Are Man Utd. the best team in the world atm?

Fizman

Anyone else here think that Lyon were the better team in both legs against united? I know it all comes down to progressing and scoring more than the opposition etc etc but I honestly felt united were pretty lucky to get past them.

PHB

Lucky? No.
United the better team going forward? No.
United the more professional team? Yes.

United were never in huge danger of being scored on, and never really committed themselves forward once we had the lead. No reason to, just see it out.

I'd imagine a lot of people would say that Roma will be the better team in Old Trafford if the game is just seen by Fergie as a game to see out.

Beerlao

in response to the original post: a resounding "yes"

Unearthly

To answer the original question

Yes:cool:

PHB

Big Clean-up done.

That was 5 minutes I'm never getting back.

New thread about Man Utd in 99 and Beckham, post about that there, cheers.

Jazzy

68 goals between tevez, ronnie and rooney. thats a damn impressive strike force. over 20 goals each between them that way. best attacking force ive seen in some time

Jazzy

well look who was right...

Xavi6

If playing negative football makes you the best then United are a shoe in.

Bounty Hunter

Jazzy wrote: »

well look who was right...

been waiting long for this?

Jazzy

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

been waiting long for this?

yeah had it on my google calender and all

mada999

best team in Europe after tonight...dipped in it in fairness (luck)

DSB

Xavi6 wrote: »

If playing negative football makes you the best then United are a shoe in.

You can't be serious?

Bounty Hunter

Jazzy wrote: »

yeah had it on my google calender and all

gotta love the honesty... their no Villa though:p

Xavi6

DSB wrote: »

You can't be serious?

You didn't watch the Barca games then? Or the second half tonight?

They've defended superbly but going forward they've bored the arse off me and it's all down to lacking an out and out striker. Certainly weren't the better side tonight.

DSB

Xavi6 wrote: »

You didn't watch the Barca games then? Or the second half tonight?

They've defended superbly but going forward they've bored the arse off me and it's all down to lacking an out and out striker. Certainly weren't the better side tonight.

They played negative against Barca which I thought was strange, and Chelsea were the better side in the second half. But looking at the bigger picture over the whole season, they've been so good going forward. 80 goals this season doesn't really lie.

Pepe LeFrits

United attack the weaker sides, in the big games they tend to sit back and look to hit on the counter. They wouldn't be spiritual successors to Brazil 1970 like some make out but I certainly wouldn't call them negative either.

denashpot

not a hope are utd a "great" team. barcelona were going thru a horrible run and still out played them and were unlucky to lose!!

mada999

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

They wouldn't be spiritual successors to Brazil 1970 like some make out but I certainly wouldn't call them negative either.

agreed!

DSB

denashpot wrote: »

not a hope are utd a "great" team. barcelona were going thru a horrible run and still out played them and were unlucky to lose!!

Do enlighten me with the better side in the world at the moment, please?

iloveireland

DSB wrote: »

Do enlighten me with the better side in the world at the moment, please?

Swansea FC?

delija_sever029

Answer on topic:YES THEY FECKIN DID!!!!:D:D:D:D

themont85

Oh yeah Man Utd are real negative sure they created nothing first half?? 2nd half Chelsea were better sure, but to use the words Sky love these days-'over the piece' it was pretty even in great chances for both teams. And Barca in the semi, of course they played negatively but for years Man Utd lost games like that and were pummelled for not defending well by people. Barca created how many chances? Get over it ABUs United are a damn good side who combine great attacking with defending when its needed.

jank

All these things are relative. There is nothing between the top teams these days.

Dave!

Legends

JPA

jank wrote: »

All these things are relative. There is nothing between the top teams these days.

Exactly but that point is completely and utterly ignored. And when a match has to go to penalties it gets even more ignored.
John Terry could have scored and all the media and websites would twist it to say Chelsea deserved to win

Mitch Connor

JPA wrote: »

Exactly but that point is completely and utterly ignored. And when a match has to go to penalties it gets even more ignored.
John Terry could have scored and all the media and websites would twist it to say Chelsea deserved to win

agreed - United are a top team, but all the top teams are similar...

over the course of a season; only 2 points separated United and Chelsea in the league, we went out in the same round in the FA Cup, and could only be separated in by penalties in the CL (even enough game imo - United better in the first, Chelsea better in the second, extra time was even...imo)

United are more successful this season, but there is so little to chose between the two sides in reality.

astrofool

I'd say there's very little between Manu and Chelsea at the moment, and a fair gap to the rest. Both teams sustained challenges till the end of the season on two fronts, while the rest faltered with one (Arsenal in the league, Liverpool in the cup).

I'd say one reason why the Manu team has won the cup again has been due to Abramovich's influence, if he never took over, Manu would never have had to up the performances to such a high level, and English teams would never be dominating Europe like they are, funny what half a billion or so injected into a league will do

Mitch Connor

astrofool wrote: »

I'd say there's very little between Manu and Chelsea at the moment, and a fair gap to the rest. Both teams sustained challenges till the end of the season on two fronts, while the rest faltered with one (Arsenal in the league, Liverpool in the cup).

