Cristiano Ronaldo is, by any objective measure, an utter knob.
Wednesday night's shenanigans with Steven Taylor - "My face! My face!" - were not in the same league as the work of that other master of deception, the Great Rivaldo, but Cristiano is still young. He can only get better with age.
In almost all aspects of the game, he is already among the very best we will ever see. His genius on the ball, his deadball skills, shooting, aerial ability, his strength, his bravery: it seems only right that he should be such an accomplished cheat.
In fairness to Cristiano, Steven did in fact hit him, just not as hard as the United player made out, or on the bit of the body that he was holding. But whatever. Ronaldo is perceived as a cheat, largely because he is a cheat, and this will of course lead to some situations where he is harshly treated, by referees and opponents, and in the court of public opinion.
Off the field, too, he disports himself with impressive obnoxiousness: Ferguson raised him from a pup; he has repaid the debt by desperate attempts to leave the club. Even the most slavishly trusting United fan must fancy that there will be another round of skulking this summer or next and that sooner or later United will fail to pay their best player whatever it is he will demand.
He is an appalling chap, really: even judged against other Premiership footballers, he stands out as a special sort of git, and that's no small achievement. But I believe that a player of Ronaldo's genius should not be judged by the same standards as the lumpen mass of football's Steven Taylors. Ronaldo is special: he should be given special treatment.
Rather than rage against his diving, his posturing, his cheating and whining, we should savour them. In terms of footballing talent he is the country's best by some clear distance: so also with gamesmanship. Enjoy a master at work. What wonderful entertainment he provides - the Premier League will be much, much poorer when he leaves.
Aside from his brilliance, Ronaldo serves a very useful purpose for football fans in general. I wrote recently that, distressing though it might be, many neutrals were now actually so pig-sick of Rafa and Chelsea that they now actually wanted Manchester United to do well. I still feel dirty for writing it; the kind of dirty that don't wash clean. But Ronaldo, bless his cheating, arrogant, wantaway cotton socks, is doing all he can to return Manchester United to their rightful place as England's most despised club. It's just a shame that they're such a one-man team.
Alan Tyers
Wednesday night's shenanigans with Steven Taylor - "My face! My face!" - were not in the same league as the work of that other master of deception, the Great Rivaldo, but Cristiano is still young. He can only get better with age.
In almost all aspects of the game, he is already among the very best we will ever see. His genius on the ball, his deadball skills, shooting, aerial ability, his strength, his bravery: it seems only right that he should be such an accomplished cheat.
In fairness to Cristiano, Steven did in fact hit him, just not as hard as the United player made out, or on the bit of the body that he was holding. But whatever. Ronaldo is perceived as a cheat, largely because he is a cheat, and this will of course lead to some situations where he is harshly treated, by referees and opponents, and in the court of public opinion.
Off the field, too, he disports himself with impressive obnoxiousness: Ferguson raised him from a pup; he has repaid the debt by desperate attempts to leave the club. Even the most slavishly trusting United fan must fancy that there will be another round of skulking this summer or next and that sooner or later United will fail to pay their best player whatever it is he will demand.
He is an appalling chap, really: even judged against other Premiership footballers, he stands out as a special sort of git, and that's no small achievement. But I believe that a player of Ronaldo's genius should not be judged by the same standards as the lumpen mass of football's Steven Taylors. Ronaldo is special: he should be given special treatment.
Rather than rage against his diving, his posturing, his cheating and whining, we should savour them. In terms of footballing talent he is the country's best by some clear distance: so also with gamesmanship. Enjoy a master at work. What wonderful entertainment he provides - the Premier League will be much, much poorer when he leaves.
Aside from his brilliance, Ronaldo serves a very useful purpose for football fans in general. I wrote recently that, distressing though it might be, many neutrals were now actually so pig-sick of Rafa and Chelsea that they now actually wanted Manchester United to do well. I still feel dirty for writing it; the kind of dirty that don't wash clean. But Ronaldo, bless his cheating, arrogant, wantaway cotton socks, is doing all he can to return Manchester United to their rightful place as England's most despised club. It's just a shame that they're such a one-man team.
Alan Tyers
