Dimitar Berbatov | 2010/11 Performances

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sglowrider said:
agree. we cant always have a frontine of young whipper snappers. Its too predictable.
The '99 team had options to offer with the different pairing. Plus we rotate more than we did in '99 and which will make us even less predictable with Berba in the squad.
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It's very rare to see a class football team provide four top quality strikers like United did between 1998-2000, most teams usually rotate three with a spare prick getting the odd run.
But you're right, it doesn't matter their age and there's nowt wrong with experienced over 30's, as Larsson shown in his cameo with us and Raul is doing with Schalke...
 
Lance Uppercut said:
If Berbatov wasn't top scorer in the league, we wouldn't win it this year, either. I'm not sure what your point is. Or have I taken your post out of context?
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My point is exactly the one I made, with last seasons strikeforce, I don't think we win the league this year

Having retreated to his shell against City after those misses, I wonder how much more we'll get out of him this season. Fergie's comments for the reason he missed Newcastle were intriguing

It's rare Fergie goes for a player with mentality issues of this type. In his entire United career, which is almost 3 years now, he's scored twice in all competitions after the end of March

He's a good player who's had his best season here, but he's tailed off and rarely finds himself in the side now. I think he's a good option to have, but now he has genuine competition for his place, its absolutely no surprise to me he's losing that battle
 
I am tired of hearing he is our third choice striker - this is just absurd - he is a first choice striker. SAF picks the most balanced team in terms of what result he would like and if at the moment that means its Hernandez and Rooney then so be it. It's just simplistic logic saying Chicha is keeping Berba out- nonsense - SAF uses the players he wants for the task in hand.

I maintain Berba is best against packed defences rather than teams who come to push us back where we have to dictate the game. Berba I am sure will make some important contribution before the end of the season.
 
Commadus said:
I am tired of hearing he is our third choice striker - this is just absurd - he is a first choice striker. SAF picks the most balanced team in terms of what result he would like and if at the moment that means its Hernandez and Rooney then so be it. It's just simplistic logic saying Chicha is keeping Berba out- nonsense - SAF uses the players he wants for the task in hand.

I maintain Berba is best against packed defences rather than teams who come to push us back where we have to dictate the game. Berba I am sure will make some important contribution before the end of the season.
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I disagree. I think the partnership of Rooney and Hernandez is what is keeping Berbatov out of the side. If it was as simple as 'horses for courses' there'd be no reason why he's started so few games in recent weeks as a sudden contrast to what happened before.

Of course an element will always be playing the opposition, with every player in every position. But I think like York/Cole in 99, Rooney and Hernandez will be the partnership used from here on in aside from injury or rotation due to the need to rest either or both.
 
I agree Lil Pea's form and partnership with Rooney has displaced Berbatov. That can happen with a squad as deep as ours. Someone who is supposed to be a back-up can hit a rich vein of form and force his way into the team. Which is the way it should be.

We're lucky to have three great strikers available. It makes us better able to cope with injuries/suspensions than we were in previous seasons. When Berbatov gets fit again he'll be back on the bench again and an injury/suspension away from starting some of the big games left in the season and I'm confident he'll do well.

He's played an enormous part in getting us where we are this season. Bit mental the way a couple of missed chances in one game, as part of a poor team performance, is causing some people to ignore that contribution. Oh well.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
I agree Lil Pea's form and partnership with Rooney has displaced Berbatov. That can happen with a squad as deep as ours. Someone who is supposed to be a back-up can hit a rich vein of form and force his way into the team. Which is the way it should be.

We're lucky to have three great strikers available. It makes us better able to cope with injuries/suspensions than we were in previous seasons. When Berbatov gets fit again he'll be back on the bench again and an injury/suspension away from starting some of the big games left in the season and I'm confident he'll do well.

He's played an enormous part in getting us where we are this season. Bit mental the way a couple of missed chances in one game, as part of a poor team performance, is causing some people to ignore that contribution. Oh well.
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I suppose it's to be expected, people don't like to be proven wrong.
 
evra said:
I suppose it's to be expected, people don't like to be proven wrong.
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Disagree, we're fans, we actually LOVE to be proven wrong if it benefits our club. Pogue views on Nani are a prime example of this, same goes with Fletcher.

So if Gibson (who I think gets too hard a time on here) turns out brilliant, will half the caf "not like it"? bollox, we'll love it!

In short evra, talk for yourself pal.
 
Sharky7 said:
Disagree, we're fans, we actually LOVE to be proven wrong if it benefits our club. Pogue views on Nani are a prime example of this, same goes with Fletcher.

