Source: Daily_Mail
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL 2011: Steve McClaren convinced Manchester United can beat Barcelona
Share Former Manchester United coach Steve McClaren believes his old club can triumph against Barcelona in the Champions League final tonight - if they have learned their lessons from 2009. [LNB]Two years ago, Sir Alex Ferguson's men were outclassed by Lionel Messi and co in Rome as Barcelona secured their third European Cup with a 2-0 victory, but the ex-England boss believes United will be better equipped to handle the Argentine superstar this time around.[LNB] Lessons learned: Barcelona lifted the trophy in Rome two years ago[LNB] [LNB]Tactical nous: McClaren (above) says there's no-one better than Ferguson[LNB]'I do know that it will be a great game of football,' said McClaren.[LNB] 'Barcelona can only play one way, and United can only play one way: that makes for a great game.[LNB] 'The only thing I can see is that United may have learned lessons from the 2009 final in terms of how to handle the role and movement of Lionel Messi.[LNB] 'That has to be the main focus: to play their own game, but also to deal with the movement of Messi, which they didn't handle very well on that previous occasion.' [LNB]McClaren, who spent two years as Ferguson's number two at Old Trafford and was involved in the 1999 treble-winning side, also paid tribute to his former boss as he aims for a third European Cup triumph. [LNB]'There is no one better than Sir Alex,' he said.[LNB] 'The professionalism, the culture, the competitiveness, and the philosophy of the club has been ingrained over the years with him.[LNB] 'Hard work is also the key to success, along with leadership and professionalism.'[LNB] Visit the Dugout at www.yahoo.co.uk/dugout to hear more from Steve McClaren and Britain's other top managers every week.[LNB] Barcelona v Manchester United is the perfect contest... now can they deliver?We will win classic Champions League final, insists United boss FergusonRevealed: The secrets of the Barca ambush - how they beat Sir Alex in 2009 Champions League final[LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People: Alex Ferguson, Steve McClaren Places: Barcelona, Rome, United Kingdom
