Sir Alex’s advice to Berbatov bears fruit

Dimitar Berbatov has been in a sensational form this season when compared to the previous two seasons at the club since joining from Tottenham Hotspur for a staggering £30.75 million. Berbatov retired from the Bulgarian nation team on the 13th May 2010. In his first season at the club, he scored 9 goals in 31 matches, and in the second season he scored 12 in 33 appearances. However, this season, in just 7 appearances, he has already scored 6 goals, including a hat-trick against rivals Liverpool which won the match for Man Utd by the score of 3-2.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that the reason for Berbatov’s excellent start to the 2010/11 campaign is a chat he had with him before the season kicked off. Fergie stood by Berbatov in a difficult time when fans were doubting whether he was worth the price paid and whether his ability was sufficient for the club. Fergie was confident that with time, Dimitar would find his confidence. Sir Alex believes that incoming players at United need time to adapt to the new surroundings and expectations. Ferguson’s comments, including what he said to the Bulgarian, were:

“I just had a word with him at the start of the campaign. I told him: ‘Look, only you can solve this conundrum. You’re the one in control here. You’ve got fantastic ability and you need to realise that ability and make the most of it. We’ll be here to support you.’ And he’s started the season in terrific form for us. Dimitar has been, without doubt, our star forward.”

“When you bring a player to Manchester United, not everybody takes to the situation straight away. Not all signings become hits overnight. [Antonio] Valencia did, of course, but he’s almost an exception. Others take time, and Dimitar was a bit like that. It’s just a fact.”

“Nobody’s ever doubted the ability of the lad, but what we’re seeing now is a striker who’s playing with belief and confidence. All strikers are massively reliant on those two factors – belief and confidence. And at the moment Berbatov has both.”