’, neither would becoming the first team to retain the Champions League. Sir Alex has bigger plans, but winning on Wednesday would be a good start, or rather a continuation.

“There’s an opportunity for us to put ourselves alongside Europe’s great teams. This is a squad with a great future, a young team withh experience to do well in the next few years. On Wednesday we can endorse that.

“To be considered a great team, you have to win the European Cup again. But there have been unlucky teams down the years. You have to win this cup, it's a prerequisite. Teams like ourselves and Barcelona have to win this trophy to be considered in that regard. But not everyone can win it.

“Nobody has retained the trophy,” he adds. “But we're good at firsts. We have a opportunity to repeat that. It’s interesting – unusual – that nobody has retained the trophy since the Champions League started. It was done regularly in the sixties and seventies. There were cycles of great teams, like Ajax, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. We have an opportunity to change that; I hope we take it.”



just under 24 hrs to go an counting.......

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

Eto'o eyes history


26/05/2009 14:15, Report by Steve Bartram


United may be trying to re-write the history books with victory in Rome on Wednesday, but Samuel Eto’o admits Barcelona are also eyeing a place in folklore.

Victory for the Reds would not only make Sir Alex Ferguson's side the first club to defend the Champions League trophy, it would also seal a second-ever Quadruple. Meanwhile the Catalan giants, already winners of La Liga and the Copa del Ray, can become only the fifth European Treble winners.

"We have the opportunity to rewrite the Spanish Football history books and that’s what is important," Eto'o told Barca TV.

"That should be our motivation. To win it not just for our fans but for the fans of Spanish football. With that to drive us forward, we shouldn’t lose."

Neutrals are eagerly anticipating a feast of attacking football in the Stadio Olimpico but Eto'o echoes United's Nemanja Vidic, insisting that victory is far more important than entertainment.

"We have to make sure it is a perfect final, especially for us," he said. "And it’s only a perfect final if you win it! We know it’s going to be tough but we’ll give it everything."

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

United bid to retain the Champions League, with Barcelona awaiting in Rome...

Form Guide: In 14 games since March's back-to-back Premier League defeats, United have won 11 and drawn three games, ensuring an 18th league title and a berth in Rome. The final victory of that run came at Hull on Sunday, where Sir Alex Ferguson had the luxury of resting a hatful of players who are likely to start on Wednesday. Barcelona have also been resting players ever since they clinched their own domestic crown, meaning little can be read into successive La Liga defeats against Mallorca and Osasuna.

Ins and Outs:

Suspension rules out Darren Fletcher for United, while Barca are hampered by the absence of banned defenders Eric Abidal and Daniel Alves. The Catalans are still closely monitoring the fitness of key duo Andrés Iniesta (thigh) and Thierry Henry (knee), with both players confident of featuring. Similarly hopeful of lining up at the Stadio Olimpico is United's Rio Ferdinand, who is on course to return from a calf injury

Star Man: Take your pick. The tie is inevitably being billed as a battle between Ballon D'Or holder Cristiano Ronaldo and pocket genius Lionel Messi, but rarely can a supporting cast have been so star-studded. Two teams packed full of potential match-winners.

Referee:
Massimo Busacca will be the man in the middle. This will be the 44-year-old Swiss official's 33rd Champions League tie, with his last outing coming as United overcame Porto in Portugal.

[Football_lad]

Where is everyone going to watch it? Ill be at the Rosey!

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

Where is everyone going to watch it? Ill be at the Rosey!

home, nice an warm in home with a few scotches an me 63inch tv/.

it plays on sbs,

why be out in the cold ..

[Chelsea4thewin]

hell yeah, why would i want to leave a nice leather couch and a 50inch full HD plasma

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

the latest updates

PAUL LOGOTHETIS
May 27, 2009 09:50am


JUST as he did against Chelsea in the semifinals, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola vowed to stick to an attack-minded philosophy for tonight's Champions League final against Manchester United.
The rookie coach produced near poetic prose at Stadio Olimpico overnight (SA time) in describing what he wants from the match.

