Premier League - Parker: Berbatov not new Eric

Eurosport - Fri, 19 Sep 12:25:00 2008

Former Manchester United defender Paul Parker warns against billing Dimitar Berbatov as the new Eric Cantona.

2008-2009 Manchester United Dimitar Berbatov - 0

"Moody, temperamental, enigmatic, brilliant. The comparisons between Berbatov and Cantona are easy to make. But there are just as many differences as similarities.

Cantona arrived at Old Trafford over 15 years ago, during a different era of football and it is always going to be difficult to compare players who played such a long time apart due to the ever-changing nature of the game.

And while the mercurial Frenchman arrived at an underachieving club that had not won a league title for 26 years, Berbatov signed for an outfit that has dominated the Premier League ever since Cantona provided that initial spark to win the first of 10 titles back in 1992-93.

As players too, they are different. Berbatov is more of a traditional centre forward than Cantona was and while they are both good in the air, Berbatov likes to run with the ball more.

True, both are capable of delivering moments of magic that can decide matches in the blink of an eye, but to expect Berbatov to have the same impact as Eric did 16 years ago is unfair.

That thinking will only serve to heap even more pressure on the Bulgarian who, having finally completed his dream move to Old Trafford, surely now just wants to prove himself.

I believe that being labelled as the new Eric will only hamper his progress - as it does when any player is compared to a former great.

But if he does choose to dwell on the obvious similarities for a minute, Berbatov will find he can learn a great deal from Cantona.

Like Cantona, people have pointed to the Berbatov's surly temperament as a potential stumbling block to succeeding at United. But like the Frenchman, Berbatov has the capability to turn things round at United.

Before he arrived at Old Trafford, Cantona had a reputation for being a 'difficult' character. He had had his fair share of run-ins with his previous managers but he never once got on the wrong side of Alex Ferguson.

Berbatov's surliness and regular languid displays could put him in that same 'difficult' bracket, but like Cantona, the Bulgarian can shed that image at Old Trafford.

As a club, United have the ability to instil the desire to work hard and behave well. I believe that Berbatov will succeed in doing just that under Ferguson.

He's a very good player who will only get better at United."

Eurosport

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  1. berbatov best player!

    From Maria Teresa A, on Tue 18 Nov 12:05AM
  2. i am not a UNITED fan but i can safely say BERVATOV is nothing like CANTONA , infact it is a serious insult to the legend !!!!! please stop comparing the two there are nothing alike ,let alone there style of play !!!!

    From leomakuni, on Mon 22 Sep 12:19PM
  3. cantona was a rarity a rough diamond you wont see a player of his ilk again to grace the old trafford turf again such is life ....j asare

    From j a, on Sun 21 Sep 9:28AM
  4. what does this Parker know about football? His knowledge of the game is so narrow. no wonder he only write about ManU. pls pls pls eurosport can u look for a better analyst.

    From Olaide, on Sat 20 Sep 3:23PM
  5. It is too early to compare these two guys. And I dont think they are similar. The only thing i can see as similarity is that they are both attractive with their touch and and they are both arogant on the pitch. Confident players, with their own charisma. I belive that Man u fans will start to like more and more Berbatov with the time. Berba is not the deadly killer finisher but as SAF said he will bring more options with his presence in the attack. His debut wasnt the greatest but i have to admit that he assisted for the goal and made it look like it is not that hard to do. But he kept the ball, garding it away from the difenders, kept running to the outline, two liverpool players were linked to his ars, and then he just passed it back. This is just one of the wepons he has in his arsenal. Once he gets the ball, it is hard to take it away from him. Anyway, with so many star players in the team, Man U is getting realy strong and i cant see anybody who can stop them in the premier league or European champions league. Just in 2-3 weeks from now MAN U will be unstopable. I am sure about this.

    From chernoochko, on Sat 20 Sep 4:38AM
  6. to bosun, cantona was great, but henry and zizou are better than him, a lot better

    From omar.fahmy24, on Fri 19 Sep 11:35PM
  7. never compare berbatov to cantona, berbatov will never be half what cantona was. its like comparing to bentley to r.pires.

    From omar.fahmy24, on Fri 19 Sep 11:33PM
  8. oh my god, '@#$% off' is not an invalid somment but my previous one that adressed the article was. this is just stupid. sort it out.

    From JONHBOY, on Fri 19 Sep 9:37PM
  9. @#$% OFF

    From JONHBOY, on Fri 19 Sep 9:35PM
  10. All you bellends saying you dont care about what Parker thinks...youre taking the time and energy to type your anger, so you obviously do care...this is hilarious...grown men, really thinking that people who they will never see, care about their opinions...opinions are like arse-holes, everyone has one and some of them stink....you all need to get a life, a real life, where you speak face-to-face with people...i bet you haven't got the psychological capacity to meet such a mammoth task...i have never entered one of these debate things before, and i never will again, i just wanted to ask you all to step away from your pc's

    From christopher m, on Fri 19 Sep 9:11PM
  11. All you bellends saying you dont care about what Parker thinks...youre taking the time and energy to type your anger, so you obviously do care...this is hilarious...grown men, really thinking that people who they will never see, care about their opinions...opinions are like arse-holes, everyone has one and some of them stink....you all need to get a life, a real life, where you speak face-to-face with people...i bet you haven't got the psychological capacity to meet such a mammoth task...i have never entered one of these debate things before, and i never will again, i just wanted to ask you all to step away from your pc's, look out of the window, breathe in some fresh air, talk to another human being.....I know, sorry for scaring you, keep taking the happy pills people and crack on with your pathetic existences...me, im gonna go and connect with a person..........Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

    From adam m, on Fri 19 Sep 6:10PM
  12. To u jaff08, cantona is bigger than Zizou, Platini, Henry, Papin etc! You only hear what u want 2 hear i guess. Fact is he didn't win any individual price. The best he did was coming a VERY distant 3rd in the 1993 ballon d'or (he was nominated because uefa was under pressure to nominate somebody from the premier league). He is God in Manchester maybe.

    From bosun_dele, on Fri 19 Sep 2:03PM
  13. CRISTIANO roNALDO IS tHE beST..

    From Mohd Nasrullah, on Fri 19 Sep 1:41PM
  14. Why the comparisons. Berbatov is still on the learning process,why cantona is one of the outstanding legend ever produce by Man U. It's not yet time forthat... Gunner4life........

    From abobo1ng, on Fri 19 Sep 12:59PM
  15. buson_dele what are u on about he wasn`t big in France u fool he called the manager a shitbag u idiot and said he would never play again for them as long as he was there i live in France now and soon as I mention I lived in manchester every1 mentions Cantona sayin he was the best.How can you say he was just hype??! I use to watch him every week and i can tell u he was the greatest player I have ever seen in my lifetime the man was world class he could dribble but that wasn`t all that his game was about he was a creator and a class finisher thats why he`s GOD. long live the king. Parker is full of sh£t tho. berbatov needs a bit of time im sure he will be class but Eric was in a class of his own no one will ever get near him so Parker stop tellin us what we already know.

    From jaff08@..., on Fri 19 Sep 12:39PM
  16. Can you lot give the Bulgarian a break, people who say he is the new messiah are not the ones who remember the dark days when we (UTD) couldnt win a title for our lives, had successive managers up until Fergie that could only manage the odd FA Cup.
    I witnessed something fantastic in the 92-93 season when Mr Cantona played what I can now say is magic football.
    Berbatov is just another good squad player and I do not expect him to capture the Utd fans as Eric did.

    From robcon1967, on Fri 19 Sep 12:36PM
  17. cantana was a legend and will never be forgot by us man utd fans

    From chrishibbert25, on Fri 19 Sep 12:31PM
  18. I can't believe that you guys at Yahoo still have this feature on your website. Paul Parker is yet to make one interesting and valid comment in any of his articles, i would challenge anyone to write a less informing and more pointless peice of writing. Its a shame for Paul though as he was a legend at United no doubt but he was a much better right back than he is a journalist. Seriously Paul for you own credibility put your pen back in its case and go down to a park on a Saturday and kick a football around instead. Time to try someone else Yahoo.

    From ben.kitt, on Fri 19 Sep 12:23PM
  19. WHO @#$% CARES?????????

    From jay.rangdale, on Fri 19 Sep 12:20PM
  20. Oh dear someone has let Parker out of his box again. Please put him back.
    Yet another stupid topic.

    From Harry, on Fri 19 Sep 12:18PM
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