Posts Tagged ‘Cristiano Ronaldo’
Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo has the potential to become as great a player as Pele or Diego Maradona, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said on Saturday.
“The expectations are always so high with Cristiano because of his rise in the last two or three years since we got him as a young kid,” Ferguson told a news conference on the eve of his side’s Club World Cup final against Ecuador’s LDU.
“He scored 42 goals last season — his goal-scoring is the one area which for a wide player Cristiano is absolutely superb. “Pele scored in a World Cup final as a 17-year-old and Maradona played for his country at 17. Cristiano was 18 so the signs are the same.”
Ferguson’s lavish praise comes during the latest war of words between United and Spanish giants Real Madrid over the future of the Ballon d’Or winner. “His ability with two feet is tremendous,” purred Ferguson. “You would never associate it with a Portuguese winger but he is absolutely magnificent in the air. “He’s 23 now and still a very young lad but there’s a lot of things in his favour to go on and prove himself as a legend.”
Ronaldo was among the scorers in United’s 5-3 win over Japan’s Gamba Osaka in Thursday’s Club World Cup semi-final but was overshadowed by two goals from substitute Wayne Rooney.
Same desire:
“Cristiano still has to recapture his goal-scoring form of last season but he still has the same desire to have the ball all the time,” said Ferguson. “Very few wingers can have such an influence on a game as Cristiano.” Ferguson has warned his players against complacency in Sunday’s final against LDU in Yokohama, when United will bid to become the tournament’s first British winners.
“They’re not short of good players,” he said. “They’re resilient and powerful. But we have players who can express themselves and paint their own picture on the field.” Despite the punishing effects of jet leg on his players, Ferguson dismissed concerns his side could struggle when they return to England to play Stoke City away on Dec. 26.
“At the end of Thursday’s game there were signs of tiredness,” he said. “We let the game get very loose. The players will be physically better tomorrow. Hopefully we’ll recover in time to get a result at Stoke. When we came here in 1999 (and won the old Intercontinental Cup), three days later we beat Everton 5-1 so who’s to say?”
Cristiano Ronaldo
Posted on: December 12, 2008
Cristiano Ronaldo has won football’s prestigious Award – given to Europe’s top player according to a panel of journalists.
The award came as no surprise to many after he was a crucial part of the Manchester United team which won both the Premier League and European Champions League titles earlier this year.
The award, among many others, serves to highlight his very impressive career at the age of just 23.
He was signed to Manchester United in 2003, and has also been a part of the Portugal team since 2003.
Ronaldo then asserted himself on the international stage with good performances during the 2004 European Championships.
He was named in the tournament team, despite scoring only two goals.
But, despite all of Ronaldo’s achievements on the field there are still many who question his ability, or dislike his style.
English Football: Manchester
Posted on: August 6, 2008
English football team Manchester United’s starstriker, Wayne Rooney, will likely miss the opening match of the English Premier League, England’s top-level football league.
The 22-year-old Rooney, who also plays for English National Team, contracted a mystery illness on United’s pre-season tour of Africa.
“It’s a virus he picked up in Nigeria and it’s not a nice one. He’s not been back in training yet.”
The striker position, also known as forward in some countries, is the closest offensive position to the opponent’s goal and is more likely score goals than other position. Rooney played in 43 matches last season, scoring 18 goals with seven assists.
With absence of Rooney at striker, Argentine Carlos Tévez is the only fit veteran striker available for United. Portuguese striker Nani is suspended, while Anderson is playing for Brazil in the Olympics. Fraizer Campbell and Frenchman Louis Saha, both largely untested in the Premier League, remain two options, as does the signing of an outside player.
Ferguson also said Tuesday that Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo will be staying at Manchester United, and not transferring to Real Madrid, as has been reported, both in the media and on blogs this summer.
“The matter is closed now,” Ferguson said Tuesday. “He is a Manchester United player — it’s finished. He’ll be playing here next season believe me. It’s finished.”
Whether or not Ronaldo does indeed stay at United, he will have to remain on the sidelines until an ankle injury heals.
The winger position, a type of midfielder, is the middle position in relation to the opponent’s goal, behind strikers, but ahead of defenders. Wingers typically play toward the left and right sides of the pitch. Ronaldo score 42 goals in 48 appearances last season, the most of any United player.
United has two more friendlies this pre-season, facing Juventus and Portsmouth on August 6 and August 10. Manchester United, 2008 winners of both the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.
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