Cristiano Ronaldo: A Tale of Love

Love is a word that is often banded around willy nilly these days. "I love coffee", "I love cats" etc etc, but love is much more than that; love is a consuming feeling. In fact, it's more than a feeling, it's almost impossible to describe, perhaps that's why it's so alluring?

Take yourselves back to Wednesday 21st May, 2008 (as if you could forget). Ryan Giggs has just booted home the winning penalty for Manchester United in the Champions League Final; you've done it, you've won the trophy that cements your club's position as Europe's best, but it wasn't all plain sailing. You missed your penalty, despite all the hype, all the pre-match talk, all the goals and celebrations, you missed your penalty when the pressure was on. (for the second time). Ryan Giggs just saved your ass.

You collapse in a heap as your emotions get the better of you, and you cry a little. You compose yourself and are interviewed; the journalists ask about your future, where do you go now? "I stay" you say without hesitation in your often ambiguous broken English, there's no room for ambiguity here, your immediate response was adamant.

Fast forward now to the European Championships. Moscow is behind you now, you're concentrating on Portugal and, as is the norm for you, looking to win. Rumours that first emerged even before the Champions League final in May are abound that Spanish giants Real Madrid are interested in your services; in fact your club have already reported them to FIFA for attempting to tap you up, but you're intrigued. Away from the glare of your club manager and your team-mates (Nani aside), you contemplate the move; it could be the best thing for you. After all, where did you dream of when you were kicking the ball around on the Madeira beaches; rainy Manchester? No, sunny, beautiful, alluring Madrid. Being away from your club has given you time to think, time to justify the move. You've never made it a secret that you'd like to play in Spain one day, perhaps the time is right?

June has barely begun however, when your club boss, the ever outspoken Alex Ferguson, issues a strong worded statement: The club would rather put Cristiano Ronaldo in the stands than sell him to Real Madrid.

You're confused. 5 days later you make your first mistake. You should have ignored the rumours, taken the ego boost of being strongly linked with Madrid and just accepted that the time is not right. Instead, you issue a statement so glorious in its ambiguity, that a politician couldn't have said it better.

""I'd like to play for Real Madrid but only if it's true they are ready to pay what Manchester United ask of them," he told respected Brazilian website Terra.

"However, it does not depend on me," said the Portuguese midfielder.

"I'll only talk about this again after the European Championship," added Ronaldo. "Don't ask me any questions because I won't answer."

Before your statement, Madrid had all but given up hope of signing you this summer, but you woke up the dragon. "For Madrid it is an honour to know that a player like him thinks that playing at Real would be good," he told Spanish newspaper AS.

"We are proud to know that he would like to be with us."

Shit has now officially hit the fan. The fans are in uproar, why won't you commit to United? The club who've nurtured you for 5 years and helped turn your potential into a reality. The silence is deafening, the Manchester Evening News reports that "the groundswell of opinion is moving away from all-out determination to keep their 42-goal hero at Old Trafford, to frustration and annoyance that he steadfastly refuses to nail his colours to the Red mast."

Manchester United fans are a fickle bunch who demand 100% loyalty from their players, homegrown or not, or at least an apparent loyalty, what actually goes on in their heads is by-the-by as long as the player demonstrates a love for his club either through his words or his football. You've really upset them.

Fast forward now to July, a full 6 weeks after this fiasco began. By now you've completely marred what should've been a glorious summer for Manchester United fans. Instead of the joyous fallout of an incredible double and a first European success since 1999, all they've been doing is view the putrid 'will he, won't he' saga you've helped to create. Above all else, the fans are disappointed that you haven't once come out publicly to just put the rumours to bed and commit to your club, even if it's just for the next season. They feel let down, they feel betrayed, they think you're ungrateful, some have even begun to hate you.

