Did Sir Alex Ferguson get his tactics wrong at the Nou Camp (again)?

Barcelona's domination at the Nou Camp was, in part, down to Sir Alex Ferguson's tactical errors. So says Matt Dickinson who claims the Manchester United manager got away with it, just as he did in the same arena nine years ago when United went on to lift the cup at the expense of Bayern Munich.

Wayne Rooney was picked as an orthodox right-winger, says Dickinson, "but with Carlos Tévez anonymous through the middle, it seemed a misuse of Rooney’s talent". These sentiments were echoed by Oliver Kay, who said: "United’s lack of fluency could be attributed to the deployment of Rooney on the right-hand side of midfield".

Even Fergie himself appeared to concur, admitting: "Maybe asking Rooney to play in a different position — and Park Ji Sung in a different position as well — put an onus on us to defend more". Ferguson promised to analyse the system before the second leg next week.

But Tony Cascarino offers a different stance. The former Republic of Ireland striker believes the wily Scot got his game plan spot on.

"Using containing tactics he would never employ in the Barclays Premier League, Ferguson made [Rooney, Tévez and Park] the first line of defence," Cascarino said. "He stuck Park and Rooney on the wings to counter the threat of Barcelona’s attacking full backs, Gianluca Zambrotta and Eric Abidal ... In the second leg, Rooney’s main job will not be to cancel out the full back and he may play more centrally".

So who is right? Do you think Ferguson got it dreadfully wrong only for Rio Ferdinand to be his get-out-of-jail-free card? Or does the 0-0 scoreline amply reflect what United set out to do in the first place, with the Old Trafford crowd in the second leg of the semi-final likely to lift them to Moscow?

Vote now and post your comments below.

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Comments

[BREEZE]

Agree with you Jeremy on the refereeing aspect. I found it disgraceful to see Ferguson moaning about not getting penalties in recent matches. How many penalties have United been granted at Old Trafford in recent years when referees have succumbed to pressure? Countless.
I thought this ref moaning would be more or less confined to Arsene Wenger to disguise his disappointment with the Gunners faltering season but then Rafael Benitez also got drawn into this when complaining about the ref in the game vs. Chelsea at Anfield. Being a Liverpool fan, I thought Plautz (the ref) handled things excellently throughout.
Something has got to be done quick about attitude to refs. If not the game of football will play second fiddle to referee witch-hunt.

[martin]

I think he got the defensive tactics completely and utterly spot on. He can't really be blamed for the poor passing of the midfield. Considering we had 3 reasonable penalty claims we we're probably unlucky not to score. Either way I'm confident we'll be going to Moscow.

[Jeremy Poynton]

Sir Alex, The UK's most sucsessful Manager and certainly one of the best in the sports history knows what he's doing, one short glance at his history tells you this.... He will Mastermind a side that wins in Manchester this week.. and Smash Liverpool in the final !

Posted by: Lester Forbes
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With ONE European Cup win in 21 years? I don't think so, sonny!

[Jeremy Poynton]

Well, he used the same end game tactic as ever didn't he? Blame the referee.
What a graceless man. Hope Chidzee pip them in the 99th minute of their last game, with a wrongly-awarded pen. Then watch old red face go off!

What fun.

[John]

There is no need to panic just because Man U had not performed well in two games. First with regards to the premiership, if both Man U and Chelsea win their last two games, Man U will still retain the title due to superior goal difference. On the Champions league, Man U just have to beat Barcelona at Old Trafford to progress and the Red Devils are usually stronger at home. So just relax everybody....

[Breeze]

One only wonders whether the pressure is getting to United?Against Chelsea today Ferguson again got the tactics wrong and this time he didn't get away with it. The United team is not suited for sitting back and holding bay. That is simply an invitation to your opponents to camp in your half thus stifling your own team's rythm of play. I wonder what the battle plan will be for next Tuesday for the second leg against Barca at Trafford?

[FNMUG]

We all saw that defensive football is a receipe disaster against Chelsea today. 1st half was just the same as the whole Barca game in which we were so lucky to come out with a 0-0 draw. Didn't we all see lots of good chances for man u in the 2nd half 2day?

My point bieng...when Man U play like the real UTD we all know they are almost unstoppable, like we saw against Chelsea.

I am sure if we play that way(2nd half)..with OH,Andsn& Scholes in the midfield we then we'll have good chance. When are they going start noticing Pique is better than Brown at CB.

[Lester Forbes]

AMAZING! simply because Manchester keep a clean sheet in the SEMI-FENALS of the biggest Club Cup competition in the World, London Based writer Martin Samuel says Manchester 'got away with it' I'm sure that if his beloved Chelsea would of performed as well at this stage of the competition against Barcelona you might expect to see some cathprases fired-out like 'The Invincibals' or 'A Chelsea team that has heart in their soul' United 'get's away with it' alot it seems since the champions of England are looking at the Final of the Champions League..... Respect where it's due please!!!!!

