Thetownend.com

Im actually well up for this in hope it will be a corker! Ill be supporting Manure tonight but can see Barca sneaking it!

barca will will 3-1

But what will they win by Chubbs?

I got asked if I was going to the pub to watch it by a hot boy in the gym at work!

Im not but hey! it was nice to be asked

Was it Bernie ?

Man U 2 Barca 1

No - Whos Bernie??

Boring, boring,boring, dont care a fig about it, and as for "supporting manu"  what's that about?

Hard call, for some reason I can see United throwing the result up their own arses probably due to someone getting a red early on.

First hot boys name I could think of although I was contemplating Suni.

It's a shame they can't both lose, man united v barcelona is the dullest final there could have been.

ahhh I see Anteater!  :soapy tit wank:

No I think his name is plain old Luke! :)

Why don't you go JFW...might not happen again. ;)

BECAUSE Reg Im going to Bums and Tums! when one is going on holiday next week ones bum and tum needs to look OK!

Few beers a curry and the pinnacle of the season followed by some cards with mates. Not really bothered who wins, might don the Barca shirt to noise up the Man U fans that will be watching!

Fair point....you could always cycle to the pub, that should firm up a few muscles.

I don't think you can make your arse or stomach look much better in a week. May as well go to the pub :)

i hope you are wrong.
i think the best two teams in europe are quite rightly in the final

Agreed. I'm hoping for a good one.

I'm hoping for a Manchester United win followed by a 19th League Title and a 5th European Cup this time next year than a mass scouser suicide.....

Surely not as dull as Man U v Chelsea. The build up and commentary would all go on about JT and Chelsea gaining revenge and both teams would cancel each other out.  Which may happen tonight as well I suppose.

I hope it's 2-1 Barca and Henry scoring first

Nah that would be more interesting with two English teams and there would be the chance of an English team winning who weren't Man United or Arsenal. Either of these teams winning would be bad so I don't care.

English vs. non-english final is better than all English final imo. Seeing Man U vs. Chelsea is not what the Champions League is all about form a neutrals point of view. Not the final anyway.

So Luke warm, not hot then ?

Love it Nev!

Tricky one this:

For Barce win:

Man U lose
Ronaldo embarassed
Ferguson gutted and possibly on a rant
Miserable plastics

For Man U win:

Spanish gutted again
England confirms once again best football in Europe
It's an english team, innit.

Ronaldo is probably the ugliest creature Ive ever set eyes on

Come on Barca! My hatred of Manure overwrites anything English.

i think utd will edge it.a narrow 1-0 win i'll go for

Draw at full time. United will win it in extra time or on penners.

I don't know who'll win this one. In their respective leagues they are both pretty darn unstoppable when they want to be.

So they'll cancel eachother out until penalties ruins somebody's evening :)

I think Man U are going to absolutely batter Barcelona, well i hope they do, simply because i'm a neutral and i'm English.

Worse than Tevez? mmmmm not sure on that one JFW!

As for the game, I was wanting Man Ure to win (as the are English) until about an hour ago on the BBC news they went live to a pub in Manc somewhere and these Man Ure fans were singing "Argentina!" FFS thats pathetic, yes they got a couple Argies playing for them but thats just not on.

I hope Barca whip them 3-1 Messi making a mess of them (see what I did Nev, you dont have the monopoly on crap puns!)

Manchester United 1 - 3 FC Barcelona

Barcelona: Valdes, Puyol, Toure, Pique, Sylvinho, Busquets, Iniesta, Xavi, Messi, Eto'o, Henry.

Subs: Pinto, Caceres, Gudjohnsen, Krkic, Keita, Rodriguez, Muniesa.

Man Utd: Van der Sar, O'Shea, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra, Carrick, Anderson, Giggs, Park, Ronaldo, Rooney.

Subs: Kuszczak, Berbatov, Nani, Scholes, Rafael, Evans, Tevez.

Children please....

[url width=900 height=424]http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f208/RWDP1983/B.jpg?t=1243448559[/url]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FC_Barcelona

Totally agree

When would you not want to be unstoppable Rich ?

When hurtling towards the edge of a cliff!

Come on Barca.......

Did Richard Keys just ask whether this was bigger than the World Cup Final??? I probably misheard that.

This is going to be 2-0 United and Ronaldo is going to score both of them. Now you know this, you can turn over for the Apprentice halfway through.

Woop!! David pleat is commentating

I opted for Sky Sports over Tyldesley.

me too.gray is a twat who states the obvious,but skys footy coverage kicks itv's arse

Mister Gray has a tendancy of covering every scenario just so he can say "what did I tell ya?"

