On the Ball (new Football Focus)

[Sandperson]

Barca really weren't that good Mick...sorry you are wrong. We were poor and made them look good, but hardly a classic European night.

[????]

Annasfield.

Me too, was gonna say hello at the Strand.....but had that "what if it's not" fear so waited until Lordship Lane!!!:-$

[Annasfield]

Still worrying about the Scousers I see Sandperson?

The happiest I've been this season was when we beat Fulham at the Cottage in the last minute. Realised we were starting to get some of the luck that you lot have benefited from over the past few years.

This one is dedicated to you SP.

[Annasfield]

Hate those moments. Always seem to recognise forumites on the bus, but I'm never sure.

[mockney piers]

In lined to agree that a teAm has to be very good go make man u look average. Felt sorry for Carrick, he's a good lad and I'm not just saying that because he's ex academy but because he's always been an honest hard working talent. Just wasn't their night basically.

And yep matthew, that's what its all about, sharing the love!!

[????]

In all honesty I thought United were very poor...lots of over hit diagonal balls which Barcelona dealt with easily and some awful, awful defending....not sure Barcelona were great by any stretch but clearly deserved it

[Mikecg]

Play nice now, you lot dont like it when the gloves really come of I did that and was likened to Hitler.

You either stop now or it will get real nasty.

[Mick Mac]

SP - you are the best team in England and you could hardly get a touch of the ball - sorry mate but they are bloody good. Its not all about goalscorimng chances, they just shielded the ball brilliantly and exposed MU's central midfield weaknesses - pure class. And when the speeded things up they found big spaces in MU's defence.

People in my work (having read the poor press previews) were talking today of Barca's defensive weakness and how that would be exposed - what nonsense.

[Sandperson]

See, obsessed with United. A win against Fulham a highlight of a season must have been a thriller. Mine was winning the league for the 18th time and United being in the European Cup final. Still...Fulham...blimey...:))

[Annasfield]

Don't worry we know how it feels to lose a final in Europe. 5 from 7 finals.

What's your tally again?

[SimonM]

Never thought I'd be able to feel sympathy or fellow-feeling for Man Utd supporters, but after tonight, following on from my own team's defeat on Monday.....nope, I still don't - at least not for those that cannot accept defeat gracefully. Of course we Sheffield United fans have had decades to hone and perfect our stiff upper lips...

I am still trying to work out how "5 foot 7 inches tall" (as we were repeatedly told by the typically crap commentators) Messi managed to find so much space between the two world-class defenders and then leap so high to make that perfect header. I wish my team was blessed with ordinariness.....I'd settle for a bit of Barcelona's mediocrity in fact.

[Sandperson]

I was always a Wednesday fan. Their supporters always seemed so much more dignifed. When was the last time they sued someone because they weren't good enough to stay in the premiership?

Anna, that perch s still looking a bit wobbly to me.

[SimonM]

>>I was always a Wednesday fan. :D

[Atila Reincarnate]

???? Wrote:

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> Atila Reincarnate Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > ???? Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > Stoke 2009= Arsenal 1978-1997

> >

> >

> > Not sure who you support or how long you've

> been

> > watching football but you are clearly deluded.

> > During the period you've quoted we won a number

> of

> > trophies, including a title or two something

> Stoke

> > can only dream of. I grant you we were poor

> from

> > 1980 to 85 and from 86 to 88 but we never

> plumbed

> > the depths that Stoke have managed this season.

> > Piss poor team, piss poor attitude to the

> > beautiful game, typical of the "English"

> approach

> > to the game, all physicality, aggression and

> fcuk

> > all else. All fart and no poo as my eldest son

> > would say. Such a stone age approach to the

> game

> > has no place in the 21st century.

>

> And you wonder why us supporters of proper teams

> think you 'big team' lot are arrogant @#$%&? By

> your crappy logic the awful, awful Arsenal team of

> the late 80s and early 90s should have been

> expelled on aeshtics alone..because you play a bit

> of pretty football nowadays and have plastic

> supporters galore doesn't give you the right to

> say hardworking teams like Stoke don't deserve

> their place in the top flight.....it is truly

> laughable from an Arsenal fann of your claimed

> age...Arsenal put back the development of

> sophisticated football in this country years under

> George Graham so leave out the high ground on

> Stoke eh...