So if Gibson (who I think gets too hard a time on here) turns out brilliant, will half the caf "not like it"? bollox, we'll love it!

In short evra, talk for yourself pal.
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Anyone who doubted Berbatov could become an important part of our team (and there were bucket loads of you) has been proven unequivocally wrong. Some posters stuck their necks out too far and can't bring themselves to admit they aren't such aficionados after all.
 
evra said:
Anyone who doubted Berbatov could become an important part of our team (and there were bucket loads of you) has been proven unequivocally wrong. Some posters stuck their necks out too far and can't bring themselves to admit they aren't such aficionados after all.
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Poor post, doesn't even begin to tackle the points I made. I've doubted Berba is perfect for us, if he turns out now to be perfect I'll love it. As I mentioned, Pogue loved to be proven wrong about Nani.
 
I think evra's making a fair point. You're talking in if's about Berba Sharky, when the reality is he's been brilliant this season, and still doesn't get respect from the likes of Johnno, who continuously change the goalposts and up their ridiculous demands. I'm sure Johnno was happier that we beat Bolton 1-0 with Berbatov scoring than if we drew 0-0, but damned if he's going to give him any sort of lasting credit for it, because it will make him look foolish for completely writing him off.
 
Feeky_Magee said:
I think evra's making a fair point. You're talking in if's about Berba Sharky, when the reality is he's been brilliant this season, and still doesn't get respect from the likes of Johnno, who continuously change the goalposts and up their ridiculous demands. I'm sure Johnno was happier that we beat Bolton 1-0 with Berbatov scoring than if we drew 0-0, but damned if he's going to give him any sort of lasting credit for it, because it will make him look foolish for completely writing him off.
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I'm not shocked that the self proclaimed "United and Berba fan" agrees with evra here. Many fans have doubted if Berba is right for us, they certainly haven't been proven wrong.

The 0-0 / 1-0 is just embarassing feeky, you're a VERY good poster on all things not Berba related but you do spaz out on topics involving your fave player.
 
Vinay said:
We'd be just fine playing with Berbatov and Hernandez up front and Rooney in midfield alongside Carrick, Nani and Valencia...
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Thats true, but we dont know if Rooney would be happy with that or motivated to give his all in that position.

Its the same as saying that Valencia would seem to be just fine as a right back and that way we can keep Nani on the right wing and still play him. We dont know if Valencia would enjoy that and be motivated to consistantly perform brilliantly in that position. You dont know till it happens and we've certainly always resisted doing that with Rooney
 
Sharky7 said:
I'm not shocked that the self proclaimed "United and Berba fan" agrees with evra here. Many fans have doubted if Berba is right for us, they certainly haven't been proven wrong.

The 0-0 > 1-0 is just embarassing feeky, you're a VERY good poster on all things not Berba related but you do spaz out on topics involving your fave player.
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I suggest you read my post again, you appear to have misinterpreted it.

As for the "United and Berba fan", I said nothing of the sort. My Twitter says "Glazer-hating, Berba-loving, matchgoing Red.", the Berba-loving bit was added as a tongue-in-cheek reference to me being called a Berba-lover based on some of my early tweets. I would prefer if Hernández scored 20 and Berba none than Berba 19 and Hernández 0, so I'm not sure how you can equally equate my support of United and Berbatov.
 
Some of what Feeky and evra are saying is spot on. There are still united fans who refuse to accept that Berba is a united quality player. However the vast majority of his early doubters have been converted.
 
Feeky_Magee said:
In that case I'm not sure why it was an embarrassing point?
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It's embarrassing because I don't know what sort of "lasting credit" you want for a complete tap in where all the work was done by Nani. It was an important goal for sure but I don't really get the point about lasting credit. Johnno isn't saying Berba is crap, he's just always maintained that he's not a United player, as in, he doesn't suit us. Considering SAF is currently preferring a player who isn't as talented I'd say it's hard to argue against this point.
 
I thought he was phenomenal for Spurs (had him in my fantasy team). When he came to us I think that in the main, he under-performed, and didn't seem to do what he was bought for especially in big games.

I don't judge players based on what they're capable of, but on what they actually do. I'm funny that way.

This season has possibly been his best for us, so now I judge him on that, and I'm at a loss to know why Fergie always picked him when he wasn't consistently doing it, and seems to have shut him out this season, when he has delivered.
 