I'd say one reason why the Manu team has won the cup again has been due to Abramovich's influence, if he never took over, Manu would never have had to up the performances to such a high level, and English teams would never be dominating Europe like they are, funny what half a billion or so injected into a league will do

arsenal had already raised the bar with the unbeaten season.

LegacyUser

Yes they are the best side in the world and I'll tell you why.

They have made history in more than one way tonight...i'd like to know the youngest average age of squad to win the champions league before...these guys are a good few years before their peak.

If Utd get an even better keeper, a new winger, and an out and out target man Ibrahimavich striker...the rest of the teams will be finished. Once again.

jank

Ajax 1995 deserves that honour cheesedude. And we all know what happened to them.

IMO Arsenal are not at all that far behind. 4 point behind united is nothing when you consider their terrible run after the birmingham game and their thing squad.
Liverpool will always be a threat in Europe but have a bit to go for the league..

hanton12

again, as I and some others said before, since when was Europe considered the best in the world. There are no arguments that Utd were the best team in Europe this year, they played well in the Premiership, and altho I think they play horrible in Europe as Xavi pointed out, the roll of honour shows them as champions, and while they were lucky enough last night, overall they deserve to be crowned European champions.

but why do people think they are the best in the world? I'd advise the 'supporters' to actually watch some of the copa libertadores. The semi final between boca juniors and fluminese promises to be an unreal game. Flamengo and River plate were knoocked out in unreal ties in the first knock out round.

Utd are the best in Europe, dont know why this automatically means the best in the world to some

MIN2511

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brilliant match!!!!

Mr. Presentable

Jazzy wrote: »

well look who was right...

Had a quick look and it wasn't you
They weren't even the best team in Moscow last night - just the better motivated.

That is all.

cournioni

hanton12 wrote: »

again, as I and some others said before, since when was Europe considered the best in the world. There are no arguments that Utd were the best team in Europe this year, they played well in the Premiership, and altho I think they play horrible in Europe as Xavi pointed out, the roll of honour shows them as champions, and while they were lucky enough last night, overall they deserve to be crowned European champions.

but why do people think they are the best in the world? I'd advise the 'supporters' to actually watch some of the copa libertadores. The semi final between boca juniors and fluminese promises to be an unreal game. Flamengo and River plate were knoocked out in unreal ties in the first knock out round.

Utd are the best in Europe, dont know why this automatically means the best in the world to some

United vs. Boca in the Intercontinental cup possibly?! Wonder what Tevez thinks about that!

Mr. Presentable

cheesedude wrote: »

They have made history in more than one way tonight
.

Outside of their own field of vision, give me some examples.

kryogen

to Hanton12, i agree that winning the European cup doesnt make you the best in the world automatically (combining it with domestic league success also)
but I think you are over estimating the quality the south americans have because the games are normally so open, i watch the south american football regualrly too and they are pretty poor defensively, most of the attacking football is breathtaking but you dont win just by attacking. I think uniteds defense would be the big factor here, we can match anyone for attack i feel, for the first 44 minutes last night we battered Chelsea, full of confidence, then had the stuffing knocked out of us with a goal against the run of play right on half time

I have never seen any team do that to Chelsea since before the Mourinho days, nobody completely dominates them in that way but united did

i would be confident we could also beat Boca or River Plate, Flamengo or Fluminese.

Impossible to tell though until the teams meet

hanton12

kryogen wrote: »

to Hanton12, i agree that winning the European cup doesnt make you the best in the world automatically (combining it with domestic league success also)


i would be confident we could also beat Boca or River Plate, Flamengo or Fluminese.

Impossible to tell though until the teams meet

exactly tho, so doesnt the whole thing of this thread 'being proved right' make it a bit pointless? It'd be hard to argue against Utd being the best in the World if they lift the world club championship, but at the moment, there is no way of saying they are the best in the world right now.

I'd like to see Utd against Boca or Fluminese (dont think any of the others left in the 1/4's to be played tomorrow will win) and see how Utd cope against a flair team. Against Barca, Utd sat back and soaked up the pressure of their attack, which was poor and couldnt find a way through. If Utd were to try the same tactic against Boca or Fluminese, I think they would find a way through.

As you said, utd can match teams for attacking, but in general, they never do in Europe. They are a great attacking team in England, but for whatever reason, Fergie doesnt play the same in Europe against inter continental teams, generally preferring to sit back and get one or 2 goals on a counter attack or from set play.

Would be interesting to see Tevez back against Boca alright! wonder what los bosteros would make of it!

astrofool

We'll never get a proper gauge of how other continents teams perform until there is some sort of champions league that includes them.

However, all the best players from South American go to Europe before they are 22/23, most of Brazil and Argentinian internationals play in Europe, if thats not an indication of the best continent, I don't know what is.

The way Utd have played the last couple of months reminds me of the English rugby world cup winning team. They had everything, and could play any style and "probably" win, but to go all out attacking would have meant taking the risk of going out, they instead reverted to a kicking game from Wilkinson and doggedly won their way to be world cup champions. Utd had been playing free flowing football all season, and at the business end went out to get results, and it worked. They only conceded two goals in the knockout stages of the Euro Champions league and got the results needed to win the league.