Only days previously, Madrid president Roman Calderon announced that "His [Ronaldo] declarations have provoked a lot of expectation," Calderon said of the Madeira-born player. "If it was me, it would make me proud that the big clubs were asking about our players. But it is not up to the player, or Madrid. Manchester do not want to sell him. It seems that Ronaldo has become a bit of a hot potato," he added."

You met with Alex Ferguson in July, you talked. “We did a lot of stocking up last summer, buying four players of good ages as part of a policy of bringing in footballers whom we thought we could develop,” Ferguson said.

“We think there is further progress in this squad. We had 23 players in Moscow for the European Cup final and they will all be there for this season.”

By July 21st however, your broken English served up another howler, less than a week after your meeting with Ferguson and an assertion from the Scot that "Ronaldo will be a Manchester United player next season"; "I have had hundreds of questions about Manchester United and Real Madrid," he said. "What do you want me to say? That I am staying or that I am going? I don't know about the future - only God knows that. Great players are always hunted by great clubs, it is a normal situation. I want to be happy regardless of where I play. I can be happy anywhere if I am with people I like or if I am motivated."

What does that mean? From behind United-tinted glasses it reads well, "stop asking me about my future because I'm not a fortune teller"; but it does the same from a Madrid perspective; "come and get me, I'm not committing and I'm not in the right frame of mind to stay."

If you'd just committed to United, none of this would have happened; but the saga rolled on.

To August now, and you've had the surgery on an ankle injury that fortunately didn't do you any damage the previous season; yet the rumours about Madrid still refuse to go away. "Ronaldo is reluctant to return to Manchester at all, and will try and force United's hand by staying away from Old Trafford as long as possible" claim some media sources, but the transfer deadline came and went, and you were still a United player. So what now?

The season starts and you're less than impressive. Your diving antics, forgiven by most fans last season, are resoundly abhorred this season. You're not tearing opponents apart, you just don't look like yourself.

To top it off, you're sent off against Manchester City for a ridiculous handball and a second yellow card, the gloves are off and fans are furious.

Move on to the new year, to 2009, your side have just hammered Chelsea, last year's runners up and Champions League finalists, 3-0. You didn't score in that game, but you played with that Ronaldo guise so sorely missed in the early part of the season. But right when the fans are just starting to forgive you (they're all fickle really), Madrid pop up again: "Spanish journalist Guilem Balague claimed on his website Tuesday that a verbal agreement has been reached between Ronaldo's agent and the Spanish champions for a summer transfer.

Madrid is prepared to spend up to 115 million euros (C$186 million) on the transfer, Balague said, adding that United will command a higher fee due to the plummeting value of the pound and strength of the euro."

However, amid desparate groans of "here we go again" from Manchester Untied fans all over the world, you, fresh from a potentially horrific car crash, and with epiphany like timing, release your latest statement to the press:
"I intend to win as many trophies as I can with this club for as long as possible," he said.

"We are a young team and the future is good.

"I want to be here and be part of the success that lies ahead. It is great to be part of such a fantastic club.

"I intend to be here for years and years."

Bravo sir, bravo.

It wasn't until December when I finally came to terms with the fact that Ronaldo would not be at Man Utd forever. After the City game, I was angry, I believed that the Ronaldo of 2007-08 was gone, and in his place was the wantaway Ronaldo of 2008-09. I wrote on December 1st, "my reverence of Cristiano Ronaldo peaked at the Champions League Final. I cried with him. Yesterday, I laughed at him."

So where do I stand now?

Love is a word banded around too much, and with too much ease, but I love Manchester United. To me, it's more than just words, more than just a feeling; I live and breathe it every day of my life. In my love for my club, I developed a love for Cristiano Ronaldo, the most complete football player I've ever been lucky enough to witness in my lifetime. At the time I thought this was a love of Ronaldo, rather than a love by proxy of my love for my club. With this in mind, I admire and deeply respect Cristiano Ronaldo not only for his ability, but for his will to win and his overwhelming desire to be the best.

Cristiano Ronaldo's summer saga is a tale of love, not a love of Ronaldo, but a love of Manchester United.

