Player Ratings – Barcelona v Man United, Wembley Stadium, 29.05.11

Starting XI:

Edwin Van Der Sar – 6

Playing his final match in a long and illustrious career, Edwin will probably have been disappointed with his performance, having conceded three goals.

He was caught out at his near post by Pedro and found wanting when Messi’s electric shot appeared from around Vidic. His kicking was also poor by his very high standards but there is no doubt that, after such an incredible season, the Dutchman bowed out with his held high. #Legend

Fabio – 6.5

Justifying his selection, ahead of Rafael and O’Shea, Fabio put in a solid performance, both defensively and offensively. Solid at the back and tidy going forward, he will surely be a more regular fixture in the team next season – whether that’ll be at RB or LB remains to be seen. #TheFuture

Rio Ferdinand- 7.5

Key to keeping Barcelona at bay, when their attack got behind our midfield, Rio made some excellent tackles in the first half but his efforts alone were never going to be enough to keep Barcelona at bay. #Warrior

Nemanja Vidic – 7

Winning tackles against Messi that he had no right to win, Vidic played with his heart on his sleeve but he only realised Pedro had peeled off him, for the first goal, once it was too late. However, this wasn’t a surprise seeing as United got caught 4v4 at the back, with Xavi, the world’s best passer, able to play in either Messi, Villa or Pedro. #Overwhelmed

Messi + Space= Goal

Patrice Evra- 4

Slow to close down Messi for his goal, and beaten too easily in the build up to third, Patrice would have been disappointed by his performance on Saturday, and during the season as a whole. Seemingly a victim of a World Cup hangover, Evra will hopefully come back fitter and stronger next year, where he will face tough competition from the improving Fabio. #Competition

Antonio Valencia- 4

Having performed so admirably, since his return from injury, Valencia sadly seemed a bit off the pace, against what was a simply outstanding Barcelona side. Lucky to escape a booking until the 79th minute, he tested the referee’s patience with his persistent fouls (some of which I thought were actually fair tackles). Wasteful on the rare occasions that he did get the ball, it was strange to see him have such an unproductive game. #Disappointing.

Michael Carrick– 5

Having just overcome the nightmares of Rome in 2009, Carrick must have felt a sense of deja vu, as the likes of Xavi and Iniesta gave him another master-class.

Nonetheless, I thought he generally battled well against what is one of the most gifted midfields to ever grace a football pitch. Disliked by many United fans, I think he has done more than enough to warrant a regular place in the team next season.#Deja Vu

Ryan Giggs- 4.5

Despite running the most of any United play, 11.16km, at 37 years of age, the Welsh Wizard was unable to impose himself on any of the Barcelona players, who are simply superb when it comes to passing under pressure. Setting up Rooney’s goal, which was pivotal at the time, his creative ability is without parallel in our team but I think that may change, when Sir Alex enters the transfer market this summer. #SirRyan

Stunned…

Ji Sung Park– 5

Simply outclassed throughout the whole 90 minutes, Barcelona cruelly exposed the South Korean’s weakness on the ball and failed to let his famous work-rate disrupt their flow. Anonymous on the left, and in the middle, it was a rare bad day at the office for Park. #Ineffective

Wayne Rooney – 8

After all the trials and tribulations, Wayne showed his class with an excellent performance. #Forgiven

Rooney Performs on the Big Stage…

Javier Hernandez- 5.5

Energetic from the off, Hernandez was very effective in the first 10 minutes, when he hustled the Barcelona CBs for possession and provided an option in behind. However, once Barcelona monopolised possession he became isolated and frustrated, as he was caught offside on numerous occasions.

Some people have been very critical of his performance, saying he was outshone by Villa & Co, but (Messi excepted) do you think any of the Barcelona forwards would have fared any better? #Starved

Substitutes

Nani- 5

On the bench for his third Champions League Final, I was impressed by Nani’s energy and vigour when he came on but all his hard work going forward was of little significance, in comparison to his errors which lead to their third goal. #NotADefender

Paul Scholes

The fact 4/5 Barcelona players all scampered to get his shirt, at the end of the match, is a testament to just how good he is- simply superb! #ModelPro

Referee

Viktor Kassai- 7

It wasn’t exactly a difficult game to referee was it?

But, to be fair, you can only referee what gets put in front of you and he did it admirably. #Winner

What were your thoughts on the game? How would you react if that was Scholes’ last match in United shirt? Comments Encouraged.