Berbatov: THE FACTS

Surfing the internet at work all day has it's ups and downs when it comes to Spurs news. On the one hand you get to hear about signings almost immediately after they happen, on the downside you have to endure the utter bollocks such as that served up by abominations like 'CaughtOffside'. But if there's one thing that is starting to really get my goat it's all the Berba-Bashing that seems to be coming from some quarters. If that sounds like you then hang your head in shame and open your mind to the possibility that you are being strung a merry dance by the popular press.

The problem is that if something is repeated enough times then people start to take it for fact, rather than stepping back and thinking about it for themselves. These "facts" then get repeated by the sheep who have nothing positive to say and before you know it, BOOM, a man's character, commitment, ability and achievements have gone up in smoke. It is bloody disgraceful, and unfortunately for Dimitar Berbatov the snowball effect has now become unstoppable.

Here are the charges:

Berbatov is a Moody, Sulking Git

The Prosecution:

The evidence to substantiate this charge are claims that he has been seen waving his arms around and looking a bit stroppy when someone plays a bad pass to him. This is backed up by reports of him looking "disinterested" while both on the field and on the bench.

The Defence:

It appears to the defence that some Spurs fans have selectively short memories. The defendant has been doing this for about 2 years, yet before all this Berba-to-Man-U nonsense started, back in the not-so-distant past when he was a hero to the fans, nobody seemed to mind about that. It must also be considered that the player is also prone to the same reaction when he himself plays a bad pass or misses a great opportunity. Surely he's just showing frustration.

Berbatov himself does not have the happy-go-lucky demeanour of Dos Santos, but why the fuck do people suddenly find that offensive? Some say it would be nice for him to look like he was enjoying it, but why should he? Maybe he's just the type to take his game very, very seriously - and what's wrong with that?

The claims that he looks moody on the bench are laughable. Firstly I bet if there was a camera on you for the entire length of a football game they could catch plenty of shots of you looking a bit bored and distant. Secondly I would like to present Exhibit A - recent footage from the last few friendlies of Berbatov looking relaxed and shown to be signing autographs and joking around with others on the bench. I just don't see ANY evidence of this moodiness.

Berbatov is a Negative Influence in the Dressing Room

The Prosecution:

Due to his desperation to play for one of Europe's elite, and the subsequent failure of those dreams to become reality, Mr. Berbatov is proving to be a right miserable bastard and a "bad apple". This in turn is dragging the morale of the rest of the squad to new depths and setting an extremely bad example for the younger players.

The Defence:

Am I the only person to find the concept of this a complete joke? Firstly, as Exhibit A has already shown, the demeanour of the defendant in his relations with his teammates looks anything but negative. Secondly, does anyone have any evidence that the Spurs squad are suffering poor morale problems at the moment? Quite the contrary in fact, they all look about as excited as the rest of us about being a part of New Look Spurs. Lastly, would someone mind pointing out to me how anyone other than about 30 people who have direct daily interaction with him have the first fucking idea about what his influence in the dressing room is? No, I didn't think so.

Berbatov Want's to Leave Spurs

The Prosecution:

Mr. Berbatov has his heart set on a move away from Tottenham. This is in order to further his career, increase his wage and to allow him to compete at the highest level. The prosecution cites Chairman Levy as having publicly stated that the player has "had his head turned" and comments from the players agent have suggested that he is extremely keen to leave.

The Defence:

Well, it's a fair cop on this one. Yes Berbs may well want a move to Man U or Barca or any of the other super-clubs, but can you really blame him? The defence takes umbrage at the suggestion that Mr. Berbatov is desperate to leave and would prefer the wording of such claims to be more along the lines of "quite fancies a move to" or "would relish the chance at" or "is flattered by". May we remind you that the defendant has not handed in an official transfer request as far as we know, has never publicly stated his desire to leave the club and, apart from some snide and unwise remarks from his agent (in which he may or may not have been complicit), has behaved in an exemplary manner whist under the extreme and unwanted glare of the British media - a glare under which many a lesser man may have cracked (think Barry, Ronaldo et al). Therefore, is it not beyond the realms of possibility that should he still be a Tottenham player at the end of August, that this is hardly going to be the end of the world for him and that he will continue to honour his contract to the best of his ability like a professional?

In summary, Dimitar Berbatov is still the footballing genius he was 9 months ago when he was the darling of White Hart Lane. His performance may not have been 100% in the last 5 months but seeing as our season was effectively over in March it seems unfair to hang him for that - could it also be that all the speculation has had an unsettling effect?

Anyone who actively wants this man to leave the club is insane. He is one of only a handful of players in the world who has the ability to single-handedly snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and that is why he's worth £30m. Wouldn't you rather have that talent available to Juande Ramos than Alex Ferguson?

None of us is qualified to say that he is wrecking team spirit, none of us has a right to accuse this man of lacking the integrity to honour his contract should he have to, and only an idiot would fail to recognise the contribution he has made to the team in the last 2 years. So before all you detractors jump in and start slagging him (and possibly me!) off, perhaps you should consider the evidence first and stop allowing yourself to be manipulated by common misconception, the gutter press, and ultimately Old Red Nose himself.