Dimitar Berbatov cleared off the line twice as United beat Leeds 3-0 in the League Cup last night. Later in the game, he switched to play as a centre back, Ezekiel Fryers’ cramp, who was making his debut in defence.
Michael Owen has said it is no surprise Berba volunteered for the role, given that the Bulgarian sometimes plays there in training.
“Berba can play there, he does it occasionally in training,” said Owen. “It was no surprise when he put his hand up and said he would do it.”
Berbatov put in a good shift in defence, but Owen was also happy with his own contribution, after scoring two goals.
“I am very satisfied,” he said. “It is great to play in such a good team that is so full of confidence. We killed the game in the first half. They didn’t want to lose by five or six, so they stuck one up front and made it a bit more compact after half-time. We managed to contain them and they hardly had a kick until the last minute. All in all, it was a good night.”
Man Utd News 24/7
Legend
Makes sense. He can control any ball thrown at him.
Such a classy guy, it’s such a crime he’s being treated like he is by the club.
Hopefully he will come in for Chicarito, against Stoke. He and Rooney can alternate in the ‘No 10′ position.
Not to many players that are Berbaclass.
….he is of class no doubt.l likeزhim
It has to be said that Berbas attitude has been great. I think, like a few others, he is happy to be part of this fantastic club whether that means playing 30 games a season or 30 minutes a week!
Hargreaves scores against a championship club and everyone goes crazy? He’s like Ledley King though, his body can’t hack it week in week out!
It would be a greater crime not to give youngsters like Welbeck and Hernandez their chance. We know what Berbatov can do, lets see what the others can do with a run of games. Even Owen should get his chance he has 11 goals in 12 starts. Its a squad game with serious quality, Berbatov’s opportunities will come there is enough games.
With our current form we might be competing in four fronts so there will be plenty of opportunities. If our so called fringe players are as good as we have seen then here is sn opportunity for another treble!
lol there’s no room in the striking department for him even in training…where’s that idiot who called him irreplacable for us ? he’s damn right replacable and unnecessary to us…no wait, he’s not unnecessary – we need them for the cup matches…CC and FA that is
Nemanja Berbatov,has a nice ring to it ?
Scott, why didn’t you criticize united fans signing disgusting songs about the 2 leeds fans who got killed in instanbul ?! you can’t wait to jump on an opportunity to criticize the munich singing fans yet you ignore this…hypocritical
@CROoney: Scot did criticize it via twitter
Frankly speaking I was surprised when Berba played as defense.
I’ve never seen him in such position *as far as I remembered* AND…
I think he suits it well! I mean there were few moments when others couldn’t clear the ball But
Berba came to the rescue..He also managed to keep the ball to his feet and had better passing rate..
So, even if SAF not using him as striker he is quite useful in other position.
Glad that he is around..Tho he hasn’t found the net yet but he could potentially provide assist to players to create more goals..Keep it up berba!!
You too owen~! Great performance fellas!
that is why we r champions…look, we have team players like berba n anders lindegaard. u can see that they love united. when anders first joined united, he said that he would be happy to pay to watch united play every week, let alone getting paid to play for us…as 4 berba, the guy’s just a LEGEND… when u compare us to chelshit n shitty, there’s just no fight. as an example, look at chelshit who have torres (sulking when on bench) n shitty who have balotelli (omg, i dun think i need to say anything about the mafia). these factors will be the difference come next may when we r crowned champions AGAIN!!!=D
berbatov is just a class act.i love the man so much that am glad he is still with us
CrOoney – Fuck those Leeds scum cunts pal. All you do is bitch and moan and dig at Berba. Anyway you know you and I will never see eye to eye.
Someone’s awfully bitter.
Not necessary to us? You ignorant prick. Without him we wouldnt be celebrating number 19. Cant you go support a croation team or summat pal?
Costas – You should know that by now mate. He NEVER has anything decent to say. He would be better served watching Zagreb or some such team.