Oh right.

First attack!

GET IN

Ha ha that was priceless

Tyler and Gray were speechless.

decent start to the game.more goals yet by the looks of it.and maybe a sending off

I wish Pleat would get the boot by ITV he is an abysmal commentator and his love for Carrick is more than a little worrying.
I've turned the sound off on ITV and got the 5 live commentary on.

I'm watching on Sky because of the benefit of HD. Looks like there's goals in this game.

Gray is slowly moving from mega pro-United to mega pro-Barcelona :)

Hmmm... I notice Gray never said anything about score predictions, but as soon as Barcelona scored he said 'I always thought Barcelona will score tonight'

He has a great knack of predicting things that already have happened (if that makes sense)

barca looking in control.half time welcome for utd i reckon

Started well but quietened down quite abit. Manchester United could easily get back into the game but needs Ferguson to sort them out.

Messi's like something off a computer game when he runs with the ball it just sticks to his foot, even when he goes to ground under a challenge he still seems to get up with the ball.
Hopefully Ronaldo carries on having (and missing) all United's chances and cries himself to sleep tonight.

Carricks passing has been a bit hit and miss...... is he the only guy to pull on a Swindon shirt AND play in a European Cup/Champions League Final?

[url width=300 height=449]http://i373.photobucket.com/albums/oo177/archstanton1973/carrick.jpg[/url]

I would bring scholes need some one who will create space

fergie has to do something.utd cannot keep the ball long enough

Park needs to come off and bring on scholes

Rooney is wasted being played out so wide, he needs to be running with the ball from the middle....

As Newmarket and DRS have said, this game is crying out for Scholes

It's not often you see Man U outclassed like this.  Fascinating game.

I've no idea why, but I fucking HATE Berbatov...

All or nothing now then with Berbatov on, could change the game but gotta be a good chance of a Barca break away.

GET IN!!!!

That move was admirable.

whoop whoop

I had a feeling that Ferguson might announce his retirement after tonight's game.  I don't think he will now.

Were we in slow motion then? What shit defending......

A great header, wow, what a save..

Get in messi :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

N'ah far too dramatic for Ferguson.

naughty naughty ronaldo

Ronaldo is such a turd, I can see him walking in this game.....

Punching the Ref perhaps?

I can see him doing something stupid and getting a Red

There's been no injustice in this. No nastiness. Barcelona have breezed through this thus far.

Wanted united to win, but Barca have been too good going forward.

Yep, couldnt agree more.... it'll be nice to see Barcelona get another and then watch Richard 'I love the premier league, its the best in the world' Keys choke his way through the post match analysis...

If it stays like this it'll be the easiest win for years.......since Real won (McManaman scored?)

How has Paul Scholes never mastered the art of tackling? and why is this flaw deemed acceptable :)

Some would have given a red for that........definate intent and technically 2 footed

United are giving Barcelona so much space, its like training match

puyol is fucking awesome.the bloke is everywhere

and a massive fan of Death Metal by all accounts....... shuns the normal glitzy night spots for Level 3-esque grunge caves, fair play to the lad

Agreed one of my plastic Manc mates on Saturday was saying how he was past it and Ronaldo will shred him to pieces, I look forward to next seeing my mate

Perhaps a 90th minute United goal to set-up a last ditch goal siege? Van Der Sar up for corners etc

Iniesta's even better.

Were Man Utd that shit?

I was only half watching it and they seemed to have more of the possession and more attempts on goal.

oh i know.but for a defender puyol was everywhere.attacking and clearing in his own area etc.

First 8 minutes, Manchester United looked good - Barcelona strolled it really.

Usually, Manchester United bombard the oppositions goal in such a scenario - not tonight.

tee hee! i loved watching this game

man utd were utter gash, what a shame

Once Barca got the ball they held onto for about the next 10 minutes........Manure never had the ball long enough to build up any pressure, Barca are just a better team and their midfield is just immense.

Ronaldo standing around on his own I see, last game in a United shirt?

i'm not sure if utd were that bad,or if barca were so god damn good?
probably a combination of both.

I think United picked the wrong day to have an off day.

Barcelona have had an awesome season - La Liga, Champions Leage and even the Copa del Rey.

Fook me. Barcelona are awesome

agreed, i just like putting a downer on utd

Great summation of the game. Where was the fight? Did Rooney put a tackle in the whole game? Very unlike him!

Fergie in best team won shocker.

End of the day I made Van der Saar United's best player, think that sums up the game.  Beaten by a technically better team on the night.  How many saves did the Barca 'keeper have to make?

