All good things come to an end....

Stevie (above) felt Babel was too ugly for the cameras
-

All good things come to an end....

The match barely got started when Carlos Tevez smacked the ball into the top corner in the 3rd minute. United fans were abuzz again. New signing Berbatov gave fans more reasons to sing as he was the architect of that first goal. The goal that seemed to suggest the floodgates opening at Anfield on Saturday..

It never happened.

2 silly goals later, the Scousers were celebrating their first win over us since 2001 at home. The "7-year itch" some called it. It was almost as if they had won the league (as if they knew what that would feel like). I was horrified and bordering on disgusted at our display.

The hunger was missing.

The movement and passing were missing.

United were missing.

I don't know whether to point it to complacency or just plain bad refereeing but either ways, we didn't look as if we deserved a win and I'm not even certain if even a point justified that performance.

For one, while Berbatov looked very promising upfront, United will only be able to utilise him fully only once they decide to leave out either Rooney or Tevez. A sacrifice has to be made. The support looked confusing and Rooney looked out of sorts in the wing position. With Ronaldo looking to return this week, a trade-off really needs to be sorted in our attacking set-up against Villareal and more importantly, Chelsea. While I'm a big fan of Wayne and have never questioned his commitment and passion for the cause, I think the boy needs to miss a few games to make way for on-form Tevez. It might do wonders for his appetite on the field.

The game at Stamford Bridge is a must-win now. And as if the task was not daunting enough, we're going up against one of the longest standing unbeaten records at home in England. Then again, if its anyone that can do it, it has to be United.

On a brighter note, contrary to what sensationalists would like to believe, the season is played out over 38 games and it's still early days. Plus, we still have that game in hand. So to those who write or gloat about our "slow start" and being in "crisis", allow me to provide you a timely reminder...

August 2007 - Humiliated 1-0 against City. Arsenal tipped to win the league.

May 2008 - Giggs downs Wigan 2-0. Van Der Sar shuts out Anelka. United kings of Europe & England.

All good things come to an end....

for Chelsea..

and their Stamford Bridge record.

What did you think I meant? ;)

The Berba Effect - Dimitar completes £30.75m move to United

-
Ferguson always gets his man.

First, it was an 18-month wait for one Ruud Van Nistelrooy from PSV in 2001.

Then came a long tug-of-war with Bayern Munich for the services of midfielder Owen Hargreaves in the summer of 2007.

And now, after having spent close to 2 seasons without a recognized (and fit) target man in his armory, Ferguson may have well produced another masterstroke in the 11th hour of the summer transfer window.

Bulgarian hitman Dimitar Berbatov’s £30.75m move to United was finally completed after much drama on transfer deadline day. The deal sees academy starlet Frazer Campbell moving the other direction on a season-long loan at White Hart Lane. The price tag may be hefty to some, but the signing is a clear signal of intent from the Theatre of Dreams that the Red Devils are not done conquering Europe and England yet.

The Berba Effect
So what does the inclusion of the lanky Sofia-born striker mean to the dynamics of the squad and the season ahead? For one, some of the goal-scoring duties will now be expected to lighten off the broad shoulders of last season’s 42-goal hero Cristiano Ronaldo. European Forward of the Year he may be but it would probably still be too much to ask for a repeat of another massive goal haul from a player who primarily operates on the right wing. Also, the arrival of “Berba” – as he is affectionately known as – could also mean the resurgence of another individual who is capable of nothing short of phenomenal.


He goes by the name of Wayne Rooney
The post-Ruud era has seen Wazza having to shift the focus of his game considerable in the past couple of seasons to make up for the shortage of a target-man upfront. Gone were his free-spirited runs across the final third of the park and also those long range crackers that were a regular highlight on television stations across the country. From Ferguson to Capello, everyone knows that Rooney is at his devastating best only when he has a stable target-man to play off from. Expect a magical season from Wayne.

It also looks as though the team will significantly see a slight change in system as well. Over the years, Ferguson has morphed the team from a more traditional wing-heavy style of play to the much more fluid and fast-paced style that we see today. What’s been missing for a long while has been a focal point to the quick movements and long minutes of possession that United typically have during matches, that someone to deliver a final ball to. Berbatov has made a name throughout his career as a striker – while not known to be speedy – who is blessed with an exquisite touch and is rarely beaten off the ball. Something which must surely bring more balance to our attacks and the team as a whole. And to add to that, with a whole string of brilliant passers in the team in the form of players such as Scholes, Carrick and Anderson, they now have the option of manufacturing that defence-splitting pass during matches as Berba usually plays off the shoulders of defenders as well.

