UEFA CL FINAL - Manchester United vs Chelsea - May 21

• zocoss

  1 May 08, 10:28

   

  

   

      

   

  Manchester United vs Chelsea

  Champions League: Final

  Luzhniki stadium in Moscow

  Wednesday, 21 May 2008

  02:45 AM - (Live) - (Thur Morning)

  Channel 23 - ESPN.

  

  

  Manchester United :

  Van der Sar, Kuszczak, O'Shea, Evra, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Hargreaves, Ronaldo, Fletcher, Scholes, Anderson, Park, Carrick, Giggs, Nani, Eagles, Rooney, Saha, Simpson, Tevez, Neville.

   

  Chelsea :

  Cech, Cudicini, Hilario, Ferreira, Belletti, Carvalho, Alex, Ben-Haim, Terry, A Cole, Bridge, Ballack, Lampard, Essien, Mikel, Shevchenko, Pizarro, Sidwell, Wright-Phillips, Malouda, Drogba, Anelka, Kalou, Makelele.

   

   

• zocoss

  1 May 08, 10:32

  

  VISA ISSUE HIGH ON GILL`S AGENDA

  Manchester United chief executive David Gill flies to Moscow to meet UEFA officials on Thursday, with the matter of visas high on the agenda ahead of the Champions League final. According to Gill, United will be allocated just over 21,000 tickets for the showpiece event on May 21. There remain concerns about visas for visiting supporters to Russia - but he hopes the situation will be clarified in the next few days.

  Speaking to MUTV, Gill explained: "The visa issue has been there for a while. "We had discussions with UEFA and the local organising committee along with the other semi-finalists. "If you are on an organised trip, your ticket will be your visa. "The actual specifics and fine details will be addressed in the next day or so and then we will communicate with the fans.

  "Everyone in UEFA from Michel Platini to the local organising committee recognise in order for for it to be a showcase, which it clearly will be, you have to ease entry into the country while not totally doing away with what the Russian authorities require." UEFA believe security problems in Moscow will not be a problem for the all-English final - but that logistical problems could be faced at the England end in terms of flying all the fans to the Russian capital.

  UEFA communications director William Gaillard said: "The Russians have shown great flexibility and hopefully within the next 48 hours we will be announcing a more simplified procedure for visas to make it easier for fans to get to Moscow. "There are different possibilities but we are close to achieving what we want. We just have to make some choices, together with the Russian authorities."

  Gaillard insisted it was not late in the day for UEFA to be making these arrangements. "If we had reached a conclusion earlier we may not have been able to obtain as good an agreement as we hope to have now," he added. In Moscow, Gill will also be involved in a number of routine planning meetings for the final. He said: "As you can imagine for something like this, to get it right takes a lot of effort and time.

  "Luckily at United we are quite experienced in getting to finals and I am sure we will cope." Russian police made tactical planning visits to witness English forces dealing with the Liverpool v Arsenal and Manchester v Roma quarter-finals last month.

  Gaillard said: "The Russian police have been helped by the English police to a great extent and we do not envisage security problems in Moscow - in terms of size it is a similar event to two large clubs going to London for an FA Cup final.

  "It is not the first time there has been such a situation for the Champions League final - we had AC Milan v Juventus in Manchester and Real Madrid v Valencia in Paris. "The main issues for us are the airport capacities and air transport capacity because there will be more than 50,000 people coming from Britain and all by air."

   

• Dead_Man_Inc

  1 May 08, 13:48

  Fergie: Scholes first name on Moscow team sheet
  
  Sir Alex Ferguson expressed his delight for Paul Scholes at finally getting the chance to end his Champions League pain.
  
  Scholes was suspended for the famous final win over Bayern Munich in 1999 and, like Roy Keane, it looked as though the midfield maestro would end his career without getting another shot at European club football's biggest prize.
  
  But the 32-year-old lashed home the 14th-minute winner to give United victory over Barcelona at Old Trafford, putting them through on aggregate and ensuring an all-English final in Moscow on May 21.
  
  'It is great for Paul to be in the final,' said Ferguson. 'It was a fantastic goal.
  
  'I don't think you can expect him to score 10 or 15 goals a season like he used to.
  
  'But when he gets one like that tonight it makes up for the ones he can't score. It is a marvellous moment for him.'
  
  It was only Scholes' second goal of the campaign and his first in Europe for over 18 months but it means so much to a club Ferguson is convinced has not punched its weight in Europe for too long.
  
  And the Scot is content that while his side endured a few nervy moments, ultimately they deserved to go through.
  
  'We needed a fantastic performance tonight - and we got one.
  
  'I knew it was going to be a long night but I felt we could have scored three or four in the first half.
  
  'It was a bit nervy in the second because they had to have a go at 1-0 down. But we got through that spell and in the last 15 minutes, I didn't think they made any chances.
  
  'It was emotional at the end but you expect that at a semi-final. The important thing is that we are there and we deserve to be there.'
  
  Ferguson is hoping there will be an immediate pay-off in terms of United's performance against West Ham on Saturday.
  
  Having seen their lead at the top of the Premier League whittled down to goal difference following the defeat at Chelsea, the Red Devils needed a lift and the Scot received the perfect assistance.
  
  'It is a big boost for Saturday,' he said.
  
  'It won't do us any harm that's for sure. The energy in the team was excellent. The question is how do we get that back into them.'
  
  Ferguson will hope to have Nemanja Vidic and Wayne Rooney back, although both remain doubts.
  
  However, for the moment his thoughts remain on Europe, or at least Stamford Bridge, where United's opponents - Chelsea or Liverpool - will be determined tomorrow night.
  
  Ferguson will be in London to witness proceedings at first-hand.
  
  And while he doesn't care who United get, he thinks supporters might have more of a chance of landing a ticket if they avoid Roman Abramovich's men.
  
  'It would be a nice final against Liverpool but I really don't care,' he said.
  
  'Maybe we will get more tickets against Liverpool because Roman Abramovich seems to have bought them all up.'

• Master -_-

  1 May 08, 13:59

  thats what im afraid..Moscow remains Roman's stronghold..whether or not Moscow becomes the 2nd Stamford Bridge is all up to him...

• skythewood

  1 May 08, 14:09

  I see a trend in the 4 english team CL match up,

   

   

                                      Liverpool wins Arsenal

                   Chelsea wins Liverpool

  Man U wins Chelsea

   

   

  Will the trend come true?

• F.raon.I.R

  1 May 08, 16:14

  lol.surely..manu gonna win chelsea..!!

  But for many years..as long as i can recall..united haven beat chelsea for a long long time...and chelsea were really strong in their outing against pool last night.They are really on form now..

• omgukilledkenny

  1 May 08, 16:44

  Originally posted by F.raon.I.R:

  lol.surely..manu gonna win chelsea..!!

  But for many years..as long as i can recall..united haven beat chelsea for a long long time...and chelsea were really strong in their outing against pool last night.They are really on form now..

  Lol we defeated them 2-0 this season at home.

• Sienx

  1 May 08, 17:23

  a must win...how to see the new utd take the trophy after 9 years

• zocoss

  1 May 08, 23:35

  United must be extra careful from the moment their plane touch down in Moscow... We won't know what the Russian mafias might try to do while they are in their hotel... and must be extra careful to what they eat as well...  

• iceFatboy

  2 May 08, 11:07

  Originally posted by zocoss:

  United must be extra careful from the moment their plane touch down in Moscow... We won't know what the Russian mafias might try to do while they are in their hotel... and must be extra careful to what they eat as well...  

  
  well, even though we are in Roman's backyard, you certainly can't talk like this...

  We won't even know whether MUFC players will even turn up for the game, much less, play the finals with a gun to their spouses' head..

  anyway, I do believe Roman/Chelsea will play fair..the prize money is peanuts to Roman.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  oops, I just recall, they manage to send the only 'fair' swedish referee into retirement..

  Hmmmmm...

• dragg

  2 May 08, 11:16

  RA spent so much money to build the team.  do yo seriously think he will resort to underhand means to win the european cup?

  frankly, with the kind of money he is willing to spend  it is only a matter of time chelsea win all the cups on offer.

   

   

   

• zocoss

  2 May 08, 12:47

  Roman Abramovich has certainly come a long way since the old Soviet Union days...  little is known of his past... How and why has he retained the patronage of President Vladimir Putin while other businessmen were exiled or jailed is still a question others are asking...

  What i am saying is even if he may not resort to underhand means to win, others might still try to carry favours with him... Its not something so unthinkable... If it can happen in London, it can happen in Russia... All it takes is a mindless fan for it to happen...

  Not too long ago in London, Tottenham, long the underachievers of north London, were ahead of Arsenal and had held fourth place in the Premiership since December. In the last game of the season. Spurs was 1 point ahead of Arsenal... A win at West Ham and there was nothing Arsenal could do to prevent them clinching fourth place.

  Then, virtually Tottenham's entire team were violently sick: Carrick, the most ill, was hardly able to walk. Early in the morning chairman Daniel Levy was informed that the Premier League would have to be asked for a postponment.

  The Premier League have the power and asked one of their medical team to go to the Marriott. But when Levy rang Richard Scudamore, the chief executive of the Premier League said it was up to the club to decide whether they could fulfil their fixture. However, the Premier League would have to hold an inquiry and they could punish Tottenham and even deduct points.

  Levy was in an impossible dilemma. Play with 10 unfit players, some of whom could barely stand, and ruin the chance of finishing fourth and losing out on £10 million at least, or not play at all but then face a possible points deduction which would deprive Tottenham of any European place at all.

  Tottenham, who had a squad of 17, were not even sure they could field 11 players at West Ham. Evenually they did but ended up losing to West Ham 1 - 2 while Arsenal went on to win Wigan and ended up taking that 4th spot by 2 points ahead of Spurs...

  That 4th spot got Arsenal into the following year's CL along with a bonus of tens of millions...

   

   

   

  What I am saying is they must be extra careful since this is Chelsea's first Eurpopean Cup final and the desperation that they really want to win and be consider a "big club"... And also the first club from London to win the European Cup.

   

• zocoss

  2 May 08, 13:36

  

   

  ON the basis that football is all about the survival of the fittest at this stage of the season, there should probably be only one winner in Moscow. Avram Grant’s Chelsea, on the 37th anniversary of the day the club beat Real Madrid in the final of the European Cup- Winners’ Cup.

  While Manchester United are struggling to hit the notes that came so easily not all that long ago, Chelsea are approaching the top of a well-orchestrated crescendo. Had they not eased off in the second half against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night, they would have finished the job in 90 minutes.

  As it was, they still had the power to come again in extra-time. At the end of a vibrant, thrilling match, two players stood out as they celebrated the Blues’ first appearance in a Champions League final.

  Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack.

  These are two huge physical specimens, two supreme athletes who looked quite capable of playing a second additional 30 minutes. Which is hardly surprising, seeing Drogba has started just 26 games for Chelsea this season and Ballack, who only made his first appearance on December 19, a mere 22. And here we could have the whole key to the outcome of events at the Luzhniki Stadium.

  The sheer scale of Chelsea’s squad means players can be, and have been, rested. Both Claude Makelele, a man with an immense Champions League pedigree, and his understudy John Obi Mikel have played a total of 27 matches each.

  In comparison, United have been forced to send out the same key performers time and again. Six United players have already made more than 40 starts — Rio Ferdinand (48), Wes Brown and Patrice Evra (45), Cristiano Ronaldo and Nemanja Vidic (43) and Edwin Van der Sar (41). The only member of the 40 club at Stamford Bridge is Joe Cole (43).

  Interestingly, he is the one Chelsea player who appears to have hit the wall. The others, though, look as if they are just coming to the boil. Michael Essien may have started 36 games in a variety of positions — and four more for Ghana at the African Nations Cup — but seems able to run for ever.

  Yes, Essien, Drogba, Mikel and Salomon Kalou were all involved in extra games in Africa. But set against this are the SEVEN internationals that have to be added to the Ferdinand and Ronaldo tallies. The total physicality and strength of this Chelsea team, in midfield in particular, is in stark contrast to their United counterparts.

  The middle four Alex Ferguson fielded against Barcelona at Old Trafford — Nani, Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes and Park Ji-Sung — are almost lightweight in comparison. Which is why the muscular, highly-competitive and fleet-footed Anderson, United’s best player in the 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last Saturday, could still have a role to play.

  Owen Hargreaves, with his low centre of gravity and tenacity, is also ideally built to withstand the moving wall that is the Chelsea steamroller. Yet at the centre of the entire debate is Wayne Rooney. Forced, unwisely, to play through the pain barrier against Barcelona and Chelsea, it is essential he is given as much time as possible to recover from his hip injury.

  To send him out against West Ham and Wigan, even with the title at stake, is simply not worth the risk. When Rooney is at his best, so are United. He is, even more than Ronaldo, the Eric Cantona-style trigger that fires the whole team. Like Paul Gascoigne and, before him, Charlie George, he has the sixth sense, the peripheral vision to know where a team-mate is — none more so than Ronaldo.

  He also not only has the full-tilt running ability on the ball to worry John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho but the strength to give as much, if not more, than he takes.

  In front of goal, United hold the upper hand. Ronaldo (41), Rooney (20) and Carlos Tevez (18) are able to conjure goals out of the most unlikely situations. Against this, Chelsea can offer Drogba (21), Frank Lampard (20) and Kalou (15).

  Not quite the same heavy artillery, though United, with just six in the last six games, have been scratching around recently.

  The general consensus is United would probably have preferred to have met Liverpool in Moscow, as they know how to beat them.

  Chelsea ahead by seven wins to four

  For reasons of security and sanity, football will breathe a sigh of relief this fixture did not come to pass.

  But Chelsea are a different psychological proposition, as recent stats show.

  The clubs have played 16 times since the start of the 2002-2003 season, with Chelsea ahead by seven wins to four. The West London club know exactly what to do to overpower and throttle United’s greater creativity. How to stop them playing.

  Which does not make for a great game of football, as we saw at Wembley in last year’s FA Cup final.

  Then again, these things do not always pan out the way you imagine.

  We expected the best from United v Barcelona and were disappointed. We expected the worst from Chelsea v Liverpool and got an absolute belter.

  Should United, as anticipated, win the Championship, they will be on a stupendous high and have 10 days in which to prepare themselves for a tilt at their second Champions League — Premier League double.

  But there is something about the Chelsea Mean Machine assembled by the millions of owner Roman Abramovich. Something about the enormous vigour, poise and confidence of men like Drogba and Ballack. 

  An irresistible force that says Blue, not Red, will be the colour on May 21.

• FirePig

  2 May 08, 13:50

  Dont forget the match will be played in russia. But i still think united too strong la. Chelsea will need a lot of luck to beat united again.

• Sienx

  2 May 08, 13:55

  we shall not fall again..cant express how relief and happy i was when utd got into the final..to throw it away to an english club somemore to chelsea who beat us 2-1...although RA have those connections in moscow i belive we will pull through

• FirePig

  2 May 08, 14:04

  Originally posted by Dead_Man_Inc:

  Fergie: Scholes first name on Moscow team sheet
  
  Sir Alex Ferguson expressed his delight for Paul Scholes at finally getting the chance to end his Champions League pain.
  
  Scholes was suspended for the famous final win over Bayern Munich in 1999 and, like Roy Keane, it looked as though the midfield maestro would end his career without getting another shot at European club football's biggest prize.
  
  But the 32-year-old lashed home the 14th-minute winner to give United victory over Barcelona at Old Trafford, putting them through on aggregate and ensuring an all-English final in Moscow on May 21.
  
  'It is great for Paul to be in the final,' said Ferguson. 'It was a fantastic goal.
  
  'I don't think you can expect him to score 10 or 15 goals a season like he used to.
  
  'But when he gets one like that tonight it makes up for the ones he can't score. It is a marvellous moment for him.'
  
  It was only Scholes' second goal of the campaign and his first in Europe for over 18 months but it means so much to a club Ferguson is convinced has not punched its weight in Europe for too long.
  
  And the Scot is content that while his side endured a few nervy moments, ultimately they deserved to go through.
  
  'We needed a fantastic performance tonight - and we got one.
  
  'I knew it was going to be a long night but I felt we could have scored three or four in the first half.
  
  'It was a bit nervy in the second because they had to have a go at 1-0 down. But we got through that spell and in the last 15 minutes, I didn't think they made any chances.
  
  'It was emotional at the end but you expect that at a semi-final. The important thing is that we are there and we deserve to be there.'
  
  Ferguson is hoping there will be an immediate pay-off in terms of United's performance against West Ham on Saturday.
  
  Having seen their lead at the top of the Premier League whittled down to goal difference following the defeat at Chelsea, the Red Devils needed a lift and the Scot received the perfect assistance.
  
  'It is a big boost for Saturday,' he said.
  
  'It won't do us any harm that's for sure. The energy in the team was excellent. The question is how do we get that back into them.'
  
  Ferguson will hope to have Nemanja Vidic and Wayne Rooney back, although both remain doubts.
  
  However, for the moment his thoughts remain on Europe, or at least Stamford Bridge, where United's opponents - Chelsea or Liverpool - will be determined tomorrow night.
  
  Ferguson will be in London to witness proceedings at first-hand.
  
  And while he doesn't care who United get, he thinks supporters might have more of a chance of landing a ticket if they avoid Roman Abramovich's men.
  
  'It would be a nice final against Liverpool but I really don't care,' he said.
  
  'Maybe we will get more tickets against Liverpool because Roman Abramovich seems to have bought them all up.'

  
  ferguson likes to play mind games and he lied a lot so i wont be surprised if scholes is suddenly not on the line-up for first 11.

   

• dragg

  2 May 08, 17:21

  i think man u will win too.

  chelsea's attack lack imagination.  they depend too  much on drogba.

   

• kajagugu

  3 May 08, 01:08

  I really want Man U to clinch the double, but after the 2-1 defeat to Chelsea i'm worried that an upset could happen.

   

  I don't think Chelsea depends on Drogba solely, its just that he's their main striker that's all. Their whole midfield needs to be given credit because everyone of their midfield can be matchwinners, lampard, essien, ballack, cole. It really pains me to say this  considering i'm a Man U fan....

   

  Hope football gods are on Man U's side.

• iceFatboy

  3 May 08, 01:47

  Originally posted by dragg:

  RA spent so much money to build the team.  do yo seriously think he will resort to underhand means to win the european cup?

  frankly, with the kind of money he is willing to spend  it is only a matter of time chelsea win all the cups on offer.

   

   

   

  since we all joking here, the question is why not? the key is not having the money but to tell people, hey, my Chelsea won this and that.

  and now everything including location is in your favour, why not just tip the scale a bit more to get the cup?

  till date, Roman has thrown in a lot of money, but I think he is not too happy leh.. Out goes Jose leh.

  In the long run, who knows? Perhaps an oil king comes in and buy Liverpool, and they becomes new "chelsea" or Bill Gates buy a derby county. who can tell the future?

  just to have a laugh, no offense.

   

   

   

   

• thoreldan

  3 May 08, 19:53

  deleted

• kaeden

  4 May 08, 00:28

  hire pornstars to attend to all chelsea players the night before the finals

• youyayu

  5 May 08, 11:07

  u got a problem with chelsea players?
  
  i think, if man utd win epl, they lose UCL
  if man utd lose EPL they win UCL
  
  
  sames goes for chelsea

• iceFatboy

  5 May 08, 13:18

  wow, you fortune teller??

  then you should know it is a big YES, I do hate Chelsea players.

  problem??

• 4getmenot

  6 May 08, 19:59

                        VDS

  Brown     Rio        Vidic     Evra

  Park      Scholes     Hargreaves/Carrick   Ronaldo
  
                    Tevez  

                                     Rooney

   

  Subs : Carrick , Anderson, Giggs, Silvstre , Nani

• 4getmenot

  6 May 08, 20:00

  Originally posted by youyayu:

  u got a problem with chelsea players?
  
  i think, if man utd win epl, they lose UCL
  if man utd lose EPL they win UCL
  
  
  sames goes for chelsea

  tis is the Uniteds Forum, does it surprise you that most of us got a problem with Chelsea players...?? you think we are tele tubbies?? xD