The Barca Bandwagon

As usual the pundits are going over the top in praise of Barca after their deserving 2-0 win over Man U. A fairly mediocre game, not as good as last year's final. Man U were poor. I don't think I've ever seen Rooney so "off" and it was an off-day for Giggs. It happens. Messi and Ronaldo were disappointing, Messi's unexpected and brilliant header notwithstanding. Iniesta and Xavi were workmanlike, not genii.
No surprise but I'm going to contrast Messi and Ronaldo with the late Georgie. In George's only European Cup final he tormented Benfica defenders into crass fouls and scored the crucial goal: a thing of real genius. Nothing remotely like that from Messi or Ronaldo. Messi's header actually only serves to counterpoint how he fails in comparison to Best. Messi hardly ever scores headers. Best - not much taller - was, in addition to his other talents - a magnificent header of the ball. He could leap, he was fearless and he had great technique.
I've said elsewhere how much I admire Messi and think that he, not Ronaldo, is the most exciting player on the current scene. But he did not impress me on wednesday.
On Eto'o's goal - by the way, Eto'o's recovery from his injury is a great joy to me, a truly exceptional striker - everyone is fingering the wrong guys. Yes, Vidic was turned by Eto'o, but credit Eto'o for that, not damn Vidic: the true villain was Evra who was (at this level, grossly) out of position (Vidic was covering). Van der Sar is faulted for getting an arm on the ball but not stopping it: again, credit Eto'o - he wrong-footed van der Sar by flicking it quickly with the outside of his foot, the instantaneous reaction of a great striker. In the 2nd half vds saved MU's butt.