Manchester United Player Focus – Dimitar Berbatov

The final piece of the puzzle. That was the term buzzing around Old Trafford on 1st September 2008 after Manchester United concluded the signing of Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham Hotspur for £30.75 million. The season before was one of United’s best in recent history when they won the double, including their first Champions League trophy since 1999. The strike force consisted of Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez, two men who couldn’t play together as they were so alike; we were told. Yet the partnership was perfect, and the players complimented each other with their robust nature, continuous pressurising of the opposition defence and had great chemistry, even if Tevez couldn’t speak a word of English. Yet there was something missing. There was no focal point up top, nobody who surpassed 6ft. This is where Berbatov was meant to come in, to expand the capabilities of the team and to offer new ideas.

In his two years in north London, Berbatov had a very impressive record of 46 goals in 102 matches, and surrounded with better players you would have expected him to exceed that record in Manchester. Unfortunately this hasn’t been the case. In 87 matches he has only scored 27 goals, averaging a goal every three games, which is on average a match more than when at White Hart Lane. People will tell you that stats aren’t everything, strikers these days don’t need to score 20 goals a season and that might be the case, but Berbatov doesn’t seem to do enough to warrant this backing. Indeed he is very much the scapegoat. Things are going wrong, why is he playing?

Berbatovs Had Quite A Few Miserable Days

What Was The Motive For Joe Cole Joining Liverpool?

One of the most talented players to be developed in this country over the past 15 years has finally ended the transfer riddle of the summer, by agreeing a four-year contract with Liverpool. The fans at Anfield will be buoyant over a signing who has that magical spark, the ability to create something out of nothing, with the only other England player capable of that genius ability being an Evertonian in Wayne Rooney. But the choice of Joe Cole’s move to Merseyside will leave people questioning the player’s ambition to join a team competing in next seasons Europa League. Why reject the opportunity to play in the Champions League?

After a torrid season last time around Liverpool went from one step forward to about five steps back, from runners-up in 08/09 to an appalling seventh place. Roy Hodgson, who did a remarkable job in his tenure at Fulham, has been given the task of resurrecting a ship which has been off target since the Premier League was constructed. On paper the signing of Joe Cole to replace Yossi Benayoun makes sense. Firstly he is English, which helps with the regulations in England and Europe with a minimum amount of National players needing to be in the squads. He is arguably more gifted than Benayoun and there is also the fact he is a marquee signing. Somebody who will ensure Hodgson has accumulated invaluable brownie points from the Kop.

Can The Move Resurrect Joe Coles Career?