Sir Alex Ferguson is relishing the chance of seeing Cristiano
Ronaldo in top form again. The world player of the year did not get
started until late September after a summer ankle operation and,
although he hit the goal trail immediately, his form then
dipped.
However, the 24-year-old has been back at his peak over the last
month, scoring seven times, including two incredible 40-yard
free-kicks to ease Manchester United’s path towards another
Champions League final.
And Ferguson is looking forward to seeing more heroics over the
next three weeks as United close in on the Premier League title and
European glory.
“I am not surprised at Cristiano’s recent level of performance,”
said Ferguson. “He is a young man who is still improving because he
is nowhere near his maturity.”
The meeting with Barcelona in Rome on May 27 is already being
billed as a shoot-out between the Portugal superstar and Lionel
Messi for the right to be regarded as world number one.
It promises to be the most intriguing sub-plot to an
eagerly-awaited contest, by which time, Ronaldo could easily be
threatening the 30-goal mark once more.
“Cristiano is coming good just at the right time,” said
Ferguson. “He took a while to get into his rhythm after his
operation.
“But he is a fantastic athlete, with great physique who never
misses a game. We are lucky to have that combination, and courage
as well.
“Obviously he won’t get to 42 goals like he did last season but
he is up to 25 now, which is still a fantastic tally for someone
who is regarded as a wide player.”
As Ronaldo has twice been sent off against Manchester City in
recent years, he will have more reason that most to want to get the
better of Mark Hughes’ men on Sunday.
Carlos Tevez, Dimitar Berbatov and Paul Scholes are among those
eager to make up for the disappointment of not starting Tuesday’s
win at Arsenal by helping United collect three of the seven points
required to clinch a record-equalling 18th league title.
Having got so close to the prize, Ferguson is quietly optimistic
his players will not be denied now.
“The players are smelling the big games now,” said the United
chief. “They like that big-game situation. They have proved they
can handle it and they are hitting top form at the right time. It
is ours to win in the sense of the points we are ahead of our
opponents. With the form we are in, we have a good chance.”
Meanwhile, Richard Dunne is wary of being penalised when he
faces Ronaldo in the Manchester derby, claiming the winger ’’makes
the most’’ of physical contact.
City captain Dunne, who will lead his side’s attempts to keep
the Portuguese star quiet, rates Ronaldo as one of the world’s
leading performers despite his reputation for going to ground too
easily.
’’At times he can be running so fast any nick sends him
tumbling. He makes the most of the situation, I suppose.
’’Some referees give free-kicks but some don’t. He is the best
player in the world and he plays the game to his advantage.
’’Diving or not diving, he’s impossible to mark when he’s on
form.’‘
Dunne added that so-called ‘simulation’ was on the increase in
what could be seen as a criticism of Chelsea, whose Champions
League semi-final against Barcelona was decided by an injury-time
away goal at Stamford Bridge in midweek.
’’There are a lot more divers these days. It has crept in more
and more but you just think ‘what goes around comes around’. You
dive around and teams score against you in injury-time.’‘