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| Barcelona 3-0 Manchester United (4-0 agg): Champions League quarter-final – as it happened | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Anyway, that’s us: in short, Lionel Messi is pretty good at the old association football. Thanks all for your company and comments – ta-ra. | |
| Messi magic and De Gea blunder ease Barcelona past Manchester United | |
| Barcelona 3-0 Manchester United: Champions League player ratings | |
| Ferdinand isn’t sure about Pogba, saying that if you keep him you need to build around him, but that he might want to leave. He says he’d keep Pogba, while Hargreaves says Pogba took too many touches today, but is very effective when playing quickly. | |
| Hargreaves says that United need someone to play in front of the back four - Fred played there today and is a ballplayer. Ferdinand notes that when the top players are moving, United might not be first choice, though says if he was a player, he’d be thinking that he might catalyse the comeback. | |
| Solskjaer says United started well and that Messi was the difference. He also says that Barca are at the level United need to reach and that they can, but there’s a lot of work to do. “We want to play these games next season, and we’ve a massive week coming up with Everton, City and Chelsea.” Gulp. | |
| What’s happened to United over the last few weeks doesn’t tell us that Solskjaer isn’t the man for the job. To expect championship form for half a season would be ridiculous; United only played this game, and are only in the hunt for top four, because of the work Solskjaer’s done. The job is a big one, and though three brilliant signings could get them close in the league, they’re miles off a team that anyone can deem satisfactory. | |
| He also says that United need to try and get back in the top four. More news as i get it. | |
| Jesse Lingard says United dominated but didn’t take their chances. He seems absolutely gutted, which is kind of nice in that he turned up expecting to win - the mentality is right, even if the talent isn’t. | |
| I love how much Rio Ferdinand loves football. he’s currnely cooing over De Jong and De Ligt. | |
| I guess United can take some solace in Ajax’s exploits. Though they do have two generational players in De Ligt and De Jong, they’re also proof that with clever management, the right tactics and a proper mentality, you can do amazing things. | |
| Rio Ferdinand agrees that Liverpool have a better shot against Barcelona, but also notes that they don’t have Messi. There’s a bit more to it than that - Dembele will be fitter by then, and Barca’s midfielders are so classy - but if Barca go through it’ll be because Messi takes them through. | |
| If anyone fancies a longread about why Solskjaer was a good choice for United manager, and why he’ll probably fail anyway, here, by amazing coincidence, is one. | |
| Wrote about why Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a good choice as United manager, and also about why it probably won't work. https://t.co/4q5byI1m0X | |
| Here’s Danny Taylor’s match report: | |
| Messi magic and De Gea blunder ease Barcelona past Manchester United | |
| Ajax have beaten Juventus! What a semi it’ll be against City or Spurs! Read Paul Doyle on that, here. | |
| Juventus 1-2 Ajax (2-3 agg): Champions League quarter-final – live reaction | |
| As for United, they’ve still got a chance of making next season’s competition, but will probably have to beat Everton on Sunday. Assuming they lose to City next midweek, they’ll already need Arsenal to drop points in two games and to win all their others. | |
| In the longer term, they just need better players - the question is whether the board will pay for them. The evidence of the last 14 years says not, in which case it’s a case of getting the permitted purchases right with no margin for error, and waiting for the younger players to be ready. | |
| So what’s next? Well, for Barca, the most likely assignment is a tie with Liverpool, and I’ve no idea how that might go. If Messi turns up, he can ruin any team, but Liverpool’s midfield will make it harder than United’s could simply by virtue of their running power. And their front three are obviously much better than United’s, though the first leg being in Catalunya will help Barca if they can get themselves a lead. | So what’s next? Well, for Barca, the most likely assignment is a tie with Liverpool, and I’ve no idea how that might go. If Messi turns up, he can ruin any team, but Liverpool’s midfield will make it harder than United’s could simply by virtue of their running power. And their front three are obviously much better than United’s, though the first leg being in Catalunya will help Barca if they can get themselves a lead. |
| They’re still playing in Turin, but Juve need two goals in what’s left of injury-time if they’re to beat Ajax. | They’re still playing in Turin, but Juve need two goals in what’s left of injury-time if they’re to beat Ajax. |
