He should start today, but he wont.
Berbatov | Fulham player
- Thread starter SAred
- Start date
-
In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
I think it's a case of SAF always thinking long-term. He wanted to make sure that Welbeck developed properly and signed an extension. At 30 and unhappy with a bit-part role Berbatov has probably already left in SAF's eyes.
Everything was going well before Wigan away and Fergie didn't want to make significant changes, despite the fact that Welbeck and Chicharito were poor for about 2 months. IMO, this was the main reason why he didn't play in the last months. It was a mistake to not have him on the bench vs Wigan though. He loves to play ans score against them. There is a lot of talk about our mistakes vs Everton but Wigan was a failure, too.
30 mill? we dont mind, he's now wearing number 9
berbatov-tov-tov
he told city to feck off
berbatov-tov-tov
he told city to feck off
Fergie handling of Berba has been pretty poor. Against sides like Wigan Berba can provide the spark of inspiration to create or score a goal.
Well we could have used him to run up the score for sure. Smashing goals in against the weaker teams would have helped our goal difference.
Anyway, it was good of Fergie to give Berba a farewell appearance.
Farewell and Good luck to Berbatov.
Anyway, it was good of Fergie to give Berba a farewell appearance.
Farewell and Good luck to Berbatov.
One of the few times I would say Fergie acted disgracefully. While we were floundering against crap teams, Berbatov was the scape goat who sat around doing nothing when everyone could see the way we were playing wasn't working so why not go back to something that was? We went back on our knees to get back Scholes. We should have tried Berbatov.
Last season Berbatov scored in two games (Liverpool, Blackburn) as many league goals at Old Trafford as Welbs and Chicharito managed to score between them this season. Talk about GD.
This is quite and odd post
All this rubbish on Fergie handling Berbatov badly is just wrong. Fergie knows what is best for the club. Besides Berbatov handled being a Man Utd player badly from the very start.
His refusal to work hard for the side was never going to win over Fergie. Players need to adapt to Utd and how a Utd player should perform. Not the other way around.
His refusal to work hard for the side was never going to win over Fergie. Players need to adapt to Utd and how a Utd player should perform. Not the other way around.
I have found it quite funny that in Berbatov's absence from the team he has become just what we're missing in the eyes of many fans.
Indeed, that game against Wigan was exactly the type of game he used to fail badly in.
Berbatov worked so less harder than anyone else at United. Just because he didn't chase after lost causes like a maniac doesn't mean he didn't work hard on the pitch. I thought last season, people showed plenty of distance covered stats where he was right about where the team average was.
His transfer will ultimately be deemed a failure, what else can it be, when your 30mil+ player after 3 seasons, barely gets a look in?
No one can defend his stats in Europe, which were horrendous - defender have better scoring rates
but domestically, he was fine.48 goals in 108 appearances. So not far off a goal every other match.
What an absolute joke bringing him on, having frozen him out for months. That there was the moment we threw the towel in. All very disappointing.
He got a final outing at OT - why was it a joke?
He couldn't have played any worse than the 11 we sent out though, Randall.
Yes Erica, my arse.
When he's moved on from here, I expect him to reveal what happened between him and Frogie.
It was like a guy walking in to a funeral.
When he's moved on from here, I expect him to reveal what happened between him and Frogie.
It was like a guy walking in to a funeral.
I wish him all the best. It's very sad it didn't work out for him here, and I don't believe for a second it's his fault. He was always languid. It didn't happen overnight.
What was the point?
That's the sort of touch you reserve for someone who's respected. Berbatov's season would suggest that he's not well thought of anymore.
Tbh, I found it a bit of a kick in the teeth, I'm sure Berbatov did too - wasn't exactly a great send off, was it? He's not going to look back an cherish it. I was annoyed because I think he's deserved an involvement in our run in more than, say, Hernandez. I think he could have made a difference vs Wigan, Everton.
Fergie giving the fans a chance to say goodbye? Maybe it was a little nod to his professionalism this season - he wasn't giving interviews left and right bitching out the lack of playing time or how he was marginalized. He kept turning up, and doing the right thing, hoping the manager would give him a chance.
Of course he isn't going to cherish it, he went from carrying United for large parts of last season, finishing as the top scorer in the league to being a complete afterthought.
I've got no hard feelings toward Berba - you look at his scoring rate throughout his career, and he has never been prolific, so it would be wrong of us to expect that from him. He has never been about hustle and bustle - some players are, and some just aren't.
