Manchester United's Bebe Will Have to Shine to Succeed

Before Sir Alex Ferguson decided to sign Bebe, a man who he had never seen play, it's unlikely the British press had given the player any thought.

However, following a £7 million transfer for a man who had until recently been plying his trade for Portuguese third division club Estrala da Amadora, Bebe has now attracted more column inches than he would have dreamed of.

Despite having triumphed in the face of adversity after spending time representing Portugal in the World Homeless Cup and overcoming the odds to end up earning a transfer to one of the biggest clubs in the world, Bebe has come in for constant criticism by the tabloid press since his arrival in the UK. Of course, none of those who bet on Premier League games would have expected him to walk straight into the side, but he's been harshly treated.

Having initially been accused of showing considerably less talent than was expected of him prior to his arrival, more recent reports claimed a lack of fitness led to him missing the cut for Manchester United's Champions League squad, although it was later confirmed he had been included.

Generating so many headlines in such a short space of time will inevitably lead to a far higher level of scrutiny than that of other transfers of a similar nature this summer, with the example of Arsenal signing Laurent Koscielny, a man who made a mistake that led to Blackburn scoring an equaliser against the Gunners in their last league match, proving that it isn't always what you do on the pitch that dictates what people are talking about.

With Bebe likely to be making his first appearance in Manchester United’s Carling Cup side, fans and pundits alike will be looking to see whether he shows signs that suggest he will be worth the trouble that his signing has caused.

The best odds on Carling Cup games suggest United will do well as always, but it will be interesting to see if Bebe carries his weight when he does step out on to the pitch.