CRISTIANO Ronaldo needs to fall in love with football again.
At the start of last season former 90s Old Trafford winger Lee Sharpe urged Ronaldo to become the Reds' Kaka and emulate the 2007 World Player of the Year and inspire United to Champions League success.
Ronaldo's 42-goal campaign, Moscow success and succeeding AC Milan's Brazilian as the 2008 World Player of the Year was a stunning response.
However, this term the Portuguese international's form has dipped.
In his last outing for United his tantrums and petulance at Fulham saw him in a running battle with referee Phil Dowd over the treatment he was receiving