@King Eric
Oh I do mate. It’s just that the flavor was extra bitter today.
i love berbatov as a player, but he can’t play in the team the way they’re playing at the moment. We’re high tempo, move the ball quickly, counter attack with pace. He’ll slow everything down, and will negate our strongest threats.
I just don’t think if Rooney is to play in that withdrawn role like he is this season, that he can play there with berbatov, 2 strikers always dropping deep would restrict our abilities to threaten the goal.
@CROoney
Who the hell are you? United’s alter ego?
From what I’ve seen (read) from you, you’ve got the urge to criticize everyone in and around the club and also seem to have lots of time for our “hurt” rivals. What is your deal with Berba? He has easily been one of he most loyal servants to this club, do you reckon there are no other top teams ready to pay his wages (and more) to have him spearhead their attack? And yet, he is here, he has not put a foot wrong, he throws himself as a centre back against the scum (!) and that is after he carried us on his shoulders most of last season only to be denied a place even on the bench in CL Final.
I, for one, as a United fan can only sit back and admire the guy as do most people here that actually cared about the club long before twats like you showed up, you Zagreb-loving-piece-of-bitter-lemon
Berba, we love you & your ‘languid’ ways. It confuses the other team! Don’t ever think of going anywhere!
Sir Alex plug you back with Roo soon! I bet my house on it!
i don’t understand Berba is to slow,he never looks to slow to me,alot of the negativitity surronding him is just not true.
All this talk about Utd now playing a high tempo game and Berba doesn’t fit is nonsense,some of us talked about this on a different thread all this talk about a new ‘system’ sounds great on paper but in reality Utd will adapt tatics from game to game,against rent boys Berba came on and calmed the game down.
Not sure what he has to do i’m guessing with some fans nothing,it seems some players will always get a pass for missing chances and not playing well with Berba he gets credit for nothing,like i said just don’t understand the negativitity surronding him.
Example a few threads ago after Rooney had already missed the penalty and a sitter someone criticized Berba for missing a open goal although the pass was over hit that took Berba wide,the poster claiming if it had been Hernandez or Rooney it would’ve been buried,how can this assumption be determined is beyond me when it was clear Rooney was having a off game in front of net and had over hit quite a few passes.
I’d like to point out this isn’t a knock against Rooney it’s just a different standard that Berba has to live with which doesn’t make any sense.
I wish someone could explain it to me.
King Eric – lol, yeah that was my initial thought – not to see you eye to eye…what a character…grow up…enough of the berba cock sucking – he’s irrelevant to us…completely irrelevant and unnecessary
The reason Berba went to centre back against Leeds probably has much to do with him being 6″ taller that Park who went there first when young Zeke went off….:)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy7nB6_O2vE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwV13HQWOgk&feature=related
It shouldn’t still hurt CRO… it was so long ago
Berba is class hattrick against loserpool anyone?
Keyser Soze – Superb post pal. Well said. These “new” fans actually make me bring up bile, they don;’t know how easy they have it. Having said that I dont mean all of them as there are some decent new fans out there. I just find it bizarre that some cannot wait to have a dig at one of our lads who WEARS OUR SHIRT, then at the same time side for cunts like Tevez and Hargreaves.
@CROoney
And you are relevant and necessary here?
CROoney – Grow up? You need to grow up fella and stop posting shite every month or two. Do you EVER have anything decent to say? I genuinely mean that. There must be plenty of clubs in Croatia who you can SUPPORT and let us get on with getting behind United.
Think it’s obvious CROoney is a WUM and nothing else he/she is a idiot not much else can be said.
wayne – Spot on mate. This slow thing bugs me. He outpaced Cole on Sunday who is no slouch and he doesnt need to run like a maniac as his football brain and one touch football allows us to still play at pace.
wayne – Course he is a wum. Appears once in a “bluemoon” to slag the team off. Knobhead.
irrelevant to us? That is priceless. Yeah his TWENTY league goals were so irrelevant to our 19th title. Fucking clown.
