₦airaland Forum

Our game has been disjointed so far, but it's not surprising, since the boys have hardly had any time together. We have not managed to string 3 passes together so far. Highlights for me:

Keita is no DMF - he's the reason we've been under so much pressure cos he doesn't have the positioning & guile that Busi has.

Masch is clearly the "CB signing" that people like me have been asking for. Another excellent performance so far.

Abidal is very fit. The only problem is that we lose our best LB when he plays as a CB and that's where he'll play often with Puyol's injuries.

Our attackers & Thiago have been quiet so far, but 2 magical moments from Messi & Villa and we're in the lead.

Considering that Madrid is currently fitter & have their entire 1st eleven playing, the current scoreline is more than excellent for us: there are few things sweeter in football than playing badly and still winning the match.

Even if we lose, I have no worries. I'm confident that this team will be very successful again this season. That's what really matters.

medjai:
Thiago has been called up to the Spanish national team for the next international friendly against Italy. Good one for the young man.
I think the plan is just to make him ineligible to play for Brazil or Italy. I heard Menezes has been trying to convince him to play for Brazil.
Kind of what they did to Bojan so he wouldn't be able to feature for Serbia.

Yeah, it's a typical ploy by national team coaches. In Thiago's case, it should work out well though - the boy is just special.

medjai:
Adriano's been great so far. He should be our first choice LB since Abidal will mostly play as CB no thanks to Puyi's injury.

Adriano's acceleration is crazy. I'll like him to be our 1st choice LB as well (no offence to Abidal, but we'll surely need him as CB). Alves bombing down the right, Adriano bombing down the left & the opposition ducking for cover!

I still feel we need a CB though - Fontas & the other B team CBs aren't quite there yet & we have 2 injury prone men (Puyol, Abidal) who need cover. Buy-back of Botia would have made the most sense, but it looks like the club wants him to have 1 more year at Gijon before his return (I hope). I also thought Henrique who played well for both Leverkusen & Racing would be recalled, but we've loaned him out yet again. I guess an old defender who won't mind the bench would be the best option for now, while Fontas & co mature. We can do one like Milan's deal for Yepes. I don't have any names that fit the bill, but that's what our scouts are paid for.

As things stand, I never feel safe with Busi as CB, but Masch is more reliable (though still not like a regular CB) & I think Pep may regret this continuous use of DMs as CBs. It''s something that can be done in emergency situations (like certain times last season), but it should not be the regular plan. Right now, our no 4 defender is Masch. With Puyol out, Masch, a DM, becomes our no 3 defender on the pecking order. Not safe IMO.

AjanleKoko:
For 40 million pounds? No effing way, JP.
I think, on the issue of Cesc's supposed transfer, I will do a 180 degrees and oppose the deal. It's just a waste of time. We keep offering chump change, and they keep slapping us back. If Cesc wanted to play in Barca, he wouldn't have signed with them and renewed twice

I'm even going to say something unpatriotic now. I hope we get whooped by Madrid in the Supercopa, so the players' eyes can clear a little, and they can focus. It's pretty obvious they are forcing the management to try to sign Cesc.

Wow! We're now on the same page on Cesc? I'll like to get him, but not now and not for Arsenal's current valuation, which they're unwilling to back down from - that is understandable because Arsenal has a lot of cash and is not in a desperate situation. I feel we can wait a year or two to get Cesc. On the other hand, if Cesc becomes cup-tied, we can just agree with Arsenal that we do the transfer now, but Cesc can come in January or next summer, for a reduced price either way.

medjai:
You're anti-cesc now Well, I won't blame Cesc for signing an extension to his Arsenal contract. As at when he renewed his contract, there wasn't strong interest from us. He signed an 8 year extension to his contract in 07 and we started showing interest in him in 08, almost 09, winter transfer window. For him there are only two clubs - us and Arsenal - and since there wasn't interest from us then, he could only extend his contract at Arsenal.

Have you ever wondered why Cesc started getting the Barca blues only after we won the treble? He was never homesick before then! I bet if Arsenal had won a cup or two lately, Cesc would have lost interest in Barca. The truth is that the boy wants to eat his cake & have it. You cannot sign an 8 year contract (essentially signing the prime of your career away) and expect to leave on your terms, when you want.

