3-1 to Utd and a mint copy of Stool Pigeon for me.
Having read way to many prematch hypes and newspaper pull outs I'm in danger of a repetition of my childhood birthday party where the excitement in the days leading up to it failed to match the reality of some cheap snacks, an iron man cartoon video and a one tape deck disco hosted by my brother resulting in me retreating alone to the stairs to sit, head in hands, and wonder where it all went wrong.
If memory serves a lot of his set juggling was sourced from Hits 6 sadly ruining the cocky wonder of Bruce's take on Under The Boardwalk for life. This was interspersed with the obligatory Bad album tracks and an almost obsessive replaying of Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou's I Want Your Sex with the word Sex edited out through skilful manipulation of the volume control on top of the panasonic beast.
Little surprise that within the year I had forsaken my brother's suggestions of music for good and was soon to be heard banging out the hardcore sounds of Bobby B and Neneh.
The music for the iron man cartoon was awesome though, I'll give them that.
As an American, I will be rooting for something like a 6-6 draw that goes to penalties...that being said
I think Evra is going to have a lot of problems with Messi, and it will be interesting to see if Fergie plays the big 4 together for the first time tonight...I expect to see this at least once nonetheless...
It's true, he had promise which sadly fell away as he fell into the wrong crowd in his early teens, started experimenting with soft rock ballads and MOR and, before I knew, it, was blaring out Extreme and Bon Jovi from his bedroom.
Hey ignasty, can I just ask, you have seen Henry "play" in a major final before right?
Actually, I don't think I have...He's just been on form lately and I think he wants to stick it to United, that's all
Fair enough, you're correct on both counts of course but to describe his performances in major finals so far as low-key would be doing him a favour. He's bound to come good sooner or later but so far I reckon he's 0 for 10 in living up to his billing on the big occasions. Last time he was in the CL final he missed a sitter which would have won Arsenal the cup.
As I type this it's becoming all too clear that I'm setting myself up for a world of pain tonight.
it will be interesting to see if Fergie plays the big 4 together for the first time tonight...I expect to see this at least once nonetheless...
I don't expect either of these things to happen. As Junior said Henry has been anonymous in the past in big games like these, and there is 0% chance that Fergie starts Rooney, Ronaldo, Berbatov and Tevez together.
Im going with Utd 2-1, although I could see a 1-0 Utd too but don't particularly want us to play that sort of game.
I wouldn't say Henry was anonymous in the Arsenal-Barca final by a long shot... he did miss a sitter but after the sending off and Sol's goal he was really isolated and had no option but to hold up the ball or try and take on everyone himself. I thought he was quite good.
I'm routing for a win for Barca, preferable a last minute one for maximum heart break or an absolute mauling for maximum embarrassment.
ITV really has the worst coverage ever, the score and time in the corner keep disappearing and the commentators ALWAYS make a boxing/football reference, "United are like a boxer who's been knocked down for the first time and are stumbling around trying to hang on" or something like that. They also went on about Barcelona's game being about constant short passing and then criticised Valdes for keeping with the short passes rather than punting it up the field. Andy Townsend is also shit, Teddy Sheringham is the only one I don't mind.
The passing on Man Poo's part was inept, you see how Anderson whiffed totally on a ball that was right at his feet? Iniesta and Xavi had us chasing around like fools for minutes at a time. Yet when we did get the ball back, it was handed back to them very cheaply, on avg after 3-4 touches.
Yaya Toure really impressed me in one particular moment, when Ronaldo was pressing him in the box. He shielded him away and waltzed upward effortlessly. Class!
Ronaldo was the only Man Poo player that showed up, just not good enough. Vidic was made out to be a fool on the 1st goal, Eto embarrassed him w/ the cutback. The 2 weeks off made them far too complacent.
Barca are the deserved champs. Even if my distaste for Arsenal is high, glad to see Henry finally nail the big one.
I didn't say he would start all 4, just wanted to see if he was saving it like a trump card or something...whatever. Henry should have had a goal but it was a half crap shot/half good save by Van Der Saar. glad Barca won anyway.
Apart from the one about Henry once again failing to do diddly squat in a major final (if he had scored I think my large screen tv may have become a large screen hole).
I was going to say that goal apart Messi wasn't that outstanding but at the end of the day he did what was required.
Barca deserved it without a doubt, we just didn't show up.
With the wonderful blessing of hindsight it's apparent that, the two legs against Arsenal in the CL apart, we haven't really been on form since we got destroyed by Liverpool at Old Trafford. All the problems since then (Vidic's inconsistency, an inability to find the final ball, Rooney placed too wide etc etc) were all brought to light last night. I think Torres destruction of Vidic will go down in history as a moment when a defender had his season ripped apart.
Why Fergie played Giggs I'll never know.
I could torture myself over what would have happened if we had put away one of our chances in the glorious first 9 minutes but why torture myself anymore.
Congrats to skel and the others who called the score right. Utter bastards the lot of you.
Skel, I'm aware that on top of my personal pain I'm going to have to part with my beloved copy of Grandaddy IU and the white labels. Be up for doing it over lunch when you get back from your trip abroad.
Yes, wobbly dubstep and (c)rap has a new home at Skel Mansions.
Man U midfield wasn't up to the job. Park didn't look good enough, despite his high work-rate, Anderson looked like a player who's spent most of this season on the bench, and Carrick is too tall, slow, and easily turned in a congested midfield... and Giggs just doesn't have the energy anymore.
Barca were great though, and Messi's header was the icing on the cake. Xavi, Iniesta, and of course Messi all have an exquisite first touch, an eye for the right[/b] first-time pass, and they can all turn on a six-pence.
As a neutral, I was actually very pleased they won considering the calibre of football they played, and feel sorry for Chelsea who put up much more of a fight - they desrve more from this competition than Man U (shameful histrionics aside).
Yes let's lunch soon this damned trip to India is still no nearer resolution
FWIW I thought Carrick had an abysmal game, worst of a bad bunch. What was dramatically obvious was a severe lack of 'leadership' on the pitch.
Leadership is an uncertain mixture of vocalese, bullying, charisma, example, clarity of thought, cool headedness and dictatorship, all bound by the gossamer threads of confidence.
No-one in the Uniterd team had that last night. Ferdinand, Giggs and Scholes were woeful in that regard. They knew the game was up within 5 minutes of the restart. The inability to turn things around was astonishing. Where is the Keane, the Cantona, the Bruce? Ferguson looked like an ailing OAP.
But defeat is surely less painful knowing that the victors were several steps up the class ladder.
And someone please explain, what exactly is the point of this Park fellow?
Comments
You have reason on your side, but my pick is:
2-1 Barca
Having read way to many prematch hypes and newspaper pull outs I'm in danger of a repetition of my childhood birthday party where the excitement in the days leading up to it failed to match the reality of some cheap snacks, an iron man cartoon video and a one tape deck disco hosted by my brother resulting in me retreating alone to the stairs to sit, head in hands, and wonder where it all went wrong.
3 - 0 to FCB
Henry with a hat trick.
leaving work early for this...not my team but hopefully will be a much better game than last years Russian snooze fest.
HEY! Last week you were backing Barca with tepid Italo funk heatery. I have wobbly dubstep and lame hip-hop riding on this.
Manuel, not ManPoo
Ahh, that's better.
"I'm so sorry SoulStrut, he's from VG+"
POST THE SET LIST OR YOU'RE SOFT
Little surprise that within the year I had forsaken my brother's suggestions of music for good and was soon to be heard banging out the hardcore sounds of Bobby B and Neneh.
The music for the iron man cartoon was awesome though, I'll give them that.
I think Evra is going to have a lot of problems with Messi, and it will be interesting to see if Fergie plays the big 4 together for the first time tonight...I expect to see this at least once nonetheless...
Hey ignasty, can I just ask, you have seen Henry "play" in a major final before right?
Fair enough, you're correct on both counts of course but to describe his performances in major finals so far as low-key would be doing him a favour. He's bound to come good sooner or later but so far I reckon he's 0 for 10 in living up to his billing on the big occasions. Last time he was in the CL final he missed a sitter which would have won Arsenal the cup.
