Berbatov | Fulham player

Hes amazing and I'll miss him.

Still remember the 5 goals like it was yesterday. And the game we drew against Blackburn when he put valencia through and Tony messed up!
 
Brophs said:
I think that stat makes light of the constant labelling of him as a flop etc. Yes, he could have done a lot better but he still did reasonably well in his time here. Just not as well as we would have liked.
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Exactly. Wasn't a flop, noway near it.
 
Sunny Jim said:
It's a strange case...I never wanted Berbatov here, was against signing him. His first season with us was dreadful (but his P R brigade claimed otherwise), his second was decent (but his haters claimed otherwise). His third was really good.

I think that he is a good option to have and i would like him to stay here until his 35-37 (with his style of play it's doable).
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feck off. There was no PR Brigade. Some of you didn't warm up to him, because Carlos Tevez was allegedly sold because of him.
 
It's actually 48 goals in 106 league games and 56 goals in 147 games in total but someone will soon come to tell you that it's effectively 37 in 103 league games because you absolutely have to exclude two hat tricks he scored for us as well as the Blackburn game.
 
Sarni said:
It's actually 48 goals in 106 league games and 56 goals in 147 games in total but someone will soon come to tell you that it's effectively 37 in 103 league games because you absolutely have to exclude two hat tricks he scored for us as well as the Blackburn game.
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It'll happen, let's just wait for it.
 
Mutual respect. Berba has not given Fergie any reason to be upset with him so he's willing to listen.

From a United perspective it makes sense to renew the contract and if at the end of the talks it is decided we will let him go if a decent offer is made, then at least get something. If he stays, he's still a fantastic player to have in our squad.

Hope he does start tomorrow and contributes to us going through to the next round.
 
When you consider we have Rooney in his prime with us and Hernandez and Welbeck still to enter theirs, it hardly comes as a surprise. I guess we only held onto him this season as a back-up to see how Welbeck gets on and since now we know, it would be best for all parties concerned for him to move on.
 
Drifter said:
The mystery is why did SAF sign him.
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Because he liked him as a player and thought he had the type of quality that he would fit in irrespective of whether he fitted in the team's plans or not. Also on paper Berbatov-Rooney looked like a better partnership long term than Rooney-Tevez.
 
KM said:
feck off. There was no PR Brigade. Some of you didn't warm up to him, because Carlos Tevez was allegedly sold because of him.
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:lol:

yes, there was a set of posters here who would support/praise/ cream themselves anytime Berbatov touched the ball, no matter how efficient that touch was. It took that set of fans a bloody year to realize that Berbatov used to slow us down, wasn't present in the right areas (a CF twatting around half line and not making runs forward?). The whole renaissance of his form and increase importance to the team started with him playing much higher and being less involved in the build-up.

I still think it would be great if he stayed with us for another 4-5 season, I do see he has a bit part to play but feck me if did anything right to justify his presence in the team in his first season with us.
 
Hernandez and Welbeck are simply a better fit. When Berbatov is on an off day, he doesn't offer all that much - if his touch is poor, he contributes little. Hernandez and Welbeck can have an off day, but their pace and movement will still cause trouble to the defence and stretch them. Plus, their style suits Rooney better.

I love Berbatov and I love his style of play. I don't think we would have done worse if he played a few more games ahead of Welbeck or Hernandez, but I can see why they are ahead of him. And as someone who has the odd problem with Fergie's rotation, I won't be complaining when he DOESN'T rotate and use his fourth choice striker.
 
Drifter said:
The mystery is why did SAF sign him.
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Honestly I have wondered about this for sometime because of how Berba's career has panned out. Fergie watched him in Germany but then opted not to sign him. What changed? Did he think Rooney was gonna become Robbie Keane? Something changed Fergies mind while Berba was at Spurs but it's never been totally clear what since unlike Spurs we were never gonna build our side around him. Berba is a class act but you gotta play the game his way at his pace or else you just end up not seeing the best of him. Our quick counter attacking game never suited his intricate style. He'll end up in Spain or Italy and absolutely smash it playing the patient build up game...
 
Not a flop but not a rip roaring success either. For the money and the reputation he came with, he was surely expected to be the kind of player that unlocked defenses at the biggest stage. Instead for whatever reason either tactical or lack of form SAF rarely trusted him in big UCL or PL matches.

I was never a fan of his signing but I think he's a joy to watch when he was on form for us. He's got that bit of genius that Eric had. But for me he hasn't produced it often enough.