BTW, I'm not over the moon about Cesc's stats over the last 5 years. Yes, he has a lot more assists than Xavi or Iniesta, but that's because all of Arsenal's creative play goes through him. Luckily for us in Barca, creative play can come from Xavi, Iniesta, Messi or Alves. I don't read too much into stats. It was Ibra's impressive stats that led us to the worst transfer in football history,

medjai:
Jeffren off to Sporting Lishon.
€5m fee, €8m buyback option for the first two years and we get 20% of any future sale.

Spain just completed a hatrick of Euro championship. After winning the Euro and Euro U-21 championship, they just added the Euro U-19 championship. Spain's on one heck of a roll. . .  Great performance from our own Gerard Deulofeu. . . Hot prospect for the future.

Good thing Jeffren finally went (good for both him & the club). The price is ok & we've finally learnt to insert these buy-back clauses (something RM has been doing for years). We've now lost 2 attackers and bought 1. I hope Soriano is promoted, in spite of his injury.

Another trophy for Spain, with Barca as the backbone - really good. Hopefully Barca wins the UCL next season and a Spanish team wins the Europa League (Real Madrid, lol!).

medjai:
Pep said he'll bring in canteranos to cover at the back if there's any problem. I don't see us signing any defender.

I have a feeling there'll be an Adriano-type signing in defence, someone not really on the media radar and purchased at a good price.

I also see us buying Cesc, as much as I'm against the price - hopefully Rosell can squeeze something out of willy old Wenger.

@Ajanlekoko, of course we had to get Sanchez. We're really thin upfront after getting rid of Bojan & likely Jeffren - if we didn't get Sanchez, we'd have only 4 players (MVP+Afellay) for 3 positions upfront!

In the midfield, we have 6 players for 3 positions, that's why Cesc is not such an urgent requirement.

Ok, the usual story is that Xavi is getting old & Thiago isn't quite ready yet as a replacement.

Let's address this a bit:

Xavi is 31 years and can still play for at least 3 more years in his role (I suspect he will retire after the 2014 WC). This is enough time for Thiago to mature & also negotiate a less expensive deal with Arsenal. Of course, Keita will also be quite old by then, so I expect to have either JDS or S.Roberto replacing him on the senior team bench by then.

Now, let's look at our attack. Villa will be 30 this year and plays in a position where speed in essential. He will probably drop in efficiency at about the same time with Xavi. No one is talking about buying a 40m replacement for Villa, why? Because we have Sanchez? But Sanchez is 22 - if he is heir to Villa, why can't 20 year old Thiago be the heir to Xavi?

Finally, let's look at defence. Puyol is 33 and injury prone. Abidal is nearing 32. Milito is nearing 31. I've not heard anyone suggest that we buy a world class CB to replace any of these guys. The promoted Fontas has played far fewer first team matches than Thiago & is 21 years (very young for a CB). Yet most Cesc campaigners are happy with what we have. Ok, Abidal, Masch & Busquests can fill in at CB. Abidal is good in that position, but he's also old & injury prone. Masch is good also, but is rather short and isn't always comfortable playing CB. Busquests for me is a no-no in CB - he's simply a fish out of water in that position & I'm sure many of you recall the penalty he gave away against Bilbao.

If versatility is a good excuse for not buying a world class CB, it should also be an excuse for not buying Cesc. If Xavi is injured, Busquests can play the Xavi role with Masch as DMF. Iniesta can also play the Xavi role while Afellay or Keita plays the Iniesta role. Even Messi can play as the AMF, with SVP in attack. Of course, Adriano can also play in midfield, as can Alves. And I've not even talked about Thiago yet!

We would only really struggle if both Iniesta AND Xavi are out AND we have other injuries in defence or attack AND we happen to have a must-win UCL match against a major club AND that major club has all its key players available. 40m for Cesc is too much for a highly unlikely scenario. In fact, a more likely scenario is this: Puyol injured, Abidal injured, Pique suspended. Who do we play in CB? Mach & Fontas? Masch & Milito? This is what I expect people to be worried about, not the midfield.

Verdict: I'll like to have Cesc (a player as good as he is always a welcome addition), but for 40m, Arsenal can keep their captain for 1 or 2 more years.

@dayokanu I thought you were a Barca fan? Or you support both Barca & Bayern?

The match against Bayern was pretty good. I liked the way Pep played JDS at RB (and he did very well there). Soriano was also very good before he got injured - I was really hoping he would impress Pep in US & get a promotion. The guy is quite good and understands the Barca system - he can be a sub to Villa when necessary, he's a pure striker, but created our first goal.

