The United goals are over in the Eurogoals thread by the way.
Cheers Rock. OāShea trying to claim the 3rd is brilliant.
Massive game tonight, one we should win but could fuck up. Firstly they always have the ability to score, especially through free kicks(iām sure Vidic will be Graham Norton far up Benzemaās hole for most of the night). They can score though so we should be going out to put the game to bed early. With that in mind Iād like to see our best 11 all on the pitch-usual back four then Nani, Carrick, Anderson and Ronaldo with Tevez and Rooney up front. However, Fergie doesnāt believe that Carrick and Anderson are defensive enough for Europe so it could well be the 4-5-1 with Rooney alone up top, with Scholes, Anderson and Hargreaves in the middle again. I think this team encourages them to have a go at us and we always struggle to keep up with Rooney when this happens.
In short, get the two up front and let us hunt them down from the very start, they way we play best.
Fletcher is playing instead of Scholes. In the first leg United didnt start to play until Tevez came on. I hope the home advantage will be enough tonight to get United into the next round.
Is that defo Shan?
Thatās a bit shit from Fergie, I think. Itās possible that we sit back, happy to let the game play out. They can take a shock lead and all of a sudden weāre fucked. We better score early.
It was the same as the first leg. We were quite happy to pass it around without really creating anything and got a lucky enough goal. Fletcher was probbably the best United player tonight. Won a lot of possession. Only when Tevez came on United looked a threat. Just happy to be in the last 8. Please draw Fenerbache. 
Awful performance by united - shoddy team selection, shoddy tactics, pretty much shat themselves when Lyon put it up to them in the second half but at this stage a result over two legs is all that counts.
Would it be fair to say that if United had come up against even a marginally better team then they would be out by now? I saw a half from each leg and to be honest Lyon looked the better team in both cases.
But still they are through and I canāt relax until they are out.
[quote=āfarmerinthecityā]Would it be fair to say that if United had come up against even a marginally better team then they would be out by now? I saw a half from each leg and to be honest Lyon looked the better team in both cases.
But still they are through and I canāt relax until they are out.[/quote]
not really farmer, every game/tie is different, i reckon they/fergie thought they had enough there to beat Lyon (which they did in the end, but only just) but against a better team i think the approach would have been different and they have the ability to step up their performance when required, as evidenced when they went behind in the first leg.
Yeah - fair enough. They came through it and the next game could different.
But if Ferguson continues to decide to play Fletcher again and leave out Scholes and Hargreaves then I canāt see them doing much.
I have to agree with Jugs. How can Ferguson be happy with that. Itās clear that the 4-5-1 just doesnāt suit us. Our central midfield of Carrick and Anderson is well able to handle matches of this calibre so stick with it. 3 in the middle leaves them all trying to do the same things and Rooney isolated. It also means we donāt get the pressure on them further up the pitch and therefore, draw teams on to us. After the goal we should have settled and gone on but we were shit. We were absolutely unable to keep the ball, particularly in midfield, and especially Ronaldo.
Plus
Nani was great again, super energy and a real danger, some lovely touches, I thought.
Fletcher at least, managed his go at the midfield and worked all night, with great interceptions, runs and tackles.
Minus
Strangely subdued and sloppy passing throughout. Ronaldo was as infuriating as weāve ever seen him. Tantrums, little limps and whinging. Still, heās a fucking goal machine. We just canāt afford for him not to be playing well.
We need Tevez on the pitch. Him and Rooney are twin bulls that terrify teams.
Fergie has to realise that this system breeds these performances and we canāt afford to play like that if we want to win the European Cup. Over two legs we didnāt really impose ourselves that much on Lyon and in all honesty, we should be battering teams like that if we want to win it. Still weāre through, unlike the scousersā¦
And that is in essence why you canāt call Ferguson one of the greatest managers of all time.
He has been found out in Europe numerous times with bizarre team selections and hereās hoping it happens again.
Benzema is a class act as well.
[quote=āfarmerinthecityā]
Benzema is a class act as well.[/quote]
Putting this along with your earlier assertion that you only watched one half of each game Iād say that makes you a superscout Farmer. 90 minutes in total and heās a class act? Thatās a superb Dunphy impression, Farmer.
Sometimes you can just tell with players on first impressions Juhniallio.
Like you are a tubby mouthy fookā¦
[quote=āfarmerinthecityā]Sometimes you can just tell with players on first impressions Juhniallio.
Like you are a tubby mouthy fookā¦[/quote]
Always with the aggression, oh spire-ly one.
United have one style for the Champions League and one for domestic games. As long as they are getting results then I cant complain.
but if united keep playing like that in europe they will not go much furrtherā¦i would fancy liverpool to beat them over 2 legs if they meet in the quarters in fact i would fancy the majority of teams left in it to beat them going on there 2 performances against lyon
Fair enough, but it was only put up to us once in the tie after Benzema scored and United came back and were all over Lyon that game. First half last night we looked much more dangerous than they did, and duly got our goal. We were shit second half but hung on.
We need to play better than that but Iām sure we will.
Lyon are french Champions and a very decent side. Weād like to have hammered them but weāre still through.