How the hell do you get the ball off Barcelona?! And even if you are lucky enough to get the ball they don't give you any room.
It'll be interesting to see what leads to their decline - which is inevitable with any team. Will it be Pep leaving? Will it be Xavi, Iniesta and Messi moving on?
Premier League the best in the world? Who are they kidding.
They were made to look like a bunch of amateurs. (Don't tell anyone I didn't actually watch it because I was working but I heard it on the radio!)
I think there will be about 5 teams next season competting for the Premier League.
The Premier leagus isnt the best league in the world.
But its probably the most entertaining.
Hence its watched by more people on the planet than any other.
Spain has two top class teams, whereas England has 5 or 6 teams capable of winning the league next season.
The Spanish league is not competitive. Barca and Real can play in 3rd gear most weeks against the rest of the league and still win. In England any team can beat the top 4.
The Premier League is the most exciting/competitive of the top leagues.
This is interesting.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13590264.stm
So will there be a new vote on the next 2 World Cups?
I reckon we should all withdraw from FIFA and start again.
No, I reckon we just need to offer bigger bribes next time.
Damn cut backs.
Quote: Chappers @ May 29 2011, 9:14 PM BSTThis is interesting.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13590264.stm
So will there be a new vote on the next 2 World Cups?
I reckon we should all withdraw from FIFA and start again.
If every top league in Europe does it, then yes, let's do it. But, if it is just England then all foreign players would have to leave (as they would not be FIFA/UEFA sanctioned) and our league would be terrible.
If England, Italy, Spain & Germany withdrew (i.e. the biggest grossing /most watched leagues in the world) FIFA and UEFA's profits would drop and they'd soon get their act together.
Quote: Ben @ May 29 2011, 8:44 PM BSTIt'll be interesting to see what leads to their decline - which is inevitable with any team. Will it be Pep leaving? Will it be Xavi, Iniesta and Messi moving on?
Team dominance goes in cycles. Barca's will last another 4 or 5 years and then it will be someone else's turn.
I've heard a theory from someone well-connected in the game that Pep G will leave Barca in 2012 and take over at Arsenal, with Wenger becoming chairman/technical director. :-k
Quote: Steve Sunshine @ May 29 2011, 8:01 PM BSTShould Fergie have won more than 2?
It could be argued that they were pretty lucky to win the 2 that they did.
Were they the better team in either game?
No. And Fate saw to it that they lose the next two in payment for their fortune. BM were far better over the first 80 mins but went to sleep in the last ten. Chelsea played the better football over most of their game and were even leading on pens until, oh dear. MU were lucky in both. No amount of luck would have got them a win in either Barca defeat, because they were so outclassed. I could see the 68 team beating Barca tho, scintilating they were, scintilating.
Yesterday I was at a family gathering and my brother-in-law took great pleasure in saying that 19 was better 18 in terms of league championships won. He was doing this because he knew I was standing nearby and that I'm a Liverpool fan.
I retorted by that even if United won that night that 5 was better than 4 in terms of European Cups won. I also said that Liverpool won their fourth title in 1984 - what's taken them so long? He replied that it was far easier to win back in the 70s and 80s.
"If that's so how come United didn't play in the competition for a quarter of century? At least Liverpool didn't get relegated to the second tier during the lean years."
There wasn't a lot he could say after that. 
Top 5 biggest clubs in the world (currently):
1. Barca
2. Man United
3. Real Madrid
4. Liverpool
5. AC Milan
During the commentary on radio Steve McLaren said that if Manchester United were to win they would have to out-score Barcelona.
What would we do without these pundits?
In business terms yes. In terms of achievement it's more like
1 Real Madrid
2 AC Milan
3 Liverpool
4 Bayern Munich
5 Man Utd.
Barca are nowhere to be seen!
True, Alfred.
Barca were awful from 1992-2005, or so. Man Utd have underachieved in the Champions League. Real can lurch from sublime (Zidane era) to terrible (this was their first semi-final in a long time).
Liverpool had a 15 year period of dominance (eclipsed by Utd) and have not won the league for 21 years. If Utd do not win the league for 21 years they will slip down the rankings.
I will not, however, accept that Chelsea are a bigger club than Villa, Everton or Tottenham!
Quote: TopBanana @ May 29 2011, 9:40 PM BSTTop 5 biggest clubs in the world (currently):
1. Barca
2. Man United
3. Real Madrid
4. Liverpool
5. AC Milan
Hmmm, even as a Liverpool fan I don't know if you can put Liverpool fourth currently but they do have history on their side. That means that they are still big enough to attract decent players even if they're not playing in Europe.
Spurs can pull players in because they're in London and Man City could get away with it purely because of the wages but Everton probably couldn't without European football.
When Juventus were demoted they still had that Champions League aura but there are not many others whose reputation transcends current form.
Man Utd bigger than Real Madrid
hardly