Berbatov weaves his magic against Liverpool

Dimitar Berbatov was in majestic form last Sunday (AP)

Dimitar Berbatov is quite the performer for Manchester United that can either blow hot or cold in key games. Last weekend against Liverpool, the Old Trafford crowd were full of adulation for the Bulgarian's destructive performance over a flimsy 'Pool backline, scoring a hat-trick in a 3-2 victory.

Last season, the 28 year-old most cut a frustrated figure being an outcast to the then livewire Wayne Rooney. This season looks a roles reversal exercise as a tired Roon was bumped out of the headline-grabbing scenes on the left, whilst Berbatov basked in glory from producing overhead kicks to match-winning headers.

It is something many know he is capable of doing, but just didn't show the application on a consistent basis. His flashy tricks, touches and finishing over the years - with Tottenham and Man Utd - have been more than worthy of a section in the 'Premier League's Greatest Ever...' DVDs. His class is profound.

However, he is guilty of a lazy attitude, and is usually at the foot of the table in metres covered in a match. Against Liverpool, he looked to make up on his shortcomings with an exhibition of skill and furthered commitment. He showed strength to hold off Fernando Torres' shirt pulling to put United in front with a header midway through the first half.

The more livelier second half put the Bulgarian in a shining light as he beautifully adjusted his body back to goal to control and then execute an overhead kick that cannoned off the upright. With Pepe Reina standing, the goal was made to look artistically devine.

Two Steven Gerrard goals turned the tables as the United defence floundered under a brief spell of Liverpool pressure. With Liverpool looking for an unlikely third, Berbatov stepped up to produce an 84th minute winner with a beautifully glided header under exerted pressure from Jamie Carragher.

That performance was arguably his finest in Red, with the 28-year old's hat-trick making it his sixth league goal of the season. He will look to continue his rich vein of scoring form against Bolton on Saturday, as Man Utd look for a goalscoring predator to take some of the burden of the evidently weary Rooney.

Bebé: a shining star or future flop?

Bebé, proclaimed by his agent, is the next superstar out of Man Utd's almost never-ending line of prodigious talent. David Beckham, the Neville brothers, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Wayne Rooney have all grown under the wing of manager Sir Alex Ferguson's strict tutelage.

While Nani, Javier Hernandez and Darren Fletcher are proving their worth of time and investment on evidence of their early season form, 20-year old striker Bebé will be the next star in waiting, according to Ferguson. Although the puzzling thought is that the United manager had not seen the Portuguese player in action at all before signing him.

Bebé, or known as Tiago Manuel Dias Correia, signed from Portuguese club Vitória de Guimarães believed to be worth £7.4m (€9m) – the valuation of his release clause. It is astonishing considering he lived in a shelter for homeless young people in the outskirts of Lisbon just over a year ago. A remarkable rags to riches example of an unknown quantity who struck the jackpot by earning a lucrative professional contract at one of the world’s biggest soccer clubs.

His success is owed much to Cais, a magazine publisher inspired by the Big Issue that tries to use football to get homeless kids off the street. After impressing, he was given the chance to play competitively at amateur side Loures before earning a professional deal at Estrela Amadora. Financial difficulties besieged the Third Division outfit and Bebé was consequently offloaded. A full year later Vitória de Guimarães snapped him up on a five-year deal, but only stayed five weeks before his dream move to the English side after former Reds assistant Carlos Quieroz (as well as United’s scouts) advised Ferguson of acquiring the Portuguese. Perhaps Quieroz was a little late delivering that advice as Ferguson could have pinched Bebé on a free transfer before Guimarães agreed to a deal.

Much of the British press has taken a keen interest into this latest Ferguson acquisition, especially as Bebé had reportedly participated in the ‘homeless World Cup’. Two weeks ago, the Portuguese was horrendously bad in training, reported by the Guardian newspaper, he did not even make United’s reserve line-up in a fixture against Manchester City’s reserves. Ferguson was quick to downplay this, and cited his lack of fitness as the cause.

Ferguson has previously said, “sometimes you have to go with your instinct” and “I don’t think it is a risk”; two somewhat contradictory statements on an unproven player that is a predominately unknown figure in his own country, let alone in England. Surprisingly however, the striker, who can apparently also play in midfield, had also been linked with European giants Real Madrid.

Ferguson is renown for his talent spotting, but this is an extraordinary circumstance. Bebé could possibly turn out to be a miserable failure like few others who became overwhelmed by the Old Trafford cauldron, or then again, could be a spectacular hit.