Berbatov | Fulham player
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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.
Berbatov was bought to play behind Rooney. We know this because the manager insisted on playing this in his first season even when he wasnt scoring goals or performing well. Didnt play him in a system that suited him? He played a similar role to the one he had at Spurs in his final season with Rooney tasked with being Robbie Keane in front of him.
Excuses are excuses. This didnt work. The partnership with Rooney didnt work no matter what was tried. You're right that plenty of the blame goes on the scouting and management but Berbatov himself had more than his fair chances.
Did he? Yes I think you may be right.
I don't agree. The complete buy of Berbra IMO was a mistake, he never was a player of 30M and at the time we didn't need him at all.
He showed signs that he is a good footballer but his consistent inconsistency and his laiziness were too much for a player that aim to be a starter at United. Also people here are making a big deal about him finishing as top scorer, but in the end he scored 20 goals in all competitions (none in Champions) that season which isn't that great as people are saying (Chicha scored the same amount of goals in that year which was his first year here). If Berba has failed here IMO, he has only himself to blame.
The turning point was the miss against city in the fa cup semi final.
That goal would of changed the game, and i personally think fergie never forgave him for that.
Dropping him in the CL final proved he clearly didnt trust him as a player anymore, and from that point on his career with us was over.
Yes the system was similar, but the type of player he was played with was too like himself and nothing like Keane.
So again it wasn't in a system that suited him because the partner he had made the dynamics of that system completely different. Any good partnership works only because the respective players provide different attributes that compliment each others game. If you pick players who are too alike, then they end up playing in similar positions, wanting to do similar jobs and it simply doesn't work. See Lampard and Gerrard for England. Or would you blame those 2 for not being more adaptable, rather than the managers who persisted playing them?
Why am i making a big deal of it? He finished joint top scorer, and had his best season with us. End of. What that indicates is that he had turned the corner and was at last producing the goods.
So how is that his fault again, that SAF inexpilcably froze him out the season after?
What makes me laugh is that SAF persisted in playing him when he was lazy and crap for 2 seasons, then when he finally does produce the goods, he then freezes him out. Where is the logic in that? No for me SAF has got everything regarding Berba wrong. From paying so much for him initially, to playing him with the wrong partner, to continuing playing him when he was not worthy of a place, to freezing him out after his best season yet.
If you think that's good management of a £30m player, then good for you, for me it's littered with errors and poor judgment. Which is exactly how Fergie's aquistion of Berba, and his failure to get the best out of him will be viewed, as a hugely expensive and largely unproductive whopper by the manager.
A whopper?
Berbatov's time here has been filled with trophies, breathtaking skill and amazing goals. I think he's been an ace buy. I love the man.
Berbatov's time here has been filled with trophies, breathtaking skill and amazing goals. I think he's been an ace buy. I love the man.
No, it wasn't a good management but mainly it never was a good buy.
About Ferguson giving more chances to Chicha and Welbeck than him, I completely understand his reasons. Berba scored 20 goals that season, but so did Chicha. Plus Chicha is younger, and can only become better. On the other side Welbeck has tot a lot of potential and is an academy player, so nothing wrong with them being favored before Berba. Berba had his chances for 3 years, but he never played as he should have played and now he doesn't have a place here.
Of course he was going to be played a lot at 1st. You have to give your new £30m man a good chance.
Berbatov's buy is a questionable one and whether it was or was not a good purchase and worth it can be debated endlessly.
I do however see a lot of people claiming we didn't need him at the time, which is just bullshit really. We were in serious need of another striker.
I do however see a lot of people claiming we didn't need him at the time, which is just bullshit really. We were in serious need of another striker.
Fergie has to take ultimate responsibility for Berbatov failings as Fergie is the one who brought him here. Berba did not make come and get gestures or twist anyone arm.
That doesnt mean we needed a British record transfer fee one, doesnt mean we needed Berbatov and doesnt mean we needed to leave it till the last minute to sign one.
We just needed to replace Saha.
Berba can't be categorized as a success or a failure. While he's scored a few goals and been top scorer he hasn't made an impact in the really big games that his reputation warranted.
Ultimately I doubt Fergie bought him to be a fourth choice option striker.
Ultimately I doubt Fergie bought him to be a fourth choice option striker.
At the time pretty much every Utd fan on the planet was spunking themselves over the signing and practically begging the club to sign him.
Easy to forget these things.
All things that couldn't really be avoided in the scenario. SAF clearly wanted him and he did what needed to be done to get him.
Easy to forget these things.
All things that couldn't really be avoided in the scenario. SAF clearly wanted him and he did what needed to be done to get him.
Players often need to adapt to Utd and to Fergie when they join. He failed to do that. I blame Berbatov for lack of desire and willing to work his nuts off.
Sorry if you cant accept it but 1 really good season from your record signing at £30 million and then little return when he moves on is a waste. He had his season here, he contributed, but its obvious that it didnt work out for him here.
Accept what? I haven't suggested he was or was not good enough or contributed enough at all.
I'm merely trying to justify the transfer itself, at the time nobody was complaining about the £30m fee, everyone wanted him here.
I'm merely trying to justify the transfer itself, at the time nobody was complaining about the £30m fee, everyone wanted him here.
I wasnt talking to anyone in specific. Just the several posters claiming its hard to decide if he was a success or failure.
But thats also wrong about what was going on at the time. Several didnt want him here and plenty thought that £30 million was too much.
However most people on here felt it was a good signing and several people went as far as to say he's the "perfect" partner for Rooney. I lost count of how many times that was said
This guy made it into Manchester Uniteds top 40 all time scorers, scored a winning hat trick against Liverpool, scored important goals in title wins, and contributed some all around fantastic play, yet some of you speak as if he was a massive let down.
I don't get it.
I don't get it.
You think we have the greatest squad in world football. There is many things you do not get.
Were you perfectly happy with how his time turned out with Utd looking back at these 4 years?
Twigg was probably happy with how Liam Miller's time turned out.
Yes. Of course I am. He's a fantastic football player who can do things no-one else in our squad can do.
He also made it into United's top 1 most expensive player and finished most seasons as a sub, losing his place to Tevez, Hernandez and now Welbeck although he really took it from Hernandez, both were in front of Berbatov.
For an ordinary good player bought for a modest sum those accomplishments would be outstanding. For Berbatov they cover up all the bad times.
Well that's my point really, right now loads of people are babbling on saying we never should've bought him, we didn't need him, he was overpriced but at the time 90% of people DID want him and did not mind paying the price we did.
But he's 31 now and coming to the end, on his day he's still up their with his best striker.
He's been a great loyal player to the club, scored some great goals, got some great assists, been top scorer and overall has contributed to our most succesful period ever.
I literally don't give a shit if he's the most expensive player on the planet ever.
Don't think that we needed to spent that much for another striker when we had Rooney and Tevez, and in may games we were starting with only Rooney. We need another striker but maybe a young one like Chicha, not a 30M one who will have a lot of pression because of his price, and will have an unfair advantage over Tevez.
Why? We had ronaldo, rooney and Tevez. We played 4-3-3, and had Nani coming through. Where was the need for another second striker, when we were playing the second striker we already had on the left?
If we needed another striker at all, it certainly wasn't one like Berbatov. I would agree there was a good case to be made for a Hernandez type player who could play off Rooney, should we have decided to go 4-4-2 at any time.
But i have never understood the thinking behind buying Berba, and how it all has panned out since then to this unsatisfactory conclusion, only serves to support the notion that it simply hasn't ever worked for him or for us, because the manager never seemed to know how to get the best out of him.
Tevez?
Haha, can anyone remember him at the start of his Man United career? When we had to give him a goal which deflected off his head in order to get him off the mark? The guy who fecked us off, fecked City over and has fecked over every club he's ever been at?
Can you imagine how much worse we'd have been if we'd have signed him rather than Berba the scar faced prick.
Haha, can anyone remember him at the start of his Man United career? When we had to give him a goal which deflected off his head in order to get him off the mark? The guy who fecked us off, fecked City over and has fecked over every club he's ever been at?
Can you imagine how much worse we'd have been if we'd have signed him rather than Berba the scar faced prick.
So true.
Just look at the way Miller managed to disappear. Could any other player do that?
Ofcourse looking at his location its not hard to see why. As Obertan's no.1 fan expectations are likely to be very low.
Anyways he is leaving now so it matters not anymore. Although nobody seems to be banging the door down for him yet.
Malaga IMO would not be a good move for him. Thought a bigger side might be in for him. Surely he is the type of player, that 31 should be his prime also he wont be over priced.
Milan would be funny just so he can partner Ibra and I could watch the most infuriating strikeforce in history combine.
Malaga IMO would not be a good move for him. Thought a bigger side might be in for him. Surely he is the type of player, that 31 should be his prime also he wont be over priced.
Milan would be funny just so he can partner Ibra and I could watch the most infuriating strikeforce in history combine.
Tevez never got given that Spurs goal. It was Nani's
If Tevez wasnt such a twat I would have loved him here for years.
Did we need an 18m Ashley Young when we already had Nani & Valencia? A 16m 18 year old Jones when we had Smalling, Ferdinand, Evans and Vidic? Do we need a 16m Kagawa when we have Nani, Rooney, Valencia, Nani, Welbeck etc
I have this theory that we are the worlds biggest club and because of that we want the best possible players at this club if we can get them. You think when SAF goes to buy a player he thinks "yeah he's class but we already have 2 good players there, let's just spend less money and get ourselves a shitter players instead". I certainly hope not, because that would make us Arsenal.
How often did we play 4-3-3? Not that much, only in big games. Ronaldo (who the club probably knew was off next Summer anyway) contrary to belief was still mainly used as a 4-4-2 winger, same as Nani who wasn't exactly shining. Tevez was still a LOAN and not a certified buy (and we didn't buy him, whaddya know?).
You should also remember that there was a lack of available strikers that Summer, I'm sure SAF and co. scouted endlessly, but we clearly needed a striker and as I said above, SAF will get the best he can get if the club gives him the money to do so.
I'm happy with Berbatovs contribution. Price tag is irrelevant and should never be used when evaluating a player or for expectations.
This. Unfortunately there are more than just a few Ihni binni dimi diniwiny anitaime who don't understand that idea and think it was X player's fault for how much was he bought for.
Taking everything into account, he made at least decent enough contribution in his time here.
I bet you loved Liam Miller and Bellion as well! You like Berbatov, what an absolute idiot!!!!/some Ihni binni dimi diniwiny anitaime's on redcafe.
We needed a winger with Giggs and Park not being the players they were. So we bought Young, although it's debatable if he was the right player.
We need desperately a creative AMF so we bought Kagawa.
Did we need a 30M first choice striker? I think not. Probaly it was only me but even there I couldn't understand that signing.
/some Ihni binni dimi diniwiny anitaime's on redcafe.
Loving every player in the club is right (even if they didn't contribute that much, even if they play shit for months etc).
Disliking one is not loyal and everyone who does that is an idiot who should be executed. Right?