I am happy Berba got his first hat-trick at MU. Not that it really matters, but it is good that he got it out of his way.
I believe he is the classiest player alive today. By classiest, I do not mean best/most-effective, I mean he is the most pleasing to watch. The most pleasing I have ever watched in my life is Zidane. I put Berbatov at #2.
In most professions, statistics are the only thing people base their judgments on. Not that statistics are unimportant, it is just that it is nice if one could acknowledge the people who are awesome in a different way. During his time at MU, Berba has probably not been extra-ordinarily influential to the team. However, watching him makes you believe that football can indeed be an art.
Some say that science is an art. Einstein said that beauty is one of the ideas that lighted his way. We primarily watch football for the excitement it offers, and not because there is science in how a player kicks a ball. But seeing beautiful play once in a while is extremely pleasing and even liberating to a certain extent. Berba's play, sometimes, makes you forget about winning and losing and takes you to a world where you see and seek nothing but finesse, class and perfection in football play. It almost makes the scoreline inconsequential.
In all fields, ideals like perfection, finesse and class are never really nurtured. We are taught to satisfy what the world needs - strong statistics. I am thankful that players like Berba still exist, who exhibit beauty in their play and not just concentrate on being top statistically. When you watch them touch the ball, you say to yourself - God! Football is a beautiful game and not I love Manchester United. I hope every generation has its Berbatov and Zidane.
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