The Barca B boys played very well - I was impressed with Cuenca (though he didn't play long) & Riverola. Fontas was also calm in CB with Busquests (although I always shudder when Busi plays CB). Pedro & Iniesta weren't impressive, but it's still pre-season so I'm not bothered. No crazy acts from pinto this time - I feel we should still keep him (and Maxwell) unlike a number of Cules.

I won't talk much about Thiago - I've always felt that he's more mature than people think and he's proving it match after match. Do we still need Cesc? Maybe, but we don't need to spend too much & can afford to wait a season or two. The need is really less urgent than people make out. I keep saying, if CEsc was not Catalan/La Masia, would we still be chasing him like a lost wife?

I have a crazy idea: we should sign a deal with Arsenal now, that Cesc will come next summer, but for an amount quite lower than what Arsenal wants right now. This way, Cesc can give Arsenal his best next season - perhaps helping them to win the FA cup or something (no UCL please, that's for us, lol!), knowing a future with Barca is a certainty.

Finally, it's official: We've got Sanchez.

I really like Rosell - we got Sanchez for a good price, considering the current market and the fact that Sanchez had so many other suitors. Laporta would have paid the 37.5 m in cash immediately, rather than 26m + 11.5 in variables.

Good guy: Man City was offering him a bigger salary than Barca, but he still chose to come here.

Good buy: Now we have game changers on the bench. Can't wait to see this guy combine in various formations with MVP. Now we have MVPS

Argentina knocked out of Copa.

Messi did his best, but some of his team mates did their best to ensure the team didn't progress.

The Uruguayans obviously practiced their penalty kicks - all were excellent (reminds me of Brazil vs Holland World Cup 1998)!

Caceres was impressive. Every time I see him play, I wonder how we could have sold him for 3m - another Barca transfer debacle.

Milito has been quite ok for Argentina in the Copa - if he could play like this for Barca, he won't be behind midfielders & B team players in the pecking order.

medjai:
Well, there was a certain Gerrard Lopez we signed back in 2000. His story is similar to Cesc's. He left us to join Valencia as a youngster and was a massive hit with Los Che and was a part of the team that reached the CL final in 2000. We later signed him back and what a flop he turned out to be. Incessant injuries and stuff. We later sold him to Monaco. . . Hopefully, this won't be Cesc's story.

PS: Why can't all our players just contribute money and sign Cesc since they won't stop talking about how they'd love him to return?Not official yet or is it?

Hmm I remember Gerrard Lopez - that was such a long time ago! I didn't know he was ex-Barca before going to Valencia though,

As for our players always talking about Cesc, I think it's dumb & disrespectful and I'm surprised the club hasn't made this clear to the players since last season. As much as I dislike Arsenal & Wenger, our players really shouldn't be talking about Cesc to Barca so often. If asked by reporters, they can always choose not to answer the question. "No comment" does not kill. The reporters will get tired and move to other topics.

Hi guys. Been a while - I still dey do hide & seek.

Eyo, I was in Lagos on your birthday, why didn't you organize something for the boys na?

Cocoa master, are you still in US? Abi you're back to wet, wet Lagos?

To Barca matters:

We have loaned Henrique to Palmeiras. I'm tired of these endless loan deals. Just sell these guys or use them as subs! I feel Henrique & Keirrison have some potential & should be sold with buy-back options. Hleb should def be sold, as should Milito & prob Maxwell (although he has been good except for some parts of last season).

We need at least one CB. I won't like us to be in the position where Busi needs to defend, in case Puyol & Abidal get injured (very possible) & Pique is suspended (he's a defender - suspensions come with the territory). Even Masch, as good as he was for us in defence last year, is not one I'll like to rely on too often as a CB, especially due to his (lack of) height. Puyol is barely taller, but he's a very strong jumper. Botia isn't the finished product yet. I'm surprised we didn't get Botia back (hopefully next summer) - for now, an old experienced defender who wont mind the bench is what we need. I don't have any names in my head yet.

If we want to splash the big cash on either Sanchez or Cesc, I'll have to resign to buying Cesc (a decision I've always opposed). Sanchez has only had one good season & Udinese are pricing him like he's Iniesta or something. For all we know, he may turn out to be a not so super signing, but Cesc should fit in quite comfortably, same way Villa fitted in easily compared to Ibra. I'll go for Mata rather than Sanchez - at least he has a lot of la Liga experience & he isn't close to the Sanchez cost.

