Fergie tactics wrong, say United legends
Former United midfielder McIlroy, a Northern Ireland international who played 342 games for the club between 1971 and 1982, thinks that a key man was deployed incorrectly.
“Wayne Rooney is a fantastic footballer and he runs and works his socks off for the team,” he said.
“I would like to see Wayne Rooney up alongside a striker, because he’d get you double figures in there, no doubt about it.
“But because of his energy and his work-rate, and the tactics that they played last night, they had Rooney working down the left-hand side. I don’t think he’s as effective out there as he is in the middle.”
Meanwhile, former United centre-back Pallister described the Red Devils performance as ‘poor.’
“United never imposed themselves on the game, and I think that’s so much unlike them,” he mused.
“(Cristiano) Ronaldo was the one who tried to take it to Barcelona, but he didn’t get a great deal of support.
“I think the players, looking back at the match, would love the chance to do it all over again, because it was a poor performance by what has been a terrific team this season. You can never stand still – you’ve always got to move that team on. You’ve always got to look to add a bit more quality if possible.”
Former Republic of Ireland star Mark Lawrenson expressed surprised at United’s tactical plan in Rome.
He said: “We thought the physical side of United would be too much for Barcelona, but it was like football from the old days – they kept hold of the ball and their movement was absolutely fantastic. From the moment Samuel Eto’o scored, Barcelona were in complete control and it could easily have been 3-0 or 4-0.
“United looked at times like they were a team of strangers, they couldn’t string two passes together and they never really created anything. Conversely, Iniesta’s use of the football was nothing short of magnificent – he never, ever gives it away. Barcelona, far and away, are the worthy champions of Europe.”
BBC analyst Chris Waddle described the Barcelona performance as ‘an absolute annihilation’.
He said: “Barcelona were supposed to have a dodgy keeper and a dodgy back four – well, if that was a dodgy side I’d love to see them at their best because they were absolutely fantastic.
“After the first seven minutes, that was an absolute annihilation.
“If there are a better pair of midfielders than Xavi and Andres Iniesta anywhere, I’d like to see them. They were absolutely brilliant and United couldn’t get near them.
“I’ve not seen a team play like that for years and years and it is so good to see.
“The gulf between the two teams was huge. Barcelona are, without any shadow of a doubt, the best team in Europe.
“United were sloppy all night. They came into the match having all had 11 days off and they didn’t look like a team at all. They’d have been better off to have kept playing in that time. There were poor performances across the park. Anderson didn’t perform – he had a job to do on Xavi and failed. But what disappointed me was players like Wayne Rooney didn’t get in the game. Dimitar Berbatov? No impact. Carlos Tevez? The same.
“Michael Carrick was miles off the pace all match and defensively they never looked comfortable. Nemanja Vidic was nowhere at times, Rio Ferdinand looked rusty and Edwin Van der Sar didn’t look right.
“I’ll give Cristiano Ronaldo credit, though, he really stuck at it – he just had no support at all.
“Barca are just a great, great side and this was without Dani Alves, without Eric Abidal, with Thierry Henry and Iniesta playing on one leg. They were absolutely streets ahead in every department.”
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