ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE:ALEX FERGUSON, like every great manager, has failed in the transfer market. Manchester United supporters can just about force a smile when they are reminded of Massimo Taibi's goalkeeping, or the way Kleberson proved that being a Brazilian World Cup winner does not necessarily mean you can trap a football .

What they could never have expected, though, was that they would reach the closing stages of Dimitar Berbatov’s first season at Old Trafford with Ferguson feeling compelled to speak out in defence of the Bulgarian.

Tommy Docherty, who is now a pundit on BBC radio, has been so outspoken over the years that his opinions are now greeted with a knowing roll of the eyes at Old Trafford but the former United manager spoke for a lot of supporters recently when he said of Berbatov that he “doesn’t seem interested” and “should look at Carlos Tevez and see the way he always grafts to win the ball back”.

Ferguson, however, is not even willing to accept his €33 million signing, the scorer of 23 goals for Tottenham Hotspur last season, has taken a backward turn.

“I don’t see any evidence at all of him tailing off,” said the United manager when asked whether Berbatov’s almost apologetic attempt to beat Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard in Sunday’s penalty shoot-out at Wembley symbolised the way the player’s season had gone.

“He came on and actually did quite well,” Ferguson continued. “He did really well. He is disappointed to miss a penalty, of course, and he will get criticised for that. When you pay £30 million for a player, then everyone thinks he should be able to score a penalty. But it’s not just about that.”

Berbatov has scored 13 goals in 36 starts and another four appearances as a substitute. Add to that 12 assists and his statistics do not look too shabby at all but it is the frequency with which games are passing him by that is troubling.

Some Old Trafford fans have started to question whether the 28-year-old will come to be thought of in the same way as Juan Sebastian Veron. Berbatov’s sympathisers will say this is too early to judge him. Equally, however, it does not reflect well on him that, over on Manchester City’s websites yesterday, they were congratulating themselves for having signed Robinho rather than Berbatov – despite the Brazilian’s own settling-in issues.

Sometimes a particular player might not be able to cope with being at a particular club. That player might not automatically fit into the team’s style of play.

In Veron’s case the Argentinian was a sublime passer of the ball, a far better player at Old Trafford than people like to remember, even if it is true that he could not fulfil his early promise.

It was simply an idea of Ferguson’s that did not work. The worry for United is that the same is starting to be said of Berbatov.