Sir Alex Ferguson claims Cristiano Ronaldo is now as good as Maradona and George Best

Sir Alex Ferguson last night paid Cristiano Ronaldo the ultimate tribute by claiming he is now as good as football legends Maradona and George Best.

Ronaldo has enhanced his reputation as the No.1 player in the world with 34 goals this season, drawing comparisons with Manchester United legend Best.

And now United boss Fergie has gone a step further by claiming Ronaldo is as good at running with the ball as Argentina legend Maradona, ranked alongside Pele as the greatest player of all-time.

"Ronaldo's speed is amazing," said Fergie. "He's so quick. His speed with the ball is the real asset he has.
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"He's probably just as quick running with the ball as he is without it.

There have been a few players like that in the past. Maradona ran at great speed with the ball at his feet and Ronaldo is similar.

"That's the thing that bemuses defenders. When a player like Ronaldo is running at them at such speed, it makes life very difficult for them."

Although Fergie had resisted comparing Ronaldo to Best, for fear it would place unnecessary pressure on the 23-year-old, the United boss conceded he can now see remarkable similarities.

"There are certainly similarities between them," said Fergie. "When George played as a winger I don't think he ever stayed still. He roamed from side to side - he played on the right, left and through the middle.

"I've looked at George's goals and a lot of Cristiano's are similar. He started from wide positions before cutting inside.

"It's the same with Ronaldo. If he's taking a corner from the left-hand side or maybe takes a run into the centre of the park and the game breaks down, he often just carries on wandering over there.

"I have absolutely no control over that, none at all, but I don't worry, because that's the great thing about expression and individuality.

"It doesn't concern me because whoever is on the other side immediately switches over. Whether it's Ryan Giggs, Nani, Ji-Sung Park, whoever."

Ronaldo has already broken Best's 40-year-old record of 32 goals for a United winger and is aiming to hit the 40-mark before the season is out.

Despite beating Best's tally, Ronaldo is still some way off United's individual record for goals scored in a single season, set by Denis Law 44 years ago, when he scored 46 times.

"Denis was a fantastic player, my hero, but I didn't know about that record," said Fergie. "That even beats my record when I was playing. I scored 45 in 51 games for Dunfermline back in 1965-66."

Meanwhile, Ronaldo's pal Anderson admits he cannot stop smiling during his 'dream' first season at United.

The Brazilian has started nearly half of United's games since his £17million move from Porto last summer.

And this week the attacking midfielder won his fourth full cap in the Brazil team which beat Sweden at the Emirates.

He said: "I am only 19 and I didn't expect to be playing so much - this first season has gone like a dream for me.

"I am very happy because when I arrived at Manchester United they gave me great support after I spent about eight months injured with a broken leg at Porto.

"It was a wonderful beginning to start playing and play well and this is reflected in the way I feel now. I am very confident and very relaxed. I hope we go on to win the title and the Champions League."

Why David Beckham can never be England's Cristiano Ronaldo

Fabio Capello believes that David Beckham can be England's answer to Cristiano Ronaldo. There is one problem with this. He can't. It is one thing to attempt to recreate Wayne Rooney in the image of Fernando Torres because there are so few alternatives and, given time, it might work. Recasting Beckham as Ronaldo, however, is to fly in the face of reason. Even were Beckham at his peak it would be a fantastic suggestion.

Their styles are so different as to be almost beyond compare. If Capello had Franck Ribéry, of France, at his disposal, perhaps yes, he could dream. He does not, though, and this departure from reality is worrying. The arrival of a flint-hearted Italian pragmatist was intended to apply a swift dose of reality to English football, the bucket of cold water in the face that would awaken our game to its foibles and failings. Instead, Capello is already sounding like his predecessors. Mired in delusion; whistling to keep his spirits up.

The game against France on Wednesday suggested that there is little future for Beckham at international level in a starting role. It was not that he had a poor game in comparison with his team-mates or looked out of place in an England team who kept the ball albeit without purpose or impetus, more that he compounded certain weaknesses in the team and did not offer so much in other areas.

This England team lack pace and desperately need one wide player who will change that. Nobody wants to hear it, but the instincts of Steve McClaren were correct. When he left Beckham out after the World Cup in 2006 it was because he felt the team were sluggish and, with the player restored, so were the old problems.

