Dimitar Berbatov | 2009/10 Performances

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It's no surprise that since the creative spark of the team has returned, Berbatov has been chipping in with more goals.

12 in 19 is a very respectable return, and I expect a few more before the season's end. I reckon he could reach 16/17.
 
B Cantona said:
I'm what, 6 league games out from two complete seasons?

How anal are we being about these things?
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You implied today's game was the first time he's put in an acceptabl performance in the last two years. 12 goals in his last 19 starts (with 6 games left to play) confirms he turned the corner a long time before his second anniversary at United.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
You implied today's game was the first time he's put in an acceptabl performance in the last two years. 12 goals in his last 19 starts (with 6 games left to play) confirms he turned the corner a long time before his second anniversary at United.
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Well I didn't, the 'implied' was that he hadn't done so consistently

If you want to debate, don't be disingenuous Pogue, you know precisely what I was saying there, and you also know it's very nearly 2 full seasons at the club, i.e 2 years.

Poor from a poster of such usual quality
 
Boys and girls, can we shake hands on one-and-half seasons and give it a rest?
 
Well, it's hard to dispute the impact the lad is having on our team. Superb performance today and he's been building up to that for months. He's got a good goal ratio now and his overall game looks very impressive as well.

He's having a good season. He should reach 15 league goals.
 
So you seriously think he was quality only against Bolton today?
 
He's been very good all season, a very effective player. But because he doesn't score shitloads like van Nistelrooy and doesn't start the big games due to us needing an extra man in midfield, he's deemed a failure by a lot of people, which is silly.

He's had a very good season, despite playing with a knee injury for a lot of it. He's an important part to play, that's for sure.
 
radd said:
So you seriously think he was quality only against Bolton today?
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No, and I never said that! Ignore Pogue when he's having one of his PMS nights

I did think this was one of his best performances for United, and if performances like this had been the norm over the last two seasons, he wouldn't have any critics at all. Not credible anyway

I thought that was the clear and blatant point I made, but you have to spell these things out for some people...
 
B Cantona said:
No, it's well beyond one and a half seasons! There's 6 league games left
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Silly argument really.

He had an underwhelming first season.

We have done most of the second season, and he has been an important player for us.

You can only really judge his second season once it has concluded. I've a feeling the best is still to come.
 
B Cantona said:
No, and I never said that! Ignore Pogue when he's having one of his PMS nights

I did think this was one of his best performances for United, and if performances like this had been the norm over the last two seasons, he wouldn't have any critics at all. Not credible anyway

I thought that was the clear and blatant point I made, but you have to spell these things out for some people...
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I think your points are valid for his first season, but he's been in good form this season. He's been producing good performances for a good three months now. There has been a definite upturn in work rate and I think he is finally playing with the belief needed.

He won't start the big games this season because we've settled upon our big game formula. That said, he won't complain and rock the boat either. He's going to be vital because he'll be nice and fresh for the league run-in. If he continues this form and finishes on 15 league goals, then he's had a great season for us.

I've got a sneaky feeling he's in for a special end to the season...
 
Walrus said:
Personally, I would simply play him in the hole behind Rooney in a 4-4-1-1, the role that Park has been playing recently but as a playmaker rather than "hassler".
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You mean the position he's played for the past 2 years? Genius.

:p
 
Oh and Brad...


B Cantona said:
We can't go to Bolton and play with one up front, it's just not right :(

If we do I predict we'll be crap until we make a change that puts a second striker up front, when we'll begin to penetrate instead of playing in front of them, creating more & better quality chances, and we'll win the game. And you can quote me on that
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Spot on as always eh? ;)
 
His workrate has been really great. I think the knee isn't bothering him anymore, maybe the warmer weather.

Like that he isn't shy these days, even has a go at Rooney and today had a bit of a shout at Neville. Don't think it is a matter of disrespect but, competitive streak and wanting to do well.

Am glad we have him and he's performing to a point where more and more United fans are getting behind him.
 
B Cantona said:
I thought that was the clear and blatant point I made, but you have to spell these things out for some people...
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I agree with the point you tried to make, nobody could've disagreed with that. However, you should be able to see that what you actually did imply was "on fecking time, Berbagit!"
 
Anybody reckon this formation could work next season?

......................Back 5

...............Hargo.......Fletcher

Valencia..........Berbatov..........Nani

......................Rooney

I reckon giving Berba freedom in the 30 yard area to work his magic could be a good idea. He'll create for the 3 other attackers. His anticipation is very good, so having him in the middle of things could be handy. And the midfield two can focus on their favoured styles. Nobody can use a lack of playmaking from Hargo and Fletcher seeing as Berba is taking care of it. This 4231 could revert to a 4411 or 442 also.
 
SharkyMcShark said:
I'd not like that, because we aren't Liverpool and thus don't need to regularly play two of Fletcher and Hargreaves.
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But unlike Mascherano and Lucas, Hargo and Fletcher actually contribute to attacks, while Owen has good set pieces. I believe we should include Berba's invention, and if it means subsidising with extra legs in midfield then so be it. Besides I wouldn't class them as pure DM in that formation. One box to box and another sitting.
 
beardsleybob said:
But unlike Mascherano and Lucas, Hargo and Fletcher actually contribute to attacks, while Owen has good set pieces. I believe we should include Berba's invention, and if it means subsidising with extra legs in midfield then so be it. Besides I wouldn't class them as pure DM in that formation. One box to box and another sitting.
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Agreed. Think because Fletcher does that destroyer type job so well, people under estimate his attacking capability. Hargreaves as well. Shame to even mention them as the same type of players as Masch and Lucas.
 
