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Sir Alex Ferguson Names "Unplayable" Side That Left The Biggest Impression On Him

Sir Alex Ferguson Names "Unplayable" Side That Left The Biggest Impression On Him

Ferguson very rarely admitted teams were better than his, but sometimes you just have to accept defeat.

Daniel Marland

Daniel Marland

Sir Alex Ferguson has named the 2011 Barcelona team as the most 'unplayable' he ever came up against as Manchester United manager.

France Football have recognised Ferguson's his achievements by naming him the coach of their 'Ballon d'Or Dream Team'.

They were keen to find out which team was most deserving of that moniker, with Pep Guardiola's men standing out.

Ferguson said: "The one that made the biggest impression on me is the Barcelona we met at Wembley, with Manchester United, in the final of the Champions League 2011. They were unplayable."

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United took on Barcelona in the Champions League final at Wembley and were completely outclassed in a 3-1 defeat.

The team included Spanish duo Andres Iniesta and Xavi in midfield, while six-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi was the focal point in attack.

Following the game, Ferguson didn't cut his usual frustrated figure and instead conceded the Blaugrana had played his side off the park.

Ferguson told The Guardian: "It's not easy when you've been well beaten like that to think another way. No one has given us a hiding like that. It's a great moment for them.

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"They deserve it because they play the right way and enjoy their football."

It was a game that caused the Scotsman to come up with a plan to stop Messi, in their next encounter.

While Ferguson would go on to retire in 2013 and never face the Argentine again, he detailed: "To beat Barcelona in that cycle you needed centre-backs who could be really positive.

"Rio [Ferdinand] and [Nemanja] Vidic were at an age where their preference was to defend the space. Nothing wrong with that. Quite correct. But, against Barcelona, it's a limited approach.

"You need centre-backs who are prepared to drop right on top of Messi and not worry about what is happening behind them. Ok, he'll drift away to the side.

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"That's fine. He's less of a threat on the side than he is through the centre.

"After the inquest I told myself: 'When we play Barcelona next time in a Champions League final, I would have [Phil] Jones and [Chris] Smalling, or Smalling and [Jonny] Evans, right on top of Messi.' I wasn't going to let him torture us again."

Do you think Barcelona in 2011 are one of the greatest club sides of all time?

Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Credit: BT Sport & PA Images

Topics: Football News, Football, Manchester United, Pep Guardiola, Sir Alex Ferguson, Barcelona, Premier League