"I want the players to feel well, to feel beautiful, to feel like they are playing in front of the whole world, to be daring and to feel that they are here because they deserve it and to show how good we are," Guardiola said.

"It's the best match to show it."



For Guardiola, the philosophy worked in winning the Spanish league and Copa del Rey, and he saw no reason to change it for Europe's biggest club finale.

"I would not like to play tomorrow thinking we could have done it differently," said Guardiola, who snapped a three-year trophyless streak a season after guiding Barcelona's B team to promotion in his first coaching job.

"I don't have a method. I have good players. I would not be in Rome without these players. They are the team, I try to correct things we don't do properly, keeping the good things and eliminating the bad ones."

Fear and nerves? Bring it on.

"These factors make a difference. On the other hand, the team is very calm and they trust very much in what they are going to do," said Guardiola, who answered reporters' questions in Catalan, Spanish, English and Italian.

Thierry Henry and Andres Iniesta are ready to return to an offense that netted 151 goals, with Guardiola already decided on the tactics he will employ against United, which knocked out Barcelona in the semifinals on the way to last year's triumph.

"We have had important players missing but that really cannot be an excuse," Guardiola said. "Tomorrow we will try and get a team onto the pitch and we will try to be Barcelona. It's an honor and a pleasure to be in the final."

He also expects star winger Lionel Messi to put on a shining performance with the winger never having notched against an English opponent.

"Messi will play a good game if we get our tactics right,"

Guardiola said of the competition's leading scorer with eight goals.

Although his legacy is growing at home, Guardiola knows the club must seize the opportunity to cap this season's achievements.

"Its been a great season but it can still finish badly. In football things can change very suddenly," Guardiola said. "The small things can change your life. I've been very lucky to have a squad of players that are very good."

Regardless of the outcome, Guardiola is hoping that the meeting with coaching rival Alex Ferguson will provide one thing he wouldn't have imagined at the start of the season: One of the Scot's renowned wine-tasting dinners.

"If he invites me, of course, I will accept with pleasure," Guardiola said.

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

15 hours an counting down!!

[Football_lad]

hell yeah, why would i want to leave a nice leather couch and a 50inch full HD plasma

The atmosphere last year at the rosemont was brilliant. I also have a large HD TV but am leaving the comfort of my own home to go watch it with some mates where i dont have to worrya bout waking anyone up. Not sure if the Barcelona support will be as big as last years Chelsea contingent but hopefully there will be some friendly banter none the less. Looking forward to it!!

Man United 2-0

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

WELL, WITH 6 HRS TO GO, IM RESTLESS AN WON'T BE ABLE TO SLEEP.


SO FIRE

UPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

ALL YOU UNITED SUPPORTERS................

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

Messi: We will destroy United

Lionel Messi reckons that Manchester United will risk humiliation if they opt to go toe to toe with Barcelona in the Champions League final. The Barca superstar admits he is after revenge for last year's semi-final defeat by the eventual champions. Back then, the Catalan giants had almost 70 per cent possession over the two legs. But they could not break down United's defensive wall and Paul Scholes' screamer put Alex Ferguson's men through. Messi told SunSport: "I don't think Manchester will play like that again. They have players to play football and will be a bit more open. We're the best team in Europe in an open game and this will give us the advantage. If they come out to play it will be a beautiful game - and I hope it will benefit us."
Antony Kastrinakas, The Sun

The back pages of today's newspapers are, of course, crammed with quotes from both camps and previews of the big match. Other stories include Ryan Giggs declaring that victory would confirm the current team as United's best ever side. The same player is also urging Cristiano Ronaldo to remain a Red - "Don't go Ron!" (The Sun)

Among the neutrals casting their expert eye over the final is England manager Fabio Capello. The Italian is quoted in the Daily Mirror as saying United's squad is "surely the strongest in the world." On that basis, plus an assessment that "Cristiano Ronaldo has become Cristiano Ronaldo again and is fitter than Messi," Capello is tipping the Reds to make history tonight. "Getting to a European final is already extremely difficult. To win two in a row is awesome. But Sir Alex is THE record man," adds the England boss.

