2011 Champions League Final. Manchester United v Barcelona.

[ross4life]

I can't help feeling if Chelsea were in this final instead of United they would be given more of a chance & closer odds.

[snoopdog]

The Utd posters who where bleating about the playacting and harassing the referee by the Barca team in the semi final have went very quiet on the behaviour of Utd yesterday.

Back this up with facts??
United destroyed Chelsea, were denied 2 penalties. Ivanovic should have been sent off.
What are you on about ? Did you watch the match.
The number 1 priority has been wrapped up barring a disaster, anything else is a bonus.

[oakleafgael]

The Utd posters who where bleating about the playacting and harassing the referee by the Barca team in the semi final have went very quiet on the behaviour of Utd yesterday.

Back this up with facts??
United destroyed Chelsea, were denied 2 penalties. Ivanovic should have been sent off.
What are you on about ? Did you watch the match.
The number 1 priority has been wrapped up barring a disaster, anything else is a bonus.

The "facts" I saw yesterday where Giggs running to the referee to try and get Ivanovic sent off and Rooney feigning injury to do the same. The same things that some Utd posters where condemning Barca for.

[magpie seanie]

The Utd posters who where bleating about the playacting and harassing the referee by the Barca team in the semi final have went very quiet on the behaviour of Utd yesterday.

Back this up with facts??
United destroyed Chelsea, were denied 2 penalties. Ivanovic should have been sent off.
What are you on about ? Did you watch the match.
The number 1 priority has been wrapped up barring a disaster, anything else is a bonus.

The "facts" I saw yesterday where Giggs running to the referee to try and get Ivanovic sent off and Rooney feigning injury to do the same. The same things that some Utd posters where condemning Barca for.

Rooney didn't feign injury - he was clearly caught and it looked sore. Its never good to see players asking for cards like Giggs in particular did. I suppose its becoming so common in United v. Chelsea games that the ref forgets to produce the second yellow for Chelsea players that the United players frustration is understandable. The game on Sunday wouldn't have mattered if Luiz had rightly been sent off in the first meeting of these teams.

Whatever about my take on things above - if you genuinely think United's players carried on the same way on Sunday as Barca's did in the recent games against Barca then you are deluded.

[Norf Tyrone]

The Utd posters who where bleating about the playacting and harassing the referee by the Barca team in the semi final have went very quiet on the behaviour of Utd yesterday.

Back this up with facts??
United destroyed Chelsea, were denied 2 penalties. Ivanovic should have been sent off.
What are you on about ? Did you watch the match.
The number 1 priority has been wrapped up barring a disaster, anything else is a bonus.

The "facts" I saw yesterday where Giggs running to the referee to try and get Ivanovic sent off and Rooney feigning injury to do the same. The same things that some Utd posters where condemning Barca for.

Rooney didn't feign injury - he was clearly caught and it looked sore. Its never good to see players asking for cards like Giggs in particular did. I suppose its becoming so common in United v. Chelsea games that the ref forgets to produce the second yellow for Chelsea players that the United players frustration is understandable. The game on Sunday wouldn't have mattered if Luiz had rightly been sent off in the first meeting of these teams.

Whatever about my take on things above - if you genuinely think United's players carried on the same way on Sunday as Barca's did in the recent games against Barca then you are deluded.

United's anctics were nowhere near Barca's but Rooney did dive into Ivanovic in the 2nd half and in the 1st he did go down after a challange, turn around and realise it was Ivan and then lay down. Not arguing Ivan was lucky to last the 90 minutes but I did feel United were going out of their road to get him red carded.

If you want to take the Luiz thing to the next extreme, we'll Luiz would not have been red carded in the first game for the foul on Rooney if Rooney had've been rightly suspended for the elbow on James McCarthy.

[AQMP]

The Utd posters who where bleating about the playacting and harassing the referee by the Barca team in the semi final have went very quiet on the behaviour of Utd yesterday.

Back this up with facts??
United destroyed Chelsea, were denied 2 penalties. Ivanovic should have been sent off.
What are you on about ? Did you watch the match.
The number 1 priority has been wrapped up barring a disaster, anything else is a bonus.

The "facts" I saw yesterday where Giggs running to the referee to try and get Ivanovic sent off and Rooney feigning injury to do the same. The same things that some Utd posters where condemning Barca for.

Rooney didn't feign injury - he was clearly caught and it looked sore. Its never good to see players asking for cards like Giggs in particular did. I suppose its becoming so common in United v. Chelsea games that the ref forgets to produce the second yellow for Chelsea players that the United players frustration is understandable. The game on Sunday wouldn't have mattered if Luiz had rightly been sent off in the first meeting of these teams.

Whatever about my take on things above - if you genuinely think United's players carried on the same way on Sunday as Barca's did in the recent games against Barca then you are deluded.

United's anctics were nowhere near Barca's but Rooney did dive into Ivanovic in the 2nd half and in the 1st he did go down after a challange, turn around and realise it was Ivan and then lay down. Not arguing Ivan was lucky to last the 90 minutes but I did feel United were going out of their road to get him red carded.

If you want to take the Luiz thing to the next extreme, we'll Luiz would not have been red carded in the first game for the foul on Rooney if Rooney had've been rightly suspended for the elbow on James McCarthy.

...and McCarthy should have been sent off in the previous Wigan game for fouling a guy who was filling in for a guy who had been injured by a reckless tackle from another player who should have been red carded in the first half of that game....

[Blowitupref]

Looking at the path's to the final for both teams it's almost identical.

1) Both topped groups with 14pts
2) Barca & United beat Shakhtar & Schalke 6-1 on AGG
3) Barca won the all Spanish tie 3-1 AGG & United won the all English tie 3-1 on AGG

The big difference though is the goals scored as Barcelona are way ahead however United are very solid at the back.

Has the makings of fascinating final & will be alot closer game than some of the posters here think.

[gawa316]

Am I imagining things or was there a discussion on here somewhere re: Irish players to play in European semis/finals?

[bennydorano]

At least Utd fans here have some sense of reality, jaysus some of the stuff I've been listening to about how Utd are going to piss it.  Do they not remember the last final?  Not forgetting that Fletcher was missing last time of course   Little love that I have for Utd aside, I'll be very very suprised if they beat Barca.  Barca -1 for me

[pintsofguinness]

Think Barca are the home team for this one, will have to wear those poxy white jerseys! Can't see anyway for United to win this one. Will be there anyways in hope of a miracle!

Could be worse sure at least they won't have to wear grey jerseys as they wouldn't have been able see each other on the pitch...

You make that "joke" about every three weeks...

[laoislad]

Think Barca are the home team for this one, will have to wear those poxy white jerseys! Can't see anyway for United to win this one. Will be there anyways in hope of a miracle!

Could be worse sure at least they won't have to wear grey jerseys as they wouldn't have been able see each other on the pitch...

You make that "joke" about every three weeks...

Only two weeks left till the next time so..

[magpie seanie]

Am I imagining things or was there a discussion on here somewhere re: Irish players to play in European semis/finals?

It was on the United thread. Conclusion we came to was that the last time 3 Irish lads played in a European Cup semi final was 1985 - Beglin, Lawrenson, Whelan - and not 1968 - Brennan, Dunne, Best as initially proposed. Then Muppet rightly pointed out that the question posed said only "European semi final" and pointed to the Arsenal bucks - O'Leary, Brady, Rice, Stapleton and a few more in possibly the Cup Winners Cup, not sure what year.

Anything to add?

[gawa316]

Am I imagining things or was there a discussion on here somewhere re: Irish players to play in European semis/finals?

It was on the United thread. Conclusion we came to was that the last time 3 Irish lads played in a European Cup semi final was 1985 - Beglin, Lawrenson, Whelan - and not 1968 - Brennan, Dunne, Best as initially proposed. Then Muppet rightly pointed out that the question posed said only "European semi final" and pointed to the Arsenal bucks - O'Leary, Brady, Rice, Stapleton and a few more in possibly the Cup Winners Cup, not sure what year.

Anything to add?

Just watching the Liverpool Fulham game last night with Baird and Hughes playing, got me thinking. Checked and those 2 and Duff played in last years Europa League Final. Not sure about the semi mind

[magpie seanie]

Am I imagining things or was there a discussion on here somewhere re: Irish players to play in European semis/finals?

It was on the United thread. Conclusion we came to was that the last time 3 Irish lads played in a European Cup semi final was 1985 - Beglin, Lawrenson, Whelan - and not 1968 - Brennan, Dunne, Best as initially proposed. Then Muppet rightly pointed out that the question posed said only "European semi final" and pointed to the Arsenal bucks - O'Leary, Brady, Rice, Stapleton and a few more in possibly the Cup Winners Cup, not sure what year.

Anything to add?

Just watching the Liverpool Fulham game last night with Baird and Hughes playing, got me thinking. Checked and those 2 and Duff played in last years Europa League Final. Not sure about the semi mind

That's some shout, fair play.

[gallsman]

Busquets charged with racism by UEFA, case to be heard on Monday. Big, big blow to Barca if found guilty.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13381508.stm