Barcelona 2011 vs AC Milan 1990 - By Jonathan Wilson

What a daft article (that probably is)

Milan 1990 all day long btw

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

Milan 1990 all day long btw

The last team to retain Europe's top trophy. Nuff said

I think the milan 1990 team would beat this barcelona team btw.

Convincingly.

Originally Posted by taff

agreed. enjoy reading both of them in the main. they are a right pair of dorks though

The Zonal Marking fella especially. I got into a nice little spat with him on the twitter when he said VDS was "lucky" with his tackle on Anelka. I told him he was wrong, he challenged me to prove it with "insightful analysis" and I laughed at him for suggesting a tackle be insightfully analysed.

More to the point, how would Barcelona '11 do against the '85 Bears? Or the '69 Mets? Or the £#%&!ing Mongols of 1205? I eagerly anticipate Mr Wilson's analysis.

United '99 > everyone else.

The reason? Belief. I don't think I've ever seen a side with as much belief as that one, and it all stemmed from the manager. Obviously the Champion's League Final sticks out as the shining example of that, but there were countless other examples throughout that season. Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-final replay, Liverpool in the FA Cup at Old Trafford, Juventus in Turin. How many times would other teams have thought they were beaten in those games? United never gave in. Ever.

We won the Treble that season and I've just given four examples of key moments in that season where the belief dragged us to victory. We could have, and probably should have, ended up with £#%&! all that season other than the league, but the belief and character of the team meant we won the lot, and that's what makes that team the best IMO. Barca and Inter have won the Treble in recent years, but neither of them did it in the way United did. You could argue that their domestic league and cup competitions were far easier than United's as well.

Then there's the midfield. Barca's current first choice midfield gets praised all the time, but United's in '99 was perfect. You had the passing of Beckham, the pace of Giggs, the brains of Scholes and the industry of Keane. It had everything, and it worked so well together. We also had the best goalkeeper in the world, the best centre-back in the world and four strikers who all offered something different. I might be biased, but nothing will ever beat that side IMHO.

Originally Posted by Grimson

The Zonal Marking fella especially. I got into a nice little spat with him on the twitter when he said VDS was "lucky" with his tackle on Anelka. I told him he was wrong, he challenged me to prove it with "insightful analysis" and I laughed at him for suggesting a tackle be insightfully analysed.

exactly, but these friggers make a living out of doing just that. well done for schooling him, grimmers.

does the article mention that Milan dismantled the 94 Barca 'dream team' 4-0?

Originally Posted by Neo

United '99 > everyone else.

The reason? Belief. I don't think I've ever seen a side with as much belief as that one, and it all stemmed from the manager. Obviously the Champion's League Final sticks out as the shining example of that, but there were countless other examples throughout that season. Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-final replay, Liverpool in the FA Cup at Old Trafford, Juventus in Turin. How many times would other teams have thought they were beaten in those games? United never gave in. Ever.

We won the Treble that season and I've just given four examples of key moments in that season where the belief dragged us to victory. We could have, and probably should have, ended up with £#%&! all that season other than the league, but the belief and character of the team meant we won the lot, and that's what makes that team the best IMO. Barca and Inter have won the Treble in recent years, but neither of them did it in the way United did. You could argue that their domestic league and cup competitions were far easier than United's as well.

Then there's the midfield. Barca's current first choice midfield gets praised all the time, but United's in '99 was perfect. You had the passing of Beckham, the pace of Giggs, the brains of Scholes and the industry of Keane. It had everything, and it worked so well together. We also had the best goalkeeper in the world, the best centre-back in the world and four strikers who all offered something different. I might be biased, but nothing will ever beat that side IMHO.

A good argument and well made.

Originally Posted by Neo

United '99 > everyone else.

The reason? Belief. I don't think I've ever seen a side with as much belief as that one, and it all stemmed from the manager. Obviously the Champion's League Final sticks out as the shining example of that, but there were countless other examples throughout that season. Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-final replay, Liverpool in the FA Cup at Old Trafford, Juventus in Turin. How many times would other teams have thought they were beaten in those games? United never gave in. Ever.

We won the Treble that season and I've just given four examples of key moments in that season where the belief dragged us to victory. We could have, and probably should have, ended up with £#%&! all that season other than the league, but the belief and character of the team meant we won the lot, and that's what makes that team the best IMO. Barca and Inter have won the Treble in recent years, but neither of them did it in the way United did. You could argue that their domestic league and cup competitions were far easier than United's as well.

Then there's the midfield. Barca's current first choice midfield gets praised all the time, but United's in '99 was perfect. You had the passing of Beckham, the pace of Giggs, the brains of Scholes and the industry of Keane. It had everything, and it worked so well together. We also had the best goalkeeper in the world, the best centre-back in the world and four strikers who all offered something different. I might be biased, but nothing will ever beat that side IMHO.

bit long that tbh. any chance you could shorten it a bit?