So while it is true that a succession of replacements, including Aaron Lennon, Shaun Wright-Phillips and David Bentley, are yet to make the same impact as Beckham in his pomp, that does not mean the logic in seeking a youthful replacement is flawed. In Paris, with two holding midfield players shoring up the central area, England desperately needed a flying machine, a wide player with the legs to join Rooney or the courage to play high. Beckham is not that player any more.

Pace was never his strength, as he admits, but he had a phenomenal energy level that allowed him to take up a position deep in the opposition half yet still return to protect his full back. That has gone. Always diligent, Beckham's fretting about being caught out of position has negated one of his remaining attributes, his potential to deliver from dangerous areas. He should not be abandoned because his experience, the tidiness of his passing and the expertise of his dead balls can still be of use, particularly in tight matches, under pressure, but it is time to admit that he is a substitute, not a starter, if England are to move forward.

Capello was right to pick him because an assessment needed to be made against strong opposition, but his later comparison to Ronaldo was puzzling, unless he was attempting rare diplomacy. To put Beckham in the same bracket as a right-sided midfield player who has scored 34 goals this season, not including international games, to go with his 28 last year, is to overstate his potential influence by a distance of here to Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Colorado. Capello used Rooney, his striker, and Steven Gerrard, his support striker, in the positions they occupy for their clubs, but when it was pointed out that England did not have a Ronaldo to complement Rooney, or a Torres to complement Gerrard, his response was mystifying.

“Rooney played where he is playing for Manchester United, Gerrard where he is playing for Liverpool,” he said. “And I have Beckham who can be our Ronaldo, and Rooney can be our Torres. And I believe they are both good players. We didn't create enough chances from the wings and then we didn't go into the centre. That is one of the things I told the players. We didn't shoot on goal from the centre. We tried two times only in the first half.”

So, apart from the wings and the centre, the rest was OK. Perhaps the likeness of Beckham and Ronaldo referred only to their ability from free kicks. The question was clear, though, because it mentioned a supporting role to Rooney. It is unfathomable, therefore, that Capello appears unconcerned by how little connection was apparent between the Manchester United man and his midfield. If Capello is to have two sitting central players, the flanks need vibrancy if his team are not to become static. Ronaldo's game is about getting beyond his man, either from wide positions to cross or by running off him to link up with the forwards. This is the type of player England missed on Wednesday and Beckham cannot be that man, no matter how much he desires to be.

The word is that much of Capello's preparation so far has been devoted to defence. As he inherited a team that had conceded three goals at home to Croatia and failed to qualify for a leading tournament because it could not hold on for a point, this is no surprise and the closing down in midfield has certainly improved. But during the forthcoming internationals against the United States and Trinidad & Tobago, having had more time to work with his players, it must be seen that Capello's England can also introduce an element of risk.

Gerrard, Rooney and Joe Cole do not look slow for their clubs. Not Linford Christie, any of them, but considerably faster than was visible in the Stade de France. So is this loss of pace between the ears? Is England's midfield so mindful of its defensive duties that it poses little forward threat?

If Capello is to persevere with any idea from his first two matches it is surely the one that a successful England is a brave England, as stated before the Wembley game with Switzerland, and that England's future requires an injection of pace, a message delivered by his initial fancy for Gabriel Agbonlahor. Theo Walcott, like Capello's England, may be a work in progress at Arsenal, but nurturing his promise has surely to be a better option than hoping Beckham finds rapidity he never had, at the age of 32.

Soccer: Portugal's Ronaldo named Red Cross ambassador for UEFA 2008

Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo has been named ambassador for the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship Score for the Red Cross online fundraising campaign that kicks of Wednesday.

A series of friendly football matches were due to take place across Europe on Wednesday. Before the matches, many national football teams, together with their National Red Cross Societies, were due to express their support for the Score for the Red Cross campaign.

UEFA will also donate 4,000 euros to the ICRC for each goal scored during the 2008 UEFA Cup.

Internet users will be able to help their favourite side win the title of "Most Humanitarian Team" by purchasing virtual goals on www.scorefortheredcross.org. They will have the chance to win attractive prizes including tickets to UEFA EURO 2008 games. The winning team will be announced on 6 July.

