Little Men v Big Boys
When Manchester United play my team Celtic we are unable to get the ball.
And when Man Utd play Barcelona they are unable to get the ball.
Now given the difference in budgets between Celtic and Man United this is understandable.
But for United to be outclassed as they were this morning in the biggest game of club football, the European Champions League Final, against Barcelona..well it was embarrasing for any United fan...and aren't there heaps of them!
Here's why Fergie lost.
Well United are a great team and can keep the ball forever against Celtic, Stoke, Middlesboro, Newcastle or even Aston Villa...but they rely heavily on counter-attack football, their individual stars and they have many, against top top sides, and in Ronaldo they have a one man goal machine. And he didn't score.
Barcelona won for the little people. Iniesta, Messi not a giant among them showing the world that anyone, of any size can control a game of football at the highest level.
United met their match, as they did in the Semi last year. At Old Trafford United couldn't get the ball, but Paul Scholes lashed one home. Barca despite dominating never scored. But the difference in class was seen that day.
Why United with Ronaldo, Rooney, Giggs, Anderson, Ferdinand, Evra, Tevez, and co can't keep the ball says a lot about Barcelona, their passing and more importantly their movement.
Today Barcelona apart from the first ten minutes completely controlled the game and surely should have won by more, and if Thierry Henry or Iniesta had scored early in the second half the game won have been won.
Of course Aussie fans will be sick to death of hearing from Craig Foster about this co-operative club from Barcelona, but no more sick than the rest of the football community are at hearing how wonderful Man United are when they beat West Brom, Everton, Wigan or the like.
This was a great game. Two teams at the top of their game, United unbeaten in 25 yet at the highest level of the game, yet they were left wilting.
Imagine going to a final and producing like that. Fergie..surely it's your fault. Few Man United fans can accept such a debacle or can they.
Gus Hiddink showed the way to get close to Barca but to their credit United played the United way...today it was Barcelona who set the standard for football.
Let's see how many emails I get from United fans today telling me how wonderful they are...suspect the phone lines will be quiet for awhile.
