Dimitar Berbatov has received a lot of unfair and unjust criticism since joining Manchester United last summer, and he has recently admitted, that at times, he has succumbed to the pressure that has been put on him because of the amount of money Sir Alex Ferguson paid for him.
The Bulgarian became United’s biggest-ever signing when Sir Alex pulled out all the stops to secure his services from Tottenham for £30.75 million.
Ineffective
In a recent interview, Berbatov admitted that he, himself, was extremely disappointed with his first season at Old Trafford, and that is a bit harsh, but it just shows the type of man he really is.
He said that his performances and the pressure of being a Stretford End legend weighs on his mind, and he lies awake at night thinking about how he can improve.
He also said that he allowed the feelings of supporters affect his thoughts, but he realizes that this is how he plays, and he cannot change it!
Apples to Apples
His goals-to-game ratio in his previous two seasons with Spurs made the Old Trafford faithful expect instant results and some of them do not look past the statistics. He scored 45 goals in 102 appearances for the north London club.
In 54 appearances for United, he has tallied 17 goals for a .31 goals-to-game average, which is well below the .45 goals per game he scored for Spurs.
The difference is that every game for United has a cup final feel, because United have earned a target on their back.
Players come up against United looking to make a name for themselves, therefore United must be on top of their game at all times. When you play for a middle-of-the-table team like Tottenham, you do not have that pressure of being on top of their game, week-in, week-out.
Intangibles
Berbatov does a lot of the things that do not show up on the stat sheet, and the average fan does not recognize his contribution.
For instance, in the past two matches he has been United’s most consistent player and should have registered at least four assists, but either poor shooting or excellent goalkeeping have denied him those over-valued stats.
Against Sunderland, he scored a goal that many forwards try, but only a select few can pull off.
His acrobatic volley was something special, and his balance allowed him to get more power and accuracy on the shot that most players would have blast the ball well-over the target. It should be a contender for Barclays Premier League goal of the year.
Unlike most modern-day players, when he signed for United he did not sign for money and the glory - he signed because he wanted to play for the biggest club in the world.
Misconceptions
Dimitar has been ridiculed for not tracking back and not being as active as he should be in the United attack. What critics fail to recognize is that he is not all-out, workhorse style of player. He is more of a finesse player that plays with a bit of flair.
He is rarely dispossessed and is able to hold up the ball to allow other players join in the attack.
Another thing that he plays an important role is set-piece defending. Standing at 6’2”, he is one of the tallest players, and has had a few vital clearances in the past couple of games on corners and free kicks into the area.
Where do you want the player that should be scoring goals? Tracking back? So on a counter he is not in position to grab a goal!?
Berbatov has one of the silkiest touches in all of football, and if you combine that with his trickery and passing Manchester United can only benefit having him on the pitch as they strive to their 19th league title.
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