Slipperduke
The Camden Cad
As Dimitar Berbatov's last act for Tottenham Hotspur was to trudge around the pitch with all the speed and urgency of a man who has just left an all-you-can-eat steakhouse with half of the stockroom in his belly, I think we can safely assume that he won't be with the club for very much longer. Likewise, the rumour that Manchester United have postponed their team photoshoot for a few days seems to suggest that they're waiting for someone new to arrive. You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to deduce what's going on here.
But despite the rather sad and petulant way that Berbatov's time at White Hart Lane has come to an end, there is little doubt that he is the final piece in the puzzle for Sir Alex Ferguson. United have arguably the tightest defence in Europe, are overwhelmed with talent in the middle and have all the tenacious support strikers that a team could ask for. All they need, and it seems that they may have it now, is a good old-fashioned target-man to put the ball in the net.
United's Community Shield victory could and should have been lot more convincing, but with no out-and-out striker to finish off those flowing moves, Portsmouth were able to hold out until the coup d'grace of a penalty shoot-out. Carlos Tevez ran himself into the ground, but sometimes he is so keen to get the ball that he drops deep or drifts wide, leaving Darren Fletcher to fill the gap up front and we all know how embarrassing that can be. Ferguson will have no problem convincing Berbatov to hold his position, in fact Tottenham fans will tell you that it's getting him to move that's usually the problem.
The Bulgarian has a frustrating tendency to play with hunched shoulders, sinking out of sight if he doesn't receive the ball often enough, but that will no longer be an issue at Old Trafford. He'll be motivated, confident and content to be at a club that he feels matches his ambitions. As commanding in the air as he is with the ball at his feet, he's graceful, elegant and deadly. Like many Eastern European footballers, however, he is known to be partial to the occasional cigarette, but at least this means he'll get on well with Wayne Rooney.
I wasn't entirely sure where to put my money for the title race for this season, but now I've got no doubt at all. Manchester United are an awesome football team, one of the most entertaining in Europe, but despite their Champions League and Premier League double, they weren't quite complete. They are now.
But despite the rather sad and petulant way that Berbatov's time at White Hart Lane has come to an end, there is little doubt that he is the final piece in the puzzle for Sir Alex Ferguson. United have arguably the tightest defence in Europe, are overwhelmed with talent in the middle and have all the tenacious support strikers that a team could ask for. All they need, and it seems that they may have it now, is a good old-fashioned target-man to put the ball in the net.
United's Community Shield victory could and should have been lot more convincing, but with no out-and-out striker to finish off those flowing moves, Portsmouth were able to hold out until the coup d'grace of a penalty shoot-out. Carlos Tevez ran himself into the ground, but sometimes he is so keen to get the ball that he drops deep or drifts wide, leaving Darren Fletcher to fill the gap up front and we all know how embarrassing that can be. Ferguson will have no problem convincing Berbatov to hold his position, in fact Tottenham fans will tell you that it's getting him to move that's usually the problem.
The Bulgarian has a frustrating tendency to play with hunched shoulders, sinking out of sight if he doesn't receive the ball often enough, but that will no longer be an issue at Old Trafford. He'll be motivated, confident and content to be at a club that he feels matches his ambitions. As commanding in the air as he is with the ball at his feet, he's graceful, elegant and deadly. Like many Eastern European footballers, however, he is known to be partial to the occasional cigarette, but at least this means he'll get on well with Wayne Rooney.
I wasn't entirely sure where to put my money for the title race for this season, but now I've got no doubt at all. Manchester United are an awesome football team, one of the most entertaining in Europe, but despite their Champions League and Premier League double, they weren't quite complete. They are now.
