Custom Search

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Giggs backs Ronaldo over 'penalty'

Ryan Giggs has accused referees of continuing to view Cristiano Ronaldo as a diver and refusing to recognise he is a changed man.
The winger was at the centre of controversy towards the end of Manchester United's 2-0 home win over Fulham on Monday when he was brought down by Antti Niemi and booked by Rob Styles, who ruled he had dived.
Although Giggs accepted his team-mate went to ground too easily and earned a reputation as a diver when he first came to England four years ago, he insisted Ronaldo had cleaned up his act.
"I think Ronny had that reputation as a diver when he first came here, but that's gone now. But I don't know, you'd have to ask the referee about that." Read more...

Maradona: Rooney's the best

Former World Cup winner Diego Maradona says Wayne Rooney is better than Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

The Argentinian ace doesn’t believe AC Milan midfielder Kaka should have won the prestigious Ballon d’Or award, but neither does he think second-placed Cristiano Ronaldo deserved the accolade.

Instead, the Argentina legend reckons Ronaldo’s United team-mate Wayne Rooney has a far stronger claim to the title of best footballer in the world.

“I don’t know too well how the election is done, but I think that Rooney is better than Kaka,” Maradona told El Grafico.

”Milan is a team that depends all the time on Kaka but that doesn’t make him the best player in the world.”

Rooney returned to action on Monday against Fulham after almost a month on the sidelines through injury. His ankle strain suffered in training halted a run of eight goals in seven games.

Ronaldo has since picked up the baton, and with two goals against the Cottagers earlier this week he took his tally to 11 goals in his last seven starts. It is precisely that kind of form that has put him in contention – and again in competition with Kaka and Lionel Messi – for FIFA’s World Player of the Year award, to be announced in Zurich on 17 December. Read more...

Ronaldo lands the treble

Cristiano Ronaldo's mum can now rest easy after her son scooped a hat-trick of awards at ManUtd.com.

After notching two goals on Monday for the 12th time in his United career, the Reds' no.7 admitted his mother sometimes asks him why he never completes a hat-trick. Now Ronny can point to the three awards bestowed on him this week by ManUtd.com.

Visitors to the website voted Cristiano Ronaldo United's Player of the Month for November, while the Portuguese international also picked up the website's Goal of the Month award and Man of the Match prize for his performance against Fulham.

It's no surprise the 22-year-old won all three honours after netting five times in four matches during November. His strikes included an important goal at the Emirates Stadium, two in two minutes at home to Blackburn Rovers and a curling beauty against Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League.

But it was another goal in Europe – his last-minute scorcher against former club Sporting Lisbon – that landed him the November Goal of the Month prize. With United and Sporting locked at 1-1, Ronaldo stepped up to blast home a free-kick from 25 yards and secure top spot in Group F and 71 per cent of the vote.

He was also an overwhelmingly popular choice for the Player of the Month award, amassing 51 per cent of the vote. Patrice Evra came in second with 16 per cent. Read more...