At the end of last season speculation had grown that Berbatov will soon be released. Bulgarian striker had failed to be considered when purchasing a trafficked from Tottenham Hotspur, with the expensive price of £ 30.75.
Since first arriving at Old Trafford in 2008 and then, he never really became the mainstay MU front. But early into this new season Ferguson said it would not sell these strikernya.
Berbatov had joined a tour led by Ferguson in Manchester United to the United States. Lain start earning praise from Manchester United's boss when the star squad 3-1 victory over Celtic in a game at Rogers Center, Saturday (17/07/2010) morning.
Berbatov was a man of the match in the pre-season game is MU. He opened the scoring in the victory MU also create opportunities for the next goal scored by Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley.
"Berbatov become the man of the match and I think he deserved it, no question. Performance is very extraordinary," said Ferguson, as reported by ESPN.
"In the second half he produced a fantastic time. This needs to be highlighted is one important factor that he still has class. You can not take it from him, no problem with criticism," he said.
UEFA president and former French footballing legend Michel Platini has issued a challenge to Cristiano Ronaldo, saying the phenomenal winger must produce his unstoppable form on the grand stage of this summer's European Championships to be a truly great player...
Cristiano Ronaldo has annihilated all in his path for over a year now, with his best form coming in October 2007 up until the present day, and it doesn't look like letting up.
The Portuguese has netted 27 goals in as many games in all competitions so far this season, the last of them arguably being the best: a devastating 25-yard free kick against Portsmouth.
The one criticism levelled at Ronaldo since his rise to prominence in 2006 has been his failure to produce in the big games.
True, any player will struggle against better opposition, but there is a trend even his most staunch supporters would have to recognise, that the 22-year-old has a tendency to under-perform, if only slightly, in the big games.
While he is at the height of excellence, Platini (pictured) has spoken publicly to somewhat bring the Manchester United man down a peg.
"If Ronaldo is the best player in the world or Europe he will have to prove it in the Euros because that will be the only way we can judge him, when all the best players will have had the chance to be recognised," he declared.
"It's difficult to compare players in competitions and teams. Is it more difficult to play right wing in Manchester than it is in Italy, where it doesn't exist?
"Ronaldo has a number of advantages to his game and, of course, the last matches in the finals of the European Championship this summer will be decisive."
The former Sporting star is within a shot of breaking the all-time goal-scoring record for the Premiership of 34, while he is on 19, and his free kick is already being remembered as one of the greatest of its kind, one even the great Platini would have been proud of.
Ronaldo's team-mates were left almost in disbelief by the goal when speaking to the press after the game.
"I just turned around and saw it go in the top corner," recalled Michael Carrick. "It was a fantastic free-kick, probably the best one he's scored.
"He practises an awful lot and obviously the more you do that, the better you'll get. A few have flown in this season and I don't think that's down to luck.
"We all know the ability he's got. I'm not sure how he does it, to be honest, but you have to admire his technique."
Nemanja Vidic added: "It was the best goal I've seen in a game I've played in."
Ronaldo has scored 20 times in 53 appearances for Portugal.
The Manchester United wide man took his goal tally to 27 for the season when he scored twice in Wednesday night's 2-0 defeat of Portsmouth at Old Trafford.
His second goal of the evening stole the headlines; a stunning dipping free-kick that gave David James in Portsmouth's goal not a prayer.
Sir Alex Ferguson hailed the 22-year-old's strike as the best in Premier League history, one of numerous accolades aimed in the direction of the Portuguese this week.
And while he is more than content with his form at present, Ronaldo's favourable mood does not stretch to revealing just how he does it.
"The secret? I will not reveal it, for I would be giving a trump card to my opponents," said Ronaldo.
"I can state only the success or failure at the moment of taking the free-kick is directly related to the position of the body, the way one runs towards the ball and the way one positions one's feet. At that moment, I think only about which side of the net I'm going to aim for.
