Aug 18
The Tuesday Tantrum: A Burning Berbatov Cocktail
Elegant. Graceful. Patient. Methodical. If you could lineup your knuckles perfectly, would you knock out every single teeth in Berbatov’s mouth? Or would you leave one individual front tooth hanging, a testament to the depths of your disdain?
Sir Alex fielded a slick-passing 4-4-2 against Birmingham, with Scholes and Fletcher providing muscle and Nani and Valencia as delegated flair specialists. The movement, combination play, and awareness impressed in all regions of the field. All, that is, but one.
Berbatov was the desolate island amid a tidal wave of counter attacks. His game suffers from chronic Veronitis – a strong preference to lay off the ball, apply minimal pressure, and hope to sneak by the offside trap. Like Veron, the two are continental kings, but such fine wine tastes sour with the fish and chips of the Premiership.
To retain its crown, United needs three points home-and-away from Birmingham, Hull, Wolverhampton, and Stoke. While continental defenders may pass circles around advancing forwards, high pressure against lower tier Premier League sides is a recipe for quick and relatively easy goals. But to pressure, the fitness and conviction must be present.
When was the last time you saw Berbatov run onto a 50-50 ball against a rival goalkeeper? Or the last time he went to ground for a tackle? Yes, he does drop back and help with link-up play from time-to-time, but rarely will he make a defender sweat in his own box.
Never have I wanted to impersonate a drill sergeant and shake a player more badly than Berbatov. Until his game develops an aggressive edge, he will be the major malfunction in the United offensive machine. I respect his game, but it’s not suited to the the west side of the channel. Compared to his peers, he is indecisive, slow, and hesitant.
Elliott is the editor of the excellent Futfanatico blog.
Related items from Red Rants:
- Daily News Round Up: Sir Alex On Retirement And The Glazers, Plus Life Lessons From Rio
- Manchester United 2-0 Sunderland: Berbatov Bags A Brace But Anderson Is The Real Star
- Charlie Adam to Liverpool
- Four League Wins in a Row for United?
- Man Utd v Tottenham: Preview
Tags: Manchester United News
Opti (542)
Stephen (500)
RedDevilEddy (462)
Craig Mc (349)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
@Craig Mc: Peace be with you, bro.
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@colver: I’m not sure that Berba has that much support amongst Utd fans. My impression last season was that it descended into a Tevez>Berbatov argument amongst the faithfull with the JUDAS always coming on top. Berba, in my view is class, but definitely needs to improve this season even though I defended him to the hilt last season. At the moment I’m with Grognard in the square peg in the round hole analogy but I hope I’m proved completely wrong and somehow Rooney and Berba can gel and stop this nonesense talk about the world’s two greatest players AKA Ladyboy and Stevie “Rocky Bilboa” Gerrard.
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@Cyclops-Red:
.
Well I gotta go to bed folks. Before I do I will spark a few fireworks
. We are in for a torrid time at Burnley tomorrow, in the last 2 seasons they BEAT Arsenal, Liverpool AND Chelsea on their turf, and should have beaten Spurs, because they outplayed them, until the ref found overtime that should never have been! I am worried, because Berba, Valencia, Carrick, are PUSSY CATS, and do not like it when things are hot and they get ruffed up. From what I have seen of Valencia, Berba etc, they do not like to get into it where it hurts, pushing, pulling, aggressive tackling and making presence felt. I am sorry, but they ARE WIMPS, and need to go on an army assault course to toughen up. Scaredy Cats! So let the fire works begin – night all!
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Elliott:
I agree with every utterance – and I’m sure it was my fist that you had in mind during your opening paragraph!!
The man is infuriating in his reluctance to add pace to our attack, and has become a load to burden as we struggle to find a CM pairing that can release a striker through the middle.
Whether he can adapt to our style remains to be seen. He has now almost a full season and a full pre-season under his belt but the signs are not good are they?
Pretty soon we can eliminate the “Ronaldo didn’t pass him the ball” gripe and soon after that we can eliminate the “SAF uses him out of position” mantra. So before long he will be laid bare for all to see, wearing nothing but his beautiful hold-up plays and those fucking “deft” touches and that annoying hands-on-hip expression of exasperation as one more opportunity goes wanting.
Thank you, Elliot, for adding a few teeth to this blog, and for suggesting that a few be removed from mouth of the Bulgarian!!
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I reckon that’s abit harsh on berbatov. I thought he had a very decent game without reaching any great heights.
It is interesting to see how my two favourtie blogs (this and the republik one) have very different views on how berba performed on the weekend….
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@Red Ranter: @Craig Mc: Haha! Well, the absence of “roll-eyes” smileys made me thought that you were serious with it!
Woops!
Sorry. Too late now!!!
Am I convincing?
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@colver: Now here’s an example of a well developed argument.
Even if I’m pro-berbatov (if anyone hasn’t noticed yet) I can’t really dispute your observations – except for the fact that you’re grossly exagrerrating his flaws; so fair enough.
@Redrich: The signs are not good? Been watching our games recently?
Berbatov’s been one of our best players in pre-season, and played well against birmingham.
Its quite annoying to have to make people see facts (jes!) as opposed to newspapers rhetoric (berbatov = veron.. blah, blah, blah…).
