Terrace Talk

‘66 was a great year for English football.
Eric was born.

Hailed as the most influential player of the most influential team in British football, Eric Cantona was the catalyst for some of Manchester United’s greatest successes of the 1990s. With his swagger and a unique termperament, Cantona welcomed the limelight of Old Trafford and quickly became a crowd favorite and as Dimitar Berbatov has pointed out, he never smiled either. Even with his abrupt exit from the greatest stage, his many brilliant goals, are cherished as some of the greatest footballing memories that the Old Trafford faithful have had.

Last night, brought another landmark transfer with the purchase of Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham Hotspur for a reported 30.75 million pounds. While the exact details of the deal are not fully understood, it is most likely that two thirds of the fee will be paid upfront, and Tottenham agreeing to drop their allegations of tapping-up. In addition, Frazier Campbell will be going in the reverse direction for a season-long loan.

While Gary Pallister and numerous pundits have compared Berbatov to Eric “The King” Cantona, I’d argue that for all of their similarities, Berbatov will play a significantly different role. Cantona had an incredible deft touch and the ability to hit the unexpected shot. Paired with amazing vision and the most gifted passing most have seen from a striker, his ability to act as catalyst, was as important as his ability to provide a perfect finish. His romanticizing of what the sport should be, only helped grow the legions of fans that supported the sometimes contentious misfit. The analogies are only natural to United’s new Bulgarian striker, down to the misbehaving temperament.

The differences however will show in the way the two players are used within the United system. While Cantona was placed as a supporting striker, often linking the midfield and forward, his role was far more marauding then what may end up being Berbatov’s place. United in the current system already have a player that plays this same role in the form of Wayne Rooney. Instead, Ferguson will be looking to Berbatov to give the attack a more structured form and lead the line as opposed to traveling in between the midfielders and the defense. His hold-up play, his pouching ability and his aerial presence will all be assets to be called upon.

While some make the comparison, the current squad has plenty of players that can play the supporting striker role, and few that can lead the line. With an array of similar skills, Berbatov may have to live up to the greatness of Cantona and display similar wonders as The King was able to perform in 1992 when Brian McClair and Mark Hughes were off form. In the same way, the real player to benefit from this acquisition may be Wayne Rooney. His faltering and inconsistent form has puzzled many fans who expected a far more prolific goal scorer. Berbatov showed that he could bring in his fellow striker and provided plenty of chances for Robbie Keane. The same may occur for Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney, bringing them into a more centralized force and diminishing the reliance on Cristiano Ronaldo. In the back of Ferguson’s mind, he may know that the structure that won the two greatest trophies in 2008, is not sustainable.