Sir Alex, The UK's most sucsessful Manager and certainly one of the best in the sports history knows what he's doing, one short glance at his history tells you this.... He will Mastermind a side that wins in Manchester this week.. and Smash Liverpool in the final !

[Zeus Dormer]

Im one who certainly doesnt think that Sir Alex got it wrong. The tactics employed worked a treat, the biggest problem was that non of our players could pass on the night. Scholes was excellent in defensive midfield but when asked to pass forward he was made to look a fool. Rooney deployed on the wing was a master stroke. Barcelona for most part didnt know what to do and it stuffed up their plans on the wings. All Barcelonas play was through the middle and we stuffed men behind the ball. Had our passing been better we would have got more out of the game.

[ronald baluku]

ferguson made aistake of using park who was unable to out play zambrotta.

[Charles]

I think Ferguson got it wrong this time and like always, got away with it.

Putting Rooney on right wing is not the real problem, it is the position of right wing that remains Rooney's ultimate weakness. Like most ManU games, Rooney looks more like a winger than striker but he was able to get in front more often as he is not the 'real' winger. Putting him as winger now put more pressure on him as he now has to defend as well.

Manchester United's greatest weakness remains to be their midfeild placings. Hargreaves played few games, Carrick takes over a few games, then Anderson, then Scholes, then so on...where is the consistency? Look at Newcastle, played horrible when midfield was terrible and played well when there is some consistency in it.

Ronaldo may not be a one man team player but he certainly acted like one. As a winger, he was supposed to do what wingers do, cross, defend and pass but instead, shoot, shoot, shoot. He may score many goals but partially the reason to be the number of on targets he gets...Berbartov scores at least half of his total yet shot less on target, wayyyy less. Owen scores six in six, yet shot only ten times on goal! In short, Ronaldo acts too big for himself, run pass players then fakes a drop to get a free kick. The problem is you cant touch him...a feather can knock him down.

During Barcelona's game, they were not too good as Ferguson relied too much in luck. Ronaldo isnt going to score if no one passes to him and do all the dirty work for him. Rooney, the only United player who does more than others is no longer in picture as he had other responsibilities.

If they continue like this, then say good bye to champions league. Barcelona were more disiplined in thier attacking and possessions. United were not. End of story.

[Joseph]

I think Man Utd's problem was that they couldn't keep possesion, mainly because the players were unable to apply logic and common sense to their choice of passes - hence Barcelona's 89% pass success rate, and Man Utd 74%.
From a defensive perspective Man Utd did well, but that could be attributed to Barcelona's reluctance to throw too many men forward. It's a shame that Ronaldo didn't convert the penalty because it would of opened the match up.

[Joseph Sexton]

George-

As a United fan, I don't think it's too much to say that say that Ferguson has gotten it wrong more often than not in two-legged European ties. I don't think anyone can dispute his overall record, but it's been his achilles heel. I just worry that this result might prove more a hindrance than a help- but I certainly hope to be proved wrong.

[Joseph Sexton]

Rory- it seems very simple to me, to be honest, for several reasons.

Firstly- 0-0 away is patently no longer the result in once was. We have seen countless examples of this in the CL and UEFA Cup in recent years.

Secondly: United's record over the last 12 years with second legs at home is simply abysmal. Yes, things have improved a bit as of late- Roma twice, Lille last year (both teams United should be beating anyway)- but beyond that, I can hardly think of any examples where it's suited them. The number one reason for this? Not getting away goals. Madrid in 2000 and Monaco in 1998 are but two standout examples of the folly of playing for a 0-0.

A 2-1 or 3-2 defeat would leave the objective the same- to win at home. Any draw with goals would lead to elimination. The key difference is that having those away goal(s) would at least allow some margin for error. As it stands, there is none. It would also give an incentive to go out and play football. As it stands, I worry Ferguson will be caught in two minds as to how to approach the game- and this has traditionally been a recipe for disaster for this United team.

I'm not feeling particularly confident about the second leg, but we shall see. What is clear is that the gloves must be taken off now- a performance like last year's home leg against Milan is what's needed.

[NP]

I dont think that the 0-0 result is idealL: losing 2-1 in Barcelona would be a better result.

Man utd still have to chase the game and score a goal. This leaves more room for Barca to play in. If Barcelona caused United a few problems when they 11 players behind the ball imagine how many problems they will cause with much fewer players behind the ball (assuming Utd try attack and try and score).
Yes, the crowd is behind utd and they may score but you must remember that for every goal Barca score through the more open space, United will have to score one more.

