Berbatov, Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez - Can They ALL Fit In The Same Side?
September 3, 2008
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Like United fans the world over, we’re still giddy with excitement over the arrival of Dimitar Berbatov at the club.
After our - by now almost traditional - muted start to the season the Berbatov signing gives United a massive shot in the arm for the season ahead.
The wealth of (expensive) talent we command in attack creates a delightful selection dilemma for Sir Alex - but how can he possibly fit Tevez, Ronaldo, Rooney and Berbatov in the same starting line up?
Traditionally, Tevez, Rooney and Berbatov all tend to gravitate towards the same positions whereas Ronaldo has predominantly operated from the right wing position.
In recent seasons, however, he has pretty well pleased himself - such is his speed and single-mindedness in attack, it is hard to characterise him as a traditional winger. On occasion he has been asked to play as a lone centre-forward, and such is his versatility, has performed the role admirably.
Traditional wingers used to do the leg-work for centre-forwards but Ronaldo’s footballing brain sees no distinction between his starting position and his finishing position - he just sees a clear route to goal. His talent ignores traditional positional strictures. This is not to stay he can’t play where he’s told and it won’t be any great hardship for him to position himself in a way that accomodates a front two pairing, with him starting of in a less advanced right wing role.
Berbatov obviously constitutes one of the central front two pairing, but will he be partnered by Rooney or Tevez?
Anyone who has watched Rooney’s outings thus far this season will have gathered that he has heeded Ferguson’s advice about sticking to his position and not wasting his energy scurrying after everything that he doesn’t immediately win.
His position thus far has been straight down the middle and slightly to the right - not the left wing furrow that he has sometimes been asked to plough. Whether it is a loss of pace or an inability to hold the ball up and work a chance in time, it’s clear that he is not 100% effective in this new position on his own - were he to sit slightly behind Berbatov, however, this might become a whole different story.
Berbatov, unlike Ronaldo, is a generous enough striker to set up as many for his co-strikers as he scores himself. One could imagine his relationship with Rooney being a more symbiotic one than the one he has experienced with Ronaldo, where he tends to do a great deal of the grunt work that allows Ronaldo to look even better than he already is.
So where does Tevez fit in? And, uh - assuming we have a back-four - what about the midfield?!
We think Tevez is versatile enough to play anywhere across the front line - even in a slightly retracted left wing role. The midfield would then compromise of a creative player - such as Carrick (or in a few years Possebon) and a more defensive-minded player picked from Scholes, Anderson or Hargreaves.
In this first-choice set up Giggs, Nani, Park, Fletcher, O’Shea are all going to be spending plenty of time bench warming.
With such an embarrassment or riches, keeping everyone happy at United will be a tough ask- even challenging on four or five fronts.
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10 Responses to “Berbatov, Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez - Can They ALL Fit In The Same Side?”
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Oh dear where shall we fit all of our shiny new toys….
I hate you all so much. Some might say this is a Spurs fan being bitter, I would agree, I really do hate you all.
Mainly because I love football and the sight of any decent talent outside of the main four being sucked up by the souless, foreign owned corporations that now dominate football, depresses the hell out of me.
Did I mention how much I hate you all?
Really no joke, I want to fight you.
regards
A football fan.
p.s. your mums are slags.
Well, I feel that they will all fit total well. I see United playing with berba on top with tevez, rooney and ronaldo playing behind him. With two central midfields behind them, defensively United should be solid.. With 3 attacker rotating behind berba, United’s attacking prowess will be second to none this season.. I can only hope they click from the go and the first to get a taste of it will be… the scousers.. Go get them lads!
At least Man scum wont be the ugliest team in the world anymore with the signing of kuntatov still though pretty god dam ugly football side if you ask me all things considered.
p.s cant wait till Ronaldo goes to Madrid wont it be just great!!
ronaldos coming to city,richest club in the world.
blue for life - dream on - never in a blue moon. It doesn’t matter how much money you throw at it: you won’t get to United, Real Madrid or AC Milan’s level for a generation - who knows maybe another 32 years, hehe….
They’ll all be at CIteh this time next year!!!!!!! hA HA HA
your arrogance blinds you to reality. Mordern players have loyalty only to them selves. As soon as we’re a champs league team we can out bid you and offer better terms to the players. There’s a new dog in town and it’s wearing the blue of city. Second richest club in Manchester your days at the top are numbered.
Dont really care where he (Sir rednose Im a fuxxxxing hypocrite) plays the Bulgarian Arse wipe. As for Ronaldo (or any other player) if Citeh want to buy him I hope they use the same underhand bully boy tactics favoured by the Manure… Bet Rednose shouts murder when he gets a taste of his own medicine
if the sulky bald bulgarian was that f*cking good why didn’t the biggest club in the world (real madrid you f*cking dreamer) make a bid. even the second richest (chavski) didn’t bother. we were all tired of his fag breaks and throwing the toys out the pram anyway. lets see how sir red-nose of bordeux deals with this petulant, greasy, lazy w*nker.
ps was mrs red-nose giving him a nosh under the blanket in the back of the bentley