EPL Talk » Ruud van Nistelrooy

Will The Real Dimitar Berbatov Please Stand Up?

Paul Bestall — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:20:20 +0000

So the dust seems to be finally settling on the criticism about Berbatov’s mishit penalty on Sunday in the semi-final defeat against Everton. There’s no doubting it was a badly hit penalty, but it seems to have unpicked a scab over his performances for Manchester United as his time so far with the Red Devils.

After the protracted courting ritual that saw Berbatov fluttering his eyelids at Sir Alex Ferguson all Summer long to try and engineer his dream move, it seems that for some, Berbatov’s debut season is turning into one long underwhelming performance. For a player that lit up White Hart Lane for two years, it seems as if his less talented twin brother has taken his place or has it really?

Now I’m not one of those Spurs fans that still thinks it’s the mid 80’s and we’re challenging for major honours every season. I’m a realist, I know we can’t compete with the Big Four. It’s tough to take but I can understand when one of our top players wants to join Manchester United, why wouldn’t they. We’ve still not replaced Michael Carrick and when Berbatov finally went on transfer deadline day to join him last August for £30.75 million, I was disappointed but I understood his reasons for wanting to leave. He didn’t go about it in the right way and Tottenham didn’t have a replacement lined up but that’s football these days.

Once he went to Old Trafford, I thought he’d show those United fans just what us Tottenham fans had been spoilt with for his two season at the Lane, with 46 goals and countless assists in his 102 appearances. What has surprised since Sunday is the level of vitriol aimed at the Bulgarian by Manchester United fans and the fact that people seem to be judging his season by that snail paced penalty.

Now I’m not sure just what type of striker people thought Berbatov was before he joined Manchester United, but I do know one thing. He’s no Ruud Van Nistelrooy, he’ll never get you 30 goals a season, but by god he’ll set 30 up for you. For people to start clamouring that he’s one of the worst transfers ever, one of the costliest flops is ludicrous, regardless of his experience of the Premier League, he’s still getting used to being a Manchester United player.

He’s no Juan Pablo Veron scale flop, who’s performances still have me scratching my head and thinking, is that the same player I saw so imperious for Argentina, Sampdoria and Lazio or Chris Sutton hell bound spell when he moved to Chelsea and couldn’t score a goal against the Pensioners, never mind anyone in the Premier League. Even a player of Shevchenko’s reputation failed to set his time in England on fire with just 22 goals in 2 seasons at his stint at the Bridge.

Yet to write him off now is crazy, 13 goals and 15 assists so far this season isn’t too bad a return but I think he’s still suffering from a little bit of nerves. I thought he’d dovetail perfectly with Rooney and Ronaldo this season but its not quite come off yet. Once he gets his first season out of the way and gets a full preseason of training rather than courting under his belt, he’ll show the Unitedites just how good he really is but remember he’s no Eric Cantona, he’s no Van Nistelrooy, He’s Dimitar Berbatov and people need to remember that.

That’s the crux of Berbatov’s problem for me, he needs to be judged on who he is, not who people want him to be.

Manchester United: Best Eleven Of The Premiership Years

Michael Timbury — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:00:24 +0000

They seem to have been mentioned on here quite a lot recently but since the inception of the Premiership in 1992, the dominant force in English football has undisputedly been Manchester United. Over the years they have had a number of fantastic footballers on their books but who have been the best? Below I have attempted to put together a best eleven of the Premiership Years (also stating the season that I believe each player was at the height of their powers). There are going to be one or two notable absentees but here goes:

Goalkeeper: Peter Schmeichel (1995/96).
This was the easiest choice of all eleven as Schmeichel is probably the best goalkeeper of all time. United haven’t exactly been blessed with an abundance of talent in this area since The Great Dane left the club in 1999. Edwin Van Der Sar has become the closest thing to a replacement that Sir Alex has found for Schmeichel but without a doubt, he would be my choice of keeper for any fantasy team.

Right Back: Gary Neville (2000/01).
The most difficult part of this selection was pinpointing the exact season as to when Neville was at his best. I have gone for the early 2000s as to when I think he was at his peak but for the best part of a decade, Gary Neville was the best right back in the league. Still an important figure at Old Trafford as the club captain, his determination and desire to play for United has seen him rewarded with a contract extension. Neville deserves this for his service to the club and has been an integral part of United’s unrivalled success.

Left Back: Denis Irwin (1993/94).
Patrice Evra was a close contender for this position but I have gone in favour of the former Ireland international purely on the basis of longevity. In his twelve years at the club, he won seven titles, three F.A Cups and a Champions’ League. Albeit right footed, Irwin was arguably better at left back where he played the majority of games for United. Irwin was not only a dependable full back but also had a knack for scoring penalties and free kicks too.

Centre Back: Jaap Stam (1998/99).
In his first season at the club, he won the treble. Intimidating, powerful and no nonsense, Jaap Stam was a centre forward’s worst nightmare. When he signed for the club he was exactly what they were missing and when he was sold (something Ferguson has since admitted his regret at doing), he was sorely missed as United leaked goals in a way they had never really done so before. Although he only spent three years at the club, Jaap Stam made a huge impression on Man United fans and I feel definitely warrants a place in this team.