As I type this it's becoming all too clear that I'm setting myself up for a world of pain tonight.
I don't expect either of these things to happen. As Junior said Henry has been anonymous in the past in big games like these, and there is 0% chance that Fergie starts Rooney, Ronaldo, Berbatov and Tevez together.
Im going with Utd 2-1, although I could see a 1-0 Utd too but don't particularly want us to play that sort of game.
I'm routing for a win for Barca, preferable a last minute one for maximum heart break or an absolute mauling for maximum embarrassment.
They also went on about Barcelona's game being about constant short passing and then criticised Valdes for keeping with the short passes rather than punting it up the field. Andy Townsend is also shit, Teddy Sheringham is the only one I don't mind.
Yaya Toure really impressed me in one particular moment, when Ronaldo was pressing him in the box. He shielded him away and waltzed upward effortlessly. Class!
Ronaldo was the only Man Poo player that showed up, just not good enough. Vidic was made out to be a fool on the 1st goal, Eto embarrassed him w/ the cutback. The 2 weeks off made them far too complacent.
Barca are the deserved champs. Even if my distaste for Arsenal is high, glad to see Henry finally nail the big one.
PS if this thread were on waxidermy it would be about the copy of Dave Bixby for sale.
...which is why soulstrut is more fun.
Senior, we feel and share your pain.
Apart from the one about Henry once again failing to do diddly squat in a major final (if he had scored I think my large screen tv may have become a large screen hole).
I was going to say that goal apart Messi wasn't that outstanding but at the end of the day he did what was required.
Barca deserved it without a doubt, we just didn't show up.
With the wonderful blessing of hindsight it's apparent that, the two legs against Arsenal in the CL apart, we haven't really been on form since we got destroyed by Liverpool at Old Trafford. All the problems since then (Vidic's inconsistency, an inability to find the final ball, Rooney placed too wide etc etc) were all brought to light last night. I think Torres destruction of Vidic will go down in history as a moment when a defender had his season ripped apart.
Why Fergie played Giggs I'll never know.
I could torture myself over what would have happened if we had put away one of our chances in the glorious first 9 minutes but why torture myself anymore.
Congrats to skel and the others who called the score right. Utter bastards the lot of you.
Skel, I'm aware that on top of my personal pain I'm going to have to part with my beloved copy of Grandaddy IU and the white labels. Be up for doing it over lunch when you get back from your trip abroad.
Man U midfield wasn't up to the job. Park didn't look good enough, despite his high work-rate, Anderson looked like a player who's spent most of this season on the bench, and Carrick is too tall, slow, and easily turned in a congested midfield... and Giggs just doesn't have the energy anymore.
Barca were great though, and Messi's header was the icing on the cake. Xavi, Iniesta, and of course Messi all have an exquisite first touch, an eye for the right[/b] first-time pass, and they can all turn on a six-pence.
As a neutral, I was actually very pleased they won considering the calibre of football they played, and feel sorry for Chelsea who put up much more of a fight - they desrve more from this competition than Man U (shameful histrionics aside).
Yes let's lunch soon
this damned trip to India is still no nearer resolution
FWIW I thought Carrick had an abysmal game, worst of a bad bunch.
What was dramatically obvious was a severe lack of 'leadership' on the pitch.
Leadership is an uncertain mixture of vocalese, bullying, charisma, example, clarity of thought, cool headedness and dictatorship, all bound by the gossamer threads of confidence.
No-one in the Uniterd team had that last night. Ferdinand, Giggs and Scholes were woeful in that regard. They knew the game was up within 5 minutes of the restart. The inability to turn things around was astonishing. Where is the Keane, the Cantona, the Bruce? Ferguson looked like an ailing OAP.
But defeat is surely less painful knowing that the victors were several steps up the class ladder.
And someone please explain, what exactly is the point of this Park fellow?
Park is still my boy, he had a terrible game, but then he hasn't played a full 90 minutes since March. (Fergie fucked up-R)
Anyway, I can't bring myself to write anything more except Barca were totally shit against Chelsea.