Slow Fast Hazel

It is, for us, a very slow news day, understandable given that we didn't (need to) do anything on the final day of the transfer window, except loan out James Chester to Peterborough. The only story today is on some quotes from Berbatov, reported in just about all the papers. The Daily Star seems to be the only paper to pick up on comments about Berbatov being inspired by our Champions League triumph last season:

Berbatov said: “I watched the final on television and what I loved were the slow-motion replays of the players on the halfway line when Edwin van der Sar saved that last penalty.

“The expressions … it was like relief, joy – and every emotion known to man in that one moment.

“I looked at that and thought, ‘That’s what I want’.”

The Times picks up on the confidence in the squad which Berbatov talks of:

“When you’re in the tunnel at Old Trafford and you hear on the speakers, ‘Please welcome the champions of England, the champions of Europe and the champions of the world’, you just believe that you are going to crush anybody in your way,” the striker, who joined from Tottenham Hotspur for £30.75 million in September, said.

“I get goose bumps every time I walk out at Old Trafford. It’s great. Teams come here and stand off in the first ten minutes. I know what that’s like {because we did it] when I came here with Tottenham — you’re aware of the history, the stadium, the fans. We need to keep taking advantage of that. For us, it’s only about winning.”

While the other papers go with comments he's made about his playing style, from The Mail:

He said: 'I'm a relaxed guy. I play the way I do and can't change - that's the way I prefer to play. I watch games and see guys who panic on the ball and look so nervous.

'But I sometimes know what I want to do before the ball comes to me so I stay calm.

'I still have things to do before I'm completely happy with my game but the boss [Sir Alex Ferguson] tells me not to change anything. He gives me the freedom to express my qualities.'

And I like the evangelical tone of this, from The Independent:

"Half the people might like me - the other half might not," he said.

"But throughout my life, I have had high expectations for myself - so I just try to make the non-believers into believers.

"But even when things are going great I keep telling myself I need to do more.

"I am a perfectionist and I set high standards. Everything I do, I want it to be perfect. I know it can't be like that every time - but that is my aim.

"If it is near perfection, I suppose I am happy."

One other "story" today, from The Mail, who work out that during our run of 12 games without conceding the other 19 teams in the Premier League have conceded a total of 282 goals, with our nearest "challengers", Liverpool, having conceded 7.