Jono Scholes 1 - 0 Barcelona
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008We have been written off over the last three days and if we are honest, by ourselves too, almost. Last chances don’t come any more final than this and they don’t come even more brutal than the one facing a certain Mr. Scholes in what could well be his final season.
All of our minds drifted back to Turin, all of us thought we needed an old head to calm the nerves and show experience. I for one thought that Scholes was the man for the job but that he was too much of a quiet chap to actually do it. Luckily his feet did the talking and it was truly a goal worthy of winning any football match.
Although you do (in pun terms only) feel slightly confident against players going by the names of Shabby and Messy, it is noticeable that Ronaldo spent the evening diving and complaining. He deserved his yellow card. Messi was, Rio aside, virtually undefendable and never complained or dived once. An interesting point and frankly, I think, a truly great player.
This really was a victory for mental fortitude (and perhaps a pinch of luck) and I agree completely with Jono that this turns the season around again. Fergie is a genius once more. So it’s Russian gangsters or scousers in the final now. Sadly I expect English football fans to let themselves down whatever the outcome, I hope I am wrong.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Park Ji-Sung:
Although Tevez and Evra have shouts to say they matched him for work-rate I can think of no other man in a red shirt who deserves it more. He never, ever accepts that anything is a lost cause and is the only player we have at the moment who is picking himself. Significantly on a field containing Messi and Ronaldo, he was by far the best winger on the pitch.