When Manchester United shut down Barcelona in the semi-final of the Champions League last season, Sir Alex Ferguson laughed off the critics who accused them of being overly defensive.
Chelsea did the same this season and, but for refereeing decisions and a last-minute lapse, they would have repeated the feat.
There were plenty of lessons for Manchester United on Wednesday night.
Last season, Ferguson praised his side for their ‘concentration at the back’ and the way they ‘protected the space really well’. Cristiano Ronaldo admitted on Wednesday night that, this time around, the tactics were ‘not good’.
There was logic to the all-out attacking route. Barca had been notoriously weak in defence and the inclusion of Yaya Toure in the back four had seemed almost suicidal.
For a while, it looked like United had got it right, too.
But the Barca backline – and Gerard Pique in particular – stood up to the challenge and refused to allow them a way through.
Clearly, Samuel Eto’o’s goal on 10 minutes completely changed the face of the game and, without that, United could have continued to dominate. As Ferguson had said ahead of the match, luck is a factor in any game at that level.
Yet Barcelona are far and away the best footballing side in the world. Try to play them at their own game and you get beaten.
You cannot allow a team like Barcelona the space to dominate the midfield. You cannot allow Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez and Leo Messi space in the middle of the field to pick out passes and make runs.
Ferguson is not one of the greatest managers of all time because of his tactical acumen, just like Brian Clough was not one of the greats because of his ability in the transfer market. They are managers who need assistance and, for the first time since he left to take charge of Portugal last summer, United have paid a heavy price for the loss of Carlos Queiroz.
United, though, were also unfortunate to be without the two midfielders who could have given them a solid base in midfield.
No one seemed overly concerned that Darren Fletcher missed the final through suspension but he – in stark contrast to Michel Carrick – is a big-game player. His drive and determination and ability to do the small things right was sorely missed.
Owen Hargreaves, too, is far more reliable in breaking up play than Anderson, who revealed a more telling lack of experience in the role than ever before.
It’s hardly a crisis for United. As much as anything else, they had a bad night while Barca had a great night, but if Ferguson wants to establish himself as the greatest manager of all time, lessons need to be heeded for next season.