Is Berbie the new Klinsmann?

[suBerb]

Berbatov soon earns his spurs as double wins over the fans

The Guardian

Not since Jürgen Klinsmann graced White Hart Lane more than a decade ago has a Tottenham player scored 20 league goals in a season. That contribution ensured the German not only won the hearts of the fans but also left them with indelible memories. Now another imported striker appears ready to begin a love affair with the supporters. Indeed on the evidence of his second goal Dimitar Berbatov may even challenge Klinsmann's supremacy.

See more http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1827266,00.html


Hopefully Berbie will score as many goals as Klinsi, but his style is very different. He is technically more brilliant.

[Spur]

If he scores the goals, then i'll be happy.

[Danishspurs]

Me 2......

[Welsh Spur]

I reckon his 15-20 goal target he set himself is modest.

[Spur]

I think it's comepletely unrealistic. There is absolutely no way that he will score 15-20, he's new to the Prem and it won't happen.

Instead, he will eclipse that because he is new to the Prem and no defenders know how to handle him, he will score at least 30-35. (",)

[Welsh Spur]

I have to be honest this 3-man strike force is exciting....

[spurs61]

Hopefully Berbie will score as many goals as Klinsi, but his style is very different. He is technically more brilliant.

No he isn't. He's very good and has the potential to be a great player but he's light years away from Klinsmann's level. Jurgen is one of the greatest strikers in the history of the game, Berbatov isn't even the best striker in the history of Bulgarian football.

I would like to point out that I do rate Barbie very highly but he is incomparable to the great Jurgen. As a point of argument, Klinsmann's goal against South Korea in USA'94, 'nuff said.

[Chaydle]

I think we will just have to wait and see, there's no point in setting yourself targets. He's scored in a friendly which doesn't mean anything, apart from boosting his confidence, so its a bit early comparing him to Klinsmann.

We've had our fingers burnt before (Rebrov) so I think we should be patient.

[suBerb]

No he isn't. He's very good and has the potential to be a great player but he's light years away from Klinsmann's level. Jurgen is one of the greatest strikers in the history of the game, Berbatov isn't even the best striker in the history of Bulgarian football. .


Well, it's not easy to be the best striker in the history of Bulgarian football, given that the "Golden Ball" Hristo Stoichkov is Bulgarian...By the way, Jurgen didn't win the Golden Ball...

Still, Berby is only 25 and can become as great as Stoichkov...

Look at Berby's goal against Roma and compare it to Jurgen's against S. Korea...It's the Guardian journalist who wrote: "Indeed on the evidence of his second goal Dimitar Berbatov may even challenge Klinsmann's supremacy."

No doubt, Jurgen was truly great, but Berby is no less talented...Which does not mean that he will be so successful. As MJ put it, it will be very difficult for him to adjust to the way English teams play...So, I cannot predict how much he will score. Morientes was very good for Real and Monaco, but was a complete failure in ELP

[spurs61]

Yes, but Jurgen runs Gerd Muller very close for the title of greatest ever German striker.

I was merely demonstrating my point that it is jumping the gun to compare Berbatov to Klinsmann. I don't think Barbie can be anywhere near as good as Stoichkov but then they are very different players in terms of style (although not temprament from what I've heard). I'll settle for 20 goals this season from Berbatov and an ability to bring other player into the game.


BTW, IMO what Guardian jounalists know about football can be fitted on to the back page of the same paper. It's not called the Grauniad for nothing....

[suBerb]

Yes, but Jurgen runs Gerd Muller very close for the title of greatest ever German striker.

I was merely demonstrating my point that it is jumping the gun to compare Berbatov to Klinsmann. I don't think Barbie can be anywhere near as good as Stoichkov but then they are very different players in terms of style (although not temprament from what I've heard)....


Compare Jurgen's stats with Mueller's stats:

Jurgen 108 international games 47 goals
Mueller 66 interna. games 68 goals

I watched Stoichkov and Berbie playing for my favorite Bulg. club CSKA and for Bulgaria. Berby's stats are by far better.

Stoichkov 83 international games 37 goals
Berby 49 ------------------ 31 goals

Berbie has an amazing international record: he started 18 qualifying games and scored 17 goals. It is easy to see that if he suffers no major injuries, he'll finish his international career with 70-80 international goals...

Stoichkov was my favorite player. But I can safely say that Berbie is no less talented. His problem is that he is by far less aggressive. This is why Berbie does not play yet for Barca or Real.

[spurs61]

Sure, the stats are impressive, but Hristo was not an out and out striker so I don't think comparisons are vey fair, TBH my use of Stoichkov as an example was poor! My argument against Bebies international ratio is the standard of the nations the current Bulgarian side play versus the teams the Stoichkov era played against.

Mueller is clearly the greatest international striker of all time and thus for Jurgen to be compared to him at all is a huge complement.

I'm not saying that Berbie isn't top class, he clearly is and better value than Shevchenko as well. My point is that he does not at the moment have the all round game of a truly great forward but it is something he is working on very hard. At this moment in time I just want the out and out goalscorer we've lacked for nearly a decade, the rest of his game is merely a bonus.

[suBerb]

agree mate

See this article "Berba-king!" http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=374296&root=england&cc=5739

a fairly good description of Berbie's play

[spurs61]

So the hopeful comparisons of Berbie with MVB are not as wide of the mark as I first thought?!

[suBerb]

Berbatov's former manager in Bayer Klaus Augenthaler who had played many times against Marco van Basten said once that Berbie reminds him of the great Dutch.

So, there is some hope that Berbie could be at least partly like van Basten...We'll see. To be sure, he needs some months to ajust to the EPL

[highlander]

the fact that he is being compared to such legends of the game like Van Basten, Klinsmann, Stoichkov & Muller are very encouraging signs.

with the amount of games we will be playing id think he will break the 20-goal barrier, i truely do hope he outscore' terry henry

[SurreySpur]

Why do we have to compare him to anyone? I'm sure most of us have seen him playing in the champions League for Bayer Leverkusen, if not, lets just wait and see how he adapts to the prem. Berbatov the new klinsmann? Lets give the guy a chance to settle in before we start comparing him to one of the worlds best ever strikers.

[suBerb]

with the amount of games we will be playing id think he will break the 20-goal barrier, i truely do hope he outscore' terry henry


this season very unlikely, needs time to show his best

[suBerb]

Why do we have to compare him to anyone? I'm sure most of us have seen him playing in the champions League for Bayer Leverkusen, if not, lets just wait and see how he adapts to the prem. Berbatov the new klinsmann? Lets give the guy a chance to settle in before we start comparing him to one of the worlds best ever strikers.


agree mate

[Chinaman]

15 is a realistic number for him. If Midowas able to get 13 or 14, Barbie, who is more mobile and nippier should have more success particularly now that we've got an improved midfield to provide for him. I also see both Keane and Defoe improving on their scoring rate as well.

[Danishspurs]

15 is a realistic number for him. If Midowas able to get 13 or 14, Barbie, who is more mobile and nippier should have more success particularly now that we've got an improved midfield to provide for him. I also see both Keane and Defoe improving on their scoring rate as well.
Not sure Keano will get more goals the last season... If he can get 16 goals again it will be good, but I can't see him get as many games with Defoe back in topform... And I think we get a more deep role then last season.. He'll have to play as second stiker in a lot of matches and maybe on the left in a few matches too...

[spurs61]

I also see both Keane and Defoe improving on their scoring rate as well.

TBH, I think 15 odd goals a season is about all we can expect from Robbie, it's his contribution to the creativity of the side in general which makes him invaluable to us. His goal haul last season was exceptional and I'd be suprised if he surpassed that.

[suBerb]

The prime of the forwards is between 28 and 32. So, our strikers hopefully will become better and better in the next seasons...think that this season keano, berbie and defoe will score 50-60 in all tournaments

[spurs61]

Yeah, I thought that last season!

[Chinaman]

We'll be having better service from midfield and Lennon is now much more confident on the wing. With Uefa Cup and better domestic cup runs, I think all three principal strikers will have more games than the last campaign, hence my prediction of both Keane and Defoe improving on last season's statistics.

