Best player in the world – Messi or Iniesta?

Lionel Messi kisses his adidas F50i boots after scoring the second goal against Manchester United in the final. Will he be kissing the Fifa World Player of the Year plaque this December?

(Picture: Telegraph.co.uk)

IT WOULD be safe to say that Lionel Messi has clearly won his “duel” with Cristiano Ronaldo in the Champions League final yesterday morning, and will surely be a strong contender to succeed the Portuguese as the Fifa World Player of the Year this December.

But what of Andreas Iniesta, the quiet workhorse in the Barca engine room?

Wayne Rooney has proclaimed the 25-year-old as the best player in the world after the final, and it is not difficult to understand why.

The shy and unassuming playmaker had burst into mainstream consciousness during Euro08, where his playmaking skills were instrumental in guiding Spain to its first major international title in 44 years.

With Barca, Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez have been pulling all the strings in the midfield the entire season, with the Albacete native scoring the injury-time goal that brought the Catalans to the final.

There is no doubt that Messi – who scored the second goal in the final – possesses a wizardry and craft on the field that rarely comes about in football, but what about his “anti-galactico” team-mate, who had been the heartbeat of Barca’s midfield the entire season?

Champs League final at the Marquee Bar & Bistro

Make a Free Flash Slideshow

Here are more photos, taken by Keith Lee, Clarence Chua, Glenn Koh and Ahmad Mustafa bin Hatwadi, from the Champions League final yesterday at the Church Street venue.

Each of the four were armed with a Canon dSLR during the event.

Enjoy!

Postman’s Revamp

DEAR readers, The Postman will take a one-month break after this long season along with the likes of the Beautiful Team, the Sour Devils, and the Ranting Reds.

It’s not because my hands are as tired as the Portuguese Peacock’s legs.

It’s because after three years of The Postman’s interactive print-cum-online series where readers’ views are carried every week in a mailbag format in The New Paper, it’s time for a revamp.

When I first returned from the 2006 World Cup, blogs were the in-thing then, so I started The Postman’s friendly neighbourhood at tnppostman.com.

Following our Question of the Week and Weekend format, we’ve had close to 200 weekly and monthly winners all enjoying various prizes ranging from football boots, and tennis and running shoes, to audio-visual gadgets and even leg shavers for female fans.

Singaporeans based overseas visit us regularly online too, from the US, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

And we’ve had hits from regions as far as Chile and Brazil.

Some of our readers have even become Postman personalities themselves, as well-known among our readers as our football writers like Gary Lim, and that is someone like Chester “Not-Really-Nostradamus” Low.

To draw you back online every day now, we’ve had our Thought of the Day where my assistant Postman Lim Say Heng has waxed lyrical about the hottest daily topics.

But since we started this series in late 2006, Facebook, Twitter and social networking has taken the world by storm.

So we will spend the whole of next month (call it The Postman’s pre-season) to revisit what has worked, and what we can do to engage you more online and in the paper from July onwards.

But don’t worry, you can still visit us online every day at tnppostman.com to see what The Postman is planning in the meantime.

Cheers,

Ernest Luis

What had gone all so wrong for United?

BARCELONA proved to be worthy winners of the European Cup this season with a mesmerising display that all but crushed Manchester United early this morning in Rome.

It was supposed to be a match between two of the world’s best sides, famed for their free-flowing attacking football, but as we all saw, only one side turned up. It wasn’t even a boring game where United played to negate the Barca triumvirate of Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto’o.

It just was simply a one-sided game with mesmerising (did I say that already?) football played by the Catalans.

In his post game comments, Sir Alex Ferguson said that the absence of the suspended Darren Fletcher had robbed United of its steel in midfield, although he freely admitted that Barca were the better side.

But what do you think went all so wrong for United, after a bright first 10 minutes?

What would be the key clash in the Champs League final tomorrow morning?

ONE OF the most eagerly anticipated games of the season will take place later tomorrow morning, as Manchester United face Barcelona in the Champions League final in Rome.

Both sides boasts of top players – such as Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney – and reputations of playing beautiful, free-flowing football, even though United seems likely to adopt a defensive stance to frustrate Barcelona’s awesome strike-force (read Soccernet story on Sir Alex Ferguson’s comments here).

Looking at the possible line-ups for both teams, the clash between which two players is most likely to affect the outcome of the final?

Is it the midfield battle between Michael Carrick and Andreas Iniesta? Or is it the duel between Patrice Evra and Messi? Or maybe it’s between the determined British bulldog Rooney and the ageing but experience Carlos Puyol?

What are your thoughts?

Can Cantona lead United or England?

MANCHESTER United legend Eric Cantona has announced his intentions to take over the hotseat at Old Trafford one day, or take charge of the England team should Plan A fail (read Soccernet story here).

“I don’t know in how many years’ time, but my name is already written on the Manchester United bench,” he said in an interview in Monday’s La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Cantona may have been a great player during his time with United, but Fergie’s old boys don’t seem to be doing quite that well in the managerial hotseat, as the trend goes.

Do you think the King has what it takes to manage a top football team, be it United or England?

Question of the Week (Most poignant EPL moment)

Hi all,

THE POSTMAN’S QUESTION OF THE WEEK: What is your most poignant moment of the 08/09 English Premiership season?

Cheers

Ernest Luis, The Postman, The New Paper

Which of the EPL managers should leave their clubs?

THE DUST has settled and the results are clear. The 08/09 Premiership season has concluded last night, after 10 months of entertaining football (most of the time anyway), controversies on and off the pitch, and endless speculation.

As managers are judged by their team’s position on the league table come end-season, it is judgement day for them after the final whistle of the final game of the season is blown.

Sunderland’s Ricky Sbragia has the dubious honour of being the first post-season managerial casualty, resigning his post despite guiding the Black Cats to Premiership survival this season.

But judging by their team’s performances this season, which of the Premiership managers should follow the footsteps of Sbragia, whether by sacking or resignation?

Who is going down with West Brom?

THE title race may have sewn up last week when Manchester United retained the Premiership crown with a goal-less draw against Arsenal, but the excitement is far from over.

Sunderland, Hull, Middlesbrough and Newcastle are fighting tooth and nail to avoid being thrown into Championship football with West Brom, with two of the relegation places still “up for grabs”.

Not that any of them will have it easy on Sunday. Sunderland are facing Chelsea, while Newcastle face Aston Villa at Villa Park. Hull are hosting Manchester United at home while Middlesbrough arguably have the easiest fixture of all when they travel to Upton Park to face West Ham.

Which two teams do you think will be relegated after this weekend’s matches?

Question of the Weekend (Prefer Man U or Barca to win?)

Hi all,

THE POSTMAN’S QUESTION OF THE WEEKEND: Who do you prefer to see win the coming Champions League final – Manchester United or Barcelona, and why?
Take part in our poll online here too.

Cheers

Ernest Luis, The Postman, The New Paper

  

My Ballot Box Champs League final outcome?  Man U will win!  No way, Barcelona will win!  View Results