@King Eric
Cheers, mate. I am gutted to see such “fans” surround our club but I guess that is the downside to our club being a massive global brand already, it is easy to put Rooney’s name on your back and call yourself a Red. Our core philosophy will always live on though, our legacy will stay intact. As we say over here – the caravan’s wheels will keep on turning and the dogs will keep on barking
Berbatov is eminently suited to Manchester United.
Sir Alex brought him to United, and choses to keep him here.
I would like to see him play more. I don’t know why he doesn’t.
I do know that Sir Alex is the greatest football persona in the world, and is a major reason why United are such a brilliant club. Our phenomenal and constant success is mainly due to Sir Alex. I accept that not every reason for every decision made by United and Sir Alex will be clear or understood by me.
I want to understand. I never cast disparaging remarks or pass judgement based on my lack of clarity on any issue relating to Sir Alex’ decisions. I accept his authority and his intent. My understanding is a blessing, not a right. Far more important than my clarity is Sir Alex’ authority and esteem.
Respect and love, before any selfish desire for understanding or clarity.
Berba is slow, in fact he is like a snail ………… Just watch one of his goals last season where he starts the move from just outside our box and ends up scoring at the other end after a brilliant move…
Slow indeed
whilst I have always said that Park is the most intelligent and tactically aware player in our squad, Berba is the most gifted ball control and game reading genius we have
Good post smartalex. I don’t think he’s being spiteful towards Berbatov. If he was that way inclined, he’d of sold him in the summer. As it is, he’s still here. Happy days! We don’t want this turning into a Berbatov debate every day. That’s what attracts people like CROoney. Trying to create disharmony among the rank and file Berba lovers. Don’t rise to his ruse lads.
@CROoney
I once said, you hated Berbatov? You got annoyed, by that accusation. I was right then and I’m right now.
Wayne, King Eric, Cedars (in fact, just about everyone except cunt-face crooney): top posts lads. I can feel the Berba-love oozing out of the screen! But it isn’t blind love, you guys actually speak sense.
Crooney … what a small-minded, miserable fucking cunt you are. Have you ever wondered why everyone around you always has a long face and seems so “down”? Have you ever asked yourself why everything in your life always seems to turn to shit? Why there’s never any fun, or laughter? Well, look in a mirror pal, and there’s your answer.
hey lads, not sure if it’s been posted yet, but the Guardian has a feature on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Molde … still reading it myself…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/sep/22/ole-gunnar-solskjaer-molde
Thanks WillieRedNut! Yeah, the manager definitely does not bear Berbatov any malice, and so is not being spiteful. Anyway, Sir Alex is above cattiness.
SmartAlex … “Sir Alex is above cattiness” That’s because he’s top dog, and no pussy!
@3Generations at 12:58
Yeah, people tend to ignore or forget that. Besides, United players scire hat tricks against Liverpool everyday…
@Keyser Soze at 13:05
No and no.
StatesideAussie
One thing comes to mind after reading your post at 14:48…….. BOOM !
StatesideAussie – Are you saying CROoney is a horse? Something like this: CROoney walks in to a bar, and the barman says, why the long face?
CROoney walks in to a bar being swung at his face, and the barman says “Drinks on the house!”
CROoney walks into a bar with a skunk. The barman says, “Why’d you bring that smelly pig in here?” CROoney says, “That’s not a pig. It’s a skunk.” The barman says, “I was talkling to the skunk.”
CROoney’s made his hay bed. He’ll just have to lay in it!
CROoney’s a horse. (Well, a nag, anyways.) I asked the knacjker’s yard if they would take him but they wouldn’t. I said, you can make glue out of him. They said, “we know, but no-one would sniff it. I mean, who wants a downer like that?”
I wish he’d just hoof it.
Stateside – Cheers mate. Spot on as usual in your posts.
Willie – Well said. I remember that carry on about him hating him a while back.