Round up by Adam Bostock




BRING IT FKKKKKKKKKKKKNNN ON!!!

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

United will wear white in at the Stadio Olimpico tonight, and Sir Alex was asked whether that might help Barcelona after they defeated the white shirts of Real Madrid so convincingly (6-2) in La Liga recently. The boss just laughed and said: "I watched that game and that wasn’t a defeat, it was an annihilation! Barcelona are the home team so they wear their home strip. Our red and blue kits both clash with their colours, so we wear white. But we’re very happy at that… and we’re better than Madrid!" Of course, we wore white when we beat Barcelona in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1991, Sparky grabbing both goals in Rotterdam. (BH)


There are more than 30,000 United fans expected in the city today.



I WANT 1 OF THOSE,

E-FOOTBALL, GET ME 1 PLEASE!!

[ruud]

my god do you ever shut up jimmy

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

Barcelona 2 United 0

http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pageg ... &team=Away

We were told this Champions League final would be a game displaying the beauty of the counter-attack; no two teams in Europe more adept at carrying it out. But United would certainly have hoped not to be so heartbreakingly on the end of its devastation.

Twice United dominated proceedings here in Rome, and both times Barcelona hit the Reds on the break as goals from Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi secured a 2-0 win for Barcelona in Rome. Make no mistake, Barca’s intricate passing football was brilliant at times, and there is no real injustice in the result.

That said, United could have been two or three goals up inside the first seven or eight minutes but, sad to say, this was to be Barcelona’s night.

Sir Alex went with the team many predicted, full of pace and set up to counter. There were no real surprises in the Barcelona outfit either, Andres Iniesta and Thierry Henry recovering from recent injuries to take their place in the starting line-up.

Gary Neville was the noticeable absentee from United’s 18-man squad. The Reds skipper lost out to Rafael on the bench. And even in choosing the young Brazilian’s speed over Neville’s experience, it said everything about the type of game Sir Alex sought to play.

The teams entered this, the biggest of stages in European football, and tantalisingly walked past the trophy both clubs so keenly covet. Sir Alex passionately feels that his side have not triumphed in Europe enough; but Barcelona, going for a third European title, would say the same. And so the stage was set for one of the most eagerly-anticipated finals in years.

The fans roared on the Reds, playing in white, as Anderson earned an early free-kick with Ronaldo inevitably smacked the resulting 25-yard set-piece goalwards. Victor Valdes struggled to stop it and spilled the ball back into Ji-sung Park’s path. But Gerard Pique blocked the rebound from the Korean, who had become the first player Korean to play in a Champions League final.

It was a blistering start from United, attacking as expected down Barcelona’s exposed flanks. And on seven minutes Ronaldo, playing as a threatening central striker, sent another shot fizzing at Valdes. Seconds later another opportunity came his way. This time he chested a ball down in the area and fired a left-footed volley narrowly wide.

Barcelona’s fans were mute, their team were being outplayed. But in their side’s first real foray forward after ten minutes, the Catalans scored. Iniesta made a piercing run forward and fed Samuel Eto’o on the right; the Cameroon international cut inside Nemanja Vidic and poked the ball past Edwin van der Sar from eight yards. It was completely against the run of play, but this was always bound to be a contest punctuated by breakaways. Now United were on the ropes, and composure needed.

Barcelona’s play was typified by Iniesta, who orchestrated their imposing short possession game. United had lost the speed that characterised the team’s early attacks and seemingly some of the patience to wait and pick the right pass. The fans didn’t lose hope, however, and in Ronaldo the Reds always had a threat, some hope, but something would have to change in the second half for United to turn the final around.

