Disappointing Berbatov doesn't aid Fulham in defeat to Manchester United

In 2007, Martin Jol saw his spell as Tottenham Hotspur come to an abrupt and unfortunate end. The Dutchman was controversially relieved of his duties less than 2 months into the season, with fans discovering the news of his dismissal during the 2-1 UEFA Cup defeat to Getafe. Supporters chanted his name at White Hart Lane that night, but a poor start to the campaign following the high level of investment over the summer resulted in his sacking.

While Jol shouldered responsibility for the underwhelming beginning to the season, the players were also deserving of the criticism being sent their way, with Dimitar Berbatov regularly the scapegoat as a result of his attitude towards the game. The Bulgarian is best known for his moments of brilliance, but also for his laziness when leading the attack, and the latter has begun to overshadow the former.

This has seen his average WhoScored rating drop from 7.23 last season to 6.47 this one. His 1 goal this season came in the 4-1 romp of Crystal Palace, and ended a baron spell of 566 minutes without a Premier League goal stemming back from last seasons 3-0 win at Swansea City on the final day of the campaign. Berbatov may be famed for his ability to bring others into the game, accentuated in his WhoScored strength of ‘holding onto the ball’, but for a striker of his talent, that’s a poor return.

The 32-year-old wasn’t at his best once again for the welcome of Manchester United, regardless of Jol on Saturday stating: “Dimitar, of course, should do better than he did before.” More often than not, the onus is on a player to impress against his former club, but Berbatov failed to do just that. Moved further forward to act as the focal point in the Fulham attack, the frontman and captain for the day endured a quiet afternoon as a result of the defensive performances of Nemanja Vidic, Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling, the latter replacing Evans at half-time as a result of injury.

Limited to just 3 shots on goal, 2 of which were on target, Berbatov did little to dispel his critics who perceive him to be apathetic when on the pitch. His average rating of 6.6 in the 3-1 loss to United may not have been his lowest score of the season, but he still struggled to provide the offensive impetus to this disappointing Fulham side. Only having 40 touches of the ball, 1 every 2.25 minutes, highlights his lack of involvement in the defeat, with striker unable to exhibit the qualities that have won him a number of admirers in the past.

Even when in possession, he turned out an unenthusiastic display at Craven Cottage, attempting just the 27 passes with a 76% success. Granted, he executed 2 key passes, only Bryan Ruiz and Kieran Richardson (both 3) played more of every player in the game, while the figure was higher than his seasonal average (1), but with his preference to bring others into the game; Berbatov’s poor distribution contributed significantly to a relative toothless Fulham performance.

His display on Saturday mirrored that of the time towards the end of Jol’s reign at Spurs, as supporters of the north London side will testify, and while the Dutchman spoke highly of his main striker before kick off, Berbatov’s diminishing input is having a detrimental effect on the team. Whether this costs Jol his job as Cottagers boss, it remains to be seen, but the lack of effort from the frontman won’t improve his position at Craven Cottage.

With only 1 league goal this season and no assists, Berbatov is slowly seeing his reputation amongst the Fulham faithful drop. Supporters are beginning to grow weary of his lethargic approach to the game and with Jol’s persistance on starting Berbatov may well come back to haunt the former Spurs boss, much like it did a little over 6 years ago.