Originally Posted by Jack Duckworth

exactly, but these friggers make a living out of doing just that. well done for schooling him, grimmers.

He really got all stroppy over it. He has 28,000 followers. Wonder if he gets in a strop every time someone disagrees, or if he's just so accustomed to being a media darling? He does do some worthwhile analysis, but analysing a tackle ffs. He won the ball, move on.

Originally Posted by borsuk

bit long that tbh. any chance you could shorten it a bit?

United '99 > everyone else.

Originally Posted by Neo

Barcelona 2011 = ridiculously overrated.

Their defence is shit and they have zero physical presence.

United 1999 would have beat them convincingly IMO.

How? Why? They are by far the best team in the world at the mo.

In 99 we played an inferior Barca side and drew both games.

Barca '08 - '11 are not overrated ffs

Scoring the most points ever in the league last term, won the treble, got to CL semi's year after year & that "comprehensively outplayed in Milan" was due to going by coach for 2 days wasn't with the ash cloud & Mourinho knowing exactly how to deal with that tiny advantage. The side has Messi (currently beating Ronaldo's annus mirabilis & got 7 or 8 games left maybe ffs on top of 20+ assists ) Xavi, Iniesta, Villa, so many through la masia to keep their identity, including the coach, playing Cryuff's system...

All credit to them. Who said they haven't won the silverware? Closing in a hat-trick of titles, won the CL, the Club World Cup, Spanish Cup (& in the final again tomorrow) & the Super Cup ffs Apparently that's not enough in three seasons...

Milan dominated the early '90s, Utd the turn of the century, this time belongs to Barca. It wont last. Nothing does. But all credit to them.

I hope Messi leaves & they fall apart, but they'll go down in history as one of the great sides. Facht.

Originally Posted by Baron_van_Marlon

Barca '08 - '11 are not overrated ffs

Scoring the most points ever in the league last term, won the treble, got to CL semi's year after year & that "comprehensively outplayed in Milan" was due to going by coach for 2 days wasn't with the ash cloud & Mourinho knowing exactly how to deal with that tiny advantage. The side has Messi (currently beating Ronaldo's annus mirabilis & got 7 or 8 games left maybe ffs on top of 20+ assists ) Xavi, Iniesta, Villa, so many through la masia to keep their identity, including the coach, playing Cryuff's system...

All credit to them. Who said they haven't won the silverware? Closing in a hat-trick of titles, won the CL, the Club World Cup, Spanish Cup (& in the final again tomorrow) & the Super Cup ffs Apparently that's not enough in three seasons...

Milan dominated the early '90s, Utd the turn of the century, this time belongs to Barca. It wont last. Nothing does. But all credit to them.

I hope Messi leaves & they fall apart, but they'll go down in history as one of the great sides. Facht.

Wonder if he'd ever sign for Madrid....?

Originally Posted by Mr_Ed

Wonder if he'd ever sign for Madrid....?

Figo stylee.... I genuinely think he'd get assassinated.

Originally Posted by Jack Duckworth

i £#%&!ing hate jonathan wilson and that other boring @#%&! michael cox from that tactics website.

pseudo-intellectual, over-complicated analysis of what in essence is a very simple game. you can tell the pair of them have never kicked a ball in their life.

@#%&!s.

O hai dere Barry Glendenning

Originally Posted by Mr_Ed

How? Why? They are by far the best team in the world at the mo.

In 99 we played an inferior Barca side and drew both games.

Group stage games mean £#%&! all. We didn't need to win either of them.

That Bayern team back then was class but we beat them in the final. Does that mean Barca '99 were better than Bayern '99? Of course it doesn't.

When I say that this Barca team is overrated, I'm talking about the prematurity of calling them the greatest side of all time. They are a great side, and they are the best in the world, and probably have been for the last two years, but I wouldn't go as far as saying they're the best team ever. Not yet anyway.

Originally Posted by Grimson

The Zonal Marking fella especially. I got into a nice little spat with him on the twitter when he said VDS was "lucky" with his tackle on Anelka. I told him he was wrong, he challenged me to prove it with "insightful analysis" and I laughed at him for suggesting a tackle be insightfully analysed.

saw him going on about that the other day. what a bell. think he's a gooner actually

Originally Posted by Neo

Group stage games mean £#%&! all. We didn't need to win either of them.

That Bayern team back then was class but we beat them in the final. Does that mean Barca '99 were better than Bayern '99? Of course it doesn't.

When I say that this Barca team is overrated, I'm talking about the prematurity of calling them the greatest side of all time. They are a great side, and they are the best in the world, and probably have been for the last two years, but I wouldn't go as far as saying they're the best team ever. Not yet anyway.

I think the competition atm is pretty poor across europe. We're in the top 2-3 in Europe, and this isn't a great United side by any stretch of the imagination.

Something that needs to be considered in these types of arguments. It's ok saying Barcelona are setting all kinds of records in Spain, but their competition is £#%&! for the most part.