Left to me though, I'll buy a few back-up players, rather than one or two marquee players. I'll like to have an Adriano or another Afellay in attack - players who won't mind the bench, but will deliver when called upon. Our 1st team is already the best, we just need able squad players to help rest the big boys when needed.

I would have liked to keep Nolito, Vasquez, Benja & Soriano, the experienced heads in Barca B as subs for the 1st team, but obviously the club doesn't agree with me (we only tried to keep Nolito of the 4). Even if we buy Sanchez, we still don't have enough cover upfront - for me 2 players for every position, leading to a squad of 22 players minimum is the ideal cover for a team. 19 players in the senior team last season was really a gamble you don't want to take every season.

medjai:
We are actually making profits. The club is only trying to clear debts owed from way back, that's why things appear a little tight as per finances. We are trying to be clean and Green.

Seems we've lost out in the race to sign Jose Valdes to Roma. Our defence is where needs reinforcement the most and going by our activities in the market, it seems it's where would be the least strengthened.
Milito and Maxwell are most likely gonna be shipped out this summer and with Puyi's injury worries, we need to bring in one or two guys and promote some of our B team defenders like Muniesa, Bartra, Montoya to have enough cover at the back and avoid a repeat of last season where Busi and Masch had to become emergency CBs. . . Montoya, from what I saw at the U-21 tourney is ripe enough for the first team now and would be a very decent back up for Alves.

The deal for Kiko Femenia is almost complete. He's had his medicals and should be putting pen to paper pretty soon. I think he's going to be for the B team as a replacement for Nolito.

Meanwhile, one of our Juvenile players, Gael Etock, has joined Chelsea. In the last couple of months, we've lost:
Gai Assulin(Man City)
Ruben Rochina(Blackburn)
Hector Bellerin and Jon Toral Harper(Arsenal). . . Now, we really have got to do something to prevent clubs poaching our young players.

I agree with you man. I'm really surprised that we haven't strengthened at the back, which is where we had the most worries last season. Puyol & Abidal aren't getting younger. If those 2 are injured & Pique is suspended, we'll be is serious trouble. Masch isn't a CB and while he played well there, he should only be an emergency back-up for that position. I was hoping we'd buy Botia back, but it looks like that can now only happen nest summer. We need at least one experienced CB who won't mind the bench, while promoting Fontas & Montoya. Bartra should go on loan for experience IMO.

In attack, I hope Soriano can be promoted, while we get one of our main targets - Sanchez or Rossi, or we can look further afield at less expensive options: Mata, Podolski, Tevez (rich Man City may sell low), etc

As for the midfield, I'll still say Cesc should hold on till he's cheaper. Our midfield is ok as it is, especially if we strengthen in attack & defence. Good thing Thiago's contract was renewed.

As for the youth players being sold, it's very annoying. Apart from teams like Arsenal using loop holes in the Spanish labour law, Barca is also quite dumb in the transfer market. We always overpay for the players we want (Chygrynsky, Villa, Ibra, Keirrison, Caceres) & undersell the players we're letting go (Etoo, Ibra, Henry, Marquez, Assulin, Caceres, Chygrynsky, Nolito, etc). We buy high & sell low - a sure way to lose money and remain in debt.

The reason the transfers are dragging this summer is because Rosell is more prudent than laporta & is not going to be moved by Udinese asking for 40m for Sanchez. 29m + variables offered is the max IMO - if Sanchez is as good as Udinese claim, they should be willing to get the final portion of his transfer fee based on his performance for Barca.

Guys, I've been offline for a while, working on a couple of important reports. Now I'm back (at least for now).

I've gone thro a number of the posts above,

AJ, how far with the penye thingy? I'm also based in Nigeria so can join. I think it's a good idea to get this rolling.

AjanleKoko:
Thiago Silva just claimed on Goal.com that he's been in touch with people at Barca. He more or less invited them to make an approach for him at the Rossineri.

What do you guys think? Silva isn't a bad defender, and hopefully can adjust. But I worry that he will be overpriced as well.
That's just the good thing about supporting a team as good as Barca. The world's best players all play for your team already

Silva is one of the best CBs around. But I'm sure he'll be VERY expensive. Milan have the best transfer guru around, while we are notoriously bad so if this happens, only Milan can gain.

We have about 24 hours left to sign Botia back. I really hope we exercise our buy-back, especially since Gijon got him free to start with,

medjai:
I suspect we'll make a move for Fabregas after the U-21 championships.
Bojan and Thiago are in the squad and will play major roles for Spain. If they shine, Wenger might not be able to turn down a 30m + Bojan or Thiago offer for Fabregas.