Centre Back: Rio Ferdinand (2007/08).
I feel that Ferdinand has been the best centre back in the world for the last couple of years now. It took him a while to mature but seems to have been worth the wait. At the time, thirty million pounds seemed to be a very steep price tag for a centre back but Rio looks to have justified that investment and has gotten better with age and experience. Ferguson ought to think about awarding Rio with the permanent job of captain (I’m pretty sure he has).

Right Midfield: David Beckham (1998/99).
While at Man United, David Beckham twice came runner up in the FIFA World Footballer of the Year award. Although he was probably a more accomplished player and talismanic figure for both club and country in 2001, the way that Beckham bounced back from being outcast as a public hate figure after the 1998 World Cup is what most impressed me.

Left Midfield: Ryan Giggs (1992/93).
Giggs has the unique record of being the only player to have scored in every Premiership season. For as long as I can remember, Ryan Giggs has been annihilating full backs. He is the personification of loyalty and is Mr Manchester United. Over the years he has adapted his game to ensure that he can still compete at the top level and doesn’t get any less remarkable. However, it is the Giggs of the inaugural Premiership season that I would want marauding down the left wing as he was simply unstoppable.

Centre Midfield: Roy Keane (1999/00).
The PFA and Football Writers’ Player of the Year in 2000, Roy Keane was the engine room, the heart and soul of Manchester United for many a year. He demanded perfection and usually got it. The way his United career ended sours the fact that he was an immense talent and a fantastic captain. Not only is he an automatic selection but would definitely get the armband too.

Centre Midfield: Paul Scholes (1999/00).
Paul Scholes has never sought attention like many professional footballers do, but somehow I don’t feel he (or his talent) can ever receive enough praise. A truly remarkable exploiter of a football, he can dictate games with his eyes closed and has been doing so for what seems an eternity. It’s tricky to nail down the specific season that Scholes most shone for me as he has been superb for so many of them. I have gone with 1999/00 because of two special goals that live long in the memory, versus Bradford and then Middlesbrough (look them up on YouTube, both occasions United wore the less fondly remembered purple strip).

Striker: Cristiano Ronaldo (2007/08).
Well he had to be in here somewhere. You could play Ronaldo anywhere you like really and he’d still be sensational. Many would say that he is a midfielder but I would probably just tell him to play where he likes. Anyone who can score 42 goals in a season earns that privilege. His aerial ability married with David Beckham’s delivery would be an exciting prospect and I’d be intrigued to find out whether or not Ronaldo would score as many goals up front as he does from the wings. Either way, he’s in. You can’t not have the world’s best player in the team.

Striker: Ruud Van Nistelrooy (2002/03).
This was an unbelievably tough call, one that I didn’t anticipate (somewhat naively) when I began this article. Cantona or Van Nistelrooy? I only went for the Dutchmen because it’s who I’d pick to compliment the team if this were real. A born predator, he scores goals like you and I breathe. 44 goals in a season isn’t easy to ignore. Whereas Cantona was perhaps United’s most influential figure of the nineties and they wouldn’t be where they are today without him, I have to go for Van Nistelrooy just on the basis that goal scorers win a team trophies.

There is my team; some agree with me, most won’t so feel free to add your own suggestions and/or best elevens as well.

Is Michael Owen Past It?

Michael Timbury — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 23:17:21 +0000

The question is simple. Can Michael Owen still perform at the highest level? While many would say no, he’s past it, he’s too injury prone and when he is on the pitch he doesn’t do anything anyway, I tend to disagree. Yes Michael Owen is injury prone, it’s been well documented. Over the course of his career he has had some nasty injuries as well as picking up a succession of niggles and strains. But generally he has been unfortunate. The prime example of bad luck was sustaining severe knee ligament damage while on international duty at the 2006 World Cup when a minute into England’s group encounter with Sweden, he awkwardly twisted his knee and subsequently found himself sidelined for the best part of a year.

Ever since he first injured his hamstring in 1999 while playing for Liverpool, Owen has had injury after injury that has plagued his career. But here is why I still think Owen isn’t past it. When fit, Owen scores to put it simply. And I’m not just talking about the occasional tap in against weak opposition. When it matters Owen scores big goals in big games both domestically and internationally. I still think he is the best choice up front for England and think he would be worth taking a gamble on when his Newcastle contract expires in the summer.

Owen is the type of striker that is fast becoming extinct. He is a poacher, nothing more. For much of the game, he will be quiet and won’t really contribute a lot to general build up play in the way that modern strikers do such as Wayne Rooney. However, when the ball gets played into dangerous areas, he comes alive and is far more effective than most. One reason that he is effective is because he actually gets himself into the six yard box rather than still hanging around on the edge of the box or further away, still admiring the pass he made moments before.

