I never thought I would say this, but I miss Ruud van Nistelrooy. I know he had his critics, but he was the right fit for United. It’s unfortunate that not playing him in the 2006 Carling Cup final in favor of Saha was the final straw. This was one of Fergusons not so bright moments as a manager when your ego gets the better of you.

The performance’s of Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov (don’t get me started) over the past year has brought into question United’s attack upfront. If this weeks Champions League tie with Porto proved anything, is that Dimitar is pasturing and Carlos Tevez isn’t there. Whether it is his love for Boca Juniors or something else, he (Tevez) is not worth 30 million pounds. Nor is Berbatov. He reminds me of a Ruud van Nistelrooy, but lankier and not as aggressive in the penalty area. Van Nistelrooy if memory serves me right, netted a goal tally of 36 in his first season for the Red Devils. Berbatov only netted in 27 goals for Tottenham in his 70 appearances for them. For United this season Berbatov has only put in 8 (EPL) past the wood work in 29 appearances. I am not saying that it’s easy to score in the Premier League, but United is just not the right fit for Berbatov.

Tevez on the other hand is a real bother. With only 24 appearances he’s put in 3 (EPL) past the keeper. He is a pit bull on the pitch, fighting for every ball like it was his last game. Unfortunately, his inconsistency over the past few matches has fallen short of impressive. Yes he did score the go ahead goal against Porto and netted one in at the cottage, but I don’t believe he is worth keeping around. He is good to have as a substitute to bring on and bolster the team spirit. One week he is cold the next he’s hot. He’s just not that convincing.

Here are some stats about Rooney, Berbatov and Tevez’s defensive play.

(Per Game)

Berbatov 0,82 won tackles, 1,21 intercepted attacks
Rooney 0,44 won tackles, 1,16 intercepted attacks
Tevez 0,46 won tackles, 0,38 intercepted attacks

Fine, granted Berbatov is shielding the ball well enough and can flick the ball on to a winger in full flight, but that’s not enough offensive power. In my opinion Berbatov is great for a team like Tottenham, Fulham, Sunderland, and Stoke, but not for United.

Ferguson should have never sold Van Nistelrooy because he never wanted to leave in the first place. Here is some glimpse into what Berbatov won’t be able to do: http:\/\/www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXAQQrjljxM

I say bring on Macheda, give the young lad a chance. Soon he’ll put in more then Tevez and Berbatov combined.