CL loss due to questionable lineup and tactics?

[warmkjos]

After watching United blow it at home last wednesday, I can't help but think that it was due to a questionable lineup and questionable tactics. If Ruud was good to go, shouldn't he have played the first hour and then got subbed off if he couldn't go the full ninety. My biggest problem was the defence, where Mikael Silvestre was inexplicably absent for most of the game. Wes Brown never looked comfortable. Ronaldo looked to be the most dangerous player, yet he was subbed off. Rooney was largely ineffective, yet stayed on. Quinton Fortune played okay, but I think Phil Neville would've been a better option versus Milan. He holds the ball better and is more defensively aware. The tactics were questionable because, this was our home leg and we should've pushed forward and attacked more. Giggs and Ronaldo were shut down on the flanks and Rooney came back to get the ball, playing into Milan's hands. Scholes should've been more of an attacking threat, running straight at Paolo Maldini, who's slow. Scholes could also have run at Nesta and eliminated the both of them from the game. Oh yeah, and Tim Howard should've started. Though he may have messed up too.

[haven]

It's been my thesis for a while now that Ferguson's great mistake was in placing the CL over the EPL. United's decline, I think, can be traced to that decision. The purchase of Veron, loss of the EPL title to Arsenal, etc, can be traced to it.

Still, it's hard to fault Fergie in all the ways that you do. For instance, you can't play guys who can't pass against Milan. Phil Neville can't pass, making Fortune a better option. Scholes can't dribble - meaning he shouldn't be attacking Nesta, etc.

I tend to think we weren't aggressive enough against Milan. But you can't really fault him for Caroll, etc - Howard, after all, almost single-handledly blew the CL last year. Attack Fergie all you wish - I think he's no longer really a good enough manager for United (though not a bad manager). But make sure you attack him for the right things, and not things that are perfectly reasonable.

[warmkjos]

I never said Phil Neville was a better passer, I just said he holds the ball well and is defensively aware. Having more of the ball would've obviously been a good thing vs. Milan. If you watched the game, everytime Fortune touched the ball he got rid of it a second later. I think we needed a holding midfielder who would hold the ball long enough for our counterattack to develop. Players need to create space before receiving the ball. Ronaldo and Giggs weren't given enough time to make space before the ball was hit to them.
I disagree with you about Scholes. He is a decent dribbler (not in the same league as Giggs and Ronaldo), but I just wanted to see him making runs forward. If he had constantly been making runs, whichever defender he ran at would be forced to go mark him. This would create more space on the wings, and more room for Rooney (and Ruud for 30 minutes). Instead we had Maldini and Kaladzhe covering the right and Cafu and Gattuso covering the left. Nesta and Pirlo were tagging Rooney. They basically had us shut down. We could've broke this lock early if Scholes had pushed up. When Ruud came on we did better, but if we had Ronaldo, Giggs, Scholes, Ruud, and Rooney from the start we could've attacked better and won. You should always attack at home.
Finally, I don't think SAF is a bad manager. He has constantly won us trophies for ten plus years. But lately he seems to be changing the way United plays from the EPL to the CL. I'm not sure this is good or that it works.

[Potomac Red Devil]

Ronaldhino would have helped the attack against their defense, for sure. Rooney could make the attack but he would lose possession.

[Acronym]

Played into their hands, I always think: play your best side, when its comfy bring on the kids. Talkin about kids, we'd be better off, starting with the best side, then bring on someone like David Jones, or Madds Timm or Rossi, otherwise these players aren't going to integrate. Just bring on one at a time. Quinton Fortune as good as he is, isnt starting against Milan class, eventually these players get found out.

[Roel]

The lame ManU players in that game were Rooney, Giggs and Scholes. Rooney was Nesta's bitch, all game. Giggs was invisible. And as much as the goal was Carroll's lack of getting Seedorf's shot out of trouble, Scholes did nothing to shut him down.

The good things from that game were Ronaldo's attacking ability, seeing Ruud out there again, and re-establishing that Keane = soccer god.

Subbing Ronaldo was stupid. Putting Silvestre in was stupid. The thread starter is right. Tactical blunders cost the game.

[warmkjos]

Playing Silvestre wasn't stupid. I just don't understand why he wasn't out there from the start? Wes Brown never looked comfortable and just doesn't have the athleticism to catch those Milan attackers and knock them like Silvestre does. I could see playing John O'shea in center defense vs. Milan, but Wes Brown?

Heres the team I think we should've played from the start:

Starters:
Howard,
Gary Neville, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Heinze
Ronaldo, Keane, Scholes, Giggs
Van Nistelrooy, Rooney.

Subs:
Phil Neville, O'shea, Saha, Smith, Carroll, Fortune