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@NicoQB: I think you are as blind as bat when it comes to Berbatov. He’s obviously on your bedroom wall and you obviously fantasize over his potential.
The man has done nothing for our team, but to confuse and muddle a difficult selection of starting formations – with SAF trying every possible variation on a theme to get this guy to perform.
I’m giving him one month to start to look like the player he was with Spurs, after that he’s dead to me!
I am so sick and tired of excuse after excuse for players that consistently under perform. I could give a flying fuck about these individuals – United is a team and its the team I will support!!
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@Redrich: If SAF cared so much about Berbatov, he would have started him in the final of the Champions’ League!
Look, I’m not a “fan” of Berbatov as much as you think I am. What gets me riled is the easiness with which fans get on his back, especially when he does perform. The problem for me is that many will not see him perform until he scores regularly, and that for me is not the definition of performance.
If a midfielder had berbatov’s statistics last season, they woiuld have been deemed to have had a great season. Conversely, if a midfielder scores 20+ goals a season, he is by default considered to hav ehad a great season, even if he does squat apart from that – Lampard. So if a striker does not score so much but contributes to our play in other ways, why should he be deemed as a failure.
Sure, berbatov didn’t have the best of seasons, but in my book it was ok, considering the circumstances.
And you’re right – the team is most important. And last season, the team played better when he was playing. Nuff said.
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I feel honored to have kept a focused thread! I know I had some “flowery” and “emotional” language when describing Berbatov – he just seems to lack the individual aggression in the box which I love to see in a striker, whether it is Ruud out muscling, Romario outfoxing, or Ronaldo (fat Brazilian) out-dribbling.
That being said, I can acknowledge his strength, first touch, and hold up play are very well suited to a sole striker/continental affair. I thought he was outstanding in the first leg against Inter last season. But in terms of winning the EPL trophy, I think an aggressive, lightning quick 4-4-2 is the best route. And Berbatov simply looks out of place.
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@NicoQB: Completely agree, his stats confirm he was our most productive player in the PL. He definitely needs to improve especially now Him and the Mercenary have left.
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@Elliott: Amazingly diplomatic here mate. I actually prefer the fist-to-mouth approach!
I thank you, again, for offering an edgy take on a controversial issue here.
More, please!!
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@Cyclops-Red: Shocking how stats, in footy, can be absolutely misleading!!
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@NicoQB: I’m gonna agree to disagree, mate!
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@Traverse: Classic. Midget that looks like a wet dog. Classic!
And an ugly wet dog too.
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@Craig Mc: It’s very rare when Dan agrees with me therefore, it was a reward for me.
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@Anthony Los: Lets not compare Berbatov to Riquelme. Yes he has a nice touch and is inventive and creative but Riquelme is a football god where as Berbatov is just football player.
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sheeeeeeesh wtf is going on in here?
So…light banter anyone? i think ando should get a start today? maby carrick as well. maby de lat youth should be on desplay v burnly 4-1 united sounds good
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Damn! Vidic looking to move to Barca next summer! With Rio becoming crocky we need to look at our defence for next season – Evans and? Cathcart? Maybe its time to buy back Shawcross and invoke the first refusal clause before Liverpool grab him. And end up paying maybe 6-7 times more than what we sold him for
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Can anyone tell me the injury conditions of our defenders, rio, vidic and evans?
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@Grognard: Grog, i would never compare him to Riquelme i said that he has the same position as him, my words must have confused you
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Grognard berbatov would not last two seconds in serie a. he would turn it up as soon as he got wacked from behind. he’s alazy player who thinks that he’s above everybody else. he must read comments like yours and continue to believe his player above the rest. when ever i watch him he strolls across the pitch doing little. he misses goals like every body else. i dont understand why he’s always compared to tevez. tevez like rooney ha sthe work rate and the technical ability to make things happen for the team. tevez technial ability is as good as the next player. his so called mistakes are mede by any player who plays the game at a high tempo. i would like to see berbatov’s technical ability if he played the game at the same tempo as tevez. i guess this will never happen. berbatov only knows one tempo-slow. berbatov could dismantle united capaign this season because saf will always play regardless of his valueless to the club. i for one wish mancity moved for berbatov and we kept tevez. yes we i’m a united fan. and i know we shouldn’t knock our own players. but how many can you vent you fustratrion when berbatov is playing withy sreams of do something you fuckin useles bum.
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@tom:
Whoa there tom, do you watch football or listen to some radio station. You actually believe that tevez is better than berba, you must be out of cornflacking mind. Or maybe there is another tevez out there other than the tosser who would try to dribble and loose the ball, try to hold off defenders and loose the ball, try to pass and loose the ball, try to score and loose the ball, all he seemed to do was loose the ball, unless he was 2 feet away from goal then he’d poke it in after somebody like rooney or CR7 or berba had done all the work.
Tevez used to work hard to regain possession which he himself lost and should never have lost in the first place. The thought of tevez being better than berba is laughable, i would have dismissed you comment with the contempt it deserves but Im so freaking bored i’l return anyones comment right now.
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@spizzy:
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@Anthony Los: Actually my comment was made to be a little humorous as I consider Riquelme a god and to have him compared or linked to any other player is demeaning to him. I realize what you were trying to say but perhaps I should have been clearer myself.
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@tom: Your welcome to your opinion mate, even if I think you are full of it.
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