Villa have answer to Manchester United's brilliant Bulgarian - one of their own

Nov 19 2008 by Mathew Kendrick, Birmingham Post

WHEN Manchester United roll into Villa Park on Saturday evening, Aston Villa’s bogey-team will include another potential thorn in Martin O’Neill’s side in the form of a brilliant Bulgarian.

Fortunately for Villa, they now boast one of their own.

The addition of Dimitar Berbatov to a United attack already dripping with Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo is a terrifying thought for anybody of a claret and blue persuasion.

Even without the brooding Bulgarian, the Red Devils routed Villa by an aggregate score of 10-1 during three one-sided encounters last season.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s champions pulled off a Premier League double with 4-1 and 4-0 victories and compounded O’Neill’s misery with a 2-0 FA Cup win at Villa Park.

Which is why it’s just as well that, while the Old Trafford artisans possess £30 million man Berbatov, Villa can now call upon a virtual new signing of their own from the same shores. Stiliyan Petrov.

The former Celtic midfielder’s £6.5 million transfer fee two seasons ago was nowhere near the price tag that his sulky compatriot has to carry on his shrugged shoulders following his move from Tottenham Hotspur.

However, Petrov would be the first to admit that he has taken much longer than Berbatov to adjust to the pressures of expectation and reputation at a new club.

Luckily for Villa, at a time when they are clinging to the coat-tails of United, Arsenal et al in their quest for a Champions League berth, Petrov has finally announced his arrival on the scene.