Ferdinand-depicts schoolboy defending,ball watcher extraordinaire

Barca won simply because they kept the ball far better than United.  At that level ball possession is everything.  Is there a better midfield to watch than Xavi and Iniesta?  

Not exaggerating, but that ay have been one of the best team performances i have ever seen

thing is, utd did create chances.barca just defended really well.

Jesus you're like a stuck record, get over it, are you a fucking closet Manc or what? Oh and watch the first goal again, Vidic was hardly bloody outstanding was he?

What a shocking team selection by Ferguson-Giggs and Anderson,wtf?That was the most comfortable victory since the A C Milan of Gullitt,Rijkaard and Van Basten

Vidic was also shit.Closet manc?Thats the worst insult I've ever had thrown at me!You dont know me very well.I wont get over it until the whole world realises how very overrated Ferdinand is,its my quest.

i was already part of this gang prior to your quest. you can consider me a convertee non the less?

Barca have at times this season been stunningly good....they're on Sky every weekend, so I watch the Spanish, but rarely the Prem.

What is interesting is that their footballing philosophy, shown to great affect by Xavi and Iniesta, goes back to Johan Cruyff, who in turn got his philosophy from the Ajax school and Dutch national sides of the 70's, tutored by Rinus Michels.

I loved the Dutch sides back then...the beautiful game....this Barca team merit being champions of Europe.

I thuoght the ref had a blinder tonight -got just about every call right and a fair use of the cards. Xavi and Iniesta are awesome. I also thugoht Pique was superb, really got in some good blocks. Man U weren't allowed to play by Barca harrying them and chasing everything and closing them down.

I saw them under Rijkaard in 5-1 win against lowly Levante and they were amazing to watch - Xavi and Iniesta were incredible, Messi seemed to waltz and Eto'o was the definition of clinical finishing. The two weakest links that day were Zambrotta and Ronaldinho who have since gone.

That'll do.  :D

Manure were totally outclassed. Messi is so much better than Ronaldo. Great stuff.

I think this game gives an idea of what it takes to have a world class central midfield.

They didnt allow United any time on the ball at all. But were able to pick out their own passes with ease. Barcelona defenders almost had a night off.

Carrick and Anderson in particular got shat on from a great height.

Good to see an English team loose with some grace. No tears, no complaints about the ref, just congratulations to a superior team.

What's even more interesting is that the manager of Ajax who signed Cruyff was an Englishman, Vic Buckingham, who espoused a kind of proto-Total Football at Ajax before moving back to England in the early 60s. He used the same system as the Barcelona manager immediately before Michels, who then signed Cruyff, and built on Buckingham's already established approach. So on this somewhat flimsy evidence I reckon Total Football, like football, is actually an English invention, the Dutch just gave it a fancy name. And made it star in substandard porn flicks

Oh, and much though I dislike Man Utd, got to agree with Spencer - Chelsea could learn a lot from them. Nice to see Ronaldo's "can't quite put it together for the really big games" streak continue as well

They'll have big problems when Ronaldo leaves (well he didn't turn up to play tonight so it's sort of proof). Ferguson has a team moulded around a single player who cannot be replaced like for like.

can i just say one thing about this game....

this is the match everybody wanted to see

no it fucking wasnt. fuck off you cunts, champions leauge final i want to see is swindon oxford so fuck right off you patronising cunts.

Watched this in the pub, surrounded by plastic mancs.

I held my tongue as long as I could, but when they started moaning about Barca's 'cheating' I turned around and said 'Yeah, you'd never catch that petulant, sulking cunt ronaldo diving, would you?' I don't hate man utd, but I do hate their fucking 'fans'.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Ditto, some of them left twenty minutes before the end. There was also one man city fan in the pub having the time of this life.

Agreed, Sky Sports were in hype overdrive prior to this game, their reporter Nick Collins was actually saying something on the lines of 'Every football fan in England will be on the edge of their seats tonight praying for another English victory'

Fuck off you bunch of 'Premier-League' arse licking wankers....

I really couldnt give a fuck who won last night, but this idea that we all love Premier League teams really gets my goat...

Just heard the terrible news that Lionel Messi's house was broken into during the game....

Police have made a statement that they would like to question the Man Utd midfield, as they were nowhere to be seen between the hours of 19.45 and 22.00.

Guffaw.

Has anyone seen the footage of Gerard Pique taking a segment of the goal net (the one Messi scored from) as a souvenir. Crazy man.

well that was a bit shit!

Ferdinand is very overrated.  Comfortable when the ball is in front of him, but when he is turned by the striker or the striker drifts off him (a la Messi), can't cope very well.

Carrick went for a Song!

After the early promise it all went to rat shit!

Good point, I don't really remember Buckingham too well, I guess you're older than me.

He was a bit like George Raynor, insofar as he went and did stuff with Johnny Foreigner, so was regarded with suspicion in England.

English football suffered from an overbearing arrogance in the 50's into the  early 60's, something that the humiliation at the feet of the Hungarians in 56 couldn't quite remove.

Even today, the work of the likes of Roy Hodgson and  Bobby Robson, are largely ignored....I could count John Toshack in this were he English.

I think Steve McClaren deserves a bit of credit for doing OK in Holland.

I had a great night last night.

I'm in Sao Paolo, and went out for dinner with my boss and his wife who are both ManUre season ticket holders.

Then watched  Sao Paolo v Cruzeiro in la Copa Libertadores

Evenings don't come much better.

Dull game as expected, I think liverpool would have won if they'd made the final instead of Man United.

On the basis of......?

Peter Crouch used to play for them.

What if it was Grays Athletic vs Kidderminster Harriers in the final, who would win then?

Kiddeminster would thrash them obviously.  ::)

I just think they're a better side than Man United or Barcelona and they have a better record than Man United in Europe over the last 5 seasons. 4 points over a season is nothing really and doesn't mean Man United are any better than them. If Crouch was still with them they would have won it for sure. Barcelona only made the final due to an incompetent referee anyway.

Liverpool didn't make it to the final because they weren't good enough.

ManUre have won the league this season, without having to play terribly well. It was there for Liverpool, but they blew it.  Years back it used to be the other way around, ie other teams played the better football, but the Scousers ground out the results, and would nick it.

Nah, looked something up on Barca last night, then got curious about how many English managers they'd had over the years, then followed some of those trails and, well, you know how it is

Many people underestimate the role that luck and variance plays over a season. In a lot of seasons the title just come down to the results of a couple of crucial games as it did this year, one or two goals or decisions can decide everything. When the difference over 38 games is 4 points it's way too insignificant a difference to actually mean one side are any better.

Last time Liverpool and Barcelona played in the champions league Barcelona went out and I think it's more than likely that would have happened again. Benitez has a superb record against Spanish sides, don't even think he's ever lost to one.

Yeah he has - he lost to loads of Spanish sides when he was in charge at Valencia :)

Yeah I was talking about losing to one as manager of Liverpool. His record against Spanish teams at his previous clubs was also very good though.

So basically Ben what you are saying is liverpool are a better side than Man U and didn't win the Premier League or Champions League due to bad luck?

I'm saying Liverpool would have a better chance of beating Barcelona than Man United which based on previous meetings and results in Europe is likely true and yes I think Man United were very lucky to win the league this year and aren't a better side than Liverpool or Chelsea. Those three sides are definitely very evenly matched but of the three I think Liverpool are the best side.

Liverpool didn't win the league because they couldn't beat Hull or Stoke at home. Man Utd could. The table doesn't lie. They deserved it. I still think they'll go downhill if Ronaldo goes though.

I think every Premiership-related comment you make has got to be on the wind up.

nobody would have beaten barca.

The table doesn't lie is one of those phrases that's just not true. The table isn't a list of the best teams from 1st to last, it just gives you a rough idea based on a small sample of games and better teams finish below worse teams every season due to all kinds of random factors, as should be expected in a sport where the best teams often have a very small edge over other sides.

Christ alive.

You sound like a Spurs fan.

So you're saying that Liverpool are still better than Man Utd despite picking up less points and winning less games? Doesn't really make sense.

BWB is clearly on the wind-up.

It's a good point. As Swindon fans we should march on Geneva now and demand that Platini hand over the CL title to Town as we are clearly "by far the greatest team the world has ever seen" - a fact that would have been amply demonstrated on ITV last night were it not for UEFA's collyfuddledness about tables

bwb would have arsenal bottom of the league

It proves my point that you don't think it makes sense. People find it so hard to understand that winning one more game over 38 games does not mean that one team is definitely a better side which can only be due to a very flawed understanding of variance. The difference between winning the premiership title and not winning the title is two goals this season, two goals which were the difference between draws and narrow victories, is it so difficult to understand that you cannot draw very many conclusions purely from league positions when the table is that close? All you can say is they're probably very closely matched. How close do they have to be before you realise it doesn't prove much? Level points? Level goal difference? Level goals scored?

It seems some people think that beating Man United 2-0 means Barcelona are definitely a better side but Liverpool beating Man United 4-1 means nothing at all. There's just no logic behind it.

I find it's the element of luck which makes football interesting. If the better side won every game it would be  pretty dull. By the way Arriba 4th is probably about right for Arsenal, they are about the only premiership team that have a big enough gap surrounding them that their position means much. Of course I would prefer if they were bottom of the league though.

To hell with all this variance football intellectual nonsense.

Premiership

38 Games - whoever finishes on the most points at the end is the best. BOOM.

:D

*Subject to Sheffield Utd's legal advisers

Of course.

BWB has it all cracked. Fuck all this 46 game mallarkey just buy a lottery ticket, do the bingo. Fuck tactics. Fuck buying and selling players. Fuck having the bottle to keep a lead. We've not actually been shit for 15 years, we're just on a bad streak of luck. Maybe when the Pikeys pitch their caravans up next year we should clear their stock of heather.
BWB - I talk bollox but I think you've trumped me - just my luck. 

No, trust me you have the monopoly on talking bollocks. Is it such a difficult concept for you to comprehend chalkie that the best team doesn't always win in football. Of course I am not saying that the result of every game is ONLY luck but if you think there isn't ANY luck involved at all I just don't understand how you can be that deluded. Never play poker, you won't be able to understand it.

I think it would be pretty dull to support a team who won (or were expected to win) most or all of their games, week in week out. Some of my favourite Town games involved teams that we weren't expected to beat, but we did. It doesn't mean that the football is pretty at times, but it has you on the edge of your seat. I must be in the minority though judging by all the Prem shirters you see around  :(

The best team may not win an individual match but over 46 games the luck evens out across all teams. You do finish where you deserve to be. You don't fluke a title. Other teams may fuck it up to give you a clear run but shit teams do not win titles. As for Liverpool being better than Man U - head to head yes, but over a season no.
You are giving me some serious competition on the bollox front. Check what kind of mushrooms you are eating.

Ben's just a fun guy

I think he talks a lot of shit-ake

46 games is no way near enough for the luck to even out. You're correct that shit teams don't win titles (shit in comparison to their league anyway) but it doesn't mean that a team is significantly better than a lower placed team just because they got a couple of points more than the other team over a season -it's such a marginal difference that it really doesn't tell you a lot at all.

But the league is 46 games and you know what the rules are when you start - so if you're better over 48 games and don't win the tilte then tough shit. Its what you do in that 46 game period that matters. That all comes down to preparation, buying the right players, gelling them etc - not luck.

Yes, but what Ben is saying is that when teams finish very close to one another that it can possibly be attributed to luck, it'd only take one dodgy ref's decision or bizarre own goal to make up the difference between them.

Surely that argument is the old if my auntie had bollocks etc.

If my auntie had bollocks man u wouldn't have won the league?

**BWB**Liverpool would still be the better team regardless of your auntie's genitalia.**BWB**

Exactly and I don't think that it is a crazy concept and chalkies I didn't say that it was an unfair system anyway, yes the teams know the rules and if they don't win in that number of games it's too bad but all I was saying is that I don't think a small points difference means Man United are definitely a better side than Liverpool and especially does not mean they are more likely to beat Barcelona. Maybe Man United are better at grinding out results against the weaker teams but Liverpool do have a better record against the top few teams this season.

I'm no Man Utd lover, but surely the fact that they won the premiership this season and last season (scousers didn't) and got to two successive Champions League Finals, winning one of them (scousers didn't) would point to the fact they they are a better side?

Thats just logical  you stupid prick

Ah, sorry.

I don't think so, last season yes they were better but not this year. They had an easier run to the champions league final than Liverpool anyway, Liverpool lost to Chelsea who were one of the top 3 or 4 teams in it and had already had to beat Real Madrid. Man United had an easy group and an easier 1/4 final v porto. I'd say Real are slightly better than Inter too although it's close. Over the last 5 years Liverpool have the better record in Europe anyway and their side is a lot better this season than it's been in the previous seasons.

I'm glad liverpool didn't get to the final if they would have won. Liverpool fans are unbearable enough as it is.

BWB, just enjoy the unpredictable nature of football.

I understand your argument but it's only something used by Liverpool fans to use in arguments with Manchester United fans. Arguments they'll never win.

Madrid were minging this season.

Hopefully Liverpool continue to improve and Chelsea and Arsenal catch up and we can have 4 teams vying for the league to make it more interesting.

They were right in the middle of a 17 wins out of 18 games winning run in la liga when they played Liverpool and although la liga isn't as strong as the premiership second place in that league is still pretty decent.

They were still minging for their standards. Liverpool did make them look less than ordinary though and Barca crushed them not long after 6-2 at the Bernabau making them look even worse.