We knew this, and Fergie should have known this, when we signed him. He was NOT an unknown quantity - so if he was a bad fit, that's not his fault, that falls on management.
All I know is, unless he's done something horrible behind the scenes, no way should Hernandez have played more football than Berbatov this season.
I'm sure a lot of you will scream with anger when I say this, but unless we find out that Berba has molested Fergie's wife ( or something equally repulsive to the Ferguson family ) this refusal to play him AT ALL almost certainly cost us the title. Yes Welbeck is the way forward, blah blah blah, but as I said a few pages ago, I wanted us to win THIS title. Berba on the bench at least would have been a start
I disagree Erica. We lost this title at Old Trafford against Everton. Berbatov would have made no difference.
Perhaps he should have been involved more often or, as you say, at least on the bench. But I don't see how it would have made a difference.
How are we to know if he'd have made a difference in that Wigan game though Erica? In fact I remember him having a terrible game for us that day many say we lost the league in a very similar way away to Blackburn in 09/10.
Hindsight is such a wonderful thing.
Yes it's entirely possible . But not to be given the option of bringing on a player like that is criminal!
Agreed
We never should have bought him for 30m in the first place. Berbatov was Berbatov was Berbatov.
He gave us some great moments though and I really enjoyed watching him. My favourite was his goal against Everton away last season, on this vid at about 0.52, unfortunately you don't see the first touch that preceded the goal which was absolute perfection from a hard to control ball.
Exactly, that game was crying out for Berbatov.
A game in which we don't do well would always cry for someone who wasn't playing on the day. Looking at Berbatov's tendency to blow really hot or really cold, and not being the best off the bench, I'd say it's a big if if he'd make a difference. 12 months earlier, dropping Berbatov for Hernandez helped when we beat Wigan 4-0 away and Hernandez scored twice.
I don't think there has ever been anything sinister about it. Fergie decided to look forward and reached the decision many have previously - Berbatov just doesn't fit in. Hernandez might not be half the player he is in pure footballing terms, but if you need a goal, I'd still back him over Berba.
I don't think there has ever been anything sinister about it. Fergie decided to look forward and reached the decision many have previously - Berbatov just doesn't fit in. Hernandez might not be half the player he is in pure footballing terms, but if you need a goal, I'd still back him over Berba.
Could it be that we've been playing Berbatov wrongly? Fergie seems to have preferred him as the striker in the hole rather than the one up top. I was wondering if it could have been a different outcome if he was playing right up top and playmaking from there, with Rooney behind.
Wasn't that the role he had last season? It obviously worked, to a point. But the movement and pace of Hernandez gave us something else.
We played him there for most of last season and he won the golden boot.
I've mentioned this before, but most people on here feels that we'll be sacrificing Rooney's game if we built the team around Berbatov, this is despite the fact that the players in our team are probably more suitable if we had built the team around Berbatov instead.
Good of Fergie, my backside
Let it go Erica. I love Berba too, but there's no point staying angry.
I know, but such a waste!!
Berbatov worked so less harder than anyone else at United. Just because he didn't chase after lost causes like a maniac doesn't mean he didn't work hard on the pitch. I thought last season, people showed plenty of distance covered stats where he was right about where the team average was.
His transfer will ultimately be deemed a failure, what else can it be, when your 30mil+ player after 3 seasons, barely gets a look in?
No one can defend his stats in Europe, which were horrendous - defender have better scoring rates
48 goals in 108 appearances. So not far off a goal every other match.
Because to some fans, if a player that doesn't run around like a nutcase flying in on tackles and knocking opponents over, they are not trying enough. Case in point while many on here claimed Heinze was world class despite the fact he was vasty average. But he hustled and tackled everything.
Had Saha not been constantly crocked, Berbatov would never have been on the radar. And perhaps SAF would have spent some of that Berbatov fee on a midfielder that ended up at Spurs that summer. Or signed Yaya up before City offered ridiculous wages.
Anelka was the player that would have fit into the system circa 2008.
Anelka was the player that would have fit into the system circa 2008.
It's not that at all.But I do not believe Berbatov worked hard enough for the side on many occasions. And it was frustrating to watch.
I cannot think of any successful player at Utd who did not work hard for the team.
Cantona used to work his arse off without the ball. Scholes too. Even Ronaldo worked very hard in the opposition half.
Then the obvious ones, Rooney, Beckham, Giggs all work their bollox off.
All hugely successful. All very creative players too. All had a similar work ethic.
It is what separates the good and the great, even when the good have a lot of talent, which Berbatov certainly has.