Sheringham v Berbatov who was the better player for us?

padzilla

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Berba, as talented as he clearly was, cost us big time in the key games while Teddy was probably a more peripheral character for us was the opposite.
 

devilish

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Forget Keano or Gaz, Cantona was the most influential player Sir Alex had ever had. As Lippi correctly said at the time United were basically Cantona + Giggs. Teddy took the task of acting as this icon's successor. Thanks to Teddy, Manchester United players learnt how to rely on their talent rather then limiting themselves in passing the ball to Eric. That gave us the unpredictability we needed to win the CL . Meanwhile Scholes was allowed the time needed to develop into the best attacking CM of his era. Not to forget that Teddy was instrumental in us changing our approach and win the game during that historical CL final.

Berbatov was a luxury signing. United of the time was a well oiled machine with Teveth, Rooney and Park providing the necessary work rate needed for Ronaldo to shine. Berba broke that. His signing disillusioned Tevez who left soon afterwards while it brought an unnecessary burden over Rooney which ended up hurrying up his decline.

One one hand we had the best stop gap player we had throughout Sir Alex time and on the other hand we had a luxury signing. In modern terms its like comparing Ibra with Angel De Maria.
 

redshaw

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Teddy was fantastic and should be included in the late in may song, "Teddy 'n' Ole scored in extra time" oh what a feeling what a night.
 

simplyared

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Poor show. I'd of expected an appearance and goal count in the OP with obligatory videos of key moments.

In view of the lack of this I'm not getting involved in this thread. Shame as it was an interesting comparison and I would have enjoyed giving my views. If only you'd made an effort.
Ok get your point. Although sometimes I think it better to leave out some detail such as stats etc as other posters who find the thread interesting prefer to use their own stats to back up there own arguments and comments.
 

RedRonaldo

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Berbatov was the better player, but Teddy plays a big part winning us the CL.
 

Champagne Football

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Sheringham by a country mile. You can't even compare. One was a vital piece of the jigsaw that gave us an extra dimension, the other was never a Man Utd player and never fit our style of play, similar to Veron, Lukaku etc
 

izec

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For us, Sheringham.

i loved him. I never speak about it, but i had some irrational love for him. He just seemed to deliver and go quiet about his business. It was easy to fall in love with the stars, but from the other squad players, i loved him the most
 
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RedFish

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Teddy easily. A rare type of player and made everyone around him play /look better.

Berba is berba though, and one of my favourite United players of all time
 

Champagne Football

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Berbatov was the better player, but Teddy plays a big part winning us the CL.
I don't think he was a better player. Berbatov was incredibly gifted, but I don't think he had what it takes for a top 4 team. Sheringham fit like a glove as a squad player. Among our greatest ever squad players along with Ole, Henrik Larsson etc
 

lsd

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Yeah that’s the season, top goal scorer but he only scored in about 8 games. He was erratic that season but the 5 against Blackburn papered over a lot of quiet games

Thjs never ceases to amaze me how people keep saying he was top scorer so was a great success when in reality as you say he only scored in 8 or so games and its not like he was contributing much elsewhere in terms of work ethic .
 

El Zoido

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Always loved Teddy. He was fantastic, hugely underrated and an often overlooked key player during the greatest period in our history. He was a big player for us in the treble season. I often go on about intelligent footballers, we’ve had far too many players in recent years that had a high ability level but a poor footballing brain. Sheringham understood the game so well, it gave him an extra dimension. Like a game of chess, he played like he was one or two moves ahead of the opposition, I love that kind of thing.

It means making the right decision at the right time, and making deliberate decisions on the pitch. More often than not he would pass when he should pass and shoot when he should shoot, and having a high success rate in this kind of basic decision making is massive. It elevates the players around you too. This is what Sheringham was all about. Absolutely wonderful footballer, didn’t score 40 goals a season or skin players for fun so is often forgotten about. Not by me.
 

lex talionis

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Berbatov was the more talented footballer by some distance over Sheringham, but although I don't have stats to back this up Berbatov had a lesser impact on the club's trophy quest Ferguson dropped Berba off the squad altogether for the CL final in 2011 (fact check, please!), which right or wrong tells you something about Ferguson's lack of confidence in him against top opponents.

But my God, when Berba was up for a match he was a ferocious as any other striker during the Ferguson era, with the exception of RvN. Problem is, his languid gait didn't suit United very well and there were far too many performances where he just walked about watching the game go by.

Edge: Sheringham
 

jderbyshire

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I loved Berbatov. THAT assist to Ronaldo was one of the greatest moments in Old Trafford's history.