Sharky7 said:
It's embarrassing because I don't know what sort of "lasting credit" you want for a complete tap in where all the work was done by Nani. It was an important goal for sure but I don't really get the point about lasting credit. Johnno isn't saying Berba is crap, he's just always maintained that he's not a United player, as in, he doesn't suit us. Considering SAF is currently preferring a player who isn't as talented I'd say it's hard to argue against this point.
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He's preferring a player who's in a rich vein of form though isn't he? It's not like he's dropped Berba to try Hernandez out
 
Unfortunately I can't see Berba starting a game till the Blackburn or Blackpool matches.
 
EricaNo7 said:
He's preferring a player who's in a rich vein of form though isn't he? It's not like he's dropped Berba to try Hernandez out
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That's quite un-Fergie like though. Normally he would have introduced Hernandez gradually, maybe as a regular sub, with the occasional start. You can't even say at the moment that he's trying to keep everyone happy, because it does seem that Berb. is being frozen out. Wonder if he'd have played yesterday had it not been for the injury.
 
Livvie said:
That's quite un-Fergie like though. Normally he would have introduced Hernandez gradually, maybe as a regular sub, with the occasional start. You can't even say at the moment that he's trying to keep everyone happy, because it does seem that Berb. is being frozen out. Wonder if he'd have played yesterday had it not been for the injury.
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You do realise that Berba is injured right?
 
Livvie said:
I thought he was phenomenal for Spurs (had him in my fantasy team). When he came to us I think that in the main, he under-performed, and didn't seem to do what he was bought for especially in big games.

I don't judge players based on what they're capable of, but on what they actually do. I'm funny that way.

This season has possibly been his best for us, so now I judge him on that, and I'm at a loss to know why Fergie always picked him when he wasn't consistently doing it, and seems to have shut him out this season, when he has delivered.
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He gave him every chance that first season, to the point where you'd say Tevez was somewhat hard done by. Last season there was little competition for his place. This season, there is serious competition, in the form of a player who is far more suited to our style, and gas hit form beyond out wildest expectations given its his first season in English football

For his age and experience, I'm still disapointed in Berbatov, even though its been a lot better this season
 
Livvie said:
That's quite un-Fergie like though. Normally he would have introduced Hernandez gradually, maybe as a regular sub, with the occasional start. You can't even say at the moment that he's trying to keep everyone happy, because it does seem that Berb. is being frozen out. Wonder if he'd have played yesterday had it not been for the injury.
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When did he get the injury? In the City match? I think Hernandez's introduction has been very much like Ole 's though hasn't it?

But yes, I get the impression that he's being frozen out.
 
The thing that I've learned to accept - funnily in Berba's best season for us - is that it will never be a perfect fit, him and United. Is he good enough? Of course. But there's a lot of Veron there, because he's got his style and we've got our style and those two don't match perfectly. He'll never be fully integrated in the team, we'll never change our style for him.

Of course it's still possible for him to contribue, and he did so this season, brilliantly. And I'm not going to be talking about what he did in big games or smaller games, how his scoring record looks good because he scored 5 against this or 3 against that. The best goalscorers get more goal against the weaker opponents. It's not rocket science. Leagues can be won on goal difference. He's a match winner on his day and been one quite a few times this year.

But it's not hard to see why Berba has been dropped more often than not recently. Hernandez gives us something he doesn't - pace, natural movement, making it hard for defenders, pulling them all over the place, sitting on their shoulder. It just complements the rest of the team better. That's not a slight on Berbatov, but he'll never displace Rooney and Hernandez is a better fit.

Where we go from here next season, I don't know. It's brilliant having a player like that around. But I'm not sure he'll be happy being that, not to mention the fact I don't expect Rooney to miss as much football next year.
 
B Cantona said:
He gave him every chance that first season, to the point where you'd say Tevez was somewhat hard done by. Last season there was little competition for his place. This season, there is serious competition, in the form of a player who is far more suited to our style, and gas hit form beyond out wildest expectations given its his first season in English football

For his age and experience, I'm still disapointed in Berbatov, even though its been a lot better this season
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You say experience Brad, Spurs andDortmund aren't exactly United.
 
Red Defence said:
It's important that we keep Berbatov don't you think, otherwise we'll have to find a new scapegoat for these bored days when nothing much is happening and we need a bit of a whinge and moan.

That or we sell him and simply go back to moaning about Fletcher or Carrick....
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You do realise we're 6 clear in the league? What is it exactly we're 'scapegoating' for?

Could it possibly be, we're discussing interesting topics such as how the leagues top scorer can't get in his clubs first team, and how his style has been a plus and minus for us?

No, it has to be reduced to 'lovers' and 'haters'
 
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