Can Manchester United Adapt To Accommodate Dimitar Berbatov ?

Rated among the biggest failures at Old Trafford by his critics, primarily due to his record transfer fees, Dimitar Berbatov has been an enigma which remained unsolved for almost two seasons now.

Signed as a prolific goal-scoring forward, a return of 26 goals from 82 games is not exactly earth-shattering, but perhaps is an indication of the player's and the team's lack of adaptability.

No one at United, including Sir Alex, have an idea of how to get the best out of the enigmatic Bulgarian. Of course, he is a confidence player who plays in a mesmerising manner when on form, but at a club like United, time is not really afforded to build confidence. Each first XI player has to hit the ground running, due to the pressure of winning.

But maybe Berbatov's true value for United lies elsewhere. Perhaps it lies in his ball control, his superb first touch (it's at least on par with someone like Messi), and his vision, which is the best at United after Paul Scholes. Exploiting these might benefit both United as well as Berbatov. Allow me to explain why and how.

First, the why. This is because United do not really want to let go of such a talented player, especially to a rival, without attempting everything they can to make him click in the team. Berbatov does not want to go because he can only move to a team in the Bundesliga, and apart from Bayern, no team there matches United's history and pedigree, so it'll be a step down in a career which has always gone up, until now.

To progress his United career, Berbatov has followed in the steps of Scholes, retiring early from his national team to continue his growth with his club. He knows he is at the peak of his abilities, he realizes he is at a club which is pretty much the best there is, and it is now desperation which will drive him to succeed. But the club and its supporters must help the player in doing this, not ridicule him. Time, then, to address the 'how' of the problem.

The 'how' is a solution of two aspects. One concerns the team setup, and the other hinges on the supporters' mentality towards a 'successful' player. I'll address the latter first.

At United, in recent years, technical ability is valued less among supporters compared to hard work. Players like Darren Fletcher, Carlos Tevez, and Ji Sung Park are valued greater by the fans here than they would be at other clubs, simply because they work harder than most players do or can.

Please note that I'm not ridiculing these players. On the contrary, Fletcher and Park are among my favourite players, but no one will disagree with me when I say that they are technically not the best out there.

The value given to technical ability must return among the supporters if players like Berbatov have to be appreciated, because my solution is an oft mentioned one among various United supporters, but often goes unacknowledged because fans feel Berbatov will not be considered successful unless he scores 20 or more goals in a season.

As I mentioned before, the solution on offer plays more to the player's strengths compared to his goal-scoring ability. It envisages playing Berbatov as United's attacking midfield fulcrum. This is the former aspect of the 'how'.

United played the 4-5-1 in various guises last season, most notably as a 4-1-2-3 or a 4-1-4-1, with Scholes as the deep-lying playmaker and two runners, Fletcher and either Carrick or Park, protecting Scholes, as part of an inverted triangle in the middle of the park, Scholes being the vertex, and Fletcher-Carrick/Park the defensive base.

For next season, United should stick to the 4-5-1, because it certainly brings out the best in Rooney, and adapting to make it a 4-3-3 will certainly benefit Hernandez or Owen, because of their pace and movement. But the midfield triangle has to be turned upside down. The 4-5-1 should primarily be setup as 4-2-3-1, with Berbatov the vertex. Allow me to elaborate the benefits.

The biggest advantage is that it will take a lot of pressure off Berbatov's shoulders, since United's best supply lines for the striker are always the wings, with very rare through balls being played. United are also blessed in the sense that in Rooney and Berbatov, they have two forwards who can play both long and short passes extremely well. That is a rare gift in a forward, and United can utilise Berbatov's ability in this respect to the hilt.

With Berbatov no longer playing as a forward, the pressure to score regularly will be off him. He will be counted on to provide link-up play between the midfield and the attack, which he already does since he often drops deep, and to retain possession when required, which he is very adept at. Plus, he has provided sumptuous through balls on countless occasions to players such as Nani and Valencia. So, he pretty much operates as an attacking midfielder.

Plus, since he will be positioned deeper, his late runs into the box will be much more difficult to pick up, since no central defender can be directly assigned to an attacking midfielder, which often happens when he is played as a striker. This will also allow him to bring to bear another of his under-utilised strengths, his long range shooting.

There are several advantages if United were to adapt this system and setup. The first is that they will be able to play the best XI players more often. Scholes will be used sparingly in the upcoming season, and with United having already used the 4-1-2-3 extensively last season, it will not be too much of a problem altering the formation when he comes into the team.

The second advantage obviously arises due to the fact that Scholes will play less. United need a creative hub at the center of the park, and Carrick, Park, or Hargreaves are definitely not them. Berbatov is the most obvious candidate for the role. His positioning and movement between the midfield and the defense of the opposition will definitely cause players to be pulled out of position, allowing the likes of Fletcher, Nani, and Park to make offensive runs into the opposition box.

The third is that this will allow United to play Fletcher and Hargreaves, if fit, together. They are widely acknowledged as the best engine room pair when available, and their axis will provide United with additional defensive strength, especially if Vidic were to leave, and a less-experienced centre-back has to come into the team.

If Berbatov remains at United this season, this is the only way I see of bringing him back to his best, and benefiting United in the process, without, of course, making substantial investment in the transfer market. I know a lot of fans feel that United have deteriorated this season, and quite often make Berbatov one of the scapegoats, but I have always felt that while the loss of Ronaldo would weaken any team, United at its weakest point would still be among the top three teams.

All that the club has to do is play to its strengths. Is my suggestion and thought process in this regard viable, especially considering the fact that most fans would not want to see Berbatov anywhere near the first team, and I'm advocating an almost permanent first XI role for him ?