Great article on Berba and Ruiz from today's Sunday Times

[NorthernWhite]

I'm really looking forward to seeing them play together today.

Fulham's website advertises free printing if you buy a shirt with "Berbatov 9" on the back and the latest issue of the club magazine, which has Bryan Ruiz on its cover. You feel there should also be ads for velvet smoking jackets, Fabergé eggs, Aston Martins and rare parakeets.

There is just something so recherché, so decadent about a team, in 2012, encrusted with these two jewels. Modern football is supposed to be science, speed, tactics, pass completion stats, "final-third entries", "high-intensity runs" and all that rather unmelodic noise. Yet here are two players who seemingly perform off the cuff, take their own sweet time — and always seek marks for artistic impression.

Berbatov would choke on a Marlboro if you said he'd be even better if he did a little more defending from the front. Ruiz would gaze, uncomprehending, doe-eyed, if you told him to put in tackles. These are kindred souls to whom pressing and percentage play are what an Ikea print in a clipframe would be to Brian Sewell.

That breed, The Mavericks, was supposed to have died with Peter Osgood and Rodney Marsh, so how can Fulham be high in the Premier League, and outplay Arsenal away, with two in their side? "Good footballers can work together all the time. It is about good footballers and I even feel, if you look at Ruiz and Berbatov, maybe it's not the best combination," Martin Jol said. "But nothing in football is what it seems."

It comes down, perhaps, to football starting to alter — and to clever management from Jol. The game is becoming less mechanical. More goals are being scored, more roles on the pitch are free in scope, tackling is more difficult because of refereeing changes, flair is back in.

"The Premier League has become all about transitions," says an analyst for one of its biggest clubs. He means inviting attacks, retrieving possession and hitting opponents with counters. In such circumstances, having forwards with quick wits and high technique — who find unseen spaces or unexpected angles with their passing — is valuable. Strikers who don't come back but hang out, ready for the next break, can be advantageous.

Of course a coach must cover up for what his players don't do. Ruiz, who at FC Twente enjoyed the presence of Cheick Tiote playing behind him, has two sturdy midfield minders, Chris Baird and Steve Sidwell. Berbatov is flanked by wide players, such as Damien Duff, who work hard out of possession. Nonetheless, Fulham's high goals-against tally confirms luxury comes at a price. Thankfully for the team, with Ruiz and Berbatov they went into this weekend having outscored every Premier League side bar Manchester United.

Jol's understanding of Berbatov is key. The Bulgarian was given four days off last week because his girlfriend was preparing to give birth. Jol says he "likes football. He is like a junior player who has just started . . . the thing you've got to understand is even when he's happy, he doesn't always look it".

Having managed Berbatov at Tottenham and been behind his recruitment from Bayer Leverkusen in 2006, Jol feels his star's reputation as "a sulker" is false. "We have an unbelievable medical department and when players arrive they fill in a [personality] test," he said. "With Berba, I said, 'Don't let him fill it in!' But, OK, he did it. They came back saying, 'He's an extrovert, a leader'. I said, 'What are you bloody talking about?' He wasn't being serious when he filled in his answers . . . Berba's no extrovert. But he loves people."

Against Arsenal last weekend Berbatov converted a penalty after an extravagant pause in his run-up. Jol said on Friday: "He loves training, he loves finishing and he loves taking penalties. Today he wanted to show me his last penalty was not a coincidence. I said, 'Please next time, like you always did at Spurs — just put it in the net instead of waiting for the keeper'. But he did that last week because I said there is no player I know who could wait for the keeper . . . so he did in front of 60,000 people.

"He is different. He wanted to prove to me he could wait for the keeper. That is not what you want — just put it in the corner!"

Jol suggested: "He doesn't like to be an entertainer — he is an entertainer because of his style. I don't want to take that away from him because, if you don't win, people will say he is floating and dropping in."

Though Berbatov was revelatory in a deeper position in a cameo against West Ham, Jol wants him to stay as a No 9. "Berba wants to be involved in the build-up. That's not always easy," he admitted.

The No 10 role and that band of space between midfield and forward line is Ruiz's preserve. The Costa Rican started slowly in English football while attuning to its pace but is beginning to show why at FC Twente he was regarded by many as the club's greatest player: Ruiz scored 24 goals and provided 18 assists, mostly from the right, as FC Twente won the first league title in their history.

"Ah, you want to talk about the sensational Bryan Ruiz?" said Eddy van der Ley, a journalist, broadcaster and FC Twente specialist. "Steve McClaren and the other players were important but who brought FC Twente the championship? Ruiz."

Like Berbatov, he leaves the exhibitionism on-stage. Van der Ley, who got to know him in Holland, said: "Bryan's a shy person, very humble." Raised in a poor district of San Jose by his mother and grandfather, he flew grandad to Enschede and showed him the stadium.

"Wonderful," said Pops, "now can you show me the Bernabeu?" He thought that Europe was small enough to drive to Madrid in an hour or two. Ruiz duly booked more flights and took him to Madrid. Grandad, a Real fan, had tears in his eyes.

Ruiz was scouted by Tottenham and watched by Harry Redknapp but Spurs pulled out. Fulham came in but, "on the same day Bryan was here [agreeing a deal] another club had a helicopter waiting to take him to their training ground", Jol revealed.

Berbatov was en route to Italy, where he had meetings with Juventus and Fiorentina, when Jol called and made his pitch to persuade the striker to to join Fulham. "Berba, you'll love it here. Your missus will love it. The fans will love you," the manager crooned.

The double act so nearly never got together. But some things are meant to be. They're two mavericks on a wavelength but the wave's not fierce and choppy; it's a long, slow, lovely, undulating swell of water.

[White Noise]

Berbatov at Fulham and, to a lesser extent, Ruiz is THE story amongst national newspaper journalists of a certain hue. Love Jonathan Northcroft's piece above but Jason Burts piece in The Telegraph today is also very interesting -

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/fulham/9685199/Fulham-striker-Dimitar-Berbatov-making-the-most-of-beign-re-united-with-Martin-Jol-at-Craven-Cottage.html

and along with David Hytner's piece in The Guardian earlier this week it illustrates that Jol and Berbatov are creating quite a stir in the media -

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/nov/13/fulham-dimitar-berbatov-style-adventure

[alexbishop]

Some great pieces written recently. Really hope they live up to the hype today....

[Bassey the warrior]

A great article with the minor grievance that Ruiz is claimed to not get stuck in. Anyone who's watched our games this season will see that he has put himself about much more. Taken on a Dembele like evolution. He's stronger, more willing to track back and stronger in the tackle.