Filed under: Manchester City, Manchester United, Champions League, Premier League, Football, Transfer News
Their season hasn't exactly hit the wall - yet - but it appears someone from Manchester United did precisely that in the Wembley away dressing room after their FA Cup semi-final defeat by Manchester City.One of its walls was damaged in circumstances that remain mysterious but The Sun newspaper was quick to have a little fun with the incident, using the board game Cluedo to mock up pictures of some prime suspects.
Was it Mr Ferguson, who doesn't like losing anything, anywhere? Or Mr Rio, who lost his rag on the final whistle when Mario Balotelli decided to celebrate more energetically than his performance on the pitch? Or Mr Scholes, who had been sent off for what seemed like the 999th recklessly mistimed tackle of an illustrious career.
But it seems there may well be another man with good reason to be grumpy - although in his case he usually looks like that anyway - Dimitar Berbatov.
And the Daily Mirror is suggesting that the Bulgarian, who just happens to be the Premier League's top scorer this term, could be shown the exit door in the summer.
The former Tottenham man, who cost United £30 million in 2008, is understood to have a clause written into his contract that allows United to extend his deal by 12 months even if the player is against the idea.
Now that he is close to having just one year left on that deal United know that invoking the clause would protect the player's market value.
But Berbatov is no longer regarded as an automatic starter when the big games come around and did his cause little good by missing two inviting chances against City.
Many of his goals have come in lower-key fixtures - he bagged five in one go at home to Blackburn - whereas Javier Hernandez has emerged as the man for the big occasion alongside Wayne Rooney.
Berbatov didn't start either of United's Champions League semi-final games against Chelsea and was on the bench for the Premier League fixture against the same opponents and has started just three of United's last 11 games.
Could that mean United cutting their losses and cashing in on the 30-year-old this summer? Especially when the team needs strengthening in other areas.
"It's a horrible thing to say, but you can't be sentimental in this job," Sir Alex Ferguson is quoted in the Mirror. "I love the players that I've had and I've been very, very fortunate to have had great players who have come through my career with me.
"[But] my job is to manage United, to produce results and I'm no different from any other manager. I'll not be regarded in the same way if I'm not successful. Everything to do with me is black and white.
"If it's on the football field and I see something that I feel is a retrograde step for the club, I have to act and make decisions, which is something that I have always been good at.
"I can make quick decisions and I am lucky that way. In management, you have to be able to make decisions. Sometimes you're not right, but that doesn't concern me too much because the important thing is being able to do it."
Danny Welbeck and Federico Macheda are set to return to Old Trafford following loan spells at Sunderland and Sampdoria respectively, and that will not help Berbatov's cause either.
There will be no shortage of top clubs willing to take the 30-year-old off United's hands. But City, who made great play of persuading Carlos Tevez to switch allegiances, are unlikely to be one of them.
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