Berba: I'd rather win than score

Dimitar Berbatov doesn’t care if he fails to find the net… as long as United keep winning.

The former Tottenham Hotspur striker has yet to open his account for the Reds but shone in his home debut against Bolton. The 27-year-old was disappointed not to get on the scoresheet but insisted there are more important issues.

“I really wanted to score a goal,” he told MUTV. “But the three points are the most important thing and we were the better team today. We scored two goals but missed four or five chances.”

Incredibly, some critics had blasted Berbatov after just two appearances for the Reds. But the Bulgarian let his football do the talking on Saturday, with an inspired performance alongside Carlos Tevez and, later, Wayne Rooney.

“I’m happy with how I’m playing, particularly after today,” he said. “The game was good for me. I didn’t take my chances so hopefully in the future I will score.

“I think today was a big improvement from myself and from the team. I’m working really hard to help the team and so I can develop a better understanding with everyone. I’m sure that will happen.”

He certainly impressed his manager. Sir Alex was effusive in his praise for the recent arrival and heralded his ability to control the ball under pressure.

"We learned today how good Berbatov is," Sir Alex said. "You don't need to pass to him in space all the time. You can pass to him when he's marked – he's brilliant at that and he produced some great moments, as did a lot of the players. His touch was fantastic at times."

Berbatov's best moments arguably came after the introduction of Wayne Rooney on 71 minutes, a fact not lost on the Bulgarian.

“What can I say about this guy?" Berbatov said. "Wayne came on and scored a wonderful goal. In fact, when [he and Paul Scholes] came on our football improved a lot.”