Just thought I'd say thought you played your part in a good game. Fantastic acheivement getting there. They are a great side and theres no shame loosing to them! Felt Fergie might have got a couple of things wrong but those are all personal opinions and hindsight is a wonderful thing! I personally felt that the side neither attempted to give Barca a problem or defended resolutely. I'd have picked nani and anderson and dropped giggs and Park and said right we're going to pin dani alves back and rely on Anderson to mark Messi. However, as i said hindsight is a wonderful thing Still great acheivement and have no doubt you'll be challenging on all fronts next year!
Ah i think to be fair you have to give full credit to barca! You've got a good side (centre mid is a little weak) but they are brilliant They looked a little shell shocked for the first 10 minutes but as soon as they settled they didnt really let you play! Still with a few tweaks in the summer (scholes and giggs to go now i think) I still think you'll win the league and probably semis of the champs again
Giggs will stay. One bad game should game should not blot a great season (on the field) for him. Scholes will go i think. He is visably not as good as he was as August (still good though). Bringing him on for the last ten minutes felt like a goodbye to me.
No shame in losing to that team. I do think there were some errors in Fergie's selection though. Carrick and Giggs in CM was a bad move. Not a great deal of pace, and neither are known for their tackling ability. I think Anderson is an average player, but he at least has a bit of bite in the tackle and his pace may have helped against the carousel. Also, Fletcher not starting was a bad move. Maybe this was dictated by his fitness, but he made the bench. Not even having Berbatov on the bench as well. Against a team that you know will have around 65% possession, surely you need someone who can hold the ball up when you do get it. Ferdinand and Vidic resorted to hoofing at times, which is understandablle given the situation. But if youre going to do that, Berbs may have had a chance to control the ball, keep hold of it, and take the pressure of a little. Hernandez was a spectator because of this. Unlucky though. Good game, great Rooney goal, but outclassed by the best team of this generation, possibly ever. Roll on 2011/2012!!