Berba - What does he do exactly?
Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at 12:45PM Some NLD pre-match blogging on the way later today, but first for something off topic but still sort of related in that it's all about an ex-Tottenham player who moved onto bigger and greater things. Yes, it's true. The squirrels up in Manchester are better than the ones down south.
Dimi Berbatov. What does he do exactly? Well according to this article here over at The Republik of Mancunia - a lot. Far more this season than he has achieved in his prior ones - including the two years spent oozing swagger in Lilywhite. Sure, he looks as gloomy as ever, never smiling, dodgy unsexy haircut, and always apologetic in gestures. And there's no doubt that Fergie has not attempt to build the team around him, preferring instead to use the £30M man when required rather than use him as a Ronaldoesque talisman in every game, no matter the opponent.
So, do stats lie?
RoM concludes:
The number of goals Berbatov has scored and created this season is of a higher rate than any of his four years in England, higher than both Carlos Tevez’s years at United as well as Alan Smith’s first year at United (and only year he played as an out and out striker).
Berbatov has scored/assisted almost a quarter of a goals this season, despite not playing anywhere near as much, and scored/assisted over a quarter of our goals last season when competing with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Tevez.
Tricky one. I agree he's undervalued by most United fans I know and Spurs fans tend to believe he is wasted at Old Trafford simply because he is not deemed good enough to be the main man in a team of classy work-horses, which at Spurs he was (main man, not a workhorse) - as he was the catalyst of creation up front for us. Until his sulks won the day for his escape on the last day of the transfer window to CL football and titles.
The linked article does state an obvious reason, a reason why many fans turn on players quickly. Why there is patience lacking. The transfer fee. Darren Bent, David Bentley - both suffered because of it. Berbatov, it seems is creating and scoring. Okay, perhaps not scoring epic magical goals, but he's not exactly a dud either. And yet even though he's perhaps far better than what most would suggest, his body language and his lack of freedom to dictate his own tempo up front can suggest something is being lost in translation. He's playing fine, but perhaps not fine enough to warrant the money and effort spent to pull him out of Spurs and sign him for Utd.
Berba at Spurs, on fire, was/is a completely different kettle of fish than the one at United. But he appears to be more productive in red than white. Or perhaps not.
I guess it's all down to personal perspective in the end.
Cheeky bid?
Reader Comments (26)
Yes bring him back and make him captain lol
Cheeky bid? Spooky is taking the piss. Berbatov practically went on strike when he was still with us. He was that desperate to leave.
Still, would have his type of player back at Spurs in a heat beat, just a shame he's such a bitch.
He's under rated by mancs mainly because it's hardly got the fire works about him on the pitch. He's actually working harder than he was at Spurs but he's lost the mojo he had. Guess if Fergie is happy then he's happy.
i actually would like to see him back at spurs , he is just suffering because he has not got the workrate of a Rooney or Cristiano but then again ...lots of players would suffer when compared to those two
He left on a bad note but i don't really blame him for leaving (apart from the sulking part) , if another firm offered me twice as much in wage , chance to become high profile and work with one of the most succesfull coaches and clubs the world has ever seen ... well then my suitcase is packed.
Fans expect loyalty but most of them would sign for double wages elsewhere in a jiffy ... thats a bit of perspective
ps having this discussion on facebook with my fellow yids and most of them wouldn't want him back even if he was free
£20m and Berba for Modric. I guess that'll get you all going...I await the comments.
lol @ tonk not having a sense of humour.
It's difficult to know with some Spurs fans.
He's a great player, I don't care what they think in Manchester. BUT the way he left, refusing to play for us and all that, I just don't know whether that can ever be forgiven. Not that I wouldn't want to. Just, is it possible? I mean, we want more than just mercenaries who play well, we also want respect, don't we? Think Hossam Ghaly and the shirt-throwing incident. We never forgave him for that, but I thought it was less of an insult - in the heat of the moment - than what Berbatov did.
Would love him back, he would be our best forward by miles. I can no longer put up with the selfish git who couldn't score in a brothal and the worlds most expensive lamp post!