While Fletcher's attacking contribution is obvious for all to see I don't think hargreaves contributes that much from a central positions (as was suggested above).

Then and again the last time we saw Hargreaves get a run of games in centre midfield was late 2007, so who knows really
 
Feed Me said:
Silly argument really.

He had an underwhelming first season.

We have done most of the second season, and he has been an important player for us.

You can only really judge his second season once it has concluded. I've a feeling the best is still to come.
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Pre-season makes a world of difference
 
beardsleybob said:
Anybody reckon this formation could work next season?

......................Back 5

...............Hargo.......Fletcher

Valencia..........Berbatov..........Nani

......................Rooney

I reckon giving Berba freedom in the 30 yard area to work his magic could be a good idea. He'll create for the 3 other attackers. His anticipation is very good, so having him in the middle of things could be handy. And the midfield two can focus on their favoured styles. Nobody can use a lack of playmaking from Hargo and Fletcher seeing as Berba is taking care of it. This 4231 could revert to a 4411 or 442 also.
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If Hargreaves comes back move him to RB and keep Carrick and Fletcher in midfield. Then that's complete
 
SharkyMcShark said:
I'd not like that, because we aren't Liverpool and thus don't need to regularly play two of Fletcher and Hargreaves.
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Going off topic a bit
We need to play Hargreaves RB and Fletcher in center against quality opposition. We had Hargreaves and Park on pitch for 90 min when we beat Barca in 2008

Fantastic display from Berba, I liked his first attempt as much as the actual goals, amazing technique!!
 
I love Berbatov. But there are times when I can't help but think that in a 4-4-2 Rooney would make the most of having a partner that strikes more of a primal fear into defenders - a striker who matches them physically and thus gives them a pairing of physicality/guile to worry about instead of guile/guile.

If Diouf or Welbeck could mature into such a presence, then Rooney as mainstay and Diouf/Welbeck/Berba depending on the opposition would mean near perfect flexibility in terms of 4-4-2 applicability.
 
Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber said:
Macheda is our one young forward most likely to be an imposing physical beast. Followed by Diouf.
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In terms of current mentality and presence, I agree. But I find myself hoping that the staff will try their best to adjust Welbeck's to be so, as he seems to have more well-rounded attributes upon which the addition of a very direct approach will result in a more multi-dimensional player than Macheda will turn out to be.

These are tough decisions for the staff and I don't envy them should they be investing a considerable amount of thought to keeping hold of both young strikers: in light of needing a complementary presence to Rooney, do we try and make Danny less Henri and more Eto'o? Do we look to a future potential partnership of Welbeck-Macheda and leave them to discover themselves on their own as part of a tandem? And how do we give them room to grow without second-guessing themselves in the presence of a once-in-a-generation player like Wayne?
 
hungrywing said:
In terms of current mentality and presence, I agree. But I find myself hoping that the staff will try their best to adjust Welbeck's to be so, as he seems to have more well-rounded attributes upon which the addition of a very direct approach will result in a more multi-dimensional player than Macheda will turn out to be.
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That's a long sentence.



But yes, I think all 3 have the quality to make it as a physical presence. Welbeck looks the most likely of the lot.
 
arjwiz said:
That's a long sentence.

But yes, I think all 3 have the quality to make it as a physical presence. Welbeck looks the most likely of the lot.
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I think our recent striker purchases in Manucho and Diouf indicate that the staff also think that a physical presence will best complement Rooney and that they're trying to buy someone who will at the same time not upset the pecking order.
 
Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber said:
Agreed. We don't need 2 harriers to start. Unless Fletcher morphs into Scholes this summer in an attacking sense. We really don't need such a side.
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I disagree, to play 442 against the top sides 2 harriers behind Rooney and Berbatov who both like to drop off and be creative looks like our best option. And it's not as if Fletcher and Hargreaves add nothing going forward either.
 
Second leg against Munich I feel he's gona partner Rooney. Why would we need a 3 man midfield at home? Can't say Munich have got a midfield capable of bettering Fletcher and Carrick/Scholes. If he does start I've a feeling he's gona really show us what he's got in his locker.
 
He's not moaning about things, he knows it's about the team and that he's in a huge club. And he's been pulling rabbits out of the hat when we've needed it, in absence of Rooney... He makes me feel underwhelmed at times, but finishes like that last little artistic nutmeg against Bolton are just too cool to ignore, and he's more often than not proved to be instrumental in our creation of chances.

Glad to have him.
 
It's a bit unfortunate for him. The fact is, on our biggest games against the strongest opponents, we've played our best with one upfront. Right now we simply can't pick anyone over Rooney because of the way he has performed in that role.

But you know what, with the type of games we have coming up, Berbs will have his fair share of important games. It's all about the "first team squad" rather than an actual starting eleven, and he'll have to understand that you can't play in them all.
 
Baby Faced Assassin said:
Does anyone think Berba is going to start any of our next three games?
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Seems like a joke but isnt. 30 millions and you arent guaranted a place in the side. Berbs is a quality player but we seem to play very good with 4-3-3 and Rooney upfront supported by Nani and valencia.

I think Berbs wont have much of a role if not a sub one. Sad but true.
 
I'm impressed that he doesn't seem to have a problem with being on the bench so much. He understands the team comes first. He does his job very well when needed, so I can't see why people continue to diss him. I get that he didn't perform last year, but he had his settling in period and now he's becoming an important player to us
 
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