I thought he was good today, Rio specifically mentioned how well he'd occupied their defenders and provided a great outlet.
Dimitar Berbatov | 2009/10 Performances
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I thought he was good today, Rio specifically mentioned how well he'd occupied their defenders and provided a great outlet.
His little flicks, passing, and ability to hold the ball up is impressive, but the fact he drops so deep when he's the lone striker is frustrating. He didn't look remotely threatening in front of goal - in fact I don't even think he had a single shot.
His overall play was fine, but he doesn't do enough to even be considered being played as a lone striker in future.
His overall play was fine, but he doesn't do enough to even be considered being played as a lone striker in future.
Brilliant is a bit strong, but he was quite good. Needs better support up front that Diouf could provide though.
Thought he did well, movement was kind of shit today, especially in midfield. Kind of annoying that he was getting held up a few times, getting tugged and the first time he does it, the linesman calls it.
He worked hard as well - just imagine unless it was an absolute cracking performance, it was going to get criticized.
He worked hard as well - just imagine unless it was an absolute cracking performance, it was going to get criticized.
Don't mean to rain on your parade, but we don't really have a choice.
Held the ball up really well I thought, he can't score for toffee but as long as he is bringing others into the team to cover for that than its fine.
I didn't like the general lack of attacking edge we showed though, Valencia doesn't look as great in a 4-3-3 as he always goes round the outside and doesn't really show much threat when cutting in and it means Nani who is the more effective player in a 4-3-3 is playing out of position.
I didn't like the general lack of attacking edge we showed though, Valencia doesn't look as great in a 4-3-3 as he always goes round the outside and doesn't really show much threat when cutting in and it means Nani who is the more effective player in a 4-3-3 is playing out of position.
Individually he had a decent game, but Manchester United need their CF in the box and getting on the end of things in a 4-3-3.
We dont have a Lampard to burst through and score the goals Rooney would be so we need to be a bit more direct and have our striker do the business.
Thats just not Berbatov.
We dont have a Lampard to burst through and score the goals Rooney would be so we need to be a bit more direct and have our striker do the business.
Thats just not Berbatov.
what is expected of Berbatov nowadays is really low. We all have different opinions and expectations of certain players, initially I thought the line up was going to bring the best of him, maybe I need to watch the game again, but him movement left a lot to be desired for me.
It gets lower every week to be fair.
I am usually quite critical of him to be fair. But he really did look OK today.
But still pains me when he aint bursting his nuts to get into the box
True... Which is why I think it's imperative we sign a striker like Dzeko to give us the option of having a direct, goal-scoring centre-forward in the absence of Rooney, or just to give us a bit of variation in our style of play.
Agreed.
berbatov had a very good game today. showed some great control and played some lovely balls into danger areas. he worked hard too. credit where its due
He was great today.
It just happened that the midfield was having a bad day. Had we gotten hold of the midfield and pass the ball closer to goal, he would have stood out even more
Well done
It just happened that the midfield was having a bad day. Had we gotten hold of the midfield and pass the ball closer to goal, he would have stood out even more
Well done
this.
Plays too deep for lone striker, but whenever he gets the ball you feel confident that he wont lose it, and will find one of his teammates.
Really though, we need someone like Rooney with great movement that he can play with and pick out passes for.
If its okay/good for us to have our CF in a 4-3-3 wandering about, dropping deep and looking to create for our wingers instead... Then how come Rooney is playing more in the box and scoring more goals from around the 6 yard box than any season before?
He rarely looks a threat to get a goal himself, when hes our lone striker he needs to take a bit more responsibility at having shots himself and making the runs into the box and not just dropping deep to link the play up. Its not uncommon bizarrely for him to go a game without even having a shot, you couldnt say that about our other strikers.
Indeed. 'Great' isn't what it used to be
I don't envy his job today, one up front with misfiring service. But he only did ok himself. Worked hard at least. Never looked like scoring in a million years. Often didn't even bother to get himself in the box when the ball went wide which is criminal
Guess it's natural people try to overcompensate
I am going to watch this game again, I must have been watching something else. A couple of you are quite happy with his performance, could be my frustration during the game, or could be that you guys just want Berbatov to just hold the ball and flick it to someone else.
Another good game in a long line of good appearances now.
From the top of my head he was involved in four of our five latest goals prior to today.
He scored in five out of five PL starts before that I think. If he continues like that I'll be more than happy with him.
From the top of my head he was involved in four of our five latest goals prior to today.
He scored in five out of five PL starts before that I think. If he continues like that I'll be more than happy with him.
Is expecting him to be a target in the box instead of our wingers crossing for one another asking too much?
There's a reason Rooney does it. Maybe if we still had Ronaldo it would be okay, but Valencia crossing for Nani and Nani crossing for Valencia was never going to be a particularly productive route to goal.
good analyzist brad, he did a job well enough however without proper support (in the form of a striker and/or wing play) just didnt look arsed to make the selfish run or attack a 50/50 ball. Couple of times he needed to make a run, nanis ball in the first half and also the break from diouf he was the furthest man up field and had the back post run all to himself but forgot to get out of neutral.
Also it got annoying how if anyone did anything wrong he would just stop, sulk and throw his arms up. Sure, every pass isnt going to be perfect but for ffs stop having a moan and get on with it. Liked how valencia gave it to him when he didnt make the back post run yet he complained the ball didnt make it through. he was a 6-6.5 today. some flashes of greatness and some flashes of frustration.
Berbatov is our non scoring striker. 