The Score for the Red Cross campaign, jointly organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), will benefit landmine victims in Afghanistan by providing them with artificial limbs, physiotherapy and vocational training.

"Landmine victims need determination and a lot of encouragement on the road to recovery. I have a lot of respect for them and I want to support them," said Ronaldo.

"The great thing about this campaign is that everyone is a winner when it comes to giving and receiving," said Ronaldo.

"The website offers football fans a chance to have fun, while making a difference. What could be better than that?"

Cristiano Ronaldo began playing football at an early age and was discovered by the Sporting Clube de Portugal at the age of 11.

How do you stop Cristiano Ronaldo?

How do you stop Cristiano Ronaldo? How do you stop the apparently unstoppable? The guy is a genius. I love watching him play, the way he glides almost effortlessly past opponents. Scoring 34 goals from the wing is not bad, either. But it is time for managers to say: “No more.” If you give him freedom, he will murder you. And that is what he has been doing, time and again. Surely it is time to man-mark him, to get in his face, to shadow his every move.

I am amazed that no one has tried this tactic. OK, it is negative, it goes against every grain of the beautiful game. Accuse me of being a spoilsport and I will plead guilty. But something has to be done. Otherwise, rivals may as well pack up and go home before kick-off. All hail the magnificent Portuguese, we are not worthy.

Ronaldo may even rise above this, shrug off his marker - the irritant gnat - and make a mockery of my theory. Maybe he is even better than we think he is; maybe there is no way to blunt his effervescence. Perhaps he is unstoppable. But let us see how he likes a stalking horse alongside him.

Years ago, the Italians turned it into an art form. Pick out the dangerman, attach your limpet, watch him squirm in frustration. Only recently, Carlo Ancelotti, the AC Milan coach, complained of such treatment meted out to Kaká, the brilliant Brazilian. With a one-on-one tracker, his influence waned. It can be done.

In my playing days, we used to call them “Nobbers”. And there's plenty about today who could do the job. Abou Diaby at Arsenal, Papa Bouba Diop at Fulham, John Obi Mikel at Chelsea, Lassana Diarra at Portsmouth. Rangy, athletic and lively lads who would be up for their up-close-and-personal assignment.

When I was at Gillingham we had a cup game against Tottenham Hotspur. Keith Peacock, our manager, said that he had no plans of using the man-to-man option on Glenn Hoddle. I thought: “Hang on a minute, I'm not sure about this. Is this wise?” Hoddle sprayed the ball everywhere, he ran the show, he ruined us. And we lost 4-2.

When Ronaldo gets the ball, he is off and running. Unpredictable, uncatchable. Head up, glancing around for available team-mates, weaving his magic. Yet cut out his possession at source, suffocate his free spirit and sow doubt into his mind, and you have a chance. A slight chance.

I hate to advocate this. Ronaldo is maturing into one of the most exciting players on the planet. Long may he prosper. But for every shimmy and shake of his hips, there must be a solution. At least give it a go. Bring on the Nobber.

njured Ronaldo pull out of Portugal squad

LISBON - Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani have been ruled out of Portugal's Euro 2008 warm-up with Greece in Duesseldorf, Germany on Wednesday due to injuries, the Portuguese Football Federation said on Monday.

Ronaldo and Nani, who both scored in United's 3-0 win over Liverpool on Sunday, are suffering from leg muscle problems, the federation said on its Web site .

"We proposed to coach that the players be released from the squad and he accepted," squad doctor Henrique Jones was quoted as saying. No replacements were named.

Portugal are in Group A with Czech Republic, co-hosts Switzerland and Turkey in the Euro 2008 finals in June.

How Cristiano Ronaldo works free-kick magic

Cristiano Ronaldo's free-kick technique has been revealed: he is so obsessed with learning to put effect on the ball that he even practises it playing table-tennis.


Leonel Pontes, who was youth coach at Ronaldo's former club Sporting Lisbon, recalls: "He'd say, 'look boss, if you hit it this way with the bat, the ball gains this effect. This is how to do it'.

"There was no beating him at table tennis, even when he was 13 or 14. He was the same at football. He was able to say that if you touch the ball in a certain way, it would gain that direction.