Wenger should not be the one turning down an offer of 30m plus one of those 2. Barca should be the ones turning down the offer! We always get literally swindled in the transfer market - boy do we need Galliani!!!!

I say, forget Cesc for this year. Give Thiago a chance (the same way Wenger gave Cesc a chance to become what he is today) - he can come in for Xavi/Iniesta in matches and play 90 mins when we play relatively weak teams. After this season, if the club believes Thiago cannot make the cut, we can buy Fab for lower than the silly prices Arsenal is quoting.

If we pay crazy money for Cesc now, this club is finished. Youth prospects like Thiago, Deulofeu, Rafinha, etc will feel that the "Cesc Option" is the best for them. Why should they stay and fight for a place when they can move clubs, knowing that Barca will pay to get them back when they become stars. Look at Bojan - he was loyal and it seems like the club will get rid of him. Why have La Masia, if the club will continue to spend big every summer and leave the youth players on the sidelines?

I feel Bojan should be sent on loan so he can get regular playing time and regain his mojo.

AjanleKoko:
That would be great for their careers. Someone like Jon Soriano, he's never going to make the first team unless Jeffren or Bojan leave.
Some of the other guys like Nolito and Victor Vasquez, they've not really been lucky, and can't keep on playing for Barca B.

Well, Barca have announced a transfer budget of 45m Euros, so its no deal for Cesc. His contract is up next year anyway. Let's see how he progresses. But for now, I'd keep Thiago and put him in the first team.
I'm tipping Luis Enrique to return to Barca in the future in any case.

Nolito has already confirmed he's going to Benfica. Vasquez will go to Brugges. Looks like Soriano might also be going - I woild have liked to see him promoted, but it seems like the decision makers at Barca love spending like drunkards.

For me no to Cesc (for now). He can come later when he's cheaper - we should not be paying so much for our youth product. Thiago will start to perform if given the chance. Cesc has developed so much simply because Wenger gave him the chance that Barca is now not willing to give Thiago - this will encourage all our promising youths to look outside Barca to further their careers.

With so many forwards likely to be on their way out (Nolito, Soriano, possibly Jeffren & Bojan), it looks like at least one forward will be added. I still feel Papiss Cisse of Freiburg (worth 15m) is a good buy. He plays like Etoo & is as tall as Keita. See his video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRqhIdZiklk

If we must buy either sanchez or rossi, I'll prefer Rossi since he has La Liga experience and will settle in quicker.

I'm surprised there are no rumours about us getting a defender, I would have thought buying back Botia would be one of the first transfers of the summer - we're chasing marquee signings once again instead of focusing on our weak areas.

Mcleo007:
Though most people dont see this, and perhaps wont agree with me on this; I want Ibra back to the squad. The guy is top quality. The problem he had was his inability to shine in top games (save for the lone goal against madrid; any striker can score that). He'd be a quality back up, to be used primarily for league games, and some unimportant mathes. THis can go on till he's able to up his game to suit our playing style. Believe me, Rossi doesnt stand on the same footing with Ibra. Instead of Rossi, i'd prefer a promotion for Nolito or Soriano. Even Bojan and jEffren can oust him.

Cesc should still be a priority signing. He's going to add quality to the team, and above all, afford the team the nous to play several options, albeit our predictable formation (believe me, we can't continue with this formation next yr). Most teams wouldnt mind spending the whole summer to try out ways to stop our flow. If it doesnt work in the end, could result to injuries on our players, and that we dont want. Every season should come with a different approach.

Ibra burnt all the bridges after his transfer to Milan. He and Pep don't see eye to eye - no way he'll come back. Besides, for a player who was bought for net 70m eur and was earning 12m per annum, there's no way he's going to be a back-up player - that's like buying a Jaguar to keep for market runs.

I also don't back the Rossi move. Soriano is there in our B team and I feel he should be promoted. Nolito has already gone to Benfica.

I think Cesc is still too expensive - he needs to buy out his contract or beg Arsenal to sell for a reasonable price. Barcelona has a huge debt, plus financial fair play comes next year. This club simply cannot afford these expensive players.

I just logged on for the 1st time in a while (I'm preparing for a presentation and I've been working on it all week).

JP, sad to hear that your sister lost her baby. I hope she herself is well now. Accept my condelence.