A man stumbles up to the only other patron in a bar and asks if he could buy him a drink. “Why of course,” comes the reply.
The first man then asks, “Where are you from?”
“I’m from Northern Ireland,” replies the second man.
The first man responds, “Me too! Let’s have another round to Northern Ireland.”
“Of course,” replies the second man.
“I’m curious,” the first man then asks, “What city are you from?”
“Belfast,” comes the reply.
“I can’t believe it,” says the first man. “Me too! Let’s have another drink to Belfast.”
“Of course,” replies the second man.
Curiosity again strikes and the first man asks, “What team did you support?”
“Manchester United,” replies the second man, “They’re the love of my life.”
“This is unbelievable!”, the first man says. “Me too!”
About that time in comes CedarsDevil and sits down at the bar. “What’s been going on?” he asks the bartender.
“Nothing much,” replies the barkeep “WillieRedNut and RedRidingWolf are drunk again”
StatesideAussie – funny, your mother doesn’t think i’m a skunk…you don’t have to call me daddy though
CROoney, listen pal, if you were my daddy, I’d have offed myself long ago.
Mother jokes are lame! Try again, horse head!
Nice one smartalex.
Anyway, nice to see I touched a nerve.
King Eric – i would if croation had a team…it’s not croation, it’s Croatian you turd…
oh how sweet to see posts like ” crooney, you’re a piece of shit”, then other idiot backs it up by saying ” well said mate, you’re a genuine fan…”, and he’s a WUM”, and then the other responds :”great posts lads” – nice to see my posts strenghtening your Red connection, as you clearly have the urge to pat yourselfs on the back because you feel you’re less of a fan if you GOD FORBBID criticize someone out of your team …what’s with all the insecurity…
jesus, you can’t even say a one bad word about those idiots singing leeds instanbul songs
WillieRedNut – yup, she gave me a head alright….a horse one that is
StatesideAussie – you didn’t touch a nerve – your mother touched it waaaaay before you , so more luck next time
smartalex – Loved it!
A nerve has indeed been struck…..
Not condoning our fans, but we’ve had Munich songs for the best part of 30 years. I wouldn’t retort in that way. I can understand why some do respond that way. Fuck all has been done about constant Munich songs. All of a sudden, our fans respond to these chants and it’s all over the news. You have to ask yourself, why? Just saying….
CROoney walks out of RoM and runs right into two priests. He says, “I’m Jesus Christ.” The first priest says, “No, son, you’re not.” So CROoney says it to the second priest. The second priest says, “No, son, you’re not.” CROoney says, “Look, I can prove it.” He walks back into RoM with the two priests. StatesideAussie takes one look at CROoney and exclaims, “Jesus Christ, you’re here again?”
oh he struck my nerve – what am i gonna do ????? oh my god, please no,please don’t !!!!!
lol, when a guy who called you a skunk, who insulted you many times has nothing to counter on your insult says ” i touched a nerve” you know he has nothing to say…loser
CedarsDevil – The twins (Willie and Wolfie) are heavy drinkers, are they not!
WillieRedNut – all over the news ? funny, i can’t see it on a single united related site…well maybe 1 or 2 but you know what i mean…if those were munich chants from the rival fans , you can bet your ass that Scott would mention it on here…as for you not condoning it, trying to find the reason behind it and justify it is condining it…you can’t deny it only by saying that you’re not condining it because you are
smartalex – excellent !!!! now that was good one
King Eric walked into a bar holding an alligator. He asked the bartender, “Do you serve CROoneys here?”
The bartender said, “Yes, we do!”
“Good,” replied King Eric “Give me a beer, and I’ll have a CROoney for my alligator.”
I linked videos of Munich chants at Leeds on the RoM reads thread yesterday, and there are many more videos of it on youtube, so there is no doubt that it happened aplenty.
CROoney – I’m not condoning it. Nor I’m I a saint. Done worse, than singing a few repugnant songs. All in the past, though. I don’t judge people. Doesn’t mean I agree, with their course of action.
