Football Team Soccer: Dimitar Berbatov

Showing posts with label Dimitar Berbatov. Show all posts

A £20 Million Bid for Berbatov Should be Accepted

Dimitar Berbatov Dimitar Berbatov of Manchester United looks on during the Barclays Premier League match between West Ham United and Manchester United at the Boleyn Ground on April 2, 2011 in London, England.

You could say that Dimitar Berbatov and Wayne Rooney are like beauty and the beast. Watching the Bulgarian with the ball at his feet is a joy to behold, as he effortlessly glides past players with the silky skills of a suave, smooth and polished perfectionist. Meanwhile, Rooney charges around, with his undoubted quality, bullishly tracking back, rocketing cross field passes and sometimes getting involved in incidents he really shouldn't be.

You wouldn't, for example ever see Dimitar Berbatov screaming obscenities into a television camera after scoring a goal. That isn't his style, but both players are undeniably Manchester United quality, and are both passionate about their football.

However, the rumours circulating claim that Sir Alex Ferguson is preparing to sell the "beauty" of this pairing for an amount in excess of £20 million. Manchester United's top scorer, who is also the Premier Leagues top scorer with 20 goals, seems to have fallen out of favour with the United manager as his starts in games have become all to infrequent. Javier Hernandez's growing reputation as a guaranteed goalscorer at important times has seen him propelled into a starting spot alongside Rooney, whose place in the team seems more or less guaranteed.

Bayern Munich have apparently noticed this, and will reportedly attempt to persuade Berbatov to come back to the country where he made his name - with Bayern Leverkusen. The Germans are supposedly preparing a £22 million bid for the striker who was bought by United in 2008 for £30.75 million.

After two seasons which saw the Bulgarian score a total of 26 in 86 games, he was labelled rather harshly as "Berbaflop". He had cost a lot of money, and at his age, (now 30), it was beginning to look like a bad buy from Ferguson. This season has proved all of his critics wrong, with a stunning total of vital goals in vital games including a hat-trick against Liverpool. He has now almost scored the same amount of goals this season than he did in his firs to season's at Old Trafford, yet starting games is becoming a rarity.

I like Berbatov - he has grown on me - especially this season, but I think if United are offered £22 million like is being reported, then Sir Alex should take it. It would be sad to see Berbatov go after what he has done for United this season, and his incredible touch and fantastic hold up play will be missed by many. His calm, collected figure will be missed too, but at his age, £22 million is a fantastic deal, and one that will not be equalled in the future if this opportunity is passed.

United could use the money this summer to sign a younger striker or midfielder, someone who can contribute to the team for many years to come. A central midfielder is what is needed, and a player similar to Owen Hargreaves who is the engine of a side.

It will be sad to see Berbatov go. He is a brilliant player, with a unique style. Strong when he needs to be, quick when he wants to be, and deadly in front of goal - always.

A Champions Performance - A Vital Win

Wayne Rooney Wayne Rooney of Manchester United leaves the field with the match ball after his hat trick during the Barclays Premier League match between West Ham United and Manchester United at the Boleyn Ground on April 2, 2011 in London, England.

Wayne Rooney's swearing fit of joy/relief after he completed his unpredictable hat-trick pretty much summed up the feelings of the majority of Manchester United fans. This was a man who knew he hadn't played as well as he could have in the first half, and the pressure had been building. He had started ahead of the Premier League's top scorer, who sat on the bench with his new short hair cut, waiting to come on - a call many United fans were asking for. But he proved everyone wrong with that third goal which hauled United over the line ahead of an irritatingly hard to get past West Ham side.

United dominated the play, but after two very avoidable penalties were conceded and scored by Mark Noble, it was an uphill battle at the ground where a second string United team had conceded four in a Carling Cup encounter with Avram Grants side. Sir Alex was frustrated by the situation they were in; "Being two goals down was a travesty in terms of possession and chances created."

So, sitting up in the stands, watching his players from above, the veteran United manager was in the perfect position to decide what to change - and big decisions were needed. The big substitution at half time was taking the perpetrator for the first penalty, Patrice Evra off, and throwing on the baby face Javier Hernandez, a young man with a growing goalscoring reputation.

It paid off, and in the 64th minute, a free kick was won. Now since Beckham and Ronaldo left United, there has been a distinct lack of goals from free-kicks, especially at vital times. As Rooney stepped up, many I'm sure were expecting it to pathetically rebound off the wall, but this was not the case. Instead, Rooney scored

the first of his three goals, and United were suddenly back in the game.

An Antonio Valencia cross was brought down superbly by Rooney and he took a touch to smash it into the bottom left hand corner of the West Ham net in a delightful finish. United weren't going to stop there however, oh no. Typically, United would go for the win, and, with all of the momentum of a quick fire double from an inspired Wayne Rooney, they were in the driving seat, with no chance of hitting the breaks.