A Summary So Far

It's still early days in the season. The Champions League has only just kicked off, the FA Cup hasn't even started for the top divisions and the Premiership is just beginning to get interesting. Despite a slow start to the season our awful fixture list puts the results in some perspective; Liverpool, Chelsea and Portsmouth away certainly aren't pushovers.

Thus far United have looked disjointed and less than inspiring. But again, when you look at the fact that our leading scorer from last year (and the world's best player) has been injured, along with a less than optimal preseason for Wayne Rooney and a host of other injuries, we have done what we could with what we had. Today against Aalborg, Sir Alex had his full compliment of forwards to chose from and went with Rooney, Berbatov up front, Nani and Ronaldo on the wings, O'Shea and Scholes in the middle and the ever dependable back five, though young Rafael Da Silva was given a start ahead of Gary Neville (who didn't travel with the squad) and Wes Brown.

I have to say that I will not be sad to see Ronaldo go next year. Yes, I'm treating his transfer to Madrid as an eventuality. Why? Because he is the world's best player and biggest name and to not cash in on him while we can would be stupid. I won't be sad to see him not because of what he brings to the team (IMO irreplaceable qualities), but because of what he doesn't bring to the team. Even the staunchest Ronaldo fan must admit that he doesn't track back, doesn't work hard, dives perhaps a little too often and often mopes around on an off day.

Well, it seems that we now have two Ronaldo's in our side. Yes I'm talking about our new striker, Dimitar Berbatov. Don't get me wrong here, Dimi is class; his two finishes today showed that. But the same complaints of Ronaldo can be made of Berbatov. Against the Danish champions we can have to players working less than 100%. But against Bayern Munich? Chelsea? Liverpool? Juve? I don't think so. Ronaldo's less than stellar workrate was offset last year by the constant harrying by Tevez and Rooney as well as his goal tally; this year unless Ferguson benches our new buy, that combination will be few and far between.

This is not a bad thing. It will force our midfield to work harder yes, but we have the legs in players like Fletcher, Hargreaves and Carrick, and the experience in players like Giggs and Scholes to make up for it.

Two passages of play caught my eye today, both in the second half. Neither led to a goal, but both led to chances. The first was that cutting counterattack that moved the ball from Ronaldo's foot at the edge of our box to Nani's chip in the Aalborg area in less than 10 seconds. Absolutely stunning, and if not for a dodgy call by the linesman, certainly a goal by Tevez coming in for the rebound. The second was the smooth passing and vision that saw Giggs in on goal at a thin angle, his shot saved by the keeper. Both exhibited the great vision and passing and quickness that United teams of the past exemplified. For the first time this year, it felt like the boys were on their game, that everything was clicking, which is essential for a good run of wins.