Now don’t get me wrong, I think Rooney is a world class player but he doesn’t possess that knack for goal scoring that Owen does. In fact, very few players do. Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Filippo Inzaghi are other examples of strikers who thrive on scoring goals and little else. Like the aforementioned, Owen is a potent finisher who has proved time and time again that he only needs half a yard to punish a defence. Where as many strikers rely on their physical stature or blistering pace to get themselves a goal scoring opportunity, Owen’s sharpness of mind puts him one step ahead. This is the reason that many of his goals come from headers, because he reads the situation and gets across his marker before they’ve even had time to think.

From an England point of view, I think that Owen is a must for South Africa 2010, providing England qualify. It appears that Fabio Capello is uncertain about Owen and needs more convincing but I think he is undoubtedly the best option. Rooney and Heskey seem to be certainties for the squad, as does Walcott but considering the latter is more of a winger now, that would probably leave open two more places for strikers. Out of the possible contenders for the places, Owen’s goal scoring record outweighs the others by far. He has forty goals for his country in eighty nine appearances and has scored in every knock out game for England that he has played in. Someone like Defoe can score goals against weak nations such as Kazakhstan but is he really going to cause the Portuguese any problems? Even coming off the bench, I think when in desperate need of a goal Owen has to be the choice. In a tight match where chances are scarce, left foot, right foot or head, Owen is the person I would want to see presented with the opportunity to score as he is the most likely of all English forwards to put it in the net. To summarise, I think Owen is a long way off being ‘past it’ and as he has proved so many times before, those who write him off can do so at their peril.

Soccer Surgeon To The Stars Suffers Injury Setback

The Gaffer — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:00:54 +0000

A massive injury crisis has hit the Premier League. It’s not at Newcastle United, nor Everton. Instead it’s in the snowy slopes of Vail, Colorado in the United States.

Richard Steadman, the top football-serving surgeon in the world is himself injured after breaking an arm in a skiing accident. The doctor to the stars is the safest pair of hands in football and specializes in knee surgery. And the injury to the doctor will definitely trouble medical experts at Premier League clubs and football clubs around the world.

For example, Steadman’s injury means that James Vaughan’s surgery will be delayed, which will increase the time until Vaughan makes a return to Everton. It’ll also undoubtedly cause delays in the surgeries for other professional footballers.

Here are other projects that Steadman has worked on that you may be interested in:

Owen Hargreaves recently went under the knife, but is planning to visit Steadman around the New Year for a second operation,
Ruud van Nistelrooy recently returned from visiting Steadman in Colorado to learn that he’ll be out for the rest of he season,
Doctor Steadman was the surgeon responsible for prolonging Alan Shearer’s career at Newcastle,
And the list goes on and on. The surgeon is the number one expert on knee-related injuries for footballers, whether they’re in the Premier League or Championship.

For Steadman, it must be nice for his practice to be located in beautiful Vail and have some of the top athletes from around the world travel directly to his offices. For the players themselves, surgery is never a likeable prospect but at least they have the opportunity to travel to Vail to have it done.

Holland Gives Ruud Awakening To Italy: First Person Account

The Gaffer — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:43:32 +0000

It was a night to remember for the Dutch and neutral football fans, and a nightmare Italian supporters will hope to soon forget. For those of us who were there at the stadium, myself included, it was by far the most entertaining match of the tournament and an incredible experience.Of course, the topic that everyone is talking about is the controversial goal by Ruud van Nistelrooy. Sitting fifteen rows back from the touchline directly behind the assistant referee who deemed the goal to be onside, the whole incident unfolded in front of my eyes. To be fair, the Dutch attack happened so quickly and the ball moved with such speed that it was difficult to make the quick second decision whether the goal was offside or not.My first inclination was that the goal should have been deemed offside, but full credit should be given to the assistant referee for noticing that Panucci kept van Nistelrooy onside.The moment that the ball went into the net I leaped out of my seat but kept my eyes firmly affixed on the assistant referee convinced that he was going to raise his flag. But he kept it down and the referee raced back to the halfway line and the goal stood.The immediate reaction from the Italian fans who were directly behind the goal where van Nistelrooy scored was outrage. The Italians fans whistled at the referee. Then a minute later, the big screen TVs situated throughout the stadium showed a replay of the goal from a couple of different camera angles, which seemed to confirm in the eyes of the Italian fans the injustice their team had just experienced. The whistles and boos became louder, but the damage had been done.Interestingly at half time, the highlights of the first half were shown on the TVs inside the stadium again. But this time, the producers only showed one camera angle for the goal instead of several. Perhaps they didn’t want to infuriate the Italian supporters any more than they had already done.After the match was over and I sat on the train, I chatted with EPL Talk reader Oleg Zhovnir who joined me for the game. My impression was that I wasn’t so sure, as everyone else had been, that the goal was offside. I mentioned that I’d love to see the TV replay again to take a closer view. It was only later that night after going online did I read that the assistant referee had, in fact, made the correct decision.Again, full credit to the referee and assistant referee for making the correct decision under pressure. Let’s hope that the level of officiating remains as good as it has been thus far in the tournament.Stay tuned to EPL Talk over the next 12-24 hours for more coverage, photos and audio from EPL Talk’s trip to Euro 2008.