Would a midfield of..

No.

Filippo Inzaghi wrote:

Scott wrote:Liverpool's old midfield that included Gerrard, Alonso and Mascherano contained them.

It was Sissoko and not Mascherano, Barcelonas midfield was Xavi Motta Deco... nowhere near Barcelonas current midfield.

I think you'll find Xavi and Iniesta played in both legs.

Scott wrote:

Filippo Inzaghi wrote:It was Sissoko and not Mascherano, Barcelonas midfield was Xavi Motta Deco... nowhere near Barcelonas current midfield.

I think you'll find Xavi and Iniesta played in both legs.

I think you'll find that Xavi lacked the experience and wisdom back then, and Iniesta was simply too young.

The united and Liverpool teams from 2009 could give current Barca a run for there money defiantly.

Scott wrote:

Filippo Inzaghi wrote:It was Sissoko and not Mascherano, Barcelonas midfield was Xavi Motta Deco... nowhere near Barcelonas current midfield.

I think you'll find Xavi and Iniesta played in both legs.

Iniesta was a sub in the first leg, second leg he played and Barcelona won on the night. Mascherano played in neither of the games.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/6414877.stm

Read that, and then look at the teams at the end.

I remember that match so well. I absolutely demolished them. It was unbelievable that we didn't score. That article pretty much sums it up. What a night that was.

The OP is talking about the current Barca midfield not pre Guardiola.

Scott wrote:http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/6414877.stm

Read that, and then look at the teams at the end.

I remember that match so well. I absolutely demolished them. It was unbelievable that we didn't score. That article pretty much sums it up. What a night that was.

I'm not saying you're saying this before you think I am, but that Barca team back then was nowhere near the same on the pitch.

I looked at that article already, its widely accepted that Barcelona declined after 2006 so I don't really see your point.

Laurencio wrote:

Scott wrote:

I think you'll find Xavi and Iniesta played in both legs.

I think you'll find that Xavi lacked the experience and wisdom back then, and Iniesta was simply too young.

Are you dumb? They were both regarded as excellent players back then. Xavi was 27 and Iniesta was 23. Not exactly too young.

They had won the European Cup the season before, as well. So much for lack of experience.

Scott wrote:

Laurencio wrote:

I think you'll find that Xavi lacked the experience and wisdom back then, and Iniesta was simply too young.

Are you dumb? They were both regarded as excellent players back then. Xavi was 27 and Iniesta was 23. Not exactly too young.

They had won the European Cup the season before, as well. So much for lack of experience.

I simply watched them play, and they were very different back then. Xavi has become a sensation, his footballing brain has definitely developed a lot, and his role as the playmaker is more definied these days. Iniesta at 23 and Iniesta today is a totally different player as well, has fullfilled much of his potential and with the added experience has become one of the very best players in the world. He was a massive talent, with a great future, but now he's really a top player. Plus, you know, they have an older and significantly better, Lionel Messi now.

I'm not saying they had no experience, but they are certainly far better players today.

So are Alonso and Mascherano.

You don't have either though

So? That's completely off the point. I'm saying a midfield trio of Gerrard, Alonso and Mascherano at their best can handle Barca's trio.

Define "handle", define "contain"

Barcelona even when their playing poorly still out pass their opponents by 100-150 per game, and still create tons of chances, that plus the fact that even if you "contain" their midfield they have players like Messi who can create on their own, bit of a silly question to me.

Baez--Araujo--Mejia--Medina.

That's the midfield that contained Barca.

Scott wrote:So? That's completely off the point. I'm saying a midfield trio of Gerrard, Alonso and Mascherano at their best can handle Barca's trio.

Gerrard would be out of his depth against Busquets, and I wouldn't back Alonso and Mascherano, fantastic players though they are, to handle Messi, Fabregas, Iniesta and Xavi. Alonso has been completely outclassed every time he's come up against them, and your defence would get absolutely rinsed if we're going back to the 2009 side.

Let's not forget, with that 2009 side, you did finish 10 of your League fixtures with more players than the opposition, you got destroyed by Chelsea in the CL, and you got a shitload of penalties as well. The midfield base of Xabier and Javier was fantastic, there's no doubt about that, but the side as a whole wasn't quite as good as its points total and proximity to United made out. The only reason you were ever in front in the title race was that we had fixtures against the likes of Wigan and Portsmouth delayed to accommodate various Cup Finals and special competitions.