Venables Hits Out at Berbatov's 'poisonous Presence' at Tottenham

The former Tottenham Hotspur manager Terry Venables has claimed that Dimitar Berbatov was a "poisonous presence" at the club. Venables says that the Bulgarian striker's desire to secure a lucrative contract at Manchester United and his reluctance to play for Spurs were major factors in the London club's poor start to the season.

"Berbatov kept telling us he had 'a dream'," Venables told The Sun. "Well, good for you Dimi. You had a dream with a few extra noughts added to your bank balance. But did Spurs have a dream too? You got your way but your poisonous presence at the start of the season - the brooding and the reluctance to play - has cost the club that believed in you."

Berbatov's wish to move to United had been the subject of much speculation all summer but he was still at White Hart Lane when the season started. However manager Juande Ramos was reluctant to select a player who was so clearly unsettled and the the player eventually moved to United in a £30m deal on the final day of the transfer window. Spurs are currently bottom of the Premier League after a winless start to the season, having scored only four goals in six matches.

Venables also had some criticism for the Spurs board for selling Robbie Keane to Liverpool before they had bought a replacement. "They thought they were going to get Andrei Arshavin," Venables said. "This was a massive managerial blunder by Spurs, especially when they had allowed Keane to leave. But letting Berbatov and Keane go without having Arshavin in the bag was a boardroom blunder."