Wayne Rooney or the story of a boy who can't seem to do anything right

"We have to define Rooney's role a bit better for us."He sacrificed himself for the team a lot last season. We played him wide and in other positions at times."I think I have to take a bit of responsibility for that. He never complained about it, which says a lot for the lad.“It does indeed, Sir Alex. Where other players would moan and bitch, Rooney went out last year and did what was asked of him, no complaining, no whining, giving 100%People are quick to jump on his back now that he has had a couple of bad games for us at the beginning of the season. I don’t want to make excuses as i know he should have played better, but am i the only one who thinks that coming back from some sort of weird foreign virus might have influenced his health and play just a tiny little bit?But anyway. Back to people claiming he is „useless“ and needs to be sold because he does’t score goals.Wayne Rooney scored 18 goals for us last season in the premiere league, that is only 1 less than Carlos Tevez and he had 12 assists and so shares top spot with Nani when it comes to that.I am pretty sure Rooney himself isn’t happy with his performance this year, because as every player, or at least every committed player, all he wants to do is help the team win and do the best he can.We have seen a tired and out of spirits Wayne Rooney so far but i don’t think that fans and critics equally getting on his back every single time he doesn’t score in a game will help him build his confidence. People have told me that they think Rooney doesn’t get criticised enough because he is english and he is appreciated more than other players. Now i ask where are these people every time Rooney misses a chance and comments of „how could he miss that? A world class striker would have put it in the net“ or „rooney and his missed chance lost us the game“ or „Rooney has been terrible and he is useless“ flood the wall?If anything, he has gotten a lot of criticism and been looked at a lot more closely because he was England’s golden boy and our star signing back in the day. And though people were constantly praising him during his first couple of seasons with us, they are now quick to jump at him because he doesn’t score 20+ goals a season. What they forget though, is that he has improved in every other aspect of his game. His passing, his tackling, his defending. He has tracked back and has more assists than any other player Critics are fans equally are getting on Rooney’s back and he gets made the scapegoat for a lot of things going wrong, especially in England games. Like Mark Kaba said: „Rooney is a trequartista. He's like Del Piero, he isn't a striker. Slot him in behind the strikers and he'll still average over 17 goals and 10 assists.“People need to learn that as a striker, you don’t HAVE to score 20+ goals to be useful to your team. 15 + goals will do if you contribute more to the game then just the goals. If Rooney was a player that only brought goals to the game, like an out and out striker, like, for example, Ruud Van Nistelrooy (no offence. He was a big asset to our team, but he simply was about goals and nothing more), then yes, it would indeed be worrying if he didn’t score more than 15 goals a season.But with everything that rooney does fort his team, frankly, people need to get off his back and quitt he fucking bitching.I hear people appreciate tevez’s work-rate and say what a committed player he is, yet some are quick to ignore this when it comes to rooney. He tracks back to get the ball, chases after every ball he loses and even helps out in defence as he feels it’s his job, like he mentioned in his book.People can never be satisfied as it looks.Last year, when Rooney was tracking back and chasing the balls back into our half, people said he should stay forward more often. And now that he does that people criticise that he doesn’t track back enough and that they miss it.Make up your minds people, you can’t have everything.People are blind if they don’t see what Rooney has done for us last season and are pathetic and stupid if they write him off after 3 games that he has played after suffering from a tropial virus for 2 weeks. I just want to remind people of the period when Rooney didn’t score in a couple of games for United and people, fans and reporters equally, were writing him off. He came back with a hat-trick and showed them that he can never be written off.Personally, i like a player who scores 18 goals and has 12 assists for us in the league and works his butt off to make sure the team and himself give his best.I believe in Wayne Rooney. And so should all of you if you want to call yourself a United fan.

By Alice C.

Reposted without permission. Mwhahahaha!

A Clear Case for Carrick

Michael Carrick has always been a player that was going to get more than his fair share of stick from the United faithful. When he came from Tottenham two years ago, we'd just lost Roy Keane. Carrick was handed the number 16 shirt, that of our previous captain. And it seemed to many Reds that we paid over the odds for him. Two years and three trophies later, most of us have taken a liking to Carrick, with the odd request that he chip in with a few more goals each year.

When Carrick came to United, we were all wondering what he would bring to the team. And at first glance, to the casual observer, it's not much. He doesn't have many assists, his freekicks aren't too special, he doesn't weigh in with too many goals and he has a long, lanky frame not suited for defensive work. But what he does do is pass. And he passes about as well as anyone in England. From the simple ten yard passes with Rio and Nemanja, to the 60 yard bomb to the foot of a sprinting Giggs or Evra or Ronaldo or Rooney. Carrick truly makes our midfield tick.

While many fans have been aware of this fact for quite some time, I think any who aren't need only look at the result of yesterday's match. The first half saw us unlucky and wasteful in front of goal. We created a decent number of chances, just couldn't put them away. Now think of the second half. I don't remember too many chances coming, and I think that we can put that down to Carrick's exceptional ability to create for his fellow teammates (and the lack of it as the game progressed).

Now if only the boy could get some goals!