Piss poor team, piss poor attitude, and I say again such a stone age approach has no place in the modern game. I hope they are relegated next season. Like it or not that's my view, and please don't presume to tell me what I should or shouldn't think, there's a good chap.

[Atila Reincarnate]

???? what the fcuk is "proper" team? Bolton, Sheffield United, who exactly? I dislike your superior patronising attitude. You seem to think only you have a right to express an opinion. By all means express yours but don,t dare to assume yours is the only one that counts and that only your team is "proper" whatever the fcuk that is!!!

[matthew123]

United were hosed off the park last night by Iniesta, Xavi and Messi. It was beautiful football and one wonders what the final scoreline would have been if the rest of the Barca team had performed.

You only had to watch the Arsenal game from 2 weeks ago to know United might get the runaround. We've seen it too many times in recent months where likes of Porto, Liverpool and Villa have gone to Old Trafford and bossed the midfield. United have a weak midfield - rushing the opposition into mistakes does not make Carrick, Fletcher, Anderson & Park the equivalent of Gerrard, Fabragas, Alonso and Lampard.

['bout now]

I think Ferguson got it very wrong tactically, the midfield looked incoherent and a bit passed sell by date, Rooney on the left was odd, he's a pitbull of a player and you need him running straight at lumbering central defenders. Ronaldo was a little too greedy, leaving support players no time to pick up possession and above all Barcelona were excellent.

Right result, only downside is that Terry Henry got a medal, I'll never forget his pathetic whining after the Arse got beat by Barca, what a twonk.

[ratty]

All the bitching between fans of top 4 sides on here reminds we why I am so pleased to support a proper club too!

[Atila Reincarnate]

Until somebody can articulate, or intelligently explain what the fcuk a "proper" club is, I'll treat such remarks with the disdain, and contempt they so richly deserve.

[matthew123]

Annasfield Wrote:

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> Don't worry we know how it feels to lose a final

> in Europe. 5 from 7 finals.

>

> What's your tally again?

Actually Anna, Liverpool have played in 16 European Finals (EC/CL/UEFA/CWC/SC) and won 11

United have done 8 European Finals (EC/CL/CWC/SC) and won 5

[JetSetWilly]

Atila Reincarnate Wrote:

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> Oh happy day, how good were Barca? By the way were

> are all the Man Ure forumites?

probably all stayed to the end, unlike another team i could mention.

[Atila Reincarnate]

JetSetWilly Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Atila Reincarnate Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Oh happy day, how good were Barca? By the way

> were

> > are all the Man Ure forumites?

>

> probably all stayed to the end, unlike another

> team i could mention.

Oh you are a wag, how long did it take you to think that one up or was it scripted for you? 2 - 0 to the Barca , 2 - 0 to the Barca, etc. Probably stayed to the end eh, you mean Man Ure have got that many Italian supporters?

[JetSetWilly]

he shoots, he scores.

[ratty]

I guess a proper club imo is one that does not have a mass squinny when they don't get into the CL and one whose fans believe they have to earn the right to silverwear and not expect it. Man U, Chelsea and Liverpool do not imo fit into this category. Arsenal nearly do but they are so bitter about Man U being better than them that this surpasses it and turns them into a un-proper club.

Newcastle, are also not a proper club becase they always think they are better than they are, Spurs are not a proper club because they are a bunch of coonts.

Proper Clubs Currently are:

Aston Villa

West Ham

Wigan (although they lack passionate support)

Stoke (sorry but it's true)

Man City - personification of proper club imo but will soon be turned into mega rich whinging coonts like the rest of you)

The Baggies (Boing Boing)

Pompey - supported by tough guys, covered in tattoos with dolly birds for wives and not scared to go and earn a crust in Afghanistan if called upon (proper fans)

Sunderland - bare chested loons that bleed red and white stripes

The rest are just also rans

Clubs that honourarily do not and will not ever qualify for proper club status:

Everton (scousers, so born whinging)

Southampton (not sure if they even exist any more)

Neither of the Old Firm (all they do is play Pub teams week in week out)

Hopefully that is articulate and intelligent enough. Perhaps someone would care to cut and paste this into a wiki page entitled "Proper Clubs"

[Sandperson]

JetSetWilly Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Atila Reincarnate Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Oh happy day, how good were Barca? By the way

> were

> > are all the Man Ure forumites?

>

> probably all stayed to the end, unlike another

> team i could mention.

Ha, ha. I like that.