Berbatov

[Guest]

At 21 years of age, i'd much rather us be worrying about his footballing brain and poor finishing than worry about a lack of pace and skill from him.

His footballing brain and finishing skills are both things which can be developed, pace can't.

 

[Dorset]

I don't think buying players "just coz" is the right idea. I truly would like to see what Arnesen could bring to our table. I also don't vouch for buying players just to piss other clubs offScott

I don’t agree with that transfer policy either, but in this instance it would merely be a side issue that brings a smile to my face. I’m sure you’d agree, Scott, that not only can Berbatov play, he also passes the Roman entertainment test with flying colours. I usually rely on the evidence of my own eyes in these matters, but here are a few facts that should be considered when comparing Berbatov with the likes of, say, Anelka, Jones and Huntelaar…

1. Berbatov can lead the line and is also capable of playing as a creator alongside a typical target man.

2. Last season he scored 23 goals and was also fifth in the Premier League assists table - how else do you think Robbie Keane could score more goals than the rest in 2007?

3. This season Berbatov is third on that assists list at the moment, playing in a side that recognises that ability and regularly has its main midfield creator sitting on the bench as a result.

4. On both occasions referred to above there have been only midfielders above him in the list, a clear indication that he has craft and guile in abundance compared with the vast majority (maybe all) current Premiership strikers.

 

[The Brit]

does anyone agree that berbatov might be the new eidur, with perhaps the ability to score a few more goals?...we certainly have missed an in-form eidur since he left

 

[Dorset]

Agreed, Brit, and there is a certain similarity in the first touch of both players. Eidur likes to play on the inside channels whereas Berbatov seems happy to slide passes in from wider positions as well - gets more annoyed when he’s not given the ball early though. It’s one reason why, with Berbatov in the side, I wouldn’t buy a another winger, just use one (as Spurs use Lennon). Pace would be the priority for that player, but we have Sinclair breaking into the first team squad and I think Stoch could be the next winger to make it through the ranks in a year or two. That would allow us to partner Berbatov with either a target man or someone with licence to roam like Joe or Kalou.

 

[barak81]

Just a note of caution about good old berbatov, for all his class, any pass he doesnt like the look of he doesnt chase, and tends to throw his arms in the air in an all to familure way, for this reason alone i know a fair few spuds fans who are not compltetly devistated to loose him

 

[Dorset]

Let's face it Barak, if you played in that Spurs team you'd soon throw your arms up in horror as well!

 

[mad_mac]

Let's face it Barak, if you played in that Spurs team you'd soon throw your arms up in horror as well!

Nice point Dorset, and I do appreciate your points about his assists...especially when we talk about his use with Robbie Keane. I think that he is a great player, and I would love to see the best of him were he to come to us. I would also love to see another "Eidur" type player at the bridge. I am just not sure that Berbatov is that player, and I am solely basing that assumption on his attitude!

If Berbatov were to start sulking, and not really trying, I am sure that the SB faithful would be on him pretty quick. Then he would suddenly be talking about going to another team that "meets his aspirations"

Scott

 

[abramovich]

I like Berbatov as a player very much and enjoy watching him play. Maybe not the fastest player around, but very intelligent, great at link up play and great with the ball at his feet, makes players around him better.Would love to have him at the Bridge however there's two things that bother me about Berba:

1.The attitude. His agent recently came out with a bit on how his ambition is to win something this season but because of Tottenham's bad start that doesn't seem likely, so now in the middle of the season he's open to the idea of moving to a bigger better club. My hate for Spuds aside what kind of f..ked up individual is that? As if he wasn't part of the very same team and doesn't carry any blame for the situation they found themselves in. That's as mercenary as it gets. Maybe not on Winston Bogarde scale, but still pretty low.

2.The price. The Spuds will want a fortune to part with Berbatov and we'd be the last team they'd want to sell him to. In the end, we'd have to overpay by a large margin.

 

[TomP]

I say - splash the cash and buy them both.

The longer this season drags on, the more convinced I am that Drogs is not going to be here next season - meaning that the days of playing decent attacking football with a single striker will soon be over.

That means 2 up front next season - and that means at least 4 TOP QUALITY strikers are required in the squad. At the moment, without Drogba, we don't have any.

Berbatov and Anelka are top quality and available now. If we dither on either of them, they will be snapped up by the likes of United, Arsenal or the top European clubs at the end of the season.

Buying them now will give them six months to settle (they probably won't need that long anyway, as they are both established premiership players) so that we can hit the ground running next season, as well as having a tilt at all three cup competitions this season.

 

[Brian M]

Maybe not on Winston Bogarde scale, but still pretty low.

Bogarde was NOT a mercenary in any way shape or form, and to compare the two is just wrong. Compare him with Anelka if you want to talk Mercenary. Blame the Chelsea board who signed him. He was just thinking about his long term future, and looking out for his family. Something you or I would love the opportunity to do! Because if you had the chance to earn 8,000,000 pounds over four years to set your family up for life, you would take it in a heart beat.

Besides, Bogarde signed for a club, and then - showing loyalty well above and beyond the call of duty - turned down the opportunity to play for someone else, time and time again. I tell you, you can't buy loyalty like that!

(oh, wait a minute...yes you can. I think the going rate is 40,000 quid a week...)

 

[Guest]

Bri, are you being sarcastic or did you just change your mind mid-post?

In responce to TomP, I don't think we should be "splashing the cash" on players like Berbatov and Anelka. If we are going to "splash the cash" i'd much rather see us do it on younger players for the future. Berbatov and Anelka are in my mind fairly short term options. What I really liked about Mourinho's reign (up until it went off the tracks) was that we were buying younger players and building towards the future rather than just throwing cash around to buy short-term success.

 

[loz]

I actually think Bogarde gets bad press from Chelsea fans because it is easier to do that then point the finger internally. When we signed Bogarde he has been spending a long time languishing in the Barca reserves and was desperate for first team action. Bizarrely we offered him an astronomical salary that he has even admitted himself (retrospectively) was ridiculous and entirely unexpected - he would have moved for a shed load less.

Claudio decided he didn't want him from pretty much day one and we tried everything in our powers to pass him onto to another club (these days we would just hand him over and carry on picking up a chunk of his wages) but unsurprisingly nobody was going to pick up that kind of wage burden.

So Bogarde just came to work every day irresepctive of whether that work was with the first team, the reserves or the youth team. And why shouldn't he? WOuld you give up a massively inflated salary near the end of your career just because your bosses made a cock up?

 

[JT26CFC]

well our 19 million pound bid isn't as bad as Madrid's 45 mil. bid for Cristiano Ronaldo

 

[Guest]

well our 19 million pound bid isn't as bad as Madrid's 45 mil. bid for Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is world class, young and has a decade of top football ahead of him. If your going to pay well over the odds for a player, better someone of that quality and that age group.

 

[mad_mac]

Ramos is now saying that Berbatov has a contract, and they want him to stay at the club. Expect him to be gone in a week then