| Barcelona were far, far too good for United tonight. United might’ve made it a more interesting night had they taken their chances in the opening minutes, but once Messi picked the ball up and spirited home that first goal, it was a matter, not of how but how many. He is unfathomably, humiliatingly, inspirationally, epochally wonderful, and we are honoured to be living in his time. | Barcelona were far, far too good for United tonight. United might’ve made it a more interesting night had they taken their chances in the opening minutes, but once Messi picked the ball up and spirited home that first goal, it was a matter, not of how but how many. He is unfathomably, humiliatingly, inspirationally, epochally wonderful, and we are honoured to be living in his time. |
| This is fairly conclusive. | This is fairly conclusive. |
| 90+1 min Barcelona barge forward with Vidal, who pokes across to box and Suarez opens his legs to find Messi, seeking his hat-trick; he smashes a shot, but it’s straight at De Gea, who prangs away with an uppercutting arm. | 90+1 min Barcelona barge forward with Vidal, who pokes across to box and Suarez opens his legs to find Messi, seeking his hat-trick; he smashes a shot, but it’s straight at De Gea, who prangs away with an uppercutting arm. |
| 90 min There’ll be two additional minutes. | 90 min There’ll be two additional minutes. |
| 90 min Here come United! Dalot charges down the right and leaps into a lovely, curling cross at which Sanchez dives, near post; he makes great contact too, and Ter Stegen is off the other way, expecting the ball to Lukaku in the middle. But he does brilliantly to right himself, getting a strong hand to push away. | 90 min Here come United! Dalot charges down the right and leaps into a lovely, curling cross at which Sanchez dives, near post; he makes great contact too, and Ter Stegen is off the other way, expecting the ball to Lukaku in the middle. But he does brilliantly to right himself, getting a strong hand to push away. |
| 89 min Suarez, still without a European goal this season, ducks inside Fred then outside - that’s lovely feet - then digs out a chip that sails over the bar. | 89 min Suarez, still without a European goal this season, ducks inside Fred then outside - that’s lovely feet - then digs out a chip that sails over the bar. |
| 89 min “Would have been a different story if it was Dundee United at Camp Nou in a European quarter final,” remembers Simon McMahon. “The past is indeed a foreign country.” | 89 min “Would have been a different story if it was Dundee United at Camp Nou in a European quarter final,” remembers Simon McMahon. “The past is indeed a foreign country.” |
| Funny you should mention that; I think it was me who said... | Funny you should mention that; I think it was me who said... |
| The forgotten story of ... Dundee United's glory years under Jim McLean | Daniel Harris | The forgotten story of ... Dundee United's glory years under Jim McLean | Daniel Harris |
| 87 min “I actually do agree with you on Phil,’ returns Hubert O’Hearn. “When he was switched on, he’d harry the opposition, tackle, make interceptions etc. Problem was, you couldn’t count on him to do that every match. Even 3 out of 4 isn’t good enough at this level.” | 87 min “I actually do agree with you on Phil,’ returns Hubert O’Hearn. “When he was switched on, he’d harry the opposition, tackle, make interceptions etc. Problem was, you couldn’t count on him to do that every match. Even 3 out of 4 isn’t good enough at this level.” |
| It’s not just that, I don’t think - if you’re going to play on the wing for Barcelona, you need pace and the ability to go on the outside. If you’re going to play in midfield, then you need to be involved all the time. | It’s not just that, I don’t think - if you’re going to play on the wing for Barcelona, you need pace and the ability to go on the outside. If you’re going to play in midfield, then you need to be involved all the time. |
| 84 min Barca are sort of looking for a fourth, but not with any edge. United will consider themselves lucky to get out of this with a 3-0, if indeed they do. | 84 min Barca are sort of looking for a fourth, but not with any edge. United will consider themselves lucky to get out of this with a 3-0, if indeed they do. |
| 82 min “Much in the way Fergie decided to cut Ince from his first great team after that Barca hammering in 94,” tweets Patrick O’Brien, “do you reckon Ole might dish out the same treatment to Pogba this summer?” | 82 min “Much in the way Fergie decided to cut Ince from his first great team after that Barca hammering in 94,” tweets Patrick O’Brien, “do you reckon Ole might dish out the same treatment to Pogba this summer?” |
| It’s a tricky one, this. On the one hand, if United want to improve, getting rid of their most talented player sounds like a bad move. Buuuuut, Pogba is 26 now, so the player we see is the player he is, and as far as I can see, he’ll only ever be an adornment. In a better team, that’s useful to have - hell, in a crap team it’s still worth a fair few goals and assists a season. But I wonder if it’s possible to balance a midfield with him in it, because he does a number 10’s amount of work without delivering a number 10’s numbers. | It’s a tricky one, this. On the one hand, if United want to improve, getting rid of their most talented player sounds like a bad move. Buuuuut, Pogba is 26 now, so the player we see is the player he is, and as far as I can see, he’ll only ever be an adornment. In a better team, that’s useful to have - hell, in a crap team it’s still worth a fair few goals and assists a season. But I wonder if it’s possible to balance a midfield with him in it, because he does a number 10’s amount of work without delivering a number 10’s numbers. |
| 81 min And another change for Barca: Coutinho accepts the applause as he leaves, but probably wondering how much of it is actually for Dembele, replacing him. | 81 min And another change for Barca: Coutinho accepts the applause as he leaves, but probably wondering how much of it is actually for Dembele, replacing him. |
| 80 min United get serious: Sanchez replaced Lingard. Now you’ll see something. | 80 min United get serious: Sanchez replaced Lingard. Now you’ll see something. |
| 79 min Busquets gives it away - I feel honoured to type those words, not many have - and Lingard pounces, driving a curler that’s not that far over the bar. United are coming back into this. | 79 min Busquets gives it away - I feel honoured to type those words, not many have - and Lingard pounces, driving a curler that’s not that far over the bar. United are coming back into this. |
| 77 min Smalling has the audacity to tackle Suarez, and when the ref fails to give a foul, Suarez is booked for hectoring him. | 77 min Smalling has the audacity to tackle Suarez, and when the ref fails to give a foul, Suarez is booked for hectoring him. |
| 76 min Ah, I missed Mr O’Hearn’s first tweet, which reads thusly: “Meanwhile, around the globe, sportswriters search their Thesaurus for original ways of expressing ‘inevitably’, ‘meekly’ and ‘surrendered’.” | 76 min Ah, I missed Mr O’Hearn’s first tweet, which reads thusly: “Meanwhile, around the globe, sportswriters search their Thesaurus for original ways of expressing ‘inevitably’, ‘meekly’ and ‘surrendered’.” |
| I’m not so sure about that one - I think United have done their best, it’s just that their best is nowhere near good enough. I don’t think they’ve not competed hard and I don’t think they’ve given up, I just think the game reflects the class imbalance. | I’m not so sure about that one - I think United have done their best, it’s just that their best is nowhere near good enough. I don’t think they’ve not competed hard and I don’t think they’ve given up, I just think the game reflects the class imbalance. |
| 75 min Another change for Barca: Vidal replaces Arthur, who’s been excellent tonight. | 75 min Another change for Barca: Vidal replaces Arthur, who’s been excellent tonight. |
| 74 min Suarez arse-wiggles forward, so Fred hitchkicks into a tackle, winning the ball. Suarez reckons it’s a foul, so picks the ball up, and is penalised for handball. He accepts this with typical grace. | 74 min Suarez arse-wiggles forward, so Fred hitchkicks into a tackle, winning the ball. Suarez reckons it’s a foul, so picks the ball up, and is penalised for handball. He accepts this with typical grace. |
| 73 min “Your comment on Phil Coutinho reminds me of the late NFL coach Buddy Ryan,” tweets Hubert O’Hearn, “who griped about one of his wide receivers Cris Carter, ‘All he does is score touchdowns’.” | 73 min “Your comment on Phil Coutinho reminds me of the late NFL coach Buddy Ryan,” tweets Hubert O’Hearn, “who griped about one of his wide receivers Cris Carter, ‘All he does is score touchdowns’.” |
| At the elite level, it’s not enough to hammer in a few pearlers, especially in a flowing game like football. Coutinho has a lot of work to do, I’d say, as the only real future for him at Barca is in the midfield three. | At the elite level, it’s not enough to hammer in a few pearlers, especially in a flowing game like football. Coutinho has a lot of work to do, I’d say, as the only real future for him at Barca is in the midfield three. |
| Oh, and Lukaku replaces Rashford, who’s being saved. | Oh, and Lukaku replaces Rashford, who’s being saved. |
| 71 min Change for Barca: Semedo replaces Sergi Roberto. | 71 min Change for Barca: Semedo replaces Sergi Roberto. |
| 70 min Well! Ajax have scored again in Turin, thorugh De Ligt! Juve now need to score twice! And the Nou Camp crowd absolutely love it. | 70 min Well! Ajax have scored again in Turin, thorugh De Ligt! Juve now need to score twice! And the Nou Camp crowd absolutely love it. |
| Juventus v Ajax: Champions League quarter-final – live! | Juventus v Ajax: Champions League quarter-final – live! |