Ferguson: Berbatov clear on his role

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson expects Dimitar Berbatov to recover from being dropped for the Champions League final.

Berbatov, 30, was joint top-scorer in the English Premier League last season, but did not even warrant a place on the United bench for their 3-1 loss to Barcelona at Wembley on May 29.

Ferguson acknowledges Berbatov had cause to seek a transfer in the close season, but was adamant he expects all of his players to cope with the consequences of squad rotation.

“Yes, I’d understand that, but you could say that about them all,” Ferguson said.

“I don’t pick the same team every week, do I? I’ve only done that once in the last three years.”

“So they all understand it’s the squad that wins the games, wins the cups and I’ve got a good squad.”

“If you go back 20 years ago, they could never understand that. Whereas today they accept it and there’s no problem.”

Ferguson credited the emergence of Mexico international Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez with forcing Berbatov out of the first team.

“Chicharito hit such good form that you had to put him in every game,” Ferguson said.

“It was unfortunate for Berbatov. It didn’t make him a bad player, he was just an unlucky player in that this lad came in.”

Ferguson also said academy products Tom Cleverley and Danny Welback, who spent last season on loan with Wigan and Sunderland respectively, would remain at Old Trafford.

“They won’t go on loan again,” Ferguson said.

“Going on loan only serves one purpose: keeping them happy by playing all the time.”

“At their ages, it wouldn’t do us any good because other clubs would be benefiting from what we could be benefiting from. Because of the experience they have had, keeping them now benefits us.”