Berbatov The Key For Maintaining Early Pace

As Deco's superbly executed free-kick flew into the top corner of the Wigan net on Sunday afternoon, a few more anxious thoughts would have crept into the minds of most Manchester United fans. Following Chelsea's comprehensive demolition of Portsmouth last weekend, it's clear to see that Scolari's side are out to put the ghosts of last season to rest, by any means necessary.

Rumours of Robinho's impending arrival at Stamford Bridge would add another frightening attacking dimension to an already strengthened Chelsea side, bolstered by their two Portuguese summer signings. And after winning their opening two matches, questions are already beginning to be asked with an increased frequency as to just how Sir Alex Ferguson's team will be able to compete with this new look Chelsea side if they're to secure their third successive Premier League title.

As Chelsea kick started their new season in style, putting four goals past David James and showcasing their strength in depth, barely noticing the loss of Didier Drogba, it was a different story at Old Trafford where United's lack of attacking options were exposed. The unexpected absence of Carlos Tevez proved to be a significant factor in the failure to get at Newcastle's defence, as the last-minute untested Wayne Rooney and Fraizer Campbell partnership turned out to be largely ineffective. This came as little surprise however, Rooney still needs to become more disciplined upfront when playing for both England and a Cristiano Ronaldo-less Manchester United - once again it seemed as if he was trying his utmost to do Patrice Evra's job - whilst Campbell worked hard but still needs time to grow and develop as a player.

Clearly, much rests on the Dimitar Berbatov situation, but with a mere week to go before the transfer window closes, and taking into consideration Tottenham's reluctance to part with the Bulgarian, this particular drawn-out transfer saga still appears to be far from resolved. The fact of the matter is that on the opening day of the season, Ferguson failed to ensure United had adequate cover upfront. Even if the substitute limit had increased to seven, there was still no room for any sort of back-up striker simply because none were available.

With Tevez back in the fold for the Portsmouth game tonight, United will have a better chance of scoring. The Argentine's tenacity and willingness to chase the ball down was severely missed against Newcastle, and the 24-year-old also looked by far and away our most potent attacking threat throughout pre-season.

However, with such an important series of matches coming up in quick succession so early on in the season, it'll be imperative that United get their season on track as soon as possible, or else the gap between them and Scolari's side will result in the Red Devils facing an early uphill struggle to catch their rivals. And if either Rooney or Tevez pick up an injury, Ferguson will find himself in exactly the same unwanted predicament as the one faced last Sunday afternoon.

There's no question as to how important tying up the signing of Berbatov is. If for some reason the deal fails to go through, the task of competing with Chelsea will go from being tough to nigh on impossible. With the European Super Cup coming up on Friday, followed by an international break, the prospect of facing Liverpool and Chelsea, both away from home in successive weeks will become an even more worrying prospect. The danger of losing ground in the title race because of September's games has to be averted, and one suspects that for this to happen, Ferguson will have to have at least one more striker apart from Campbell to call upon.

So, if the papers are to be believed and the difference between United's valuation of Berbatov and Spurs' asking price is only a mere several million, then it has to be paid. The risk of losing out on the striker's services is not something which supporter's will be wanting to contemplate, particularly when considering the alternatives.

With Ronaldo out injured, Berbatov would bring a much welcomed assurance to our strikeforce. His intelligence on the ball leaves little doubt that he would adapt comfortably to being thrown into the deep end straight away, without worrying about how he'll settle into the team. Rooney and Tevez would profit from having someone of the Bulgarian's class up in attack with them, and such an attacking trio would undoubtedly give both Liverpool and Chelsea cause for concern next month.