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Counterattack: Did Ferguson's Tactics Doom Manchester?
Manchester United were handily beaten by Barcelona in the Champions League final. Goal.com associate editors Shane Evans and Zac Lee Rigg debate the tactics United boss Alex Ferguson used and if they cost his team a repeat CL trophy.
May 28, 2009 12:20:01 AM
Question: Did Alex Ferguson's tactics doom Manchester United in the Champions League final?
Shane Evans: Manchester United breezed through every other stage of the Champions League, but for some reason, in the final they were held up. Barcelona played better, yes, but i wouldn't say they are a superior team. Because of this, I have to say that Sir Alex was out foxed by Pep Guardiola, and simply played the wrong tactics.
Zac Lee Rigg: The thing is, this wasn't a battle of wits. Barcelona only play one way; they have no plan B. It just so happens their plan A is rather good. So what Ferguson had to do was prepare his squad for Barca's passing possession game. He set out a team similar to the one he sent out last year which beat Barcelona in the semifinals. Tactically, I felt he was fine, where he failed was to get that fire and tenacity in his players which is needed to close Barcelona down in the midfield.
Evans: And now we have a disagreement. Barcelona not only controlled the ball, but at every turn were all over Manchester United when the English side had the ball. They made Michael Carrick's passes look rudimentary. Rooney lost possession on numerous occasions. Ferguson failed to adjust and put his players in better spaces to make good of the ball, and because of it he doomed his side to a lost chance at a historic repeat.
Rigg: When Manchester got its mini-spells of possession, they asked serious questions of Barcelona's backline. You can't tell me Cristiano Ronaldo's chance at the far post late in the game hadn't carved open the Barca defense. If the midfield battle hadn't been lost so thoroughly by players more interested in watching a great Barca side than winning the ball back, United would have had more than ample chances to beat an injured Victor Valdes.
Evans: I think the motivation of Manchester United is never a question. Intensity drips off of Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney's faces the entire match. If anything, they were frustrated by how little they were able to do with the ball. Ronaldo said it himself (somewhat intrepidly) that the tactics were to blame for the loss. He didn't have enough time on the ball because Barcelona wouldn't allow it, not because United were happy giving it up. Ferguson had seen his team behind so many times before that he expected them to do the usual pick things up and slowly squeeze the life out of the opposition routine. In this match, it didn't happen.
Rigg: I too was surprised United didn't squeeze tighter in midfield. But we've seen them at their strangle-hold best in that 4-3-3 with Ronaldo up top and three midfielders across the middle. How would you rather he set them out?
Evans: It's not just about formation sometimes. Barcelona counted their attack first formation with closing down all over the pitch. All United could do was pass the ball back. It was very rare that United were able to mount something because at every corner was a Barca player waiting to intercept the ball. Sir Alex needed expand the field and quicken the pace of the match, instead of letting Barca lull them into giving the ball up constantly.
Rigg: I'm sure Ferguson will have said those exact same things before the match. I don't know if we'll ever really understand how much the team was missing a live-wire physical presence like Owen Hargreaves or Darren Fletcher. But when Manchester had its chances, they came from direct balls in behind the fullbacks, and given how many players Ferguson tried out wide, he was hoping one of them would actually do something with the ball too.
Evans: To me, when a team plays so well all year and is rarely shut down in any capacity, they are doing something right tactically. When they are finally soundly beaten, it's because they are stuck in their ways and hope that what has worked all along will save their skin. Sir Alex certainly missed Fletcher in this game, but don't you think Pep was missing Eric Abidal and Dani Alves? If Alves was out there, the game could have been a lot more lop-sided. Ferguson just stuck to the plan that has worked all year, but Barcelona were a different beast in this one, and he wasn't able to adapt.
Rigg: I think you might be blaming some mystical tactics for a team being outclassed. A coach has his players and throws them out there in the lineup best suited to win, but then they have to do the job. In Barcelona's case, the players did their jobs in a tactical setup Guardiola has been using all year. He didn't shift anything around either. Barcelona's players were just hungrier.
