Ferguson gets it wrong

Tonight Alex Ferguson could have become the greatest manager of all time. Instead, he has been left more red-faced than usual.

He bottled it. His Manchester United are the only side in the world capable of matching Barcelona's attacking prowess and fluid football, yet Fergie omits the players that enables them to do so.

He left Berbatov out of his starting line-up in favour of a central Cristiano Ronaldo and a defensive Park that will spend the entire game tracking back. He also left Paul Scholes out of his starting line-up in favour of makeshift central midfielder Ryan Giggs.

Starting with Berbatov in the central striking role with Rooney and Ronaldo out on the flanks allows the front three to switch positions fluidly with a constant danger in all three areas of attack, and causes panic in the opposition defence - with them not knowing where or who their man is on the pitch.

Starting Park on the right, with the idea for the two wide attackers to track back throughout the game, shackles Rooney.

He is a threat on the left, but only provided he has the freedom to interchange positionally with the other front two.

I understand his rigid deployment on the left for an away game in a two-legged tie, but this is the pinnacle showpiece of club football - a game he should be free to display his brilliance.

I have nothing against Park, he is a good player and effective against lesser sides, but this is one of the best Barcelona teams of all-time (securing the treble of league, domestic cup, and European cup for the first time in their illustrious history).

The decision to leave Scholes on the bench baffled me.

In order for United to match Barcelona they needed a player in the centre to pass through their midfield as Barca did to them, and Scholes is the obvious choice. He plays quick one-touch passes until he sees an opening to supply a killer ball.

Giggs is not a central midfield player despite what people may think - not in the way that Scholes is - and was too often missing, not imposing himself in the center of the pitch .

Pep Guardiola, the young pretender in his first season of management, selected his strongest attacking side and played to win regardless (to some extent) of tactics. His, and historically Barcelona's, philosophy is to play beautiful football without fear; and that is the reason Barcelona are a footballing institution loved by so many.

Prior to the game I wanted Barca to win, but I wanted to see the two best teams in the world playing in the fearless attacking manner that has made them both champions.

Instead, only one showed courage and conviction...and they are now the champions of Europe.

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Newcastle lose relegation dogfight

It still hasn't sunk in. Newcastle United have been relegated.

It didn't happen overnight, it has been a slow demise - one which began the day Sir Bobby Robson was "relieved of his duties" and one that accelerated the day Mike Ashley's £134 million takeover was finalised.

Freddy Shepherd's decision to sack Bobby Robson in August 2004 was ill-advised, and inevitable following Shepherd's refusal to extend his contract just two months prior - the same month Newcastle had an official £20 million bid for Wayne Rooney turned down.

Although Robson failed to win any silverware during his tenure, he did lead the Tyneside outfit to two successive Champions League qualification finishes - his failure to make it three-in-a-row (only finishing Fifth!) being the catalyst of his sacking.

Since his departure, the club never looked like repeating such success.

Mike Ashley took over from Shephard in 2007 and his first decision was to sack Sam Allardyce after only eight months in charge in January 2008 - Newcastle were in 11th place in the table at the time of his sacking (Allardyce has since proved very successful, saving Blackburn Rovers from relegation this season with apparent ease).

Ashley then proceeded to run the club into the ground. Just days after appeasing fans with his decision to appoint Kevin Keegan as their new manager, he opted to hand Dennis Wise a powerful, wide-ranging executive position along with a reported £1.5 million-a-year salary.

This proved to be the worst decision he could have made. Wise's involvement in team transfers - resulting in the arrival of inadequate Spanish striker Xisco and the ineffective Ryan Taylor - infuriated Keegan and prompted his decision to quit.

From then on, Newcastle were in complete disarray. The bizarre decision to appoint Joe Kinnear as manager resulted in an alarming slump in form and a triple heart bypass for the man in charge. By the time Newcastle legend Shearer took over it appeared - and proved - impossible to save the club from the drop.

Oh, how different could it have been had they beaten Man Utd to the signing of potentially England's greatest ever player?

It shocks me that Newcastle will be playing in the Championship next season. During my time as a football fan Newcastle have always been a big club. A big club with big players.

Shearer, Beardsley, Ginola, Cole, Ferdinand; and those elasticated legs of Tino Asprilla!

They have given us two of the greatest Premier League games of all time, both resulting in thrilling 4-3 victories for Liverpool in '96 and '97.

A scintillating hat-trick for Asprilla in a famous 3-2 Champions League victory against Barcelona in '97.

And, not forgetting, that Ginola goal against Ferencvaros in their '96 Champions League campaign.

Newcastle have provided me with so much joy and entertainment in their recent history. And, for that, I am gutted they find themselves playing second-tier football for the first time in 16 years.

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