da dobrowin： With January fast approaching, clubs like Manchester United are beginning to be linked with every name under the sun once again. Despite a good recent run for Real Madrid, one potential buy for Sir Alex Ferguson being reported yet again is Karim Benzema. With the title charge already gathering speed, the striker could be just what United need to win back the Premier League.
da 888casino： After impressing at Lyon, Benzema was widely expected to be plying his trade at Old Trafford before deciding to head to Spain instead. It hasn’t gone exactly according to plan though for the French international who has found himself waiting his turn on the bench whilst Cristiano Ronaldo and co entertain the Bernabeu crowds. A poor first season even resulted in the then coach Raymond Domenech leaving him out of his World Cup squad.
Despite his lack of chances at Madrid, Ferguson has always been an admirer and no-one would bet against him making a bid for a player he once courted before. The striker would offer a directness of play which Carlos Tevez used to bring to the attack yet with more style and finesse. Ferguson would also then have the enviable option of being about to rotate between Benzema, Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernandez, whilst also considering at any time he can change the shape, move Rooney wide, and play a 4-5-1.
Whilst Berbatov has done a wonderful job leading the line by himself at times this season (his performance away at Valencia was underrated as for 60 minutes he did nothing but run and hold the ball up) and despite having quality by the bucket load, you struggle to see him scoring the winner in a smash-and-grab 1-0 which looked certain to head for a dead rubber 0-0.
Another advantage of signing the 22-year-old is that Ferguson would once again have a full quota of top-class strikers to choose from. In the treble-winning season of 1999, he had Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all choose from. In 2008, United’s next Champions League triumph, he had Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez all at his disposal. Since Ronaldo’s departure however, United have been lightweight up front, even with all of Rooney’s best efforts.
Hernandez aside, the attempts made by the Old Trafford club to sign a diamond-in-the rough type striker for a minimal fee, who would emerge as a world-class striker, have so far been fruitless. Mame Biram Diouf being a perfect example. Whilst signing Benzema may go against the grain in the sense Ferguson may have to break the bank a little, the rewards could be endless. Say what you will about the likes of Ronaldo and Tevez who have moved on to pastures new, but United miss them and who wouldn’t?
As hypothetical as it may be to suggest Madrid would let one of their first-team strikers join a European rival, if Benzema was in United’s team, you can’t help but think what could have been. Could he have turned one point into three therefore overtaking Chelsea at the top last season? Would he have provided a worthy replacement for Rooney when he struggling on injured against Bayern Munich in the Champions League?
Benzema undoubtedly has the ability to change games and win them on his own. As you would be unavailable for the Champions League, signing him in January may put Sir Alex off. But should the Frenchman continue to be forced to play second fiddle to Ronaldo and co at Madrid, he could soon be on his way to Old Trafford.
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