Stopping the Barca carousel

MICHAEL CARRICK looked to the line. Then he did so again. And again. There were 20 minutes gone in the 2009 Champions League and the Manchester United midfielder must have glanced at his manager’s bench at least 30 times. What he sought was instruction. But all he saw was Alex Ferguson sitting motionless and stony-faced.

The game plan had been utterly rumbled. And, although it was perhaps harsh, Carrick personified that. For both teams. Because, in exposing United’s flaws, Barcelona also emphasised their own strengths. By specifically focusing their intense pressing on Carrick, they stopped United building attacks. And by then quickly moving that ball around Carrick’s area with carousing passing moves, they gradually unravelled United.

Since then, Ferguson has maintained he now knows exactly what went wrong that night and how to rectify it. He’s just never said what or how. At Wembley tonight, he’ll finally have to reveal his trump cards.