[GM K]

What struck me most was that it looked as if Barca were only in first gear throughout. They hardly exerted themselves. It's going to be bloody at the Nou Camp.

 

[WR10]

Quite frankly embarrassing actually.

Ole's genius plan wiped out 70% of Barca's football through that tight high press. Smalling gave Messi whiplash and took him out of the game. Barca did not even cruise out of neutral. They literally combined ONE sequence of play that included any resemblance of off the ball movement and quality and they got the 1 goal they needed. They then casually played 2 touch warm up football around us for the rest of the game aimlessly - because they could.

This was equivalent to Barca laying on their back, blindfolded, handcuffed and us still struggling to do ANY damage. Ashley young leveled the ground for us in this fight by also blindfolding us in attack.

It will be a casual drubbing 4/5-0 at Nou camp.

 

[Eric Cantona]

I disagree. Barca would have been very mindful of what took place between us and PSG, moreso given that the first leg was also at OT. Surely they must have given all their effort considering we overturned PSG in Paris. Not wanting to make the same mistake as PSG I cant see how the conclusion could be that they did not want to get out of first gear, its just that they couldn't. Credit to the team.

 

[Kinsella]

Messi had trouble breathing during the match. He should miss the match vs. Huesca and but will be back vs. United. (AS)

Always unlikely he'd miss the second leg I suppose.

 

[The Brown Bull]

Watching the game I couldn’t help feeling this United team could do with a fiery Celt in the team.Someone like Denis Law, Pat Crerand, Roy Keane.Or maybe even a flamboyant Frenchman like Eric? Or just an inspirational Englishman like Robson?
Instead we were lead by Ashley Young.

 

[SER19]

Except he is. Barca had more possession, more chances and the better chances. Wasn’t nullified at all.

They had 1 shot on target. Messi had little impact.

 

[SER19]

Watching the game I couldn’t help feeling this United team could do with a fiery Celt in the team.Someone like Denis Law, Pat Crerand, Roy Keane.Or maybe even a flamboyant Frenchman like Eric? Or just an inspirational Englishman like Robson?
Instead we were lead by Ashley Young.

Mctominay should some nice fire during and after. Not saying he's that guy we need at all, but he's certainly the character we need. He didn't give a flying feck he was facing Barcelona

 

[wr8_utd]

Barca have played 4 poor matches since the International break and this was easily the worst of the lot and we yet could not muster a single shot on target. Sure we played well but this was a big chance for us today and we really needed to show far more creativity than we did. Messi and Suarez won't play at the weekend and will be rested, Dembele will be fit and they're going to be at the Nou Camp and they probably won't be remotely as bad as they were today. It really feels like we missed a big opportunity today. Barca had played 3 big games in the space of 7 days last week coming into this fixture and we really couldn't take advantage and get the goal. Unless they gift us goals the way PSG did, it's hard to see us getting anything at all out of this

 

[Scholsey2004]

All of a sudden Fred looks like 50m well spent. He was terrific. Makes you wonder why he's not been getting more games. Mctominay was good too.

 

[automaticflare]

Nothing in the final third. Pogba is our only creative outlet and he is easier to stifle when teams know we have one threat.
Desperately need to improve in final third in summer

 

[wr8_utd]

I feel like the scousers or city could have their pants down. They'd be a much better version of us tonight. Even Spurs could beat this Barca side.

This Barca side isn't the best but they've had 3 tough games in 7 days and they're generally pretty poor away from home in the CL so for them to come and still get the win is actually quite a good result.

As for Spurs? This Barca team won 3-2 at Wembley just this season. I think Liverpool would probably beat them because of how poor they are away from the Camp Nou but they're still a quality team.

 

[Cockney Phil]

It was a bit like men against boys tonight. No shots on target - allegedly!!

The pundits claimed Barca played below par, a shabby performance one said during the game. That kind of places our sterling performance in context - we really don’t have the material to compete among the top drawer sides. Ref made a few dodgy cards decisions - a couple of Barca players got away with it - but that doesn’t take away our poor showing. I hope we can lull Barca into a false sense of victory, that they become complacent and we sneak two goals in the second leg.

