Hi Bill, I do believe that this will be proved to be the case, but I don't think it is endemic in football. In many other sports we see the odd individual that is not above corrupting.

My only nagging concern is that it's often us (the British) that complain about such things after a defeat or loss. I don't want to reopen the debate about the World Cup bid and let's be honest, corruption in Fifa is almost irrefutable, but I do feel as though we often look for soemthing to point to rather than look at the problems closer to home.

As I said earlier in the thread, no doubting the decision to send off RVP being shocking, but it would not have changed anything and the (Far) better side went through. Instead of trying to get the ref banned or attacked in his home by morons, why don't we all make a pact to make British football better and beat Johnny Foreigner on the field of play??

We've had these comments before about the officials in a Barca game, Who remembers all the dodgy decisions against Chelsea not so long back? If I remember correctly any talk of fixing or wrong doing was dismissed by many on here as sour grapes! But still the decisions keep coming, ah, but wait, They're not against 'Chelski'

Apparently (and I don't have the stats) Arsenal are the only team in 981 CL games not to officially register a shot in a game.

At last, someone who speaks and/or writes sense.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/james-lawton-forget-the-hype-guardiolas-bar231a-are-still-eclipsed-by-the-true-greats-2238450.html

Bit of a nonesense of an argument in truth. On one hand he is saying that the current Barca side have only beaten the likes of a poor Man U, or an out of form Arsenal etc etc, and yet he brings up the Real Madrid team of the 50's, which I think everyone agrees are the most overhyped club side ever. The club itself were ahead of their time, in as much as they were signing the best players from around the world long before anyone else and had become the first truly 'professional' side in the modern sense of the term, but other than that they were playing the equivolent of West Aukland B team most weeks and I think my son's under 11's would have given most sides a run for their money at that time.

I agree that Liverpool have a claim to the title, I also agree that the Milan team were a great to rival any, but this Barca team are up there with those 2 for sure. THE best? maybe not, one of them? certainly.

He also asks whether the current Barca team would beat the Milan of Maldini, Baresi, Gullit, Rikjaard and Van Basten. Oh, and not forgetting that beast Costacurta. I know what my answer would be.

Except: the one major plus in Barca's favour nowadays is that full contact has largely been removed from football and that refs continue to be conned by the propensity of some Barca players to dive if so much as an opposition player breathes on them.

Can't agree with this one SE, even that great side at Milan would have been matched at least. I don't think it's really possible to compare from different generations - it's like Tyson v Clay/Ali, my money would be on Tyson every single time - but this side deserves to be talked about in similar terms as the best

In 10 years time I'm sure the odious Lawton will be sat in a pub telling everyone how this team or that team are not as good as the barca side of 2009-1012(?) because he is another one of those people that seems to be incapable of admitting greatness until generations after or in death.

That may well be the case. But if that's true then it makes a mockery of those claiming the current Barca team is history's greatest. And let's face it, there would appear to be a growing number of people believing this.

My only umbrage here is with those that dismiss them as being 'nothing special' or that they don't deserve the plaudits. You are quite correct in that it's difficult to say which side is the best in history because it is so hard to compare. But to say that this is not a very special side is a blinkered

I would agree with you on this. They are a special side in teams of being able to beat any opposition put in front of them. Bloody boring to watch though. All IMHO

I actually agree with most of what you say, all this tippy tappy stuff miles away from the danger areas is pointless. The vast majority of those little 4 foot passes don't create space, are too quick to draw the man and are often done with the blessing of the opposition. But when they get it right in the right areas, I would go so far as to say they are almost unstoppable.

ALMOST

Quite, give me Sandro>Modric>Lennon>Crouch at the San Siro any day.

But I digress.

The sort of ref we need is the one who officiated the following game. But of course, it wouldn't be allowed nowadays.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOtL1m1o_ok

Instead, we get the following sort of nonsense. Christ, my old grandma packed a bigger punch than these two clowns.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9Figkmz3Rs

LOL!

A tad tricky for Man U tonight always awkward after a 0 - 0 result in the first leg away from home. However Marseille never really looked like scoring in the first leg and you would fancy Man U all day long playing at OT. If we have Valevcia and Nani on the wings plenty of scoring chances will be created.

Valencia must feel like a new signing for you guys, not sure if Nani is just a SAF mind game, either in the injury not being as bad as suggested or it was and he won't play any part.

First goal the winner tonight

Have to say I agree with a lot of what you say, Bill, and unsurprisingly Nani makes the starting line up and Valencia is on the bench as well.........of concern for Man U this evening will be the absence of Vidic with the frightening prospect of the unreliable Brown in central defence 

Be afraid, be very very afraid. Joke is, Brown will probably play a blinder having said all of that. Or will he simply play blind? 

Can't understand why SAF didn't put O'Shea in central defence and play Raphael?? Smalling is coming along really well and will get better with every game he plays, what he doesn't need tonight is the responsibility of trying to clear up all the "cock-ups" made by Brown as well  .........guess the gaffer knows best though  

Early goals for both Man U (Hernandez) and Inter (Eto'o) 

Scoles starts for United tonight!  Given his substitute performance (and boy was it a performance) at the weekend, what odds he makes it until half time!!??  

Edit: First booking of the night and its none other than - oh - Hernandez!!

Game over at Old Trafford in a less than testing tie for Man U

Bayern get their noses back in front through Gomez......... Bayern 2 v 1 Inter

Scoles starts for United tonight!  Given his substitute performance (and boy was it a performance) at the weekend, what odds he makes it until half time!!??  

Originally Posted by: llamedos 

For his creativity it's probably worth the risk.........for supplying the dot ball there's probably still not a better player in country

Originally Posted by: Karl Guille 

Fair comment, although some of his tackling is certainly creative too!!