"He always wanted to be the best, the strongest, the one who scored the most goals, did the best dribbles. He was terrible for challenges."

According to Pontes, Ronaldo, 23, was disappointed to be named only third best footballer in the world in Fifa's awards, but that will spur him on: "From the moment he was named third, it's a challenge. Ambitious people need challenges. At the age of 11 we saw that he had potential. His own team-mates, when he arrived, noticed the difference. They said that Cristiano played a lot. When he was a youth player the senior players asked if he could train with them.

"He's reached an unbelievable level and it's extraordinary what he's done so far. Most players who have achieved stardom did so later. For example, Luis Figo's performances grew, he reached his best level at the age of 25/26, received the Balon D'or at the age of 28 and was the best in the world at 29."

"There was no beating him at table tennis, even when he was 13 or 14. He was the same at football. He was able to say that if you touch the ball in a certain way, it would gain that direction.

"He always wanted to be the best, the strongest, the one who scored the most goals, did the best dribbles. He was terrible for challenges."

According to Pontes, Ronaldo, 23, was disappointed to be named only third best footballer in the world in Fifa's awards, but that will spur him on: "From the moment he was named third, it's a challenge. Ambitious people need challenges. At the age of 11 we saw that he had potential. His own team-mates, when he arrived, noticed the difference. They said that Cristiano played a lot. When he was a youth player the senior players asked if he could train with them.

"He's reached an unbelievable level and it's extraordinary what he's done so far. Most players who have achieved stardom did so later. For example, Luis Figo's performances grew, he reached his best level at the age of 25/26, received the Balon D'or at the age of 28 and was the best in the world at 29."

* Ferguson tells his players to show referees respect

He said: "I only think about maintaining the consistency of my performances."

Cristiano Ronaldo the world's best player?

One man might not make a team, but Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo seems hell bent on single-handedly retaining Manchester United's Premier League crown this season.

His latest two-goal salvo against Bolton last night not only saw United move three points clear at the top of the table but took his goal tally to 33 in all competitions for the season.

The Portuguese winger, who was made captain for Bolton's visit, has eclipsed George Best's 40-year-old record of 32 goals from a United winger in a season, and he shows no signs of letting up in his mission to score 30 league goals this term.

Ronaldo is one goal off equalling Ruud Van Nistelrooy's 24-goal league haul and has eight remaining Premier League matches left in order to set a new club record starting with the contest against Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday.

While United have not struggled in front of goal this season - they have scored 86 in all competitions - Ronaldo is the only United player to have scored in their last four matches, scoring the match winners in United's triumphs over Lyon in the second leg of the Champions League and their 1-0 win over Derby.

Ronaldo's latest goal heroics, which included another trademark freekick, has seen him lavished with praise from rival managers with Bolton manager Gary Megson leading the tributes to the 23-year-old.

"The second goal was genius," said Megson of Ronaldo's 30-yard free-kick. "I honestly don't know how he does it. Even my lads were talking about it."

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp echoed Megson's view when he said: "The kid's a genius.

"He's built like the Incredible Hulk with skill like you've never seen. He's a special talent. Kaká is a brilliant player but I wouldn’t swap him for Ronaldo - a wide player who will get you 20-odd goals a season."

Despite another star performance, Ronaldo was keen to attribute United's victory, which moved them ahead of Arsenal and Chelsea in the race for the title, down to a strong team effort.

He said: "It is not just about my work and my goals, my team-mates help me a lot in my career. At the moment I feel very good about my form.

"The team is the most important thing. When you win and when you score it is great. I feel very happy."

Ronaldo's goal exploits

Goals 33
Premier League 24
FA Cup 3
Champions League 6

Feats & Streaks
Doubles 9
Hat-Tricks 1
Free-kicks 5
Longest scoring streak 6
Longest streak without scoring 4
# Ronaldo has had more shots on goal (104) and more shots on target (59) in the league than any other player this season.
# He has scored five goals against Newcastle, the most against any team this season.
# His longest streak without scoring this season is four games, his first four of the season.

Alex Ferguson fears thugs will drive Cristiano Ronaldo to Spain

Sir Alex Ferguson fears Cristiano Ronaldo could be kicked out of English football by ruthless hard men.

