Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo, left, is challenged by Barcelona’s Yaya Toure during the UEFA Champions League final soccer match between Manchester United and Barcelona in Rome, Wednesday May 27, 2009. AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia
No doubt Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez and Andreas Iniesta were the stars of this wonderful Barcelona performance, but I want to pay a tribute to the unsung heroes and tactics that helped them claim their second European title in four seasons.
Leading in, I felt Manchester United held the aces. Not because they have the better front third or the best player in the world. Messi has long held that crown in mind, despite uncharacteristically quiet semi finals.
United had the psychological advantage, I sensed, because of all the changes to the Barca starting shape, both in personnel and team structure.
After all, in order to accommodate the injury to Rafa Marquez and suspensions of Dani Alves and Eric Abidal, Pep Guardiola would have to make four changes to his nominal starting structure.
The swap of Silvinho for Abidal was a like-for-like, but Brazilian has barely played this season, so there were questions as to how he would cope.
Elsewhere, Yaya Toure would have to be moved from his favoured central midfield holding role, forcing Guardiola to bring Sergi Busquets in to anchor his midfield, while skipper Carles Puyol, nominally a central defender, would have to fill in for Alves on the right.
Against Chelsea, in the second leg, Guardiola was forced to use Toure and Busquets in these positions, so there was a precedent, but truth be told, neither had a game to remember as Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard gave them constant headaches.
With Wayne Rooney in such superb form of late, Puyol was likely to cop a hard time as well, so there were question marks all round on how the back four and Busquets would keep out the normally potent United front-line.
But Guardiola had a plan. Belying the notion that they attack and do little else, Barcelona survived an early onslaught from United and Ronaldo in particular, and then got cracking with a high pressing game, pressuring United deep in their own half and putting immense pressure on United’s goalkeeper, Edwin van der Sar, and central defenders, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, to play out.
Their lack of passing ability from the back, under pressure, was exposed, and United’s confidence and game unravelled.
Ferguson’s men had tried to do the same at the other end, but after some nervy work on the ball from Victor Valdes and Toure at the start, it was Michael Carrick who cracked, coughing up possession deep in his own half. With Barcelona so advanced, and the game stretched, within a couple of passes Iniesta was driving beyond Carrick and exposing the space left by Patrice Evra.
Once the Catalans had the lead they were in total control, and soon they starting stringing the wall-passes, playing their combinations and keeping the ball.
With Guardiola surprising Sir Alex by playing Messi through the middle, in the space between the holding midfielders and central defenders, as he had done here, United’s midfield trio were essentially up against a midfield diamond, with Busquets at the base, Messi at the point and Iniesta and Xavi either side.
In space, try stopping that. Carrick, Ryan Giggs and Anderson were left chasing shadows.
Thierry Henry and Eto’o, after his goal, were relatively quiet in offence, but combined with the midfield quartet they did a superb job in pressing United.
When United did manage to get the ball forward, the back four and Busquets were outstanding, scrambling and crowding Ronaldo and Co.
It was as organised a full-field-press as you are likely to see, a platform that ultimately allowed Barca’s superior use of the ball to illuminate this final.
Foob
Guest
Give credit where its due. ManU won the Premiership. If they are overrated then what does that make Liverpool and Chelsea. If you want to know why Chelsea did 'better' against Barca go back and watch both legs with a notepad and make a little mark for every foul (given or not given). Chelsea fanboys need not apply. Little hard to play football when an Aryan Superman has his fist on your shirt and his studs on your kneecap.
Foob
Guest
So let me get this straight? ManU, winners of the richest football league, are overrated cause they are good at beating so called weaker teams yet apparently 'struggle' against top teams? If ManU are overrated, and Chelsea and Liverpool failed to do what ManU did, what does that make them. Give credit where its due, Tony has written a good article, no need to hijack it. ManU are fine. They won the premiership. They are a great side, They were outclassed on the night. Greg you are a football dilletante, thanks anway. If you want to know why Barca struggled against Chelsea, go back and watch both games with a notepad and mark down every foul you see (given or not given). Pay particular attention to the likes of Ballack and thugs of his ilk. Chelsea fanboys need not apply. Little hard to play football when aryan supermen have their hands on your shirt and their studs on your kneecaps.
