Soccer Portal

It was a fairly unimportant match in Toronto, a friendly between Celtic and Manchester United.  But it was notable for one reason: the match winning performance of Dimitar Berbatov.  The question is: can the biggest x factor of this new season deliver when it matters?

Despite the protestations of team mates and coaches, it is fair to say that the striker has not lived up to his 30 million pound fee.  It is not just that he has not scored enough goals (26 in 86 games), but we have not seen the talent, the ability to unlock defences with a single pass, that was so evident at Tottenham.  He has been peripheral at Old Trafford, frozen as the action speeds past him.  Yes, there’s been a flick against West Ham here, a goal against Chelsea there, but he is being counted on to be a matchwinner, and he’s not living up to it.

Alex Ferguson tried the tough love routine last season, and it made the Bulgarian retreat into his shell even further.  Now a different approach is being used, with Darren Fletcher talking him up, and Ferguson himself pouring platitudes onto his performance last Sunday, which included a goal and two assists.

But what about matches in the Premier League?  We know he can do it, as it’s not like he came straight from abroad to play in England.  He shined at Tottenham, with 46 goals and countless assists over two seasons.  Once he settled in at White Hart Lane there was no stopping him, and every one of us Spurs’ fans knew that he was too good for us.  He was so much better than anyone else on the field that it was ridiculous, with a sublime first touch and the ability to destroy defences.

There are a number of theories on why he isn’t reproducing that form, with fear of the big stage being the main one.  He could get away with the odd bad performance before, but not now.  Everything is scrutinised when a team are perennial title challengers or in the Champion’s League and he has wilted under the glare.  He gets criticised for his lack of work rate, but if he was scoring and making goals he could get away with lying on a deck chair for half the game.  Now that his strengths aren’t showing, his weaknesses are being magnified, and this is making his confidence drop even further.

If Berbatov finds his best form, I think it makes Manchester Utd title favourites.  They have lots of options up front, with Rooney obviously being the main man, a returning Michael Owen, and a crop of young hit men coming through.  But they need a firing on all cylinders Berbatov in action.  With a lack of money in the Old Trafford coffers, and the fact that they would barely recoup half of their outlay if they sold him, Berbatov has this season to prove he’s up to it.  There are unlikely to be many more chances.