I can completely understand his desire to leave. I'd rather we kept him because he still is a great option but we can't be selfish. He's coming to the end of his career and needs to play.
 
204Red said:
3 League title titles and a golden boot.

No really flop worthy
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Two. And although I feel he has been invaluable to us in those title winning seasons, at £30.75m, to not be starting the big games for years, then to not be starting any games at all, it's inevitable he will be regarded as a bit of a flop.
 
I can take him or leave him tbh, If he is willing to stay as a squad player thats fantastic but if he wants to move on I can't blame him and don't think he will be a huge miss for us
 
Widnes said:
I can take him or leave him tbh, If he is willing to stay as a squad player thats fantastic but if he wants to move on I can't blame him and don't think he will be a huge miss for us
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I like Berba but I do thinks it's time for him to move on. Shame it never worked out as we all hoped it would. I don't think we'd want to keep him on as a squad player on the wages he's currently getting either, even if the player was agreeable.
 
I don't understand Fergie's use of Berba. He's managed 9 goals in something like 11 appearances, a much higher rate than either Welbeck or Hernandez. Granted Welbeck needs to develop and Hernandez is more appropriate in certain situations, but Berba is quite effective as well. Can't help but wonder if something happened late last season where Berba last favor with SAF (before the CL final).
 
For me, a player that cost £30m plus, who didn't make the bench in a CL final and who has spent the vast majority of his time here on the bench, is a flop. The question is only how you apportion blame. And for me, as I have argued before, it lies first and foremost with SAF. Berbs is a certain type of player and once he had him, SAF couldn't fit him into the team effectively. He should really have anticipated that and spent the £30m on someone who would fit into the team.

Everyone makes mistakes, of course. And this is a drop in the ocean of success we have had under SAF. But when you analyse his reign and tot up the good and the bad, this will be in the latter category.

Both parties should cut losses and move on, both will be better off, and I will always hold Berbs in very high regard - as a footballer and as a person, in terms of the dignity with which he has handled the situation.
 
Simon Adebesi said:
For me, a player that cost £30m plus, who didn't make the bench in a CL final and who has spent the vast majority of his time here on the bench, is a flop. The question is only how you apportion blame. And for me, as I have argued before, it lies first and foremost with SAF. Berbs is a certain type of player and once he had him, SAF couldn't fit him into the team effectively. He should really have anticipated that and spent the £30m on someone who would fit into the team.

Everyone makes mistakes, of course. And this is a drop in the ocean of success we have had under SAF. But when you analyse his reign and tot up the good and the bad, this will be in the latter category.

Both parties should cut losses and move on, both will be better off, and I will always hold Berbs in very high regard - as a footballer and as a person, in terms of the dignity with which he has handled the situation.
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I couldn't agree more, Simon
 
Simon Adebesi said:
For me, a player that cost £30m plus, who didn't make the bench in a CL final and who has spent the vast majority of his time here on the bench, is a flop. The question is only how you apportion blame. And for me, as I have argued before, it lies first and foremost with SAF. Berbs is a certain type of player and once he had him, SAF couldn't fit him into the team effectively. He should really have anticipated that and spent the £30m on someone who would fit into the team.

Everyone makes mistakes, of course. And this is a drop in the ocean of success we have had under SAF. But when you analyse his reign and tot up the good and the bad, this will be in the latter category.

Both parties should cut losses and move on, both will be better off, and I will always hold Berbs in very high regard - as a footballer and as a person, in terms of the dignity with which he has handled the situation.
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Yeah but I think the mistake fans often get into is equating a monetary sum with a player's contribution. The money had nothing to do with his performances, which all in all, have been quite good.
 
KM said:
feck off. There was no PR Brigade. Some of you didn't warm up to him, because Carlos Tevez was allegedly sold because of him.
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That's non sense, to say anyone who did not blindly back Berba at OT was because of Teveth is wrong.

Fact is Berba did not live up to his potential at OT. He was not a flop, flop is being like Torres at Chelsea. I shudder to think how caf would have been like if Berba had been similar here but thankfully he never went to an awful phase like that. But he also could not really establish himself as a key player. Only for last season an argument could be made for him being a key player to us and even then he could not get in the final squad which did and do speak volumes about how much Fergie rates him.

Even this season, he should be playing much more. People use all kind of excuses why he does not get games but nails in the point that Berba could not establish himself at United as he should have. It is a different debate why that happened, but that most certainly did not have anything to do with Tevez.
 