When the little Brazilian Fabio worked his way into the box and was closed down by Upson, it looked like any chance was gone, but a clever little flick which hit the defenders arm prompted Lee Mason to point to the spot, for Rooney to step up and place into the corner. It also prompted Rooney to confront his critics with his potty mouth in front of the camera, in the midst of being mobbed by his United team mates.

The win was there for the taking, but United were not safe yet, and United fans would have been thinking back to the early stages of the season when late goals were all that seemed to be occurring. Nevertheless, a nicely played counter attack saw Rooney roll it to Ryan Giggs, who never seemed to stop after being moved to left back at half time, and the Welshman crossed it across the ground for his little Mexican team mate to do what he does best from a few yards out.

Sir Alex Ferguson reacted to moving eight points clear of Arsenal in the table:

"We played like champions today, we kept our heads up and didn't lose faith in our ability.

"It's never easy coming here. They are fighting relegation but we had to do our thing.

"We dominated that second half and it was a real championship performance.

"Arsenal have a game in hand. It could go to goal difference but I somehow don't think so."

Berbatov came on and played brilliantly. His touch is, as ever, exquisite, and his hold up play is superb. It was a small cameo that may push him into contention for starting the Champions League game against Chelsea, but in Ferguson's mood of playing Rooney and Chicharito may over rule again. That is the beauty of it though, because the bench is so strong - Nani, Michael Owen, Chicharito and Rooney started on the bench - showing the strength in depth at United.

It was a a Champions performance, and a performance that has stepped United closer to holding aloft that Premier League trophy, ahead of Arsenal who drew at the Emirates against Blackburn.

Michael Owen: I'm Fit & Ready for United & England Return

Michael Owen Michael Owen of Manchester United in action during the FA Cup sponsored by E.ON 3rd round match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford on January 9, 2011 in Manchester, England.

Manchester United will have no shortage of strikers next season. Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov will be ready and raring to go as well as those young strikers returning from loan deals; Danny Welbeck, Kiko Macheda and Mame Biram Diouf. One striker whose future is still yet to be decided is a man who Sir Alex Ferguson has described him as "world class", with "absolutely superb" positional play, first touch and finishing.

Surely then, with those qualities, Michael Owen would have no problem in getting into the United side. On the contrary, because of a mixture of both injuries and bad luck, his appearances for United have been limited.

11 appearances this season due to the hamstring injury he suffered during last years Carling Cup final and other unfortunate injuries has seen him score four goals. Despite criticism of being "injury plagued", last season saw a fantastic return from the then 30 year old - 31 appearances and 9 crucial goals.

His last game for England was in 2008 which was incidentally his only appearance under the management of Fabio Capello. 89 appearances and 40 goals for his country however tell a different story.

The new man to Twitter spent today clearing a few things up on the micro-blogging site:

"By the way, to answer a common question: I'm fit. I was on the side of the pitch about to come on last week [against Bolton] until Jonny Evans got sent off."

He also congratulated Gareth Barry on the news that the Manchester City midfielder would captain England on Tuesday against Ghana. He also joked about his England situation:

"Congrats to Gareth Barry, great honour for him. Quite a few dropped out of squad, Mr Capello must be making room for me to return!!!!!!!!!!!"

In response to some obviously derogatory responses to that Tweet, Owen followed up with this:

"I knew that joke would get a few of you taking the p*** out of me! You certainly need thick skin to play this Tweeting game."

Follow Michael on Twitter @themichaelowen

Beckham Big Fan of Chicharito

Former United star David Beckham has heaped praised on Manchester United's new star, and brilliant little goal scorer, Javier Hernandez and told the Mexican to enjoy playing for the "best club in the world".

Beckham played close to four hundred games for United, and scored 87 very important goals making himself the biggest name in football since his debut in 1992 in the League Cup against Brighton Hove Albion. Hernandez's competitive debut was a different situation altogether. He came on against Chelsea in the Community Shield, scoring his first goal for United in a 3 - 1 win.

This has been one of many goals this season for Chicharito and Beckham has been impressed with the 22 year-old:

"Chicharito has been exceptional when he’s played. He scores goals, he takes chances, he works hard for the team.

"It’s great to see that. It’s great to see a young player doing really well who is from a different part of the world. To go to Manchester United and do well is exceptional."

Hernandez has taken the place of Berbatov in the last few games, and has not disappointed, scoring two against Marseille to pull United through to the Champions League quarter finals. Beckham emphasized the quality of Hernandez, as Sir Alex wouldn't have him in the team if he wasn't good enough.

"He wouldn’t be in the team and he wouldn’t be scoring goals if Sir Alex Ferguson didn’t think he was a good player.

"It says a lot that he’s playing, it says a lot that he’s getting minutes on the field, obviously, the manager thinks a lot of him. Good luck to him."

The current LA Galaxy star finished by wishing Chicharito good luck in his career at United.

"Enjoy playing for Manchester United. It’s the best club in the world."

Beckham's television career included his various Pepsi adverts and it seems the Mexican is following in Beckham's commercial footsteps with this new Coke Zero advert: