Manchester United striker 'terrific' in training after missing final
• Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley will not be loaned out again
• Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley will not be loaned out again
- The Guardian,
- Article history
The Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has praised Dimitar Berbatov's attitude during pre-season training. Photograph: John Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images
Sir Alex Ferguson has praised Dimitar Berbatov for his attitude since returning to training with Manchester United after the crushing disappointment of not even making the substitutes' bench in the Champions League final. Berbatov's omission against Barcelona left him so devastated he could not bear to leave the Wembley dressing room. Ferguson admitted he would not have been surprised if the Bulgarian had wanted to find a new club over the summer. "Yes, I'd understand that," Ferguson said when he was asked whether the man who finished as the joint top scorer in the Premier League last season might tire of being out of the team. "But you could say that about them all. I don't pick the same team every week, do I? I've only done that once in the last three years. Yes, players will be disappointed they are not playing some weeks. But at the end of the day, it will help [the team]. By the time we get to the end of May next season, we will have done well." The chances for Berbatov may be even more limited next season, with Ferguson already stating that Michael Owen will get more opportunities. "What I have to say though is he [Berbatov] has been brilliant, first class," the manager continued. "His training has been terrific. Missing out on the final was not easy, but there were seven or eight players disappointed at not being involved in it. "It was straightforward, as far as I'm concerned. Chicharito [Javier Hernández] hit such good form that you had to put him in for every game because he added so much in terms of threatening defenders all the time. It was just unfortunate for Berbatov. It didn't make him a bad player, he was just an unlucky player in that this lad came in and did so well. But he will be all right." Next season there will also be competition from Danny Welbeck and Federico Macheda, back at the club from their loan spells with Sunderland and Sampdoria respectively. Ferguson confirmed he would not allow Welbeck to go on loan again, and the same applies to Tom Cleverley, now back at Old Trafford after spending last season with Wigan Athletic. "Welbeck is an England international now," Ferguson said. "He is an exceptional talent. And Cleverley will play for England too. He is an intelligent modern-day footballer. His movement and understanding of space is really good for a young player. We are happy both of them will stay with us." Ferguson recalled how Phil Jones, the £17m recruit from Blackburn Rovers, had needed assurances about whether, in the face of so much competition, he would get games at Old Trafford, and there was a similar issue with Raphaël Varane of Lens, who eventually chose Real Madrid. "The area we had to work hardest with Phil was to convince him he would get enough football. The other thing I explained to him was that we are always trying to look ahead towards the team of the future rather than the team of the present. We expect the team of the present to fulfil their responsibilities but the team of the future is the one that is growing whilst the other one is doing the business." The son of the United chief executive David Gill, Oliver, has turned down a contract offer at Old Trafford and decided to give up football to go to university.
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