In this, the season of good will to all men and fellow supporters in this wonderful league of ours, I thought I would make a return to Mancunia to say thank you to all the rival fans for their reaction to our own Cristiano Ronaldo. After the world cup we wondered if we had seen the last of Ronnie in United red. So did Sir Alex, according to an exclusive interview done by Rollin Reds (the magazine for United’s disabled supporters), after that incident he was texting Cristiano and receiving no reply. Fergie feared the worst, agents getting involved, not being able to speak directly, the news was saying that Ronaldo was ignoring his club and for a second Sir Alex believed it. Then he realised that he had been texting his old number!!!!
When he did get in contact with him it was clear there was never any intention to leave our club, and so he just had to prepare himself for the reaction from rival supporters. We as United fans have been through this before with David Beckham and we watched him grow and grow into a player that the world would know. Ronaldo is following the same path (by all accounts a move to Real Madrid at some point wouldn’t be too out of the question for him either) and the lad seems to thrive on all the boo antics. Against Aston Villa he scored a goal didn’t look too far removed from one that Ryan Giggs may have scored a few years back, or George Best (back when he could be arsed to play) and all round he is playing the best I have seen from him.
STOP PRESS – Manchester United are currently two goals up thanks to this boy, with Chelsea dropping what they (and who can really blame them) will see as an easy victory. We mustn’t get carried away with results like this but I will enjoy a drink a little more knowing that Chelsea have dropped points and the gap at the top is once again widening. Jose seems to think that the points difference is nothing and he may be correct but while the difference (such as it is) is in place we remain top of the league and the chances for them to overhaul us dwindle. If this was months down the line, going into Easter I would be jumping higher for joy but taking each game as it comes is working well for us. The size of the gap really does not matter. If it stays as it is, at the end of the season Sky Sports will ask the Chelsea manager what he thinks of the fact that United are top of the league and it wouldn’t surprise me if he says “Yes but it’s a false position. The gap is only two points, nothing.” You don’t get a bigger trophy for winning the league by points in double figures, winning it by one is just as valid. Jose needs to stop telling everyone the league is false and that they will overtake United, he needs to get on with doing it. Two points, twelve points, forty two points, it all means the same. It’s not the size of the gap it’s that there is a gap in the first place and we are doing our best to keep hold of it.
So, thank the good God of football (Eric) that our Christmas calendar is being kind to us so far. It is thanks to the form of our key players and the reaction of Ronaldo that we are making this season one of the best. For ages rival fans and friends of mine have been saying that someone needed to challenge Chelsea, those same people cannot bring themselves to be happy that the challenge is coming from Manchester United. The ‘Anybody But United’ club is gladly in full effect and us, like our Portuguese wizard, are the ones that everyone loves to hate.
When we get results like we have so far, in the season we’ve had, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Merry Cristiano-mas.
Given to Score 