"World-Class" or "World-ASS"?

To be a "world-class" player is a tag for players who have top skill and reputation in the sport world-wide. Footballers today, especially today, have really been showing a trend towards something the sport has not really seen in its history. Since when did players sell out to play for "bigger clubs" when all it really was about was more money? It seems today, more often than ever before, young and old, are more concerned about making their bank accounts as absurdly big as possible than playing for the true reasons of the sport: passion, love, and heart.

First, take a look at these five players: Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Alessandro Del Piero, Raul Gonzalez, and David Beckham. All players are not hansomly paid by their clubs (compared to these "high profile" wages these days), and they have been at primarily ONE club their whole career.

Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, we know these players like our family members. Giggs started at Manchester United in 1990, coming right out of their youth program. Scholes started at United in 1993, also coming right out of the youth program. These players have never been the highest paid players, nor have they been the "spotlight/highlight" player of United. They have been a loyal, loving, and respectful players since the day they walked on the pitch of their first game. They have done nothing but play for the badge on their chest. One might ask, "why didn't they leave for more money from another club? Why didn't they ask for a large increase in their contracts?" The answer is simple, and has been said from Giggsy and Scholesy: I want to give back to football what football has given me. And in a sense, they are giving back to Manchester United what Manchester United has given to them.

The same can be said about Del Piero and Raul. They had been linked several places throughout their illustrious careers. Yet both players have stuck with the team they've supported all their lives. Del Piero has played at Juventus since 1993, capping 417 appearances and scoring 176 goals. He had been rumored to multiple moves throughout his career (one to Manchester United). However, Del Piero stuck with the team he had supported since childhood. In fact, Juventus decided to name their mascot after the striker. He was never a top-paid player for the team, and produced big game after big game for the Italian side. Raul has 483 appearances with 205 goals at Madrid, and amazing accomplishment for any striker. Ever since 1994, Raul has been banging in goals for Real Madrid, and captaining his team since 2003. He has never been the highest paid player for his club for his worth. He's been the most productive player in their history perhaps.

David Beckham played for his childhood team, Manchester United for ten seasons, appearing in 265 games and scoring 61 goals. Perhaps the best young talent to come out of the youth program (the same as Giggs and Scholes). However, after ten years, decided to make a move to Real Madrid after terms went up in Manchester. Then, after four years at Madrid, Becks decided to take his game to the Los Angeles, USA. However, despite being one of the world's richest athletes, one can say he has done more good for the sport than many of the players in the game today. He has reached the sport at an international level that many athletes have yet to accomplish. Beckham has sparked a soccer (football) revolution in the US, and has taken the country by storm. His passion, dedication, and determination for the sport has seen millions of fans become dedicated supporters of players and clubs around the world. Sure, he's one of the wealthiest footballers on the planet, but that is because he's earned it. He is purely giving back to football, what football has given him.

These are examples of "World-Class" players. They are not the players who have won the most titles at their clubs, nor won personal accolades such as the "Balon 'd Or", or the "Golden Boot". They are the true class heroes who have set an example for why the sport is played: for passion, love, and heart.

Now, lets take another few players: Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry. Both players have been recognized at some point in their careers as "the best in the world" and "world-class footballers". I beg to differ.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been in the middle of, perhaps, the biggest crossfire between clubs in recent history. However, he has decided to deal with it in the most "world-classless" way. A true professional stays dedicated to the team he is under contract with, and has provided you nothing but respect, honor, and education. As a young player after coming from Lisbon, Cristiano showed his youth. Silly antics on the field (diving, whining, simulation, selfishness, faking injury, and much much more youthful ignorance) was shown. However, he has developed to (almost) rid himself of such immaturity. Now, he is telling the team that has made him a global superstar, and pays him one of the leagues highest salaries, is telling the team he is under contract with that he is done with the club, and wants to leave for Madrid. This is a "world class ASS"! Thierry Henry, a prolific goalscorer for Arsenal, and talisman of France. He had spent years bouncing between youth clubs and senior clubs such as AS Monaco and Juventus. Then he came to Arsenal and reeled off 369 appearances scoring 226 goals. An astonishing feat. Then, after clearly stating that he was not leaving Arsenal, he packs his bags, leaving his family and fans, for Barcelona. Selling out is one thing, but saying one thing, and doing another after giving your word is another poor example of a classless, arrogant fool. His career has since been dismal, barely breaking into regular first team experience. Now, he has been linked to a move to other clubs (including Manchester United).