Anything but a win tomorrow and its season over. 25 years of suffering, not sure I can take much more of this, especially with Arry "I can't stay out of the Papers" Redknapp telling everyone how close we are to over taking the Goons!
Let's not get sidetracked. Question is Berba better improved now and the was at the Lane?
I prefer the Spurs version.
haha - if we did get him you just know a certain Mr Keane will be winging his way back. This obviously will allow JD & Crouchie to go off to the Championship with Pompey.....and we'll get Chimbonda in to 'do a job'.
Jeez, can we just shave Arry's head ,give him a Dutchsch accent and be done with it?
I am a manchester united supporter and I will be glad if you re-signed him from us in the summer.
winter, you've just reminded me of steve mclaren's interview with the fake dutch accent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWptErAWrmQ&feature=related
CLASSIC!!!
After what happened bringing back Keane I'd say a no!
why not , we can blame the eventual Berbatov failure on him as well
I'd beg to differ Spooky. I think all of his haircuts have been very sexy.
Even Dimitar blames Robbie Keane.
United/Spooky fan here --
I just wonder why Berba hasn't had one single game for us that can equal the performance he gave for you lot at OT a few years ago. I think he smashed one off the cross bar after a few minutes from a good way out, and then ripped Vidic and Wes Brown (i think it was him and not Rio) apart the whole game. He hasn't played half that well for us yet. Its strange really
Berba needs to be the main man and playing every week. Because these things are not happening at OT, his confidence has gone.
Despite his MU supporting critics, he has made a lot of chances/ goals for them but for 30 million, they were probably entitled to expect more.
Noticed against Blackburn he was back to his tempremental ways and slagging off his team mates.
Despite that, he would improve our team, he would be the main man, he would play every week so I say bring him back.
And while we are at it, get Carrick back as well. He needs rescuing and 25 million for the pair of them ( half what we sold them for ) would be good business.
Left a sour taste in my mouth, would mean losing Crouch (shame) and hoping him and JD can form a partnership like he did with PSB.
Carrick would slip right in and not even need the lube.
2 things are different at OT to WHL. When Berba picked up the ball at WHL, keane was usually a few yards away, normally ahead of Berba. Berba would know where he instinctively and the 2 of them played as well together as any strike combo i can think of.
At OT, none one knows where Rooney will be from one moment to the next...in midfield, out wide, at right back. Thats no criticism of Rooney, but Berba needs a partner or needs to be played as the sole man. With the former he needs a partner near to him and preferably in advance. If the the latter then he needs to be right up front on his own, with support coming from midfield.
At OT he tends to get neither, added to his languid style and less full-on work ethic, and the fact he is in and out of the team, it is no wonder they have not seen the best of him.
I blame fergie. Berba has be called a £30m flop but if you are going to spend that much then he needs to be an integral part of the team, not a last resort when Rooney only has 1 leg left to play on (and even then, vs Munich, Nani went up front when Rooney hobbled off).
He was a selfish disrespectful twat, the way he left us, but class is permanent and he has more than most!
Regardless of my feelings towards both players now, There's no denying Berba & Keane were one tasty partnership.
Rumour has it he coming back to WHL!!!
have you noticed that he can only score when Man U are 2-0, 3-0 up and its usually a tap in. How many 1st Utd goals has he scored, how many games has he won for Utd??
I'm all for back to the future. Berba was the sexiest thing I've ever seen (live, as opposed to on archived video) in a Spurs shirt. We've already got Keane on the books so let's put the band back together. Hell, let's cut straight to the chase and bring back Martin as well. And Steed. Anyone know where Teemo Tanio is these days?
Seriously though, I'd also point out that it was Levy and Ramos who put out the stories about Berbatov going on strike. Given the shit storm that was White Hart Lane during that particular transfer window, I wouldn't have believed either of them if they told me the sky was blue.
Re Berba and Defoe, not going to happen. Defoe is too selfish, doesn't do give an go like Keane.
Let the Man Poo fans do whatever it takes to convince themselves that they got a bargain on Berba.