I was there to witness his hat-trick against Liverpool, another great moment.

But I have to say Sheringham. Purely because of that equalizer v Bayern.
 

buckooo1978

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Sheringham for me.

Berbatov probably had more technical ability but Sheringham was more clever on the pitch - reminded me of Scholes in that respect.

He seemed more hungry for trophies too though that could be just appearances

edit: Good thread idea and how much could we use a Sheringham style attacker now to add a bit of diversity
 

harms

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I definitely like Berba more (funnily enough, I seem to like him more and more as the time goes by and his frustrating moments get forgotten), but there's no comparison between the two if we're looking at their United career — Sheringham was quite clearly a better player for us.
 

Charlie Foley

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Yeah that’s the season, top goal scorer but he only scored in about 8 games. He was erratic that season but the 5 against Blackburn papered over a lot of quiet games
At the same time, however, he was creating an ungodly amount of chances in games that season that weren’t being converted. Rooney was cat the first half of that season, we really leaned on Berba and Nani for months.

second half of the season he was much quieter and rotated more. Hernandez was a better foil for Rooney who had played himself into great form, and with Valencia back Nani’s form also dropped. Of course there were the sitters Berba missed in the semi final vs city which could have killed the game before it started.

I think the second half of that season is some of the best football Rooney has played for us though.

in response to the original question, I think the answer is Teddy. His first season wasn’t much, and he was on the peripheries, but May 99 is a huge factor, 2 goals and 2 assists in 2 finals is special. Also, did Berbatov ever have a season as good as Teddy in 2000-01?
 

manutddjw

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Teddy.

Berbatov is one of my favourites ever but he was so ill suited for United or a big club for that matter. He’s a different character. He sees himself as an artist and the pitch is his canvas. As a striker openly saying he rather make a nice pass than score isn’t the character we needed.

Seeing as we were desperate for a striker and quite obvious that Saha couldn’t be relied on the strikers we should’ve been after from 2006-2009 were Zlatan, Villa or taken up our first refusal for Forlán and of course not leaving Tevez’s contract so late.
 

Maluco

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Sheringham. PFA Player of the Year. CL Final goal and a trophy laden 3 year stay.

He was intelligent, but also very strong and had a better mentality than Berbatov. He was confident and he was a fighter and that’s why he probably fitted in so well in the team of that era. He had grit and determination as well as being a good passer and a clinical finisher. He was a more flexible option that Berba too.

Berbatov was equally as frustrating as he was brilliant at times and although my memory isn’t great, I can vividly remember feeling that he couldn’t be counted on to produce when the chips were down.

He wasn’t a fighter and a Fergie time type of player, providing some wonderful moments, but he lacked the steel and the fight in my opinion.
 

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Teddy. Every day of the week.

I love Berbatov for the character he is but I remember clearly being underwhelmed by his performances for us the majority of the time.

A lot of revisionism tends to go on here about Berbatov I feel.

Frustratingly lethargic, crazy talented and skilled, lacking desire, capable of the amazing.

On the other hand you knew what you were going to get from Teddy. Technically an excellent forward and reliable.
 

berbatrick

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Yeah that’s the season, top goal scorer but he only scored in about 8 games. He was erratic that season but the 5 against Blackburn papered over a lot of quiet games
He scored 19 in the 24 starts he got which is a genuine golden boot ratio, even if it was uneven (spread over 11 games; 11 in 24 is a much better-looking ratio than 11 in 38).

And he improved the team as a whole. In those 24 starts we scored 53 and in the remaining 14, including with Rooney-Hernandez played consistently at the end of the season, there were only 11 goals scored. (I'm not counting goals scored when he was subbed off for the first or after he was subbed on for the second.).
Basically when he was on the pitch we scored 61 goals and without him only 17 in the whole season.
 
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wolvored

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Berbatov was more skillful with the ball, but Sheringham is a legend for the treble season and was a better striker, so Ted for me.
 

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I love Berbatov and thought he would be a hit here. Having said that, he was next to useless, even in the season in which he won the PL golden boot, he was left out of the squad for the CL final.

This is not even a contest, a better question for me would be Chicarito vs Berbatov
 

shamans

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Berbatov never really got the chance. Okay, did get the chance once when Rooney was injured and he didn't take it but truth be told I think we signed him a little late in his career. Class player though. Still think if things were a little different he'd be remembered as an impactful player like Nani, Saha etc.
 

Web of Bissaka

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A better question would be "who was the more effective player for us".

