At one point during the past week, Sir Alex Ferguson ruled out any possibility of Cristiano Ronaldo ever playing for Manchester United again.
Fergie himself admitted that without the Portuguese & Real Madrid talisman, teams don't fear United like they used to. He of course has a point, since United hasn't quite yet got around to replacing him. They don't have an attacking midfielder that can pick up the slack when it comes to scoring.
Nani seems to be coming along, but it's hard to see the talent when he flops most of the time; seeming more interested in drawing a fouls rather than just playing the game. Luis Antonio Valencia has been a good addition, but he doesn't score as much either. Anderson?? Don't even get me started.
So, it's quite possible to agree with Fergie and with most folks that it would have been nice if Cristiano was still donning the red jersey and helping strike fear into opponents. However, there will always be pros and cons of having to make do without him.
During Sir Alex's tenure at United, he has always stressed that "no one player is bigger than the team". It has, was and will always be his motto; his "mission statement" if you please. It doesn't matter who the player is, or what he's done during his time at United. If you feel you're too good to play for United, Fergie's more than happy to show you the door, and a boot if possible.
Paul Ince, David Beckham, Ruud van Nistelrooy are just a few examples that come to mind. Ince was one of the key pieces of United's early success with regard to winning league titles. Beckham's star took off the minute he scored that wonder goal from more than half field. Becks is the reason Karel Poborsky never really got his feet wet at United. Van Nistelrooy is the kind of player that just seems to score at will. His scoring ratio was just as good as anyone else's during his time at Old Trafford.
When their time at United was up, there remained constant; the team kept on with its winning ways. It may have taken a season or two, but the winning tradition kept on. That is why Manchester United has always stood out among so many teams; take the licking but keep on ticking.
Do I think that United could have benefited from having Cristiano in the squad these last couple of seasons? The answer of course, is a resounding YES!! In the first season post-Cristiano, United successfully defended the Carling Cup, but relinquished the Premiership title to Chelsea; by 1 POINT!!! Had Cristiano been around, I'm sure he could have helped pick up the scoring when it seemed that only Rooney could score. Since nobody else could cover the goals, it proved to be their main undoing.
What about this season? How would Cristiano have been able to help the team this season? United have only managed 5 wins out of 18 away games in the Premiership. They have lost 4 and drawn 9. In the 9 draws, okay maybe you could chalk it down to defense; they’ve conceded 24 goals while only scoring 28. At times, they haven’t been able to score at all. With Cristiano in the squad, the goals would definitely be there, and those draws would easily be wins.
This season, United are on the verge of winning the Premiership and Champions League. Nothing has been set in stone as there are still games to played, but the fact is that both United and Cristiano seem to be doing just fine without each other. After winning every trophy available during his time with United, he made his desire to play for Real Madrid very clear.
While Fergie was initially determined to keep him, it was really best that both parties went their separate ways. For the record, both sides have managed to win a trophy during this time. United won the Carling Cup in 2010, while Cristiano's extra time winner helped Madrid secure the Copa del Rey; their first trophy under Jose Mourinho. Both teams were on course to meet in the Champions League final, but Barcelona put paid to Madrid's hopes.
I don't ever recall Sir Alex bringing back a former player once they have left the team. Not Ince, not Beckham, not Van Nistelrooy. So for those who are still wishing and hoping for Cristiano's return, I'm really sorry to break the bad news to you, it's not happening. Moving on................
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