MAN UTD - A MESSAGE OF HOPE AFTER THE BARCA DESPAIR

If you are a Utd fan, thought you might enjoy this message of hope - brought about via an interchange between two loyal Utd supporters the Monday after the 3-1 loss to Barca at Wembley...

'JOHN'

Can't really believe I'm daring to ask this, and I am feeling very low, but I will: Has SAF reached the end of the road? He is the greatest manager on these shores. But, even if he kept plugging away for the next ten years, would he overcome Barca? Even when the likes of Xavi and Iniesta have packed it in they will still have enough to shaft us (cos Messi will still be there) ...unless the Glazers dig deep. And we know the answer to that, don't we?
God, I feel gutted today. Awful, awful, awful

'MIKE'

Morning John...a sickener, yes, but not the end of the road (or the world). We keep the faith and believe...remember those dark days of 2004 and 2005? When we finished third in both seasons behind Arsenal in 04 and Chelsea in 05? When it looked like we might never win the league again as the Abramovich era truly kicked in? When Chelsea had money to blow and United looked to be in decline under the parsimonious new dawn of the Glazers? When all that was confirmed by Chelsea retaining the league title in 06?
When Fergie was being abused by his own fans - and Chelsea looked unbeatable?
What happened next? Somehow Fergie breathed new life into his team - and Manchester United miraculously won the title in 07, 08 and 09...and the Champions League in 08!

OK, Barca are good - brilliant, in fact - but they haven't yet experienced a rocky run. Messi has never been sidelined for a long spell with injury. Eventually their luck with injuries will run out - how would they cope if Messi, Xavi and Iniesta were out? Let's wait and see. They have been incredibly lucky but their luck will run out - and look how Chelsea struggled when Lampard was out injured.

If they suffered injuries in midfield, how would the defence cope if they were under siege? Barca are also not that good in central defence...how would Pique cope with sustained attacks?

We know they have the best team in the world, but do they have the best squad - do they have men capable of coming in to do the same job as Messi and Co?

Plus Fergie will already be plotting how to strengthen the team. Basically, Giggs and Carrick were not strong enough to cope with Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets. There is an argument that we would have been better off with the bustle, hustle and pace of Fletcher and Anderson.

We have already set up a deal for Ashley Young and if we could get Luka Modric or Wesley Schneider, we would be stronger and more able to have a go. Plus Valencia and Chicharito will get better - they froze at Wembley, and our new keeper will hopefully be sharper than VDS was (he should have at least stopped the Messi goal).

For all their possession they only beat us by two goals - and one of those should have been saved.

I am confident Fergie will sort it and we will be back - just as we came back in 2007after it looked like Chelsea would dominate. Keep the faith!

PS I also believe Mourinho could well derail Barca next season - you never know, it could be us v Real Madrid in Munich come May 2012!