LONDON: A few maverick showmen have found a natural home at Manchester United and Dimitar Berbatov can become a worthy successor to those who have graced Old Trafford before him.
The 27-year-old Bulgaria captain, who joined United after two memorable years at Tottenham Hotspur, should instantly win over United fans who have previously worshipped strikers like Denis Law, George Best and Eric Cantona.
Of more immediate concern is how Berbatov will gel with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez in United’s attack.
But he has so much skill and intelligence that the likelihood is he will do so easily in whatever combination of forward players manager Alex Ferguson deploys.
Berbatov has outstanding balance and control, is capable of devastating finishes and boasts the deftest of touches.
He displayed all those qualities in Tottenham’s thrilling 6-4 Premier League win over Reading last December when he scored four times.
Among his goals was a superb shot on the turn, executed in a way that made it look simple when it was anything but, and he blasted home another shot that nearly took the net off its supports.
In last season’s League Cup final against Chelsea , he equalised with a penalty that left the world’s best goalkeeper Petr Cech helpless.
The pressure on Berbatov to score was intense, yet he was the coolest man in the stadium and ended the afternoon wildly celebrating as Spurs won their first trophy for nine years.
Although his 46 goals in 102 matches made him a crowd favourite at White Hart Lane, Berbatov sometimes struggled to hide his frustration at playing in what was basically a mid-table side.
He often looked sulky and was clearly upset at having to sit out matches as first Martin Jol then his successor as coach Juande Ramos rotated their front lines.
Manchester United showed interest during the winter transfer window, which seemed to unsettle him further and the champions were repeatedly linked with Berbatov again over the summer.
His agent Emil Dantchev let it be known that Berbatov would relish the chance of Champions League football again, something he experienced at his previous club Bayer Leverkusen but was unlikely to get at Spurs.
AC Milan were also interested but although Spurs originally attempted to keep him by valuing him at £30mil, United were not to be deterred and Berbatov’s presence should only enhance their already formidable attack. |
發表於 2008-9-4 02:41 AM
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