Now, you tell me, who are the real "world-class footballers"?

We don't need a striker, we've got Tevez

Tevez enjoyed a spectacular first season with United. 19 goals, a League title, and a European Cup. He’s earned plenty of well-deserved praise from United fans for his hardwork, his dogged nature and his habit of chipping in with important, timely goals (Lille, Blackburn, Tottenham all come to mind).
I think Tevez deserves even more praise, because he brings something to our team that no other member of our forward line brings. While no one can doubt Ronaldo’s ability in front of goal, or Rooney’s tenacity or will to win, neither of them exhibit Tevez’s unique (in this United team), of getting onto the ball at just the right time to score a goal.
If we look at Tevez’s nineteen goals last year, eight of them were scored either by his head, or off his toe or foot as deflections. The rest were shots that were lined up by him in open play or by teammates. My point is that we don’t need a Ruud like so many pundits and new fans seem to think. We don’t need a fox in the box. We have one already. Tevez has the skills to play in our system, and the ability, as witnessed by his deflection into the roof of the net against Liverpool, the diving header against Chelsea, the cool finish at Lille, etc, etc, to finish with any part of his body.
So, to people who say that Berbatov, or KJH are the end of our problems need to think long and hard. Anyone who comes into our squad needs to have the qualities of this United team; the ability to run with the ball at pace consistently, the ability to counterattack quickly, the ability to finish and the impetus to work hard for the shirt and for their teammates. I have no doubt that Berbatov will allow Rooney and Tevez to work better in the system, to work off of a proper striker. But I expect more from any signing this summer than someone who can finish with their boot or their head. We’ve already got that.

ARGENTINA!! ARGENTINA!! ARGENTINA!!

Portsmouth VS Man United

I revel in the light of our game against Portsmouth on Sunday. Despite the fact that Portsmouth came out full force, even had their new gangly addition Peter Crouch playing, we won in a cool calm Man United-esque way.

I love friendlies because I finally get to see players that Fergie would never play in the season. I would love to start by commenting on Campbell; Who was such a surprise for me. He has such potential as a striker. He played wonderfully well and has impressive pace. He more often than not, left Portsmouth defenders starring at his ass or sitting on theirs. It was a nice balance with Tevez's vision and experience. Tevez came out with his relentless game play like usual. He took a great first penalty shot but unfortunately, like too often in this game, Eagles had to ruin it for us. I finally understand why Eagles (now sporting a less emo haircut) never gets game time. He missed such a great opportunity to score that even a fluffy kitten with no concept of football whatsoever wouldn't have missed. Scholes and Carrick played so well as always. Scholes seem to have gained the ability to put a force field around the ball, which always went exactly where it was suppose to be at exactly the right time. Even his tackles weren't as disastrous as they usually are.

Silvestre made so many mistakes that I felt bad for poor Kuzzy, who was too often left in the net scrambling to save the day because of Silverstre's horrible decisions. Thankfully, Vidic played amazingly well, looking very confident, despite the fact that he was missing his defensive BFF Rio. Evans definitely played his cards right. No mistakes, no big saves, just a solid anonymous performance which I cannot complain about.

All and all, it was a great game that was filled with Tevez magic and complete with carnival music. I couldn't ask for more... well, except maybe a EPL game.



On another note, TEVEZ IS MINE NOW!!!! eh... I mean OURS NOW!!!!