Teddy easily.

Nothing against Berba, he can be effective at times even hugely effective, but I just don't remember many games in comparison where Teddy just doesn't "add or bring anything to the team" -- i.e. he's almost always useful and contribute in games (with mainly his movements among other things) than Berba who sometimes doesn't really make any impact to the game at all.
 

RUCK4444

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Fair enough. You are the caf historian.

how would you compare Berbatov and Napoleon in their roles in the American war of Independence?
Ha still getting bites :lol: Never mix football with wartime history.

And I cleared that up, I was referring to both wars including the latter when Napoleon played a big part for GB.

Anyway not to derail the thread, Berbatov, loved him but his time here was underwhelming if we are all honest with ourselves. At least compared to what we thought we were getting when Fergie snatched him away to Manchester at the last minute.
 

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The underrating of Sheringham on here is criminal. Can only assume it is by those too young to have seen him play and are now just reading the stats and giving their views based on those stats.

Sheringham was a brilliant player, football intelligence on another level, also had great technique and was the master of the cushioned lay off with foot or head.

I'm a big Berba fan too but I would always have Teddy in my team before Berbatov if that was the choice. Sheringham had the better spell with us in my view.
 

Acole9

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I think Sheringham purely based on what he achieved. Berbatov the better player though.
 

fps

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I think Sheringham purely based on what he achieved. Berbatov the better player though.
I don't understand people who suggest Berbatov was a better player than Sheringham. I see no basis for it. The latter's positional play, passing, game management, strategy, fantastic, and his movement and finishing were excellent as well.
 

Rood

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its a bit of a strange comparison because expectation levels were completely different

Berbatov was a British transfer record in his prime and expected to be first choice striker - Sherringham was past his prime and never planned to be anything more than a squad option
 

Irwin99

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its a bit of a strange comparison because expectation levels were completely different

Berbatov was a British transfer record in his prime and expected to be first choice striker - Sherringham was past his prime and never planned to be anything more than a squad option
Playstyle was pretty similar. Excellent first touch, slow, creative rather than prolific goal scorers and both had unfortunate and unfair comparisons with Eric Cantona. I remember when we signed Berba and a British journalist said that Berba was a better player than Cantona :lol:

I find the revisionism around Berba to be one of the strangest trends in recent years. Anyone would think he was a hit for us rather than a bit of a disappointment in all honesty. Not exactly a flop but just unnecessary.
 

Rood

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Playstyle was pretty similar. Excellent first touch, slow, creative rather than prolific goal scorers and both had unfortunate and unfair comparisons with Eric Cantona. I remember when we signed Berba and a British journalist said that Berba was a better player than Cantona :lol:

I find the revisionism around Berba to be one of the strangest trends in recent years. Anyone would think he was a hit for us rather than a bit of a disappointment in all honesty. Not exactly a flop but just unnecessary.
True

Cant really call Berba a flop as he did win the golden boot one year but there was always a feeling of disappointment with him
 

Acole9

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I don't understand people who suggest Berbatov was a better player than Sheringham. I see no basis for it. The latter's positional play, passing, game management, strategy, fantastic, and his movement and finishing were excellent as well.
There's not much in it for me. I just think Berbatov was more pleasing on the eye.
 

2cents

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Sheringham - better player for us, better player overall.

Berbatov has a great highlights reel on YouTube, but he irritated me so much during his time at United. Never really felt like he belonged at OT, I just don’t think he had that cutting edge mentality to transfer his obvious gifts onto the biggest stages.

Funnily enough I remember having similar thoughts about Sheringham at the end of the 97/98 season when his form dropped (along with the entire team). He really won my respect in the three seasons that followed.
 

UNITED ACADEMY

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True

Cant really call Berba a flop as he did win the golden boot one year but there was always a feeling of disappointment with him
Flop word has different meaning in people's view. I think people who call Berba as a flop because he didn't reach the expectation of people, manager & also his price tag. We can count his great moments with our fingers. If it's not because that 10/11 season, he would had been in the same category as how Veron's career at United.

Even so, I don't think he was that very good in 10/11. He might be top scorer with Tevez in that season but that wasn't because he scored week in week out but because he had one game he scored hattrick against Liverpool and also I believed 5 goals against Blackburn.

Sheringham was the better signing for us.
 

fps

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There's not much in it for me. I just think Berbatov was more pleasing on the eye.
Beautiful player at his best, which I think was in the couple of seasons at Spurs pre-United. I also hate the idea that he and Rooney may have headed off for fag breaks together.