Sir Alex wasted no time and replaced Anderson with Carlos Tevez at the break. Could Tevez make the crucial influence as he has done so many times this season? The Reds nearly weren’t given a chance to find out as Henry twisted and turned to beat Ferdinand before forcing an excellent point-blank save from van der Sar four minutes into the second half. Then on 52 minutes Xavi hit the post with a free-kick after Park’s foul on Iniesta.

After that the Reds had a really good spell of possession. The Barcelona fans whistled, largely because they knew United were becoming a threat. Rooney, now playing on the right, swung in a cross switch Ronaldo and Park both narrowly missed. Another right-wing Rooney cross was blocked by Pique, while the resulting corner almost found Vidic, who rose above the Barcelona defence. Promising, but not potent enough.

Sir Alex then made sure he had all his trump cards on the table, bringing off Park and putting on Dimitar Berbatov to join Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez in attack. But again United’s attempts were thwarted with 20 minutes to go; Xavi’s allowed Messi, probably the smallest player on the pitch to rise and head in a second for Barcelona. United had gambled – simply had to – and again were hit on the break.

The final minutes were galling for United as Barcelona’s supporters cheered their team’s every touch. United never stopped running or trying to attack, as the fans who almost painfully sang; ‘We’ll never die…’. It’s true. Responding to adversity is a character trait ingrained in the club. Sometimes you have to suffer lows to revel in the highs. This wasn’t United’s greatest showing, but one thing is certain, this team will be back.



Man United
1 Van der Sar
22 O'Shea
5 Ferdinand
15 Vidic
3 Evra
8 Anderson 32
16 Carrick
11 Giggs 18
13 Park 9
7 Ronaldo
10 Rooney
Subs:
29 Kuszczak
21 Rafael
23 Evans
18 Scholes 11
17 Nani
32 Tevez 8
9 Berbatov 13

[ruud]

fkkkkkkkkk offfffffffffff TGJ!!!!!

we dont need ya congratulations !!!!!!!

[Wraith]

I thought you went for Ajax?

[Facts and Stats]

Having watched the game , and saw UTD struggling it dawned on me what they needed on the pitch, not Scholes, Bebartov and Tevez but Howard Webb, Mike Riley and Rob Styles.?

Fergie forgot to pick his proven match winners!

[Outlaw 2.0]

Having watched the game , and saw UTD struggling it dawned on me what they needed on the pitch, not Scholes, Bebartov and Tevez but Howard Webb, Mike Riley and Rob Styles.?

Fergie forgot to pick his proven match winners!

Don't forget Mark Clattenberg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xowj6Qx7 ... re=related

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

I thought you went for Ajax?

he's a bandwagon!!

[ruud]

I thought you went for Ajax?

im clearly being serious

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

bandwagoner!

[BADA BING]

Congrats to Barcelona, to strong

[The Joker]

Congrats Barca. At least I can say we were outclassed by a truly great team..

[El Pibe D'Oro]

Game was won in the middle of the park. Messi would float back into the midfield to make it effectively 4 vs 2 (Carrick, Anderson) as Ferguson insisted on letting Rooney, Giggs, Park, Ronaldo not track back to help Carrick and Anderson.

I have to say, Ferguson got it all very very wrong.

By the way, have United supporters had enough of Berbatov yet - 30 million pounds my arrrse.

And for all of Ronaldo's ability, not one shred of humility. When things dont go his way, his petulance is astounding. Scholes was lucky not to be sent off for the foul on Busquets too.

[The Joker]

When things dont go his way, his petulance is astounding. .

His petulance wasn't too bad.. He didn't even do his usual arms in the air waving around like a psycho.

[El Pibe D'Oro]

He is getting hammered in the british press for his antics in the second half - i think they mean a few fouls and genuine disinterest after half time.

[pires7]

I guess La Liga is >>> than the EPL then