StarBoard:
@All Barcelona fans.
Congratulations are in due order.
Una too much,abeg.
I doff my hat to you for drilling us for the better part of 90 minutes.
You are definitely worthy winners (although none of you are agreeing we were gracious in defeat and did not resort to dirty tactics ). . .
Congratulations once again

I'm actually very impressed with the comments from the ManU side since the match. No excuses (like Arsenal), no bad blood (like Madrid) - they've been very gracious in defeat and you almost pity them sef. Classy stuff from ManU.

AjanleKoko:
Funny thing, English media.
Last week we were condemned as cheats, now we are the best thing since sliced bread

And what is it with the Messi issue?

Some years back it was, he never scored against English teams. Now it is, he had never scored in England. Soon it will be, he has never scored a hat trick against an English side
Gone are the days when people used to just play football and not leave it to the press. Thanks to English media, all that has changed.

Abi o, don't mind those english press people. If you beat an English side, then you have to be the greatest ever (makes the defeat easier for them to take). If an English side does anything, then the EPL is superior to anything the rest of the continent can offer.

As for Messi, he just keeps shutting his critics up. Next stage: the Copa America.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1716/champions-league/2011/05/28/2507695/thank-you-barcelona-for-the-performance-of-a-decade

Thank you, Barcelona, for the performance of a decade
The European Cup is heading back to Catalonia after a fantastic 3-1 win at Wembley. Goal.com's chief editor salutes Pep Guardiola's men for raising the bar yet again
By Ewan Macdonald

Sir Alex Ferguson promised us the final of the decade as his Manchester United side prepared to meet Barcelona in the Champions League final. Come 10pm on Saturday, it was clear that he'd been as good as his word. His United side had showed sufficient spirit that they could leave the pitch proud. Yet such was their opponents' brilliance that all too often they appeared as mere props in a piece of footballing theatre directed and played out by the Spanish giants. It was Barcelona's performance that made this final what it was. They made it a timeless classic - again.

It was timeless not in that it was unique, but rather in the sense that it was a beautiful, archetypal example of the Barcelona style. Passing, possession, the odd flash of genius - we know it by now and we could recognise it anywhere. But to pull it off in a final against a side led by one of the game's greatest ever coaches - for the second time in three years - is something bound to live long in the memory, too.

And they did it with the pressure well and truly on. You could argue that in the past - even in recent months, against Real Madrid - they have played better football, but the circumstances were really quite different. In a country long since unfriendly to them - 1992 aside, Barcelona's record on English soil is really quite mixed - with the weight of the favourites mantle weighing them down, with Carles Puyol consigned to the bench, with the regular players rusty after an anti-climactic end to the season, anything could have happened. Ninety minutes later, with United left wondering quite what had happened, it was clear that what actually did transpire was something very special indeed.

GOOD NIGHT

Lionel Messi
Goal.com's man of the match. His goal wasn't quite the world-class stunner we normally expect of him, but his overall performance was as important as that of 2009.

Pep Guardiola
Wherever his future takes him, be it now, next year, or beyond, there is no doubting that now Guardiola can be mentioned in the same breath as Cruyff and others like him. Whoever gains his services after Barcelona can look forward to the arrival of a world-class coach.

Eric Abidal
It sounds like something out of a story book, but as anyone who's weathered serious illness and surgery can tell you, in fact it's all too real. After recovering from his liver drama, Abidal donned the armband and lifted the trophy aloft. No less than he deserves.

BAD NIGHT

Chicharito
A bitterly disappointing evening for the gifted Mexican. When left alone up front he could only be caught offside: when Rooney moved forward the Englishman stole the show with a great goal.

Edwin van der Sar
For such a long and storied career to end on this note is unjust. Edwin must carry with him to retirement a small amount of the blame for the margin of defeat, with the second goal looking especially suspect from his perspective.

Dimitar Berbatov
This one's going to run and run: left out of the matchday squad - failing even to make the bench - rumour has it that the Bulgarian left Wembley before kick-off, ensuring that any hope he had of remaining a United player was extinguished for good.

Worth Celebrating

But bizarrely, what was special was at the same time almost run-of-the-mill. It's simply the case that Barcelona's style of play has grown so regular, so 'theirs', that it doesn't need describing or recognising.

In this sense football viewers of the world are spoilt. That we can complain about "Barcelona overload", or grumble at the amount of fulsome praise on websites like these and in newspapers across the globe, sees the Blaugrana become a victim of their own success.

Take a step back from context, though, and simply watch the game on the pitch, and suddenly the beauty comes flooding back.