Fergie's fury about the treatment meted out to his Portuguese winger in Manchester United's FA Cup quarter-final defeat by Portsmouth last week has not subsided.

And Ronaldo's confession that he is now running scared of football's tough guys has intensified fears that the 23-year-old will look to escape Old Trafford for Barcelona or Real Madrid this summer.

Ferguson said: "I just hope that what is going on doesn't drive him out of our game."
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"Some of the tackles that Cristiano has to put up with are a big concern for us.

"He could look at it and say he will get more protection in Europe - that's what happens, there's no doubt about it.

"We are faced with is trying to encourage Cristiano and assure him all the benefits of being a Manchester United player are good. That's vital."

"Some of the treatment he got against Portsmouth drives you mad."

Portsmouth assistant manager Tony Adams said: "It is rubbish to say we had made Ronaldo a target."

Cristiano Ronaldo scores late winner for Man United in 1-0 win over Derby

LONDON - Cristiano Ronaldo scored a late winner for Manchester United in a 1-0 win over bottom club Derby in the Premier League on Saturday.
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Chelsea kept pace by beating Sunderland by the same margin.

United now has 67 points - one more than Arsenal, which plays Birmingham later Saturday - after dominating the match at Pride Park. John Terry scored for Chelsea, giving it 64 points.

Liverpool rallied for a 2-1 win over Reading after Fernando Torres scored the winner for his 20th league goal of the season. In other matches Saturday, it was: Portsmouth 2, Aston Villa 0; Sunderland 0, Chelsea 1; and West Ham 2, Blackburn 1.

United had numerous chances in the first half - Ryan Giggs sent a header into the arms of Derby goalkeeper Roy Carroll and sent another two shots wide, Ronaldo curled a chance wide and struck the post and Wayne Rooney had a shot saved.

Derby forced United goalkeeper Ben Foster into two saves near the end of the half, stopping shots from Mile Sterjovski and Kenny Miller. It was Foster's first start since he joined the club in July 2005 because Edwin van der Sar was sidelined with a groin injury and second-choice Tomasz Kuszczak was suspended.

Carroll, who played at United between 2001 and 2005, stopped Ronaldo's free kick and a header in the space of a minute in the second half and the Portuguese winger then sent a free kick wide before he finally scored in the 76th minute. He took a cross from Rooney and volleyed the ball past Carroll for his 22nd league goal and 31st overall this season.

Derby, which is almost certain to be relegated, now hasn't won in the league in 24 matches.

Ronaldo: Refs don't protect us

Cristiano Ronaldo feels he is not given enough protection from referees and fears suffering a serious injury.

The United winger was denied a clear penalty against Portsmouth in the FA Cup quarter final defeat at Old Trafford. That incident, coupled with persistent fouling throughout the game, has heightened a long-felt opinion that the Portuguese winger is not protected by referees.

"It's very frustrating, the referee today was unbelievable," he told MUTV. "He didn't want to give the penalty, he didn't want to give yellow cards - sometimes I'm very disappointed.

"The refs don't protect the skilful players. I think about the Arsenal player (Eduardo) and I'm scared sometimes to do skills because some players do unbelievable fouls and the ref protects the defender, not the skilled player! It's very disappointing and I'm thinking a lot about changing my game because this is happening. When referees don't give penalties and don't give yellow cards or reds, it's difficult to play like that."

Sir Alex Ferguson was aghast that referee Martin Atkinson did not award a penalty for Sylvain Distin's bodycheck on Ronaldo in the seventh minute, as was Ronaldo.

"He (Distin) didn't try to take the ball," added Ronny. "He came straight to me. It's difficult to play football when this happens. It's a joke."

And it wasn't just refereeing decisions that disappointed the 22-year-old. His frustration of losing a tie United dominated was clearly evident.

"We lost today, everyone is disappointed because we were the best team," he said. "We created ten chances while Portsmouth created just one. It's frustrating to lose like that.

"We controlled the game all the time in the first half and the second half. But we didn't score. When you score, you win the games but we didn't score. I think we played well, we created many chances, Carrick had one cleared off the line, Patrice hit the post... this happens in football. We had a great chance to win the FA Cup but we need to think now about the Premier League and the Champions League. These are the priorities."