Fans are piling in on Young but the limelight should shine on Lukaku for his level of utter uselessness - his big game forte. Complaining to everyone after failing to control the ball, again - an absurdity given how much he cost.

Four matches in a row we have looked competent but failed to step up. Looks like we may have to settle for a less than cheery ending after it was so bright in December.

 

[RedMilo]

Just got back in from the game. I felt it was a missed opportunity, it was like we should be thankful we got away with a 0-1 defeat, its just weird for this club.

In fact I was on the fence about renewing my season tickets but Im not after giving Messrs Young & Smalling contract extensions, the club has settled again for mediocrity and their performance tonight especially Young summed up what has gone wrong with the club in recent years, our standards have dropped severely.

Lukaku can feck off and if DDG, Herrera & Pogba want to go, let them fecking leave. McTominay, Dalot and Fred were excellent. Bring on the kids and sign a decent RB FFS...

 

[RedDevilCanuck]

The game showed Matic and Herrera are not needed.

Sitting back and watching them pass really cost us. But the pressing after was impressive.

Fred can play and Scott is good. Really good. He could get to fletcher's level. His technique is underated.

Again lukaku showed he isn't United quality.

Pogba wasn't as bad as most think.

Young, sorry man but it's over.

Smalling is so good as a defender. He just doesnt have technique with the ball. But he was immense.

That was the worst game I've seen Messi play. And this Barca side ain't great.

I couldn't believe how uncomfortable they were with our press.

They were so bad at dealing with it I fear liverpool can beat then easily if they meet.

 

[KingMinger22]

City or Liverpool would have bummed Barca tonight.

Our team is fecking dreadful in terms of quality. We have two proper players.

 

[RooneyLegend]

This is exactly how I predicted. Barca were never gonna need to play at their best level to beat us overall us without trashing us on the scoreline. We're sadly out of our depth with our tactical setup, our subs, our individual performances

Our tactical set up? Don't be ridiculous, they barely got going in the match.

 

[tentan]

Not good enough really. Barca weren't even out of first gear.

 

[Cantonagotmehere]

Fred and McTominay were balling tonight. Bloody impressed with them, especially defensively.

Right on. Smalling too. Very impressed with those 3.

 

[Cockney Phil]

Scott and Fred were given a lot of room to show themselves tonight but they never threatened Barca. Good as they were running around and being busy, they were light years away from unlocking Barca.

 

[Cantonagotmehere]

Never created a real chance or shot on goal. Good physical presence in the second half that lead to nowhere due to atrocious crossing by Young mostly.

You don't think Dalot's worst header of all time was a good chance?

 

[SAFMUTD]

We are simply not good enough, Barcelona was playing with us they didn't even sweat. It was like they were just letting the clock pass by. In the moment they wanted they could had crushed us.

We need serious smart investment, I was watching a game with some friends and they didn't recognized half the squad. Of course they are not United fans but feck they know everyone on the Barca's side and almost no one from ours, that tells you how much we have stepped down in terms of protagonism.

 

[Cantonagotmehere]

We are simply not good enough, Barcelona was playing with us they didn't even sweat. It was like they were just letting the clock pass by. In the moment they wanted they could had crushed us.

We need serious smart investment, I was watching a game with some friends and they didn't recognized half the squad. Of course they are not United fans but feck they know everyone on the Barca's side and almost no one from ours, that tells you how much we have stepped down in terms of protagonism.

What? Then why didn't they?

 

[SAFMUTD]

What? Then why didn't they?

They didn't needed to, did you see them leaving it all on the field? they clearly see us as no threat, we didn't even push them to sweat.

 

[Andersonson]

Our midfield was very good, Shaw was excellent, our attacking play was dull.

Young was awful. Really, really, awful.

Thought Shaw was very poor today. Not as bad as Young of course! Scott, Fred and Smalling great!

 

[Sereques]

Guys, before you come here and regurgitate the stuff fed to you by ABU media, take a step back for a second.