Evans: And as we know from the semis, hungrier doesn't always mean better. United were ready to play, but for once, and you can rarely say this has happened, the 20-year vet was outshone by the rookie.
Counterattack runs every Thursday on Goal.com.
Shane Evans: Manchester United breezed through every other stage of the Champions League, but for some reason, in the final they were held up. Barcelona played better, yes, but i wouldn't say they are a superior team. Because of this, I have to say that Sir Alex was out foxed by Pep Guardiola, and simply played the wrong tactics.
Zac Lee Rigg: The thing is, this wasn't a battle of wits. Barcelona only play one way; they have no plan B. It just so happens their plan A is rather good. So what Ferguson had to do was prepare his squad for Barca's passing possession game. He set out a team similar to the one he sent out last year which beat Barcelona in the semifinals. Tactically, I felt he was fine, where he failed was to get that fire and tenacity in his players which is needed to close Barcelona down in the midfield.
Evans: And now we have a disagreement. Barcelona not only controlled the ball, but at every turn were all over Manchester United when the English side had the ball. They made Michael Carrick's passes look rudimentary. Rooney lost possession on numerous occasions. Ferguson failed to adjust and put his players in better spaces to make good of the ball, and because of it he doomed his side to a lost chance at a historic repeat.
Rigg: When Manchester got its mini-spells of possession, they asked serious questions of Barcelona's backline. You can't tell me Cristiano Ronaldo's chance at the far post late in the game hadn't carved open the Barca defense. If the midfield battle hadn't been lost so thoroughly by players more interested in watching a great Barca side than winning the ball back, United would have had more than ample chances to beat an injured Victor Valdes.
Evans: I think the motivation of Manchester United is never a question. Intensity drips off of Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney's faces the entire match. If anything, they were frustrated by how little they were able to do with the ball. Ronaldo said it himself (somewhat intrepidly) that the tactics were to blame for the loss. He didn't have enough time on the ball because Barcelona wouldn't allow it, not because United were happy giving it up. Ferguson had seen his team behind so many times before that he expected them to do the usual pick things up and slowly squeeze the life out of the opposition routine. In this match, it didn't happen.
Rigg: I too was surprised United didn't squeeze tighter in midfield. But we've seen them at their strangle-hold best in that 4-3-3 with Ronaldo up top and three midfielders across the middle. How would you rather he set them out?
Evans: It's not just about formation sometimes. Barcelona counted their attack first formation with closing down all over the pitch. All United could do was pass the ball back. It was very rare that United were able to mount something because at every corner was a Barca player waiting to intercept the ball. Sir Alex needed expand the field and quicken the pace of the match, instead of letting Barca lull them into giving the ball up constantly.
Rigg: I'm sure Ferguson will have said those exact same things before the match. I don't know if we'll ever really understand how much the team was missing a live-wire physical presence like Owen Hargreaves or Darren Fletcher. But when Manchester had its chances, they came from direct balls in behind the fullbacks, and given how many players Ferguson tried out wide, he was hoping one of them would actually do something with the ball too.
Evans: To me, when a team plays so well all year and is rarely shut down in any capacity, they are doing something right tactically. When they are finally soundly beaten, it's because they are stuck in their ways and hope that what has worked all along will save their skin. Sir Alex certainly missed Fletcher in this game, but don't you think Pep was missing Eric Abidal and Dani Alves? If Alves was out there, the game could have been a lot more lop-sided. Ferguson just stuck to the plan that has worked all year, but Barcelona were a different beast in this one, and he wasn't able to adapt.
Rigg: I think you might be blaming some mystical tactics for a team being outclassed. A coach has his players and throws them out there in the lineup best suited to win, but then they have to do the job. In Barcelona's case, the players did their jobs in a tactical setup Guardiola has been using all year. He didn't shift anything around either. Barcelona's players were just hungrier.
Evans: And as we know from the semis, hungrier doesn't always mean better. United were ready to play, but for once, and you can rarely say this has happened, the 20-year vet was outshone by the rookie.
Counterattack runs every Thursday on Goal.com.
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