Classy player, who will undoubtedly flourish in the German league (if he does end up going there). Hopefully we get a decent amount because no matter what he's still a top player.

I know it's early, but i'd love to see SAF sign a striker like Llorente with that money. A big man with a good touch is something we could do with at the club, especially given how much of our attacking wingplay.
 
crappycraperson said:
That's non sense, to say anyone who did not blindly back Berba at OT was because of Teveth is wrong.

Fact is Berba did not live up to his potential at OT. He was not a flop, flop is being like Torres at Chelsea. I shudder to think how caf would have been like if Berba had been similar here but thankfully he never went to an awful phase like that. But he also could not really establish himself as a key player. Only for last season an argument could be made for him being a key player to us and even then he could not get in the final squad which did and do speak volumes about how much Fergie rates him.

Even this season, he should be playing much more. People use all kind of excuses why he does not get games but nails in the point that Berba could not establish himself at United as he should have. It is a different debate why that happened, but that most certainly did not have anything to do with Tevez.
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Its just as nonsense to claim there was a PR brigade for him. Fact is, he got criticised a lot more than he really deserved. I don't know what was the reason behind it.
 
I'd have thought he would have played the Cantona, Sheringham role perfectly. However, with United not playing with a traditional target man he ended up competing with Rooney for the traditional number 10 role, and there was only ever going to be one winner. Needed a Ruud, or Cole type striker to have had a better time at United.

Class player, no doubt in a different system.
 
KM said:
Its just as nonsense to claim there was a PR brigade for him. Fact is, he got criticised a lot more than he really deserved. I don't know what was the reason behind it.
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Same as Veron. I read caf when he was with us and there were similar two camps with him on here. Rio also got the same treatment initially, only after his ban people started to appreciate him.

Basically any player with a big price tag comes with big expectation from the supporters. People may claim that should not be the case, but that is just how it is. So simply being ok is not enough in these cases, people want super stuff from players of such price tags.

Funnily enough, both Veron and Berba were capable of such super stuff but just could not deliver consistently. Part of the blame is on Fergie, he should have recognised that such players would require a change in our traditional way of playing, so he should have only bought him if he was willing to make them the focal point. Trying to shoe-horn them was the wrong idea.
 
Unfortunately he will probably leave in the summer for a lot more first team football, something that he deserves. The thing with Berbatov is that you have to play at his pace and thats very difficult at a place like Manchester United. We have been blessed to witness his beautiful play though and he will remain a hero. Its funny how he turned things around, at the start noone wanted to see him in the starting line up but now hes worked his magic and we all love him. He is a nice guy and deserves better than being fourth choice.
 
Amir said:
I believe the story is we wanted him when he left Leverkusen, but were too late and he already agreed to join Spurs.
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If Fergie had been sure about buying him he would've got in there before that. Fergie doesn't just watch players once or twice before signing them. He has them watched for months. All the time he was scouting Berbatov he could've made the decision that this was a player he couldn't afford not to sign. He clearly wasn't sure and that allowed Spurs to get in before us.
 
Raoul said:
Yeah but I think the mistake fans often get into is equating a monetary sum with a player's contribution. The money had nothing to do with his performances, which all in all, have been quite good.
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For me the price paid is intrinsic to the question of floppishness. There is an implied value assessment. You get a player who rarely plays but comes in and scores some important goals for £3m, that's value. You get the same for £30m, that's not.
 
Sultan said:
I'd have thought he would have played the Cantona, Sheringham role perfectly. However, with United not playing with a traditional target man he ended up competing with Rooney for the traditional number 10 role, and there was only ever going to be one winner. Needed a Ruud, or Cole type striker to have had a better time at United.

Class player, no doubt in a different system.
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That's what I expected too, Sultan. I'd not been so excited about a signing for a while
 
Simon Adebesi said:
For me the price paid is intrinsic to the question of floppishness. There is an implied value assessment. You get a player who rarely plays but comes in and scores some important goals for £3m, that's value. You get the same for £30m, that's not.
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That's the problem with people thinking United's money is "their" money. Berba has nothing to do with the perceptions that some people have regarding what a given transfer fee is supposed to contribute.
 
Sounds like we were letting other clubs know he is up for grabs in the summer, to be honest. I loved him here personally, but you could also understand the frustration of some fans.

Still......he'll always have the medals and that hat-trick against Liverpool!
 
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