"I look at the ball, I look at the net and I say to myself 'take the kick, Ronaldo', then I shoot. Sometimes it ends well, sometimes not so well."
Premier League Table
| P | Pts | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester United | 24 | 57 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Arsenal | 24 | 57 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Chelsea | 24 | 53 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Everton | 24 | 43 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Aston Villa | 24 | 41 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Manchester City | 24 | 41 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Liverpool | 23 | 40 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Blackburn Rovers | 24 | 38 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Portsmouth | 24 | 37 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | West Ham United | 23 | 36 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | Tottenham Hotspur | 24 | 28 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Newcastle United | 24 | 27 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | Middlesbrough | 24 | 25 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | Sunderland | 24 | 23 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | Bolton Wanderers | 24 | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Reading | 24 | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 17 | Birmingham City | 24 | 20 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 18 | Wigan Athletic | 24 | 20 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 19 | Fulham | 24 | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 20 | Derby County | 24 | 8 |
Ronaldo — already earning an impressive £90,000 a week — has been value for money to say the least, scoring 25 goals in 27 appearances this season, looking set to beat the legendary George Best's tally of 32 in a single season — a record for a winger at United. “With Ronaldo having scored 25 goals already there is the potential for him to score 30 this season, without question," mused Sir Alex. "He’s not that far off and has a strong chance.
“I’m not sure that he is capable of scoring 30 league goals, though. I think that is a different matter entirely.
“Achieving that would be more difficult and it’s a big ask — but if he does manage it, I’ll pay him more money!”
Ronaldo currently has 17 goals in the Premiership and indeed it would be a tough ask to get the remaining 13 goals in the 15 games left. Sir Alex won't put any money on it though — having lost a bet of a similar nature with the Portuguese ace last season.
He recalled: “I had a bet with him last season and I lost, so there was no bet this time around. I’m making sure I keep my money.
“When this season started, people were asking whether Ronaldo could get 23 goals as he did last season. I said ‘why not?’ because the boy is such an exceptional talent.”
The Best
Team-mate Owen Hargreaves has chimed in with more praise for the 22-year-old, insisting that he only looks like getting better.
“Cristiano can do even better," declared Hargreaves. "He just wants to be the best and you can see that in him.
“There is no doubt, he will get there — if he is not there now. It has got to the point now where you would be surprised if he didn't score.”
Ronaldo scored twice in the 3-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend to lead his side into the fifth round of the FA Cup. England international Hargreaves is eager to go all the way to Wembley, he has never played there before, having played the majority of his career in Germany with Bayern Munich.
“Hopefully we will get to Wembley, I’ve never played there,” he said.
Juande Ramos professed last night that he was too wrapped up in this match to think of transfer negotiations with Jonathan Woodgate, a player who would have come in handy on an afternoon when Tottenham's makeshift defence self-destructed.
Perhaps it was because he had deeper thoughts to dwell on – like how long it will be before his side are offered a better opportunity to win at a ground where triumph has been absent for nearly two decades now.
Rarely, since Gary Lineker's 1989 goal last taught the north Londoners how it feels to win at Old Trafford, have Spurs players arrived here so energised, their fans' reminders of the Carling Cup demolition of Arsenal ringing in their ears, and then they were offered a handful of gilt-edged chances. But Jermaine Jenas spurned the best two and kept United going until the defence Ramos had put together came unstuck too, when Michael Dawson sealed his side's defeat by throwing a hand at the ball which had just looped over his head into Wayne Rooney's path.
Ramos did not waste time dwelling on Dawson's sending-off, which even Sir Alex Ferguson admitted was "harsh", or the ensuing penalty which Cristiano Ronaldo converted.
But he had it right when he said the match hung on "the chances we had which we didn't put away." Spurs have much to cheer them into their ownward journey under the Spaniard. Last week's "Arsenal job" meant that chants of "we're going to Wembley," were still ringing across Old Trafford as the side trudged off the pitch. Dimitar Berbatov, an immense force here, will provide hope of Uefa Cup progress and so too Aaron Lennon, who sparkled at times in an impressive display. But the bad news for anyone seeking to halt United's progress in any tournament this season is that No 18 is back in business.