Zibbie is dyslexic, he walks into a bra, felt a right tit and left.
CROoney – It is condoning, not condining. You turd. Its fuck all to do with slating players. Its idiots like you that spend all their time doing it and never have anything positive to say. Infact the only time you do rock up on here is when Berbatov is being discussed.
CedarsDevil went to his niece’s Wedding Reception. He goes up to the Bartender and asks,
“Is this the punch line?”
Boom Boom!
LOL!!!!!!!!
Wow willie the wolf going after a poster!?!
CROoney is a true twit!!
I like Boobies, I like saying Boobies!
I can understand why fans have their own preferences for certain players, but i can never understand why some “berba haters” will continually undermine and criticize him.
When he first arrived it was the price tag. Then it became the oft used adjectives of “languid”, “unhurriedly” “slow” “lack of pace” etc. After which became the lack of goals, leading up to the comparison with tevez.
He scored so many and was so pivotal in our league title and yet people still criticize him for being a flat track bully by scoring more against supposedly weaker opposition. Then will scoring one per match satisfy? or will he be accused of being selfish and not letting his fellow strikers score?
Berba then commits himself to man utd this season and yet detractors still insist its nothing more than pretty words.
Somehow there is this very twisted irony at detractors nitpicking him at everything for not being perfect in their eyes.
Its pretty disheartening then when posters like CROoney condemn him as a waste of space in utd’s ranks.
For me, I appreciate his attitude thus far ever since joined us, and whilst i wish he would play more often I’m happy with him wearing the red shirt.
KE walks into a bar and yells, “All CROoney’s are Arse-holes”
- Man at the end of the bar says” I object to that remark”.
KE says “Why, are you a lawyer?”
- Man says “No, I’m an Arse–hole”
lol@smartalex.
zibbie … boobies are the best. and booby is a wonderful word. never tire of saying it.
Don’t drop the booby!
smartalex is on a roll and i for one am loving it…. Brilliant stuff
There is a plastic surgery procedure where a key is inserted at the top of a woman’s head, which is turned to tighten up her skin, producing the effect of a brand new face-lift.
CROoney’s wife had it done some time ago. Over the years she has turned the key, and the effects were wonderful, as she remained young looking and vibrant.
Recently she returned to the surgeon “I’ve always loved the results” she said “But now I’ve developed two annoying problems: First, I have these terrible bags under my eyes and turning the key won’t get rid of them.”
The doctor looked at her closely and said, ‘Those aren’t bags, those are your boobies.’
She said, “Oh. Well, I guess that explains the goatee.”
Hello all
Nice to see ma fellow reds deep in discussion
Berbatov has da best first-touch in da world surely dat earns him a fair amount of games, right?
crack me up, smartalex!
Her crack was up, all the way to her chin!
Honestly though, excited about the future. Hopes berba gets his chances. And if there were Leeds Istanbul chants, man that’s sad. Football and death shouldn’t be related
@smartalex:
LOL pal….
oh wow – we have just had a unbelievable start to the season and playing well and even now a Berba thread causes some shit.
crooney – irrelevant, really??? Come on man, he didn’t score against leeds but he had a good game, his passing was amazing. If you are going to call our top scorer of last season – expect ridicule. Get a grip!
Stop going overboard with your bitterness.
Berba deserves more recognition by the club I think, he can play in midfield as well given his technique to control and pass the ball.. hat-trick hero against the scousers, that bicycle kick was just too good
The Cantonas – Cheers buddy!
Sir Alex today on Michael Owen and Dimitar Berbatov:
“Michael is in one of these unfortunate positions in that the form of Rooney and Hernandez has been fantastic. It’s the same situation for Dimitar Berbatov. We’re delighted with Michael’s contributions and the other night he was absolutely first class. He’s always had that instinct around about the goalmouth and there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind what a great finisher he is.”
omg ! i so love berba ! what an attitude ! lol, he was a disgrace against stoke ,but has a great attitude