Anti-Climactic Damp Squib!

Yesterday was probably the most disappointed me and most fans have been coming out of an undefeated game. I was aware this was not going to be all that classic as everyone expected, but what was on show was so pathetically dire, it belied belief. Once again, Ferguson didn’t walk his talk. Once again, he played players out of position. Once again in European away games, we didn’t play to our strengths. What resulted was an utter bore fest, with us chasing shadows for most of the game. Rooney was frustrated on the wing. Ronaldo was the only outlet who the team could hardly get the ball to. Scholes and Carrick huffed and puffed and chased all game without threatening to play forward. Barcelona as expected saw all of the ball, but didn’t really penetrate that much. If anything positive came off it was the fact that we didn’t concede even after they kept the ball for almost all of the game.

Now once again, Fergie and players have come out and spun this performance as a "highly tactical" one and there are noises of “mission accomplished” coming out of the camp. Expectedly. It’s all B.S. Players and Fergie have come out and said “Now we will attack at OT”. Now being the operative word. We’ve left it late once again and I am afraid and prepared for the worst on Tuesday. It’s happened before and it’s very likely to happen again on Tuesday. Fergie risked a whole lot yesterday. He should be prepared to pay the cost.

The penalty came too early and not many players are mentally up for it in the 2^nd minute  You could see Ronaldo was also not too sure – the stutter was missing and he missed it. We can only guess how the game would have unfolded should he have scored. A lot of experts have come out and criticized Ronaldo once again and have made direct comparisons between Ronaldo and Messi. How can you judge Ronaldo in a game where his team had 20 odd % of possession? When everyone else played behind the ball for almost the entire game? When the likes of Rooney and Park and Tevez were wasted and hardly knew their roles? It was all down to Ferguson’s selection and tactics yesterday.  I can’t fault the players for that.  And given all of that, Ronaldo had a penalty, was denied at least one more clear shout and Messi didn’t trouble EVDS even once. I think Messi is a great talent, I saw Barcelona play at Nou Camp November of last year and he clearly stood out as the best player on the pitch then; but these comparisons based on one game aren’t valid as judgments on players.

Overall, this was a huge huge disappointment. How big a cost we’ll have to pay for this? Well we’ll know in 6 days. Meanwhile, it’s a trip to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, a win will clinch us the title – so as games go this is the biggest league game of the season. It seems like we’ll have to do it without Vidic. I am positive about our chances, and only a defeat will hurt our title chances. More on that coming soon.