The Best Team Won

Gabriel Obertan: Stud or dud? July 18, 2009

I am not recommending managers to scour YouTube videos to look for potential signings just yet, but if the videos on Gabriel Obertan are anything to come by, we have got ourselves at least a decent player. In fact, I am convinced he will aid the team’s cause more than Owen or Valencia.

Like most of the Old Trafford faithful, when the news filtered through about the signing of Obertan, I was skeptical about this french player. Nobody had heard of this guy. Then again, nobody had heard of Cristiano Ronaldo when Fergie signed him (except for people who spent hours and hours of their lives playing footie sims).

These video montages (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSLIGo_7xGc) have definitely shed some of my doubts. Ronaldo never had the dribbling ability that this guy has at the same age. Obertan is clearly more nimble and there is a certain robustness about his runs despite his slight frame.

Although Ronaldo has improved leaps and bounds in the last five years or so, he never really had the wherewhital to beat players with anything other than his demonic pace. Obertan has the ability to make defenders turn their backs on him, much like the way Giggs did in his prime.

Let’s hope that the video montages won’t go down the road of movie trailers where all the best stuff in the movies are on already on them.