Manchester United star Berbatov talked about the game between Manchester United and Chelsea in his personal column.
Berbatov said: The game was not bad, both Manchester United and Chelsea had good chances, but in the end, that victory was exactly what Manchester United needed. Manchester United ignored any negative reports and showed their support against Chelsea as they stood united against Chelsea. Of course we will talk about poor performances and results in the future because that’s football, but that doesn’t mean the players don’t support the coach. When the team is not performing well, tensions will obviously arise and the manager will take control and raise his voice, which is normal. Manchester United proved against Chelsea that they are united and can come out of this poor run of form. Not only are they playing for the manager, they are also playing for themselves.
If you play to the best of your ability, there will be a ripple effect and your teammates will play well as well. Before all of that, it was the coach’s job to make the players believe, to make them angry, to manage them in some way, to tell them that when the back is against the wall, the only way is to move forward.
Ten Hag decided to give up Rashford and Martial. The score will tell you it’s worth it. The fact that the team was running, showing hunger and pressing for the ball paid off. Overall, giving up Rashford was the right decision for Ten Hag. We all know that sometimes some players don’t put in the effort and that goes for the team as well. Rashford has been criticized for his performances this season, as has Martial. It all comes down to consistency and ultimately the coach will do what’s necessary. We know ten Hag likes discipline. Of course, he gives you a chance to prove yourself, but sometimes he benches you, like we saw with Rashford on Wednesday.
Inconsistency is always frustrating. It was the same when I was playing football. Sometimes we have great games and then we have 2-3 bad losses. Of course, in the past, these games weren’t as regular as they are now. When I watch the game now, I feel frustrated and angry. I understand because I’ve been through it and I know what to expect. Easier said than done, but United need to make sure they don’t wait until they’re desperate. When the media surrounds you and rumors are flying, you have to unite.
Games like Chelsea, that’s what happens when you want to show that you’re playing for each other. United may have a poor performance in their next game, but they need more performances like the one against Chelsea. They are only three points behind Manchester City. Football is a crazy sport. I loved watching Aston Villa beat Manchester City. I’d like to see a 10-horse championship fight, not a 4-horse race.
I don’t have any magic words or wisdom to give Hoylen as he struggles to score. He’s working hard and running. He’s trying to score goals and eventually he will. He is still haunted by the fact that he has yet to score a goal in the Premier League. I advised him not to overthink it, I know it’s hard, but try to put it out of your mind and focus on the good things you are doing and the effort you are putting in. The goal will be achieved, he has to be smart on the pitch. If he tries to overcomplicate things, it will only prevent him from scoring goals.
Some fans may be impatient, but most will appreciate the effort you put in. When you can’t score, it’s not easy to get it out of your mind. It’s always difficult for me when I don’t score. I started doubting myself. Every time I stepped on the pitch, I doubted whether I could score. Even if you try to imagine yourself scoring, negative thoughts will creep into your mind and you’ll think that if you don’t score, that’s bad. Sometimes when you’re focused on other parts of the game, when the ball is in the box, you’re not in the right position to score because you’re tired after doing other things. That’s why I say you need to work smart, not hard.
It’s hard because if you don’t score a goal in a game and you don’t do anything else, the fans will say you didn’t do anything and they’ll say you’re lazy. That’s why some players will compensate by fighting and working hard because at least that will make the fans applaud and appreciate you. Eventually as time goes by and you still don’t score, it doesn’t matter what you do, you will only be judged by your goals. For a forward, scoring goals is the most important thing.
The title race is very open and interesting. That’s why I said I wanted to see games like Aston Villa beating Manchester City, games where you don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s great to see so many teams involved in the title race. It’s still early days but it’s good to see Villa continue to push forward. We’re also delighted to see Arsenal continue to perform well at the top of the table under Arteta. Liverpool didn’t lie low, but they were solid. Everyone probably still thinks City will win the title again, but we’ll see. With United only three points behind them, something strange happened. If you ask me now who will be the Premier League champion this season, I can’t tell you.