Barcelona weathered a difficult opening 10 minutes. They saw far less of the ball than they'd like, there were inklings that Fergie's early gambit of playing the long-ball percentage game might just pay off against an uncertain central pairing, and the likes of Pedro were still shaking the rust off their boots.

United must have dared to dream in these early exchanges, yet as Pedro's effort fizzed past the post after a quarter-hour it was already clear that the game was up. The midfield, packed as it was, could neutralise the odd threat but the idea of keeping Barcelona at bay for 90 minutes was simply impossible. Ji-Sung Park chased and harried admirably in the first half, for example, but one jink forward from Dani Alves set the wheels in motion for that chance; Michael Carrick's role of standing off and letting Lionel Messi run into trouble paid only limited dividends.

And, of course, it was Barcelona's individual quality that made the difference. Xavi's through ball was, well, Xavi-esque, Pedro's finish typically brash, and suddenly United - the English champions, one of football's finest units - had it all to do, with Barcelona not having done anything too far out of their ordinary.

The equalising goal - complete with a shade of offside for the otherwise ineffectual Ryan Giggs - showcased the talents of Wayne Rooney, but even the most ardent United fan knew that it couldn't last. Lionel Messi's typical audacity bore fruit with Barcelona's second: his shot wasn't the greatest, but the run forward was certainly exciting, and the fact that he took a blast rather than trying to walk the ball into the net proves that this team does have the predatory touch it's often accused of lacking.

David Villa's goal was the pick of the bunch - a masterful strike, reminiscent of happier times for a forward who has just issued a timely reminder of why he was so often spoken of as the world's best in his role. And, more tellingly, there was nothing, but nothing Manchester United could do about it. Because when Barcelona tick as a unit, they keep the ball; and when they keep the ball they give it to their gifted players; and when their gifted players have the ball it's only a matter of time until one of them does something jaw-dropping.

It really is that simple. The Barcelona style is the perfect combination of the collective and the individual. When it operates at its fullest capacity there is simply nothing to be done. Any progress against it is fleeting, any victory temporary, because it's always ready to start up again. It is to our benefit that its output is so beautiful, because unless something breaks this team up it's here to stay. And for that we have to thank everyone who's made it possible, because Barcelona are the greatest team in the world and one of the greatest to watch that there's ever been.

AjanleKoko:
. . . In a moment of irony, Barca celebrate in the sprinkler showers, just like Inter did at the Camp Nou last year
Talk about laughing last

Abi o! Same thing I thought when the sprinklers came on.

AjanleKoko:
Let's do it. I am available in Gidi till later in June, when I disappear on annual vacation.
We need to party like rock stars. What a season!

Unfortunately, I'm not in Lag, though I may be around in late June. In any case, you guys can plan once we get a few commited peeps.

Mcleo007:
Did u guys notice that all 3 goals came off Van der sar's left? Nice home work by Pep. He's shown again his pedigree that he's no rooky in the game.

Abi lifting the trophy was such an emotional thing to watch. I almost broke in tears. Good one Culeans, more to go. Messi equals CR7 53 Goals,

For those thinking or scared Pep might leave; y'all got nuffin to panick over. He's staying longer than most thinkin.

Nice observation on the goals.

Allowing Abi to lift the cup says a lot about the club & players - truly more than a club.

AjanleKoko:
Abeg, wey my Cules? khanye, eyo, Stealthy, ogazi, honeric, JP, dipset, and new signings Mcleod and fredooo!!! And all other friends of the house, line up now!

Abeg come and line up here as we sign out of the season with the Double That Matters.
For the 3rd year running, we party like rock stars , while our White Rivals are left on the Boulevard of Broken Cups and Meaningless Goals

Line up on the thread here, as we sign off with a great big OLE OLE OLE!!! CAMPEONES!!! CAMPEONES!!!

[flash=640,390]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp5vLVBF77Y?version=3"[/flash]

Good one man, good one!

We need to have a Barca Fan Club party

The decision to rest the 1st team players in the league paid dividends- I was worried that the guys would be rusty (indeed they looked so in the 1st few minutes), but in the end, our guys improved as the match wore on, while manure players tired from chasing the ball. The goal from rooney came at the right time - it showed our boys last that they had to be 100% all night.