JR
Guest
Greg (and Tony): I have similarly been scratching my head about this and came to the same conclusion, if you don't mind me paraphrasing - ManU are way overrated. Some things that support this; they have scored only 1 goal in the last 7 CL games against Spanish opposition; they won only one 'big four' (or isit big three? Arsenal seem to sink ever deeper into the mire) in the EPL this season; they were murdered by an enthusiastic but fairly limited Liverpool side at home. Looking at their team it is hard to spot the superior quality that has contributed to all their victories - I think only CRonaldo is a truly top player, and Nani, Carrick, Fletcher, Park, etc are on the soft side of average. It's difficult to separate the hype from reality until real quality opposition arrives. Chelsea did better because they have better midfielders and a better manager, end of story. But ManU the 'best team on the planet' or 'the best ManU side ever'? Even given a poor performance, I think the verdict on these is clear.
Greg Russell
Roar Guru
I thank Tony for a fabulous article. However I wonder if he has over-analyzed? Let me explain. Firstly let me confess that these days I am a football dilettante. But sometimes from a distance one sees things not so obvious from close up. This was my immediate big-picture head-scratcher from the CL final: how come MU were so outclassed by Barca whereas Chelsea were not, and arguably (for SJ there is no argument!) should have beaten them? I believe the answer lies in the following (information from a hopefully reputable source): “In Premier League against the bottom 12 teams MU got 70 of 72 points. Against the top 7 teams they got 20 points from 42. Against the other top 4 teams they got 5 points from 18. So for MU to struggle against a good team was expected.” When I posted this enlightening information elsewhere, a reader named Robbos responded: "So in cricket terms, Man U are flat-track bullies." Exactly. And I would suggest this is more relevant to understanding what happened in Rome than all of Tony's tactical nuances. Back in the days when I was a full-throttle football fan rather than a dilettante, a friend in Germany said to me: "Winning the Meisterschaft is more about beating Wattenscheid 09 on a cold, wet December evening than it is about beating Bayern München on a warm May afternoon." (Who are Wattenscheid 09? Exactly. But back in the early 90s they were in the 1. Bundesliga.) One should never forget this statement in analyzing Premierships. Just because MU are without peer in beating the rank-and-file teams of the EPL on anonymous wintry afternoons, that never meant they had the tools to go up against a really top team on European soccer's biggest night of the season.
Captain Random
Guest
"Having the benefit of Foxtel I will be watching more games on ESPN next year just so I dont have to hear there annoying tones." That's right, instead you'll be hearing the annoying tones of different commentators. "Bulge in the old onion bag" and all that. And don't get me started on the Americans.
Slippery Jim
Guest
Hey, don't get me wrong - Messi is an absolute legend of the game, is a fine looking lad, and no doubt a great family man and an upstanding citizen. I just found it amusing that the editors chose to hyperlink his name so many times to the same roar article!!! Small things amuse small minds and all that...by the way, I notice that after my retirement from Jesse's blogs you have taken up the mantle of stirring him heh heh...
Pippinu
Roar Guru
geez sj - you've really got it for Messi today!!
Slippery Jim
Guest
Was it really necessary to hyperlink Messi's name every time it is mentioned? I'm fairly certain we all know who he is and that there is another roar article about him...an excellent piece of commentary on the tactics in the match, however.
Dickroo
Guest
Pique was superb. Now Ferguson must regret letting him go.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
But here is a question for everyone. Was Fergie too slow to react, or was he simply hanging out for a set piece to level it up, and take things from there? Can anyone truly argue that Man Utd did not have the cattle to withstand such a pressing game, and indeed to give a bit of its own in return?
Sam
Guest
Top draw again Tony. Easily the best football writer on this website. Outstanding tactics from Pep. It comes as no surprise because he apparently recieved top marks in all of his coaching badges, some of the best marks of all time if you listen to Foster and Murray at SBS. God that love in was bloody annoying when they won. Yes they won, yes they are a great side, but Foster and Murray were more excited then schoolboys on prom night. Having the benefit of Foxtel I will be watching more games on ESPN next year just so I dont have to hear there annoying tones.
Greg
Guest
The effort of Messi and Eto'o in the "full-field-press" were outstanding. The effort of those two players was the key to exposing Man U's nerve and lack of techinal ability at the back, from which Tony has identified that team's game unravelled. Also of merit, the passing game of the whole Barca team was outstanding. I hope the Socceroos were watching the "full-field-press", and are capable, at least in part, of implimenting a version of it.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
yes, agree with Whiskey - another quality piece
whiskeymac
Guest
another good article tony. always enjoy reading your analysis.