Argentina 98, Portugal 06 - nothing's changed

Another Manchester United player sent off for kicking during an England match - but then eight years ago Rooney was 12 years old so maybe the lesson was lost on him. At any rate, at least he will start the season fit which is after all what United supporters (even English ones) tend to value over England's needs. One wonders if he will be booed as Beckham was, and receive the same loyalty from the United support (who sang "Argentina" to the rage of the In-gur-land chavs at various away grounds).

One can only hope that Cristiano Ronaldo, who with his agent is appears to be playing games with a candidate for the presidency of Real Madrid, does actually leave - although I have to admit I thought the initial reports were just the usual throwing names around.

Unlike Beckham, four years remain on Ronaldo's contract so financially United are less likely to get as comprehensive outwitted as they were with the Beckham deal. Nonetheless even if the report in Marca blows over, it's hard to see after his gamesmanship on Rooney how the two are going to get on and in such a contest United will almost certainly pick Rooney. Even if every penny from Ronaldo went to paying the Glazers' mountain of debt - better than than keep someone who has acted as he has. The club stuck by him 100% when he was arrested on a rape charge right through to its dismissal - nice to see what that loyalty earned the club. Jonathan Northcroft in the Sunday Times:
There has never been the slightest doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo is a prodigiously gifted footballer. But yesterday, and not for the first time, you had to question whether he is a man.
Quite.

Perhaps the reality of this will lead to United seeing sense on cutting van Nistelrooy loose - whose criticism of Ronaldo was ironically part of his troubles this year at United - especially since the offers for RVN are hardly in the top dollar range.

Nice to see Owen Hargreaves finally come good (he received the man of the match award) - however, whenever he falls from grace he will become "Canadian" rather than "English" in the media, just as Graham Poll was "transformed from English to British" when demoted by FIFA.

Comments

fifipoo07 said…
just found u via blog search on mr ronaldo. hate his guts right now. blogged massively on this. sorry 2 be shameless but am looking for people to bitch and moan on this ....or not on my blog. come c and comment if you like. Pippa
fifipoo07 said…
P.S Well done for being able to comment on it on the same day! I was too f***** off to do full post mortem till today,
William said…
Ronaldo is no man just like Rooney.They think because they have talent it excuses everything else.I think Englands mistake was letting lampard take first penalty after his miss it put pressure on evry player.Lampard should nt have played that was the biggest mistake apart from relying on rooney should have played a 4-4-2 not 4 5 1
Muad'Dib said…
Ronaldo has been so iffy this past season that I vote (as a former single shareholder of ManU) that they ditch the guy asap to Madrid. Which is fine onanother hand as my second fave team is Real Madrid :)

First two games of premiership seasonf for ManU are Fulham and Charleton so if Roo is banned for two its no prob.
Emma in Canada said…
For the English media to call Hargreaves English (if indeed they are, I have yet to see it) is a huge error. I have issues with him playing for England when he should be playing for Canada, nevermind the fact that he is not even of English heritage, he is of Welsh and Irish.

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