The brilliant winger returned to haunt his old club Sporting Lisbon last night, netting the only goal as United began their latest Champions League quest in the best manner possible.
Ronaldo nodded home Wes Brown's cross just past the hour mark to open his account for a campaign Ferguson feels will see the 22-year-old at least equal last season's 23-goal tally.
After spending seven of his formative years at Sporting, it was a bitter blow for the hosts, whose coach Paulo Bento is an old team-mate of Ronaldo.
But the Sporting fans responded in magnanimous fashion, offering the Madeira-born player a standing ovation when he was substituted four minutes from time, a gesture Ferguson feels is in keeping with Ronaldo's current status.
"It is very rare in modern-day football that anyone gets a reception like that," said the United boss.
"Obviously, Cristiano is a former player - but it is more than that. I think they recognise they have had an incredible young talent here.
Fortunate
"Sporting have helped him through his early development for seven years. Now we are fortunate enough to have him for what we hope will be the best years of his life."
Although United's performance did not come anywhere near the level which enabled them to reach last season's semi-finals, it was enough to guarantee victory in what looks like the least arduous of the three away games they will face in a group also containing Roma and Dynamo Kiev.
But Ferguson conceded he was reliant on two outstanding saves from Edwin van der Sar from Leidson and Tonel to ensure only a third triumph in 15 Champions League away games.
"Edwin has been with us for three seasons now and when I bought him I thought he was going to be one of my best buys," said Ferguson.
"I should have done it years ago when I had the chance but I let it slip through my fingers.
"Even now, at 36, he still has such great enthusiasm. He has played 120 times for Holland and has won everything in the game, yet he still sets such a great example for all our other goalkeepers."
Aside from the win, Ferguson was also able to look back with satisfaction on a 70-minute appearance by Wayne Rooney.
The England striker has not played since breaking his foot on the opening day of the season but now seems certain to figure against Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday.
"It was difficult for Wayne, having to play up front on his own," he said.
"There is always this question mark about how long he could last but once we scored it wasn't necessary to take any more risks, which is why I brought him off."
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Shevchenko hat trick on Sunday.
You heard it here first.
With the Special One going, it would be great to try to hire Drogba. I can see Chelsea going back to oblivion once Abramovich is getting tired of pouring money and not getting the Champion's League trophey
Hopefully, Ronnie and the rest of the boys will step it up for the game against Chelski. Kick them while their down. Utterly demoralise them like we did when we ended Arsenal's unbeaten run (and they couldn't buy a win for a while after that). No more Mourinho. Today is such a beautiful day. I feel like I did the morning after I first got to know the missus a bit better!
Mike, you mean you HOPE it's a Shevchenko Hatrick, just like you were hoping for a S. Lisbon victory last night. Take your bitterness somewhere else.
It's extremely sporting(no pun intended)of the Lisbon crowd to honour Ronaldo in this way.At OT we do the same for our ex-players.Hughesy,Cantona etc.
SAF is quite right,Ronaldo's best is yet to come.
I'm sorry to see Jose leave Chelski but good luck to him.SAF should invite him to our dug out for Saturday's game.He'd be more laughs to have a bottle of wine with than anyone they replace him with.
Sporting crowd were great last night. I also think Ronnie showed a lot of maturity in the way he didn't over-celebrate the goal. He really is a class-act.
Mike there's more chance of you making a funny comment on here than there is of Shevchenko getting a hat-trick on Saturday, and there's not a chance in hell of the latter
On another topic i know but last nights Chelsea antics leave Utds board with a big dilema. Not very often do managers as good as Mourinio become available without a hefty compo tag. He is also one for now AND the future. The future being something Fergie will not be at Utd to see. So heres the question. Have Utds board got the balls to take the plunge, offload Fergie NOW and install Mourinio? Now dont get me wrong, nothing would please me more than Utd imploding in a ball of flames and i dont pretend any different, so i dont want Utd to sign Mourinio. But the question is there none the less. Or are Utd going to wait until old red nose leaves of his own accord and then struggle to find a replacement half as good as Mourinio?
we are still not firing on all cylinders. Pity Mourinho is leaving Chelsea he would have been ideal replacement for SAF. Still it must affect morale of team for this weekend - no doubt they will come out with the usual "this match is for Jose routine!"
