Champions League/Uefa Cup 08/09

I didn't see the match ( Chelsea v Barca ) and have heard in the news how bad the ref was but being a ref is a pretty difficult job so at least some blame should go to the linesmen. It's just another reason why football should have a video ref too.

It is quite strange how English teams have been dominating the champions league and pretty disappointing too seeing the "giants" of italy and spain getting beat by the 3rd and 4th teams in England really doesn't make it that exciting. Most of the champions league is pretty much blahy blah anyway , I'd like to see the champions of other countries get straight into the group stages, they're not going to get any better if they don't get the money. I enjoyed watching CFR Cluj this season in the champions league along with the wee Cyprus team I can't remember the name of but begins with An.

As for the UEFA cup , I'd like to see Shakhtar win , no real reasons other than I always found it amusing playing old Championship manager years ago and seeing a player called ( Razvan ) Rat. Next season for the first time in their history the mighty Falkirk will be in Europe to win the UEFA cup.

yeh of course.

i would love to see the real champions league, where you only have CHAMPIONS from all over europe competing.

now it's all about the money.

Well then, its all over!

Barca didnt deserve to be in the final, but they definately deserved to win.

Congrats to the smallest man on the pitch scoring the only header!!!

Comiserations to you many United fans.

thanks.

yeh our midfield didnt have the energy, we really missed a fletcher hargreaves in there. a sham really.

we started well but the first goal got the confidence away and form there on it was hard to build on.

but being in the CL final twice in a row is great as well.

you can always loose a final, even though it is the most valuable match in the end, its only one match. and the loosing side will always feel hard done by. but we won the league and that alone is a great acheivment going 3 in a row etc.

yeah, Barcalona was the deserved winner but I'm sure, that if Eto'o didn't score when he did, then we would have contiued with that amazing start and could have won.
But hey, you can't have em all...

wow we missed fletcher!
he would have been more likely to track back with iniesta and xavi, more than anderson (shocker).

but they absolutely outclassed us, we were chasing shadows for 80mins, well done to barce

iniesta is a god...

i still don't know why the hell giggs played so long in CM :dontgetit

im a madrid supporter but eveni have to admit, one o d best performances in a final by any team. (excluding maybe liverpool 3-0 down...) but the way that barca controlled a team of united's stature.....

I didn't think Barcelona played that well , I think it was more Man Utd not playing as well as they can. I agree that it seemed the team miss Fletcher , with all the money spent on Hargreaves and Carrick , Fletcher looks like the better team player.

I don't think it was a great final really , nothing compared to the mighty Falkirk playing Rangers at the weekend now that was an awesome final. Shame the victory was stolen by those damn gers.

you don't think barce played well?

they played amazing, the whole utd team was clueless for 80 mins, whilst iniesta, xavi and messi showed thier magic

No I don't think Barcelona played that well , they were the better team yes but they've performed far better in other rounds.

i understand your point.

because united probably played their worst match this season in the final. and barca played as they are used to playing.

barca have been consistent this season though and i think that was the key in the end.

i mean united last season were more consistent and played much better overall. so when they had a bad match it wasnt really that bad of a performance from them.
this season though when united had a bad day they really had a bad day, at times came out fighting of course. but in the end they couldnt.

barca kept their consistency and that was the key.

but also barca have been able to keep it at a certain level thanks to the la liga. i mean in la liga they are far more dominant. i mean compare the premier league to la liga. if you look at how tough it would be to be playing against good teams every other week it is tough.

i mean look at the semi finalists, arsenal chelsea and man united. and liverpool in the quarters. just tells you how tough it is domestically for these teams as well.

but barca have been really good this season though, they have kept going when they needed to.

I'm pretty bad at putting across what I think in words but glad you see my point.

I don't think it was Man Utds worst match but they didn't play well.If Man Utd had played like they can and Barcelona still won 2-0 then the match would of been a classic and Barcelona would of been amazing. This time sadly Man Utd didnt play well and as you stated Barcelona kept their consistency and deserved to win. Messi's goal was good. I don't think the match lived up to all the prematch hype which was a shame with 2 teams like that it should of been a classic.