mental strength? 
Did anyone notice howquick our players and staff were to praise Barca and say how "we werebeaten by the better team"? It almost felt for me as if somewhere theyhad gone on to that pitch with an inferiority complex. They way theyplayed suggested to me that we were afraid of barca (rather thanrespectful) and also that we didn't believe that we could do them over.
Our confidence levels were not right and that was evidenced by the waythat mentally we collapsed after conceding the first goal. TrueEuropean Champions do not allow their confidence to be taken away fromthem so easily. Barca showed that they have that mental strength in thesemi -finals. They never stopped believing in their game or the factthat they would score. We did not have that conviction in our game orour ability. Mentally we were weak and I was worried by how quick wewere (including sir alex) to praise the other team. It was as if it wasjust inevitable that we would lose because "they are a great team".
Unfortunately , we do not know how "great " barca are because they didnot come up against a proper challenge. I personally think that theyhave a slight edge on us , but I would love to have seen their midfieldhounded a lot more and their defence subjected to our passing andthrough balls. I would like to see United try to boss the game againstthem and throw them off their stride. But we will never know.
We have to address this mental problem in this team. We could beplaying them a lot in the next few years. I for one would like to seeUnited puff their chests out a bit and just play without fear. If theybeat us then fine at least we will then know how good they reallyare....but maybe we will find out that they are just a darn good teamlike us. When we play them again we must not play with fear. |
發表於 2009-5-30 07:08 PM
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