Hope ronaldo help's the team beat the russians on sunday especially if that odious clarke is the manager for the day, i almost feel like striking the tv everytime moroniho's smarmy mouthpiece appears, thankfully he will soon be out the door also
For all the doom and gloom comments out there after last night and i include myself, were we not the only team to win away in europe, which proves how tough it is.
Ha Windy that is something the Berties do mate - SAF is still the best manager around for United. Maybe YOU should think about taking on Mourinho now your in a champions league spot (sic). He's a bit of a Keegan to be honest - never stays in a job longer than 3 years (which suits Citeh) and he's a bit emotional although his sides are a bit more dour but that should be ok for the bitters.
WINDY MILLER. I don't think Queiroz will never fill Fergies shoes but I think Mourinho would make an ideal replacement for Queiroz. After that, who knows what might happen.
We must admit that Ronaldo played really well last night and long may it continue. According to reports there seem to be lots of new Ronaldos in the Sporting team...Moutinho, Veloso, Celsinho, Ibrahim, Djalo...It would be interesting to watch out for the young players from Sporting because IMO they are currently the best in Europe for producing new and young attacking talents. I've read rumours that Man Utd already have first refusal on Moutinho and Veloso and furthermore Man Utd has a contract with Celsinho (a young Brazilian player who was playing for Locomotiv Moscow) and has sent him to Sporting till the end of 2008! Moreover Man Utd seems to also be following Rabiu Ibrahim (a young Nigerian) and Quieroz just said that it would be interesting to follow Djalo! Anyone of you who has confirmation about those news?
Birdy, maybe you'd like to re-read your last comment and then tell me exactly what point you're trying to make, 'cause whatever it is you've failed.
Miserably.
Ahh Mike, changed your name back now have we you sad man!
Shevchenko Hat-trick ??? Dream on
No way do we want Jose "I am a special one" in our driving seat, don`t like his way of playing lawn chess just to get the result. Nope, no way. Let him go to Scunthorpe, or Hamilton Academicals....
There are not many other jobs around for him at the moment...
Chelsea will slowly sink into the oblivion where they came from, without him they are nothing, own fault Abramowich, Kenyon, etc etc. Ha ha ha!
3 nil for United on Sunday!
We are short of centre forwards. Ronnie would make a cracking centre forward!
Jose to old-trafford? That means doubling the wages the current manager is getting and an enormous pot of money for defenders and strikers. Dream on. Sam Alladyce next manager of utd.
Windy, don't want Mourinho thanks. His style of football would not go down well with United fans at all.
Besides, how special is he? He's won the Portuguese title with Porto - well my cat could do that. And he's won a couple of titles in England only with an unprecedented level of spending on players and at a time when United and Arsenal were both in transition.
He deserves some credit for winning the CL with Porto obviously. But he got seriously lucky, not least against us, in that competition that year.
No thanks.
Given recent comments from Bobby Charlton about how he argued for Sir Alex as Man U's manager, Im sure Utd's board will have thought about Jose availability. Sir Alex wont stay as manager for much longer and he does like the Special One.
But would Jose be willing to be an understudy for 1 or 2 years? Even were he willing, it would be extremely unfair on CQ and all he has done for Man U.
So will Jose be a future Man U manager, maybe, but I dont expect him to be at Man U any time soon.
As for Ronaldo, he is the new special one.
Can anyone remember a former player scoring against his old team get such a reception? Then again Man U fans gave a standing ovation to Real's Ronaldo after his OT hat- trick.
I see Neil Barmpot,and the wastelander from Withington, Mike,are back posting their tripe.These Chuckle Brothers are sometimes seen on there way to Council house disguised as Blue seats so they can blend in with the rest of the empty
seats.The giveaway for these dimwits though is their inflatable bananas
alias his style is exactly what sir alex is trying to reproduce in europe.
No i dont i think I failed Mike, just looks like you failed to grasp what i said. Not surprising really. But i'll break it down for your little brain.
You - not funny
Shevchenko - not a chance in hell of him getting a hat-trick
However, better chance of Shevchenko scoring a hat-trick on Sunday than you managing to post something funny. Are you with us now?
Andy P(andy)I haven't got the foggiest what you're on about as regards a change of name. Then again I seriously doubt you have either as you're quite clearly a few sandwiches short of a picnic.
Why not stick to handing out thinly veiled threats that you're not capable of following through with like you were doing in the run up to the derby?
Lose your temper, lose the argument!