“Over the odds” and “hefty” the price tag may be to some but in Dimitar, its seems ominous that Ferguson may have found the pivot which could bring the Old Trafford faithful back-to-back UCL titles for the first time in history. And, if his goal-scoring record is anything to come by, it’s that we may have finally landed the man who could truly strengthen United’s claim for another Treble-winning campaign.

Defenders be wary. Berbatov’s in town.

The revelation begins against Liverpool.

08/09 Preview: Tis' the season to be jolly?

-

Walking down the Wembley sidelines for what must be the umpteenth time already for Sir Alex Ferguson, thoughts of a fruitless summer spent deflecting reporters away from Ronaldo rumours and also a painstaking striker search must have gone through the wily Scotsman's mind as the minutes ticked towards the curtain-raiser to the Premiership season - the Charity Shield.

As he embarked on his 22nd full season in charge of the Red Devils, the doubters once again vultured around Ferguson thinking "surely he can't do it again this time?" especially after an illustrious career proving his critics wrong and yet, winning in style while he was at it.

The final whistle blew.

United were victors again – albeit through a penalty shootout.

And yet again, the trophy cabinets just down Sir Matt Busby Way had a new addition.

They say that one thing constant in life is change. The same could be said about Ferguson’s United teams over the years. From Robson to Ronaldo, Ferguson had always been one to re-invent and revamp when the need arose. And now with what seems to be the twilight of Sir Alex’s managerial career – following the announcement of his retirement plans in 2 to 3 years, the football world gauntlet seems to have thrown another challenge to him. Still without a recognized target man in his squad and his 42-goal ace out till October, Ferguson sets out the 08/09 season looking to clinch his 11th BPL title, an elusive 5th FA Cup and also accomplishing what no European manager has been able to achieve in the current UCL format – back-to-back UCL trophies. The challenge however lies beyond the lack of a striker and one Ronaldo, it stems out to the notion by many that this could be the strongest threat yet that United’s rivals could make for that coveted domestic crown.

Rivals making a strong push
The Russian riches at Chelsea have brought in Felipe Scolari, a world-class manager who knows what it takes to win at the highest level and a manager who now has at his disposal some of the best talent in the continent in the form of players like Deco and Bosingwa. Over at Anfield, Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool side showed the rest of the Premiership why they could be the force to be reckoned with last season. And, with the arrival of a Robbie Keane, they have found a striker finally fitting of a formidable partnership with Fernando Torres upfront. Elsewhere, clubs such as Tottenham and Aston Villa have also given a strong case as to why they could break into the “Big 4” in the coming season having made some strong signings in the summer.

Year of the “Fledglings”?
All is not bleak however over at Old Trafford. United are, after all, THE defending European champions and record 10-time winners of the BPL. Fans and pundits alike who have monitored United’s pre-season progress would be quick to tell anyone that the ‘Red Army’ is still marching on strong and also that the future does indeed look bright across the normally grey skies of Greater Manchester. Youth seemed to be a theme of the pre-season campaign as Ferguson gave a good amount of games to the likes of Evans, Simpson and Gibson to mention a few. Having been tipped to make the grade a couple of seasons ago, some of the performances shown by the youngster showcased in United’s games showed that they have truly come of age and could somewhat figure in a portion of senior team games in 08/09. Of course, there has been one name that has been on everyone’s lips this summer (not Ronaldo).
Enter, Rafael Da Silva. The plucky 18-year old full back from Fluminese has been nothing short of explosive this pre-season and has fast become a fan favorite with his aggression and enterprising runs down the right wing. So much so that he has even left a cool, composed man such as Ferguson singing praises even before his first competitive senior appearance. In Rafael it seems, United have found a real South American gem. We cannot even begin to imagine the kind of ability his twin brother, Fabio, is going to display once he begins to get games under his belt too.

The missing piece to the puzzle

If its one thing that the Pompey game blatantly pointed out to everyone watching, it was that despite all the invention and industry in their play, United were clearly needing someone to put away the chances upfront. The good news for United fans however is that it is a work-in-progress as Ferguson has publicly signaled his intent to bring in someone before the BPL kicks off against Newcastle on Sunday. Depending on the paper you read, sources have so far suggested either Frenchman Thierry Henry and want-away Dimitar Berbatov as the favorites to walk through the Old Trafford gates before the week is through. Players who would clearly complete the masterpiece that is Manchester United for the 08/09 season.

We do know however that signing or not, Sir Alex Ferguson will never battles without a game plan. And with the promising performances of the young ones in pre-season combined with the increasingly likely arrival of a quality striker upfront, only a fool would bet against the chances that come May, the Old Trafford faithful witnesses a repeat of the “that” one magical night in Barcelona in ‘99 – The Treble.