DIMITAR BERBATOV WON'T SULK

Ferguson tips £30m striker to make Champions League history

HAPPY CHAPPY - Dimitar Berbatov will only be miserable if he's on the bench

By DAVID HARRISON, 13/09/2008

SIR ALEX FERGUSON dismissed Dimitar Berbatov's reputation as 'The Incredible Sulk' and said his £30.75million striker was the man to help him make Champions' League history.

The Manchester United manager is more interested in the Bulgarian's ability and physical presence than he is in the brooding prima donna as portrayed by his former club Spurs.

Fergie expects Berbatov to bring a dimension to his United attack they have not enjoyed for the best part of a decade and a key ingredient in making United the first team to successfully defend the Champions' League title.

The Old Trafford boss said: "I have spoken to a lot of people about Dimitar and I don't know why he has that reputation for sulking. It's a load of rubbish.

"They tell me he is very quiet. Maybe he doesn't like being left on the bench. But that's good. In that sense he is like Eric Cantona but the thing to do is make sure you are not on the bench.

Composure

"Dimitar has an aura about him and a quiet arrogance that tells you he is very assured about himself.

"He gives us a different threat in the air which we haven't had since Teddy Sheringham and Dwight Yorke and, before that, Cantona. We have not had centre-forward who is a really good header of the ball for a long time.

"He also has a composure about him and a calmness in the last third of the field where he can pick the right pass."

Fergie takes into team into action Champions' League against Villarreal at Old Trafford on Wednesday confident he now has the armoury to win it again.

But he will resist the temptation to throw all his attacking stars in early in the tournament. Fergie explained: "The Champions' League has never been won twice in succession since it started. That gives a measure of how difficult it is to retain it.

"You could never say we were red-hot favourites. As for using the four attacking players - Berbatov, Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez - maybe if we were chasing a game.

"I once used Peter Schmeichel up front, so you never know!"

Your comments

This article has 4 comments

I Think Berbatov Should Be Paired With Tevez Because We Need A Speedy And Okay Finisher= Tevez But We Need A Striker That Is A Deadly Finisher Jus Like Van Nistelrooy Was But Thats Where Berbatov Comes In,
But For Some Unknown Reason Ferguson's Too Scared To Drop Rooney,

Our Best Squad Is:
Van Der Sar (GK)
Wes Brown (RB)
Rio Ferdinand (CB)
Nemanja Vidic (CB)
Patrice Evra (LB)
Owen Hargreaves (RCM)
Paul Scholes (CM)
Anderson (LCM)
Cristiano Ronaldo (LW)
Dimitar Berbatov (CF)
Carlos Tevez (RW)

Without Rooney We'd Be Unstoppable
Rooney Can't Finish Fair Enough He Plays Over The Park But He's Position Is A Striker And He Just Can't Finish

By Jordan Cartwright.. Posted September 22 2008 at 9:48 AM.

i suggest that berbatov should be paired with rooney and not tevez. try tevez on the left side of the midfield if ronaldo is back. saf, don"t let people tell us what to do.i would put them ( ronaldo rooney tevez and berbatov) then you will see how they would destroy defenses ,people are just trying to talk to you out of the best possibility .my line up would be-goalkeeper van back four-brown vidic rio evra midfield ronaldo carrick hargreaves tevez front-rooney berbatov.

By geoffrey phiri.. Posted September 16 2008 at 5:18 AM.

"legend" = paper sensationalism.

By Ozzy.. Posted September 14 2008 at 10:34 AM.

you dishing out "legends" to easy, one game and he is already legend? as for sulking, we all seen it, to say that his former club said it is bit ott but typicaly by man u they havent seen it, ferguson said he didnt like to be on the bench...........when was he on the bench? as far as I remember one game and that after mau ordered him to go on strike.

By lynn.. Posted September 14 2008 at 9:33 AM.

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