There has never been a United team that dominated the Spanish top two. We are always second best because the best players always go to those teams. The idea that we were once a giant that destroy Barça or Madrid didn’t happen. So, please calm your fury.

Ole taking over United will not make us a Top team in 4 months. I believe it took Klopp 4years to get Liverpool to where they are now. Ole is a fan and a manager, he will surely do what is best for this club.

The current team is very limited, we all know that but they gave a good account of themselves, reminding us how limited we are is irrelevant. The same media that question Ed why he’s taking so long to give Ole a contract are now saying he should have waited till summer, that he rushed the decision.
Damn if you do, damn if you don’t. If it was the previous manager, we would have been very defensive, horrible to watch and still lose anyway. A bit of perspective guys.

 

[dwd]

Season ended tonight.

 

[Marcus]

A draw would have been a fair result.

 

[Member 58925]

All of a sudden Fred looks like 50m well spent. He was terrific. Makes you wonder why he's not been getting more games. Mctominay was good too.

I know it’s a cliche at this point but PL football is a different proposition. This is what he’s capable of though.

 

[SAFMUTD]

A draw would have been a fair result.

How? we created no chances, and they had at least 2 clear chances to score.

 

[AndyMUFC]

Still in the tie at least. It was a decent effort against a Barca side that were more content in managing the game rather than playing their traditional free flowing football but we just still struggle with quality in the final third and that was the difference.

 

[bosnian_red]

This is exactly how I predicted. Barca were never gonna need to play at their best level to beat us overall us without trashing us on the scoreline. We're sadly out of our depth with our tactical setup, our subs, our individual performances

Tactical set up was fine. Problem stems from them have Lionel Messi, Suarez, Coutinho as their front 3 compared to Rashford, Lukaku and Dalot. Or Rakitic, Arthur, Busquets vs McTominay, Fred and Pogba (the one and only outfielder who would get in their side). Or even the back four of Semedo, Pique, Lenglet, Jordi Alba vs Young, Smalling, Lindelof, shaw... you get the point

 

[sglowrider]

I thought we did enough to win.

But did also show that we arent quite there yet with the striker's department. Rashford, Martial and Jesse havent been firing on all cylinders for a good month now.

We need to get someone else as another option in this summer transfer window to ensure that something like this doesnt go wasted again.

 

[Sarni]

How? we created no chances, and they had at least 2 clear chances to score.

Dalot’s header was a more comfortable chance than anything they created.

 

[SAFMUTD]

Dalot’s header was a more comfortable chance than anything they created.

Was pretty similar to the Suarez header, but since Dalot didn’t even put the ball close I don’t count it as a close chance...but you’re right we got that one.

 

[marukomu]

Season ended tonight.

Okay. See you in August.

 

[Red Dreams]

A 2-1 win there sees us through.
We can do it.

 

[gerdm07]

Pogba gets judged by entirely different standards to other players, he was in now way poor. Best player on the pitch in the first half and was certainly still our biggest threat in the second. People literally expect him to take on the entire team and score a hattrick every game

I agree. Pogba showed quality throughout with some very nice penetrating passes. I just wish he would want the ball more the last 20 minutes when a match is on the line.

I also agree with others that Fred and McTominay were very good. I really hope this pushes him to a new level and Fred contributes in the PL race.

 

[Charlie Foley]

We played better tonight than at home to PSG or Juve. We beat both of them away with results that would see us through in this leg.

Young is not good enough. I really warmed to him under LVG and he’s had good moments since but he’s not good enough in 2019

 

[Sterling Archer]

No current United player has scored at Old Trafford in the Champions League this season. And we're somehow going into the second leg of the quarter finals down only a goal to Barcelona.

What the actual feck?! I don't know whether to be optimistic of our away record or even more frustrated with this team .

 

[Morpheus 7]

Not enough, the class does tell in my opinion. Few players showed a little ambition, Scott and Fred showed desire. I just wished we came out with some balls. I'm sick of bowing down at OT, not taking the game to the opponents. Too many people that don't want to be there in my opinion.