An almighty roar went up when Paul Scholes showed on the touchline a little after an hour and his contribution revealed why.
Within a minute, Scholes had provided two effortless through passes – the second of which would have been a goal assist had not Carlos Tevez fired over – and by the finish he was taking up a position in the penalty area, where Michael Carrick has not been found too often in his team-mate's nine-month absence. The moment that Carrick trudged off after an average contribution to make way for Scholes, the jeers of the fans he once entertained ringing in his ears, and knowing that his pitch time may now be severely curtailed, was not one of his better in football.
Scholes' arrival also coincided with the game being up for a Spurs defence which had just about prevailed until then. There had already been signs of why Woodgate's decision to choose Ramos above Kevin Keegan will be welcome when, seven minutes before the interval, Dawson failed to deal with the raking 60-yard ball from United's half.
Dawson's header fell at the feet of Ryan Giggs who shepherded it to Tevez for a sharp shot past Radek Cerny. Dawson does breathtaking diagonal passes too – his own from the Spurs half had Aaron Lennon skipping past Patrice Evra to square for Robbie Keane's goal – but the way that Edwin Van der Sar's mighty punt looped over the defender's head before he handled the ball out of Rooney's path to hand Cristiano Ronaldo a penalty suggested Ramos needs reinforcements in a hurry.
An additional gift served up for United by Radek Cerny in the closing stages gave the scoreline a flattering look. Scholes started a move involving Giggs which saw Ronaldo cut inside and hit a shot under the keeper which, despite a deflection from Steed Malbranque, the keeper should have saved. But Spurs' misses had been no less criminal, given that United showed in the third-round win over Aston Villa their habit of hitting a stride late in the game.
Jenas will be suffering most agonies this morning. He was sent through by Malbranque's diagonal pass in first-half injury time but saw his shot saved and had enough time to take three touches when Berbatov sent him clear after the break but scuffed his shot well wide. Malbranque also chipped in for Berbatov, who hit a post in the game's closing stages after Ramos had thrown together a three-man attack. Berbatov showed throughout, with his creative play and constant threat, why he looks like Ferguson's kind of player and might be on his way here this summer.
It might have been so different when Spurs were pressing in the first half.
The way that Keane stole in unmarked for their goal suggested that United's re-arranged defence – Nemanja Vidic was absent with a virus – might be as frail as their own. Keane released Jenas down the right after only three minutes and he slipped past Evra, who was to have a difficult afternoon, but crossed into nowhere.
Berbatov directed a strong header goalwards from Lennon's corner but Rooney, who was everywhere, headed off the line. United had their chances – Rooney and Tevez found the side netting in either half – but as their manager observed, it was not one of their better days.
It says everything for United's threat when Ronaldo has an off day but still scores twice to wrap things up and Ferguson knew it. "My experience of cup ties is...sometimes you're scrappy, sometimes you're brilliant but the bottom line is you're in the hat tomorrow at 1.30," he said. And so they shall be.
Goals: Keane (24) 0-1; Tevez (38) 1-1; Ronaldo pen (69) 2-1; Ronaldo (88) 3-1.
Manchester United (4-4-2): Van der Sar; O'Shea, Ferdinand, Brown, Evra (Simpson, 90); Ronaldo, Hargreaves, Carrick (Scholes, 64), Giggs; Rooney, Tevez (Anderson, 81). Substitutes not used: Nani, Simpson, Kuszczak (gk)
Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2): Cerny; Tainio (Defoe, 81), Huddlestone, Dawson, Lee (Gunter, 59); Lennon (Boateng, 71), O'Hara, Jenas, Malbranque; Berbatov, Keane. Substitutes not used: Kaboul, Boateng, Defoe. Robinson (gk).
Referee: P Walton (Northamptonshire).
Booked: Manchester United Evra.
Sent off: Dawson (68).
Man of the match: Berbatov.
Attendance: 75,369.
| Teams | P | GD | Pts | ||
| 1 | Man Utd | 23 | 35 | 54 | |
| 2 | Arsenal | 23 | 29 | 54 | |
| 3 | Chelsea | 23 | 20 | 50 | |
| 4 | Everton | 23 | 17 | 42 | |
| 5 | Aston Villa | 24 | 1 2 | 41 | |
| 6 | Liverpool | 22 | 21 | 40 | |
| 7 | Man City | 23 | 6 | 40 | |
| 8 | Blackburn | 24 | 1 | 38 | |
| 9 | Portsmouth | 23 | 11 | 37 | |
| 10 | West Ham | 22 | 7 | 33 | |
| 11 | Tottenham | 23 | 4 | 27 | |
| 12 | Newcastle | 23 | -12 | 27 | |
| 13 | Middlesbrough | 23 | -17 | 22 | |
| 14 | Reading | 23 | -19 | 22 | |
| 15 | Bolton | 23 | -10 | 21 | |
| 16 | Birmingham | 23 | -11 | 20 | |
| 17 | Wigan | 23 | -16 | 20 | |
| 18 | Sunderland | 23 | -20 | 20 | |
| 19 | Fulham | 23 | -19 | 15 | |
| 20 | Derby | 23 | -39 | 7 |
Having dispatched Arsenal 5-1 in the Carling Cup semi-final second leg, Ramos has another great English football baptism tomorrow. "I'll only open a bottle of win if we win," Ramos said when told about Ferguson's post-match tradition. As a native of the town of Pedro Munoz in Spain's Castilla-La Mancha wine-producing region, Ramos is in a better position than most Premier League managers to advise Ferguson on the vintages.
Ramos has already pulled off one miracle this week – can he manage another tomorrow? He said yesterday that he had already encountered Ferguson at Uefa's select coaching seminars in Geneva where the glitterati of European football managers mingle. "He seems a really nice person," Ramos said. "I met him before I signed for Tottenham and he welcomed me into his world." Ferguson's world is not likely to be quite so welcoming tomorrow: Spurs have not won at Old Trafford since Gary Lineker scored the winner for them there in December 1989.
Nevertheless, Ramos explained that his record at Seville against the big guns Real Madrid and Barcelona was something of which he was proud. "We always got good results against them," he said. "Normally when you play away against the big teams like Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea they are the favourites. But don't forget that in the Super Cup in Spain this season we [Seville] beat Real Madrid 5-3 at the Bernabeu. No-one expected that to happen."
Ramos has been to Old Trafford once before, when Seville were the opposition in a friendly to mark the opening of the stadium's new quadrant sections in August 2006. "It was a training game, the result didn't matter," Ramos said. In other words, Seville lost – 3-0 – with two of the goals scored by Cristiano Ronaldo in his return after the controversies of the World Cup finals that summer.
With the prospect of coming face-to-face with Ferguson, Ramos was invited to contrast his own club's hierarchy – where director of football Damien Comolli oversees transfers – to that of United, where the manager controls everything. Curiously, it was Ferguson who, in the summer of 2004, predicted great success for the Spurs model when Frank Arnesen and Jacques Santini were first given the jobs that now belong to Comolli and Ramos.
It would be interesting to know whether the Scot still believes that. Comolli has seen off Martin Jol and now Ramos, with the official title of head coach, works under the Frenchman. "Every team has its own way of doing things," Ramos said. "Manchester United are structured in a way where the management team decides how to spend the money. Tottenham has a different system, one is not better than the other. It's just a different way of doing things."
Indeed, Ramos demonstrated his own independence by saying that there were as many as six players whose acquisition he had vetoed this month because he did not believe that they were "right for the club". With Comolli in pursuit of Jonathan Woodgate – whom Ramos knew from the Englishman's time at Real Madrid – and Alan Hutton of Rangers, it is still the director of football who is driving the transfer policy.
"We had the same system in Seville and it produced excellent results," Ramos said. "These decisions over buying players are shared. It is a decision made together about the price and the quality. It is not up to just one person."
Pascal Chimbonda is another whose mercenary approach to his football career suggests he may soon join Newcastle and the French right-back will not figure tomorrow. He is suspended which means that Ramos will have to change his line-up from Tuesday night, either bringing in Paul Stalteri or switching Teemu Tainio to full-back and bringing Tom Huddlestone back into the midfield. There were words of encouragement for Paul Robinson but no indication that he is close to a first-team recall.
"Now the players have seen that we can beat one of the top four clubs," Ramos said. "So this match against Manchester United is a perfect opportunity to test just how much our confidence has grown after beating Arsenal."
'Disappointed' Robinson denies transfer request
Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson insists he has not asked to leave White Hart Lane although he admits to being unhappy with his omission from the team.
The 28-year-old was dropped for the Carling Cup semi-final first leg against Arsenal earlier this month and has not played since Spurs' 2-2 FA Cup draw with Reading at the start of January when he was at fault for both goals.
Robinson told Sky Sports News: "Every professional player gets phases like that in their career. If the manager decides I'm not performing I can't argue with that. I was disappointed with the way the situation was handled, let's say.
"I saw reports yesterday saying I've put in a transfer request, I've never done that." When asked about departing during the transfer window he said: "Definitely not. But if I don't play between now and the summer I've got a decision to make."
The United manager restated his belief that his squad are better equipped than at any previous stage to maintain a challenge on three fronts but they must first overcome a reinvigorated Spurs side who will arrive for tomorrow's FA Cup fourth-round tie at Old Trafford having scored 73 goals in all competitions, more than any of their top-flight rivals.
An admirer of Berbatov, Ferguson is well aware of the threat posed by the Bulgarian, who is expected to be a principal transfer target for United next summer, and accepts that the partnership between Berbatov and Robbie Keane, together with Spurs' overall improvement under Juande Ramos, offers the visitors hope of a first win at Old Trafford in 19 years.
"Berbatov to me, without doubt, has been fantastic since he arrived from Bayer Leverkusen," said Ferguson. "He is a good player. He is a big strong lad, too. People don't realise how strong he is. He is well balanced and hard to shake off the ball. And Robbie Keane scored his 100th goal last Saturday and that is a terrific record considering that Spurs have not really been that successful over the last few years. They also have [Jermain] Defoe, so they have quite a potent force."
Last October Ferguson spoke out against the decision to sack Martin Jol but he acknowledges that Ramos has since lifted Tottenham. "Spurs are on the up after Tuesday night," he said. "They have improved their performance and the new manager, Juande Ramos, will feel he has the understanding of the team and that they understand his way of playing."
One of Ramos's most notable achievements has been to improve Spurs' fitness and the Spaniard even said this week that his side's stamina would overwhelm United. Ferguson, though, offered some counter-evidence. "Against Reading we had our best stats in terms of distance run for each player," said the manager, who insisted the midweek trip to the Middle East had not drained his players. "Every player ran more than in any game this season and we were particularly strong in the last 20 minutes. That has given me great encouragement this is a powerful team we have got that can endure competition. We are stronger now and as the season goes on the likes of Anderson and [Carlos] Tevez will get stronger. We have a stronger squad so, apart from the striking department, we can freshen up most of the time."
Paul Scholes returned to full training yesterday, three months after injuring his knee, but is unlikely to feature tomorrow. "He's a great player and at this time of the season he is going to bring his experience to us, because we are coming to the tricky part," added Ferguson. "We have got 15 league games left, hopefully a few Champions League ties left and hopefully a few FA Cup ties left, and him coming back fresh at this time of the season is brilliant for us."