If he's the lone striker in this formation, unless Fergie purposefully told him to drop deep and set up Nani and Valencia, I don't see how this is a good performance from him. He needs to offer us a goal threat, not only flicking it onto Valencia or Gibson or Nani and then watch them cross into nothingness.
If he's the lone striker in this formation, unless Fergie purposefully told him to drop deep and set up Nani and Valencia, I don't see how this is a good performance from him. He needs to offer us a goal threat, not only flicking it onto Valencia or Gibson or Nani and then watch them cross into nothingness.
Yeeeeesssssssss, this is what got me frustrated. He will throw his arms up for misplacing a pass and blame the other player for not being where he thought he should be. I am hoping to get this clip of Gibson who at one time shouted back at him.
It is the body language so to speak. Arms hanging down, feet slightly lifting off the ground.
The reaction is quick though and the runs are very clever. The positioning and passing sublime. Shots on goal- not enough, but ratio is very high! Basically, he shoots when he has a chance to score.
People have different priorities. They see what they want to see, what they care about.
Again, the midfield today was playing crappy for the most part. Wayne would have been just as frustrated and would have been dropping back like he always does in those cases
The reaction is quick though and the runs are very clever. The positioning and passing sublime. Shots on goal- not enough, but ratio is very high! Basically, he shoots when he has a chance to score.
People have different priorities. They see what they want to see, what they care about.
Again, the midfield today was playing crappy for the most part. Wayne would have been just as frustrated and would have been dropping back like he always does in those cases
The problem with Berbatov playing as the lone striker is he plays all these sexy balls to Valencia but then there's no-one to get on the end of the ball from Valencia.
IMO he was out best player today.
IMO he was out best player today.
Not asking for too much, no, just maybe not what Sir Alex was asking it for.
We didn't keep it on the floor enough, and Fletcher surely would've helped with that. If we did I think Berbatov's good individual performance might've benefitted the team a lot more.
He is not a lone striker.
I thought Scholes was better, but I agree, more or less. The problem is he's our main weapon for opening up defences and getting players (most often Valencia) in behind. The problem we have then is he's usually way out of the box, and not in any position to be a threat, which is a problem as a lone front man.
It would work with the right midfield behind him. Our central midfielders don't carry enough of a goal threat.
Why the change with Rooney then? He changed from being an outside of the box player to an inside the box player because thats what the team needs now. Thats whats asked for from our CF in a front 3. In a 2 up front its different - as long as someone is a target in the box, the other player can be wandering. But when you're the only striker you have to be more disciplined and be a focal point for chance creation. Thats why Rooney has done that this season.
I think what we needed is Cristiano Ronaldo on the right wing and Rooney on the left wing. Then Berbatov's flicks and efforts to create chances would have led to us scoring plenty of goals.
Nani was our central striker about as often as Berbatov, its just not the right combination of players in the right areas to make the most of their talents.
We have to accept the fact that Berbatov is a world class center forward with pure class, there is no doubting that but he is just not suited for United and its style of play. I think it is better we cut our losses. I really feel bad that the signing did not work, but we did not pay a club record fee for that goal return, and don't give me the assists bull crap.
1. He is not a lone striker
2. I just want to see more effort from him. Today, around the 75th minute mark and it was picked up in commentary, VDS did a long throw out and Park raced upfield with the ball. Now, when VDS first threw the ball, Berbatov was on the halfway line and the highest United player up the pitch. By the time Park got to the box, Diouf had also got in front and Berbatov was now the deepest United player in the attacking half. What made it bad was that on replay, he was only AMBLING up, no effort whatsoever to get there.
Compare that to Rooney a few weeks back against Arsenal, busting a gut to get in. That tells the difference. Rooney has more energy than most I admit, but even so, Berbatov should have been working far harder to get there.
For me, Berba will never make it at United. He's got the ability and skill, but we don't play at his pace, so he will always be off it and we'll never see the best of him.
2. I just want to see more effort from him. Today, around the 75th minute mark and it was picked up in commentary, VDS did a long throw out and Park raced upfield with the ball. Now, when VDS first threw the ball, Berbatov was on the halfway line and the highest United player up the pitch. By the time Park got to the box, Diouf had also got in front and Berbatov was now the deepest United player in the attacking half. What made it bad was that on replay, he was only AMBLING up, no effort whatsoever to get there.
Compare that to Rooney a few weeks back against Arsenal, busting a gut to get in. That tells the difference. Rooney has more energy than most I admit, but even so, Berbatov should have been working far harder to get there.
For me, Berba will never make it at United. He's got the ability and skill, but we don't play at his pace, so he will always be off it and we'll never see the best of him.
Berba has been playing well for a few weeks now - Im glad to see him get a bit of a run of form.
Not really suited to todays formation but still did well enough.
Not really suited to todays formation but still did well enough.
Tonight there were no things to get on to the end of. He and Valencia were creating everything. Rooney himself would have cursed tonight if he had played alone upfront. The center midfield service was zero.
Because Rooney can do that, Berbatov can't. Because of that we change the way in which we attack. Two completely different teams with Rooney in the team or out of it, especially when it's one striker.
It's a problem in itself but it's one that we cope with by adapting well, or we can do when our midfielders get going.
Whatever, we don't need stats to ridicule you when Fergie doesn't even consider what you're stating as obvious ;P
The biggest problem tonight were the front 3 were creating things for themslves with no support from deep be it creatively or otherwise. . So we'd see Berba release Valencia who crosses to Nani. Nani release Berba to cross to Valencia. With us ending up either with the wrong man in the box or the man in the box having no one to knock the ball back to and easily being crowded out when trying to shoot.
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