More records:
Messi scored in England for the 1st time.
Barca won again in Wembley - 19 years after our 1st ucl there.
Pep's 2nd UCL as coach in 3 years.
Messi equals van nistelroy's record of 12 ucl goals in 1 season.
The only team to beat Barca in europe this season was arsenal.
Barcelona have now won more UCL cups than manu.
No english team has ever beaten Barca in UCL finals.
Manu did not win a single cornerkick in the match.
If Santos wins the South american cup, then Barca boy Keirrison will be a continental champion too.

You need a volcano to stop Barca in ucl - it worked for Inter last season, but Barca beat the volcano this time.

Barcelona! The 2011 champions of europe.

The decision to rest the 1st team players in the league paid dividends- I was worried that the guys would be rusty (indeed they looked so in the 1st few minutes), but in the end, our guys improved as the match wore on, while manure players tired from chasing the ball. The goal from rooney came at the right time - it showed our boys last that they had to be 100% all night.

More records:
Messi scored in England for the 1st time.
Barca won again in Wembley - 19 years after our 1st ucl there.
Pep's 2nd ucl as coach in 3 years.
Messi equals van nistelroy's record of 12 ucl goals in 1 season.
The only team to beat Barca in europe this season was arsenal.
Barcelona have now won more UCL cups than manu.
No english team has ever beaten Barca in UCL finals.
Manu did not win a single cornerkick in the match.
If Santos wins the South american cup, then Barca boy Keirrison will be a continental champion too.

You need a volcano to stop Barca in ucl-it worked for Inter last season, but Barca beat the volcano this time.

Barcelona! The 2011 champions of europe.

People, pls ignore this girl who knows nothing about soccer & is just here to spout anti-Barca propaganda. It's obvious from her posts that she hates Barca, so why do you guys even bother to respond to her. Ignore her & let's talk about the match.

Ronaldo can win golden shoes for the next 5 years, I dont care, so long as Messi keeps leading Barca to more titles.

Really smart of pep to rest the boys last few matches. They looked rusty early  on, but became unstoppable as the match wore on, while manu got tired from chasing the ball (very frustrating as those of us who play footie can confirm).

Next target is for Barca to become the 1st team to win UCL back-to-back.

Lol that some people have turned this to a Messi vs Ronaldo thread. Funny enough, they say Messi has Xavi/Iniesta, forgetting that the Oezil to Ronaldo assist has one of the highest counts in Europe this season.

Back to the match: Barca was far superior to Manu tonight and this was one of the most mesmerizing UCL finals ever. Sir Alex knew his team simply couldn't match Barca, even with the advantage of playing in England. Thank God there were no controversial moments - it was a very clean victory, which makes it sweeter. Barca have now rightfully earned the tag of the world's best.

Great, great win!

My 3-1 prayer was answered (thank you Jesus!)

MVP all scored 3 great goals - nice way for Villa to end it all. Funny enough, this match was so similar to the 2009 final: Man U came out blazing and our boys looked nervous early on. Before too long, an attacker who been on a worrying spell (Etoo in 2009, Pedro in 2011) got in and scored.

Man, don't we love England! We've won the UCL twice at Wembley. We've won our last 3 UCLs against English sides.

Let me hear any slowpoke talk about La Liga being weak or about Messi unfit to play in England. Keep them coming!

Where are all those Liverpool fans who were abusing Masch when he was a bench warmer earlier in the season? Now the guy plays all 9-0 mins of the UCL final, while Pool cant even make into Europa League.

Congrats to all Cules. It's been a fantastic season.

Finally, this team can be considered a true great - we had to win this UCL to cement our place in history as one of the greatest clubsides ever! Now, for us to be the 1st team to win UCL back-to-back!

Great, great win!

My 3-1 prayer was answered (thank you Jesus!)

MVP all scored 3 great goals - nice way for Villa to end it all. Funny enough, this match was so similar to the 2009 final: Man U came out blazing and our boys looked nervous early on. Before too long, an attacker who been on a worrying spell (Etoo in 2009, Pedro in 2011) got in and scored.

Man, don't we love England! We've won the UCL twice at Wembley. We've won our last 3 UCLs against English sides.

Let me hear any slowpoke talk about La Liga being weak or about Messi unfit to play in England. Keep them coming!

Where are all those Liverpool fans who were abusing Masch when he was a bench warmer earlier in the season? Now the guy plays all 9-0 mins of the UCL final, while Pool cant even make into Europa League.

Congrats to all Cules. It's been a fantastic season.

Finally, this team can be considered a true great - we had to win this UCL to cement our place in history as one of the greatest clubsides ever! Now, for us to be the 1st team to win UCL back-to-back!