SIR ALEX FERGUSON tore into his defenders after Manchester United had thrown away the chance of making history at the Stadio Olimpico.
Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi scored the goals which gave Barcelona a 2-0 victory and a third triumph in the Champions Cup.
And, while Ferguson did not name the culprits, he clearly had Nemanja Vidic in mind when he described United's defending fo
r Eto'o's first goal as "shoddy".
Ferguson said: "In our best performances this season we have defended very well, but the defending was shoddy.
"The first goal didn't help. It gave them the opportunity to keep possession. We didn't plan to lose a goal early and we didn't deal with it well enough. That was the story. To lose a goal like that was a bad goal. It was a disappointing performance and some individuals will feel it themselves."
United were hoping to become the first club successfully to defend the trophy in its current format. But, while Ferguson threw on Carlos Tevez for Anderson and Dimitar Berbatov for Park Ji-Sung in a bid to turn around the match in the second half, the United boss was outfoxed tactically by Guardiola. The Barcelona coach withdrew Messi from his wide berth up front to reinforce midfield and it gave the Spaniards dominance.
It could have been more embarrassing for United as Xavi Hernandez struck a post and Thierry Henry and Carles Puyol brought fine saves from Van der Sar in a pulsating second half.
Ferguson said: "The disappointment was the use of the ball when we got possession. You have to wait minutes to get it back off them. Could be it was an off night. Could be it was a mountain too big to climb. We knew what a good football team they were. We had difficulty in defending against them. Messi dropped into midfield and they kept possession and made it difficult for us."
Cristiano Ronaldo collected a yellow card for a foul on Puyol and it was a disappointing match for the United winger who went close with a couple of long-range shots but too often let his exasperation get the better of him. Ferguson also admitted United missed the protective presence in midfield of Darren Fletcher, who was suspended after being sent off harshly against Arsenal in the semi-final.
Ferguson, however, was generous in his praise of Barcelona and their manager, Josep Guardiola, who has won the trophy in his first year as a coach after first winning it with Barca in 1992 as a player.
"You have to give credit to a very good Barcelona team," said Ferguson. "If they get in front of you they are very difficult to beat. They kept possession of the ball and made it very difficult to get back.
"When we did get possession we didn't do well with it. Credit to them, the better team won."
On Guardiola, who has guided Barcelona to a treble of the Primera Liga crown, Copa del Rey and now Champions League, he added: "It is a great achievement as a coach in his first year. Well done. Fantastic. Everybody enjoys their football and it is great credit to him."
Eto'o and Messi were left overwhelmed after scoring the goals in Barcelona's triumph.
Eto'o's early strike put the Spanish team in front for good while Messi headed in the other in the second half, leaving him as the Champions League's top scorer with nine goals.
"I think it will take us a long time to realise what we have achieved," Messi said. "To score in a Champions League final against Manchester United and win the league title is just unbelievable. It's a dream. This has been an unbelievable season."
The full article contains 631 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