[choda]

This season is going to be interesting for so many reasons. Jol's a tactical wizard, I can't wait to see what he comes up with.

One of the things I love about Jol is he sees the game almost exactly the way I do. It was unbelievable since he took over, nearly every time (I mean like 99% of the time) I really wanted something to happen he would soon do it. I've never experienced that with any manager of any team I've ever supported: Ireland, Celtic, Real Madrid, Milan and Spurs.

I could make a long list of these things. My only running beef I had with him was when he kept picking Defoe ahead of Keane, but he soon stopped that aswell.

Overall, I'm basically unbelievably impressed with his coaching, knowledge and intelligence. I honestly wouldn't trade him for anyone. Isn't it fantastic to have such a guy at the helm?

[suBerb]

One of the things I love about Jol is he sees the game almost exactly the way I do. It was unbelievable since he took over, nearly every time (I mean like 99% of the time) I really wanted something to happen he would soon do it.


Is this the reason why u are so impressed with J's intelligence ;)

[suBerb]

look at some berby goals mates

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4z7PKHhpdg&mode=related&search=

[mjbmedia]

One of the things I love about Jol is he sees the game almost exactly the way I do.
thats funny ,over a cup of coffee yesterday MJ said exactly the same thing about you :p

tho hes a bit pissed off that you never seen Pele play and he thinks Maras a prat (alledgedly) and if he was in the english team that day hed have brought him down and done some damage

[Chinaman]

This season is going to be interesting for so many reasons. Jol's a tactical wizard, I can't wait to see what he comes up with.

One of the things I love about Jol is he sees the game almost exactly the way I do. It was unbelievable since he took over, nearly every time (I mean like 99% of the time) I really wanted something to happen he would soon do it. I've never experienced that with any manager of any team I've ever supported: Ireland, Celtic, Real Madrid, Milan and Spurs.

I could make a long list of these things. My only running beef I had with him was when he kept picking Defoe ahead of Keane, but he soon stopped that aswell.

Overall, I'm basically unbelievably impressed with his coaching, knowledge and intelligence. I honestly wouldn't trade him for anyone. Isn't it fantastic to have such a guy at the helm?


That's a very indirect way of saying you're intelligent. What modesty. Are you by the way as thinly haired as him?;)

[Welsh Spur]

I know, I thought exactly the same upon reading that post!

[choda]

No, that's not what I meant. I know now it would have sounded that way. I wrote it while very drunk... if you look at the time it was written.

I've spoken to other people and they say the same thing. He seems to be in tune with what the supporters want. And as a bunch we spurs supporters have a purists approach and are well informed about the game.

Sorry, I know that sounded really bad. I didn't mean it that way at all.

[suBerb]

no problem mate

[choda]

I'm never going to write anything for public consumption while very drunk ever again.

My god, it really sounded like I was licking myself, didn't it? You have to be careful with text, it's easy to **** up the wording of something which is difficult to say and get totally misinterpreted. Very drunk and writing is not such a good idea.

But he does seem to be amazingly in tune with what we want though doesn't he? And I think that's rare at any club, even at a lot of the top clubs in europe? The style, the team selections, the passion, his ambitions for the club, the guys he gets rid of, the signings he makes and looks for.

[Chinaman]

Hope uou don't mind the mickey taking sometimes.

[choda]

Hope uou don't mind the mickey taking sometimes.

No, not at all. It's all good buddy. But it's that I realise that post made me sound like Ruud Gullit... the only man on earth who can **** himself.

And we all **** up sometimes, it's good to have people to tell you so, and you can learn from it.

[Chinaman]

Life's a bit dull without the occasional goof-ups.

[JJ]

It's because Jol seems to be a purist when it comes to his football. He knows exactly what he wants to see on the pitch, and will mould his team to do so.

It just so happens that the way he likes to play football is also the way Tottenham fans like to watch it. It helps that he's not afraid to make changes if he feels necessary. Dropping Defoe and playing Keane last season proved that. Most people figured Defoe would be gone, but from the looks of it he's more motivated now than he's ever been.