Time to reminisce about my “Name on the Trophy” blog from last September again, when I wrote about three e-mails I found from back on the 26th May 2004.
The e-mails were entitled “Name on the Trophy!!! 26/05/1999 (1), (2) and (3)” and it was a load of quotes from the world of TV commentary from the day, as well as various newspaper reports from the days after the event. Below then is another one, enjoy reading them. I have.
NEVER in the history of the game, it can be safely said without exaggeration, has a cup final been turned on its head so late, not even the Matthews Final. One’s heart bleeds for Bayern, who had dominated most of the 90 minutes and had hit post and bar in the last 10. Much as there is joy for Manchester, the cruelty inflicted on Bayern, straining to regain the trophy after 23 years, was something no team should be asked to bear.
It took little time for Bayern to show United that what might have worked against Newcastle on Saturday at Wembley would not at the Nou Camp.
Additionally, Alex Ferguson’s tactical change played into the hands of Bayern. The idea of having David Beckham as the replacement for Roy Keane in central midfield did not look clever.
Prior to the match, it had seemed that United’s formation, with Beckham and Ryan Giggs on the flanks, was going to cause problems for the Germans. Instead, it was Bayern’s 1-2-4-3 formation which created difficulties for United.
It had always seemed likely that Bayern’s central midfield of Stefan Effenberg and Jens Jeremies might prove overpowering. In the event, Beckham was unable to shake off the attentions of the dogged Jeremies, and although Nicky Butt was successfully restraining Effenberg, the balance of midfield control in the first half lay with Bayern.
With Michael Tarnat not allowing Giggs to escape on his unaccustomed right flank, and Jesper Blomqvist making no headway against Marcus Babbel, Bayern’s defence was largely secure. Try as they might, Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole could not find a way past the Linke-Matthaus-Kuffour trio.
Ferguson’s choice of Beckham to replace Keane affected so many other aspects of the game in Bayern’s favour. Giggs is nowhere near as dangerous on the right; he does not have a working relationship with Beckham as a close-hand midfield partner; and by moving inside United lost Beckham’s most telling weapon, the swerving crosses that feed the rest of the front line. The consequence was that Bayern were able to be relatively relaxed and confident while United, once they had gone behind to Mario Basler’s early free-kick, were all too clearly a side struggling to get back into the match. United’s moves ground to a halt around the edge of Bayern’s penalty area.
Bayern had soon shown their attacking hand: the usual high diagonal passes played to Carsten Jancker as he moved to the flank, supported by crosses from either Basler on the right or Tarnat or Alex Zickler from the left in search of Jancker’s head. It was just such a ball played forward by Tarnat that had seen Jancker pounding into the penalty area on the left under pressure from Ronny Johnsen. Jancker’s power, such a threat, caused Johnsen and Jaap Stam constant anxiety. He was the central point of almost every Bayern attack, big, strong, sometimes clumsy, but his unqenchable willpower constantly rose above his technical shortcomings.
Bayern must have been both surprised and delighted that United came out for the second half showing no adjustment, and still with Giggs trying to adapt to his clearly uncomfortable situation on the right flank. He did have one left-footed cross to which Blomqvist lunged on the edge of the six-yard area, the shot going over the bar, but United could not find the kind of rhythm to lift their game and their prospects.
Hitzfeld may well have wondered why Ferguson did not attempt to regain the team’s normal, natural shape, returning Beckham and Giggs to their regular flanks, and, so, pushing Gary Neville forward to midfield and bringing on Wes Brown at full-back. Bayern were showing the values of familiarity, knowing exactly what each was about to do.
With an hour gone something new was needed to break the pattern of Bayern’s control, their game now having that comfortable feel of a team who sense their lead cannot be taken away from them. With just under 25 minutes remaining, Teddy Sheringham appeared in place of Blomqvist. Could Bayern be frightened out of their calm grip on the game?
Steadily, almost confidently, Bayern proceeded towards a triumph that had become almost touchable and it was sympathy that any independent viewer felt for United as they so narrowly avoided going three down. Then the 90-second avalanche struck Bayern as United threw their substitutes headlong at the Germans in agonised desperation. How extraordinary that it should work in such a way.
#19 Wondrous finish covers up tactical frailties – Telegraph
By David Miller
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