Europe is finally an open playing field again

Originally Posted by Sparky***

yeah they did. But United were the best team in the world at the time in 2000 and they came to old trafford and ran in 3 goals with little fuss, however they came about.

In 2002 United were nowhere near as good, conceding goals for fun in a defence that had the ancient Laurent Blanc in it...whist we're talking about teams that finished 3rd, United also finished 3rd that season whilst conceding about 50 goals.

We had about twice as many chances as them but our defence was absolutely shite that season
Won the league by double digit points but still conceded something like 51 goals

Also in that game Karanka cleared a ball that was goal bound over the cross bar with his hand at only 0-1
Should have been a pen and a red card which would have completely changed the game but funnily enough the media barely mentioned it now if the boot was on the other foot....

One of the biggest factors back then, imo, was the goalkeeper. From Fatty Boy Bosnich to that clown Barthez, once Schmeichel left things all went a bit shaky at the back. He gave the defence that rock-solid confidence that wasn't seen again until Van der Sar was signed.

*passes self-flaggelation whip to next person*

Originally Posted by red red robbo

Meh

Nah, it will be horrible - May 2012 revisited

Originally Posted by red in cumbria

Nah, it will be horrible - May 2012 revisited

I refer the honourable gentlemen to the answer I gave a short time ago

Originally Posted by red red robbo

That's probably because you live in/near Manchester. I live on the south coast, there isn't a city supporter within a hundred miles of me

Originally Posted by Zorg

One of the biggest factors back then, imo, was the goalkeeper. From Fatty Boy Bosnich to that clown Barthez, once Schmeichel left things all went a bit shaky at the back. He gave the defence that rock-solid confidence that wasn't seen again until Van der Sar was signed.

*passes self-flaggelation whip to next person*

Love Big Ed tbh.

Now about that whip...

Originally Posted by Zorg

One of the biggest factors back then, imo, was the goalkeeper. From Fatty Boy Bosnich to that clown Barthez, once Schmeichel left things all went a bit shaky at the back. He gave the defence that rock-solid confidence that wasn't seen again until Van der Sar was signed.

*passes self-flaggelation whip to next person*

You leave big Mike alone.

Originally Posted by andyroo

Love Big Ed tbh.

Now about that whip...

Originally Posted by red red robbo

I refer the honourable gentlemen to the answer I gave a short time ago

Still wall to wall media coverage for weeks afterwards, wherever you live. Unless its Antarctica, possibly

Originally Posted by sa7

It annoyed the life out of me that we spent years being head and shoulders above Madrid but the stuffy c***s kept avoiding us.

Would've absolutely loved us to have torn them to shreds.

No Fergie team would have torn a European giant to shreds. He was far too fearful towards them. The team usually started the huge European knockout games as nervous wrecks which lead to stupid mistakes they wouldn't normally make. We didn't really sort that out until 2008 onwards.

Used to piss me off that an inferior Liverpool under Benitez had no issues and over achieved in europe whilst a superior united looked like nervous wrecks.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

yeah they did. But United were the best team in the world at the time in 2000 and they came to old trafford and ran in 3 goals with little fuss, however they came about.

In 2002 United were nowhere near as good, conceding goals for fun in a defence that had the ancient Laurent Blanc in it...whist we're talking about teams that finished 3rd, United also finished 3rd that season whilst conceding about 50 goals.

Given how United (apart from Ruud) bottled it in Madrid the following season, I'm not sure how well a 2002 final against Madrid would have gone. Beckham wouldn't have been available either.

Originally Posted by red in cumbria

Well, that and Carrick

Absolutely SEETHING at him after that, nqat

Was furious at Fergie myself. The nearest thing to a centre forward we had was Nani. We had no outlet up top, nobody to relieve the pressure by holding up the ball. It was just wave after wave of Bayern pressure until the inevitable happened and that Dutch freak scored a pearler. I was absolutely screaming towards the bench to get Macheda on for a bit of physical presence.

Seeing Shorts pointlessly posturing on the touchline that night compounded my hatred of the man

Originally Posted by Ranier Wolfcastle

Given how United (apart from Ruud) bottled it in Madrid the following season, I'm not sure how well a 2002 final against Madrid would have gone. Beckham wouldn't have been available either.

For two and a half seasons Beckham played but might as well have been unavailable.

Originally Posted by red in cumbria

Well, that and Carrick

Absolutely SEETHING at him after that, nqat

Yep. Bayern had started to take control of the game before the sending off, which made it even more of a poor decision by Rafael. But Fergie £#%&!ed that tie, nqat, LvG's Bayern were not a great side and certainly shouldn't have been good enough to beat us. We'd probably have won the first leg if Fergie hadn't subbed Carrick for Berbatov with about 20 mins to go and completely opened the midfield

Gutted after that electric first half an hour

Originally Posted by Ranier Wolfcastle

Given how United (apart from Ruud) bottled it in Madrid the following season, I'm not sure how well a 2002 final against Madrid would have gone. Beckham wouldn't have been available either.

Though we might have had more chance against them in a one off game.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

Yep. Bayern had started to take control of the game before the sending off, which made it even more of a poor decision by Rafael. But Fergie £#%&!ed that tie, nqat, LvG's Bayern were not a great side and certainly shouldn't have been good enough to beat us. We'd probably have won the first leg if Fergie hadn't subbed Carrick for Berbatov with about 20 mins to go and completely opened the midfield

Gutted after that electric first half an hour

Didn't Neville also perform an absolutely ludicrous handball in the first leg which resulted in them scoring from the set piece?

Originally Posted by Ranier Wolfcastle

Didn't Neville also perform an absolutely ludicrous handball in the first leg which resulted in them scoring from the set piece?

sure did. And Evra didnt know Olic was running in behind him to nick the ball for the winner. It was a pretty bad choke, Vidic headed off the bar too at 0-1 or 1-1.

Originally Posted by Denis Irwell

For two and a half seasons Beckham played but might as well have been unavailable.

He hit a good run of form before his foot injury and scored some magnificent goals. Not that I think it would have ultumately made a difference in a final against Madrid mind