2008 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL.....MANCHESTER UNITED v CHELSEA

[Shrewdness]

Here's a true story about the 1999 Champions League Final to lighten the mood.

An acquaintance of mine sat down in front of the TV to watch the match, in a very nervous tense state.

After just 6 minutes, Basler scores for Munich

This man is gutted and can't stand the tension and agony of watching United try to break down the German defence, so gets up, turns off the telly, and walks out of the house. He actually went down the field to have another look at the cattle, even though he had already seen them an hour earlier.

When he thinks it's half time, he puts the telly on to check on the score and is gutted to see it's still 1-0 ......Turns telly off again in despair.

Keeps checking his watch again in second half, and chances another look at the telly. Heart sinks as he sees 72 mins gone, still 1-0 to the Germans. Telly off again and walks out of the house gutted, thinking that 2 out of 3 trophies wasn't bad.

Then he realises that his family and friends will all be talking about the game, asking his views etc, and he hasn't seen 10 mins of it.

Decides to watch after match studio discussion so that he can talk about the main points.

Turns on the telly expecting to see Bayern celebrating. It's not over. His heart sinks when the screen shows time up and still 1-0 to Bayern.

He looks at the screen and sees Beckham placing the ball for a corner

Please God let them score. Seconds later, Sheringham scores

Relief, joy, near panic attack.

Will he watch the extra time, or turn off the telly again, and look at the cattle again.

Before he decided, another corner, another goal

Final whistle, Christ, we've won it..........Sheer ecstasy.

That story has never been told before to anyone. That person was me.

As i look out the back window, the cattle are taking bets on how many times they'll be checked this evening

[Hound]

Hard to know what team Ferguson will pick.

I'd have Hargreaves and Anderson alongside Scholes in the middle, but Ferguson seems to think Anderson is finished for the season and Carrick is rated higher than Hargreaves. If Hargreaves doesnt start tonight, youd have to wonder why the hell they bought him. But I presume he will play - he is the best man to track Ballack, who's finally finding his best form.

Ronaldo will play down the middle. Cole regularly has him in his pocket, so no point taking that risk. Terry is playing rubbish at the moment and Carvalho isnt 100% fit, so Ronaldo running at them is United's best form of attack. Gawd knows where Rooney will end up - probably on the left wing with the instruction to annoy the fack out of Essien.

Have to laugh at a BBC Radio 5 preview saying Drogba v Ferdinand will be a key battle. What utter nonsense. Rio will keep as far away from Drogba as he possibly can. Vidic on the other hand is one of the few defenders around who'll probably look forward to a battle against the Ivorian.

If AV Grant was clever enough to play a midfield 3 of Essien, Balllack and Lampard - they would destroy a midfield containing Scholes and Carrick. However its likely that Essien will be relegated to full back (its beyond my comprehnesion how the best central midfielder in the world plays more at right back!) with Makelele in to the middle, to cancel out Scholes lack of movement!

I've rarely seen Ferguson look so confident ahead of a big game. Presumably because he figures there is no way an idiot like Grant could out-think himself and Queiroz, and it'd be hard to disagree. So long as he doesnt do one of his "European masterstrokes" where he does something nobody would thought of to make himself look clever.

I predict a 1-0 win for united.

[T O Hare]

should be some craic around the pubs tonight!!! there will be some fegs smoked!!!!

[Square Ball]

6 hours to go.

[spiritof91and94]

should be some craic around the pubs tonight!!! there will be some fegs smoked!!!!

Just hope all the bets are honoured....

[Billys Boots]

If AV Grant was clever enough to play a midfield 3 of Essien, Balllack and Lampard - they would destroy a midfield containing Scholes and Carrick.

I can't see this not happening, i.e. Essien not playing in his best position.  It would be madness.  Granted his fullbacks (Belletti and Ferreira) aren't brilliant, but the battle's to be won in the middle, and this is much less likely to happen for Chelsea without Essien.

[T O Hare]

should be some craic around the pubs tonight!!! there will be some fegs smoked!!!!

Just hope all the bets are honoured....

i think your getting me mixed up with the older T O Hare Mister Mc Veigh 

[Abble]

Chelsea 2 Scum Utd 0

Men against boys tonight....
Just been looking at a few pictures in the papers, great one of avram grant smiling in the background as he watches makelele try to break coles legs during lasts night kickabout...whereas in another picture the 'devils' are doing ring-a-ring a rosie

[new devil]

So how did the "boys" win the league...and the "men" didn't 

[Hound]

If AV Grant was clever enough to play a midfield 3 of Essien, Balllack and Lampard - they would destroy a midfield containing Scholes and Carrick.

I can't see this not happening, i.e. Essien not playing in his best position.  It would be madness.  Granted his fullbacks (Belletti and Ferreira) aren't brilliant, but the battle's to be won in the middle, and this is much less likely to happen for Chelsea without Essien.

Indeed it would be madness, but the only time Essien plays in midfield is when one of Ballack, Lampard, Makelele is unavailable or rested. He was right back in the second leg v Liverpool and I'm expecting him to be right back tonight.

[supersarsfields]

Well with little interest in either team winning the nite I decided to opt for a couple of bets instead to add a bit of spice for me. £5 on United win 2-0 with scoles first scorer at 80-1 and another with Drogba first scorer and cheski to win 2-0 at 60-1.

[Minus15]

team predictions
Chelsea: Cech Essien Terry Carvalho Makelele Lampard Ballack Cole Malouda Drogba
Man U: Van Der Sar Brown Ferinand Vidic Evra Hargreaves Carrick Scholes Ronaldo Rooney Tevez

1-1 after 90 mins
1-1 AET
Chelsea to win 4-2 on penalties.
Goals from Rooney for Man United and Drogba for Chelsea.

[Shrewdness]

I'm out of here now. Best of luck to United tonight, and hope all United fans have every reason to celebrate tonight.

[wherefromreferee?]

Under 4 hours

UNITED

[Davitt Man]

NEWS ALERT......

Manchester fertility clinics fear a shortage of sperm donations this Wednesday as 40,000 of their regular w@nkers head for Moscow :-)