Berbatov & Ramos - The Perfect Match?

Speculation continues that Berbatov will ditch Spurs to complete a long mooted transfer to Manchester United in January. Given the Bulgarian's body language at times this season, you'd be forgiven for thinking that such a move is inevitable, whatever he may say in public about how he loves Spurs. Personally, I'd say the best hope Spurs have for keeping Berbatov is Ramos. Not because he's a world class coach who guarantees the trophies that Berbatov may be seeking, but because their two philosophies on football clearly match.

It's been clear from one and a half years of watching him for Spurs that Berbatov expects a high pressing midfield behind him, and the whole unit to push out from deep defence and pressure the opposition at all times, yet under Jol, the defence was typically sat deeper (ridiculously so at times) and the midfield very far away from the attack, Lennon aside. Numerous times every game Berbatov would turn around, following a move breaking down in the final third, and see no one within 20-30 yards of him ready to put pressure on the ball, consequently the arms would flap and the scowl would appear.

This has clearly changed under Ramos, as you would expect from seeing the way Sevilla play, although it's not quite been perfected yet.

High pressure, high tempo game with the ball principally on the deck is going to be a much closer match to the way Berbatov would ideally like to play football than Jol's slower, possession game that squeezed space for the forwards as the ball moved back and forwards between defence and midfield. If Berbatov is enjoying the football he and the team are playing, there is obviously a far greater chance of him forgoing the opportunity to move and play at the level that, let's be honest, he should be playing at.