Van der Sar: Berbatov adds extra bite
Reuters - Friday 10 October 2008, 12:03
ROTTERDAM - Manchester
United's slow start to the season is nothing to worry about and
the signing of Dimitar Berbatov has given them extra attacking
options, their Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar said.
The Premier League champions are eighth in the table after a
sluggish first few weeks but two league wins in a row have put
them six points behind leaders Chelsea and Liverpool with a game
in hand.
"Berbatov will add some qualities that we did not have so
far," Van der Sar told Reuters in an interview. "Mostly we
played with (Carlos) Tevez and (Wayne) Rooney up front but with
Berbatov we have more possibilities.
"He is a tall player who can also be reached through the
air."
The Bulgarian international joined United from Tottenham
Hotspur this season for 30.75 million pounds ($53 million). He
scored his first two goals for the club in a 3-0 victory over
AaB Aalborg in the Champions League on Sept. 30.
Van der Sar, who turns 38 at the end of this month and who
is in his 19th professional season, was unconcerned by United's
mediocre beginning to the Premier League campaign.
"Last season we also made a poor start but at the end of the
season everything seemed ok," he said, referring to their 10th
Premier League title and victory in the Champions League final.
"In the last two matches against Aalborg and Blackburn we
improved and showed form, although the injury to Paul Scholes is
a blow."
BRIEF COMEBACK
Van der Sar, capped 128 times, retired from international
soccer after the Euro 2008 quarter-final defeat by Russia but he
will make a brief return to the Netherlands squad this week for
their World Cup qualifying matches against Iceland and Norway.
When his successor, Ajax Amsterdam keeper Maarten
Stekelenburg, was ruled out with a shoulder injury and second
choice Henk Timmer was struggling with a groin problem, Van der
Sar decided to help the Dutch team out.
"I asked Alex Ferguson for his opinion and he told me if
they ask you and you are fit, it is still your country and for
me it is no problem if you join them," said Van der Sar.
"But it does not feel like a comeback as hardly anything has
changed and I missed only one qualifying match against Macedonia
(a 2-1 win).
"The reason I came back is not to have a more pleasant
farewell but only to try to win both matches and keep the team
on track to qualify.
"It is almost impossible to orchestrate the farewell you
desire, that is something only a few people manage to do."
Netherlands host Iceland on Saturday in Rotterdam and travel
to Norway four days later. Scotland and Macedonia are their
other opponents in Group Nine.
LATEST ENGLISH FOOTBALL NEWS