This is far from over and that Ronaldo pen miss may prove costly

[philip]

Sir Alex choked again in Europe.United played like a boring old Italian team of the 70s.Rooney, was on the right...out of the game!He should've been in the centre (with Tevez or Giggs on the wing,Ronaldo on the other)forcing his way through the Barca defence, waiting to tap in the crosses from the wings and also helping plug the middle when Barca attacked.His strength and presence in the middle of the pitch scrapping for the ball,assisting Scholes,would've cut Barca's possession by half.Gatuso demonstrated this signal lesson to United last year.Consequently,Barca had the whole of the midfield as theirs despite Scholes doing a great job and it was simply poor finishing on their part that saw the game end without a goal on either side.

United's passing was also woeful.Instead of short quick attainable passes that ensured possession,they went for more ambitious passes,often careless,that were easily intercepted.Less possession less goals.Barca used triangular short passes to good effect,but failed at the end to deliver and thankfully Henry was brought on too late to do any harm.

United have missed the opportunity for scoring an away goal and now need at least two if they want to make sure that they can buy their tickets to Moscow.Barca have nothing to lose at Old Trafford and can be expected to play an all out attacking game,hoping for a draw and an away goal.The pressure is now on United to deliver at home.It'going to be definitely be a better match than the first leg!

[Rina]

SAF's tactics were to have his attacking line-up play more defensively if needed, which is why he played Rooney, Tevez and Park lower than Ronaldo. They would have the discipline to defend, yet with their energy would immediately press forward when they had the ball. What he absolutely did not anticipate was how difficult his team would find it trying to gain possession from Barca and actually keep it in the counter attack.

That's why SAF looked genuinely worried and not fed up with his players. Every attempt his players made to get the ball was denied by Barca's superior holding and passing.

The mistake was Ronaldo having no quality support when they did manage to counter.

[JBS]

This was slothful football. United can't do slothful football. It was dreadful to watch and a travesty that a team with the flair of United were made to play that way. SAF has handed the final berth to Barca unless he gives the players their heads in the return leg.

[Alex]

A 0-0 draw against a team who has only conceded one at home the entire champions league is to me a good result given the enforced last minute defensive shake up. Sure United could have been more attacking but they know they have to win at Old Trafford now to progress. There are no other permetations beyond penalties that can see United through and psycologically I feel that is a plus.

[Ricardo]

If you told me prior to the match that the final score would be 0-0 I would have taken it and ran. Man U has Barca right where they want them! No way the Red Devils lose at home.

[vlad]

I think for a team like Manchester to be defending 90 minutes is shameful and for that reason I hope he got his tactics wrong.Otherwise I cannot accept a statement like his when he said "we thought Ronaldo could win the match (on his own)". Hope this team does not live off one player??
Also I would not count on the Old Trafford factor that much- Barcelona as bad as they are at home will put their best in their last chance at lifting a Cup this season and they have enough experience not to be intimidated by the atmosphere of any stadium.
And finally, I think 0-0 is a better result for Barcelona because of the double value of the away goals. What if they get a stupid penalty kick and (actually) score??

[Oli]

I don't understand why Tevez was used in a position where Anderson could have been far more effective, as well as a safer bet. Tevez seemed to be the man asked to run after the ball on the halfway line and initiate play, a job at which Anderson excels. He is also a safer bet in terms of his defensive qualities. I think Fergie set up to absorb pressure and catch Barca on the hop. In order to do this surely he would have been better asking Ronaldo to play the trouble starter in midfield alongside a battling Anderson with a deeper trio of Scholes Carrick and one other protecting the defence, intercepting and loading off to begin a counter. I think Fergie got it wrong and he knows it, but I bet he's impressed that his team can still hold out to 0-0 at the Camp Nou with everyone out of position. Even the best don't always get it right and if Carrick or Ronaldo could have hit the target or the ref was a superhero, we may have nicked it.

……everywhere I go……

[Dan Xuereb]

Think about the effect this will have on Barca. We gave them 65% possession at home, didn't attack them at all and our central defensive partnership was disrupted by a last minute injury, and still they didn't score.

At Old Trafford Messi can do as many flicks and spins on the halfway line as he likes. It won't do any good. United will almost certainly play better than they did on Wednesday, while Barcelona almost certainly won't. The omens look good.

As for the person raving about Deco, I've hadn't seen a player dive so much in a game since.. well, since Drogba on Tuesday actually, but that's not the point. Point is, he's lazy, over-rated, cheats incessantly, and has a bad attitude. I wouldn't have him in my team.

[Bill Beetham]

It was just one of those days, y'know?

[Bryan McGrath]

I have never been convince that Tevez is good enough to be in the 1st choice team. Reminds me of Lou Marcari, scores 20 goals a season by pushing up on the centre backs; commits a few fouls and lives of the scraps around goal.

MUFC should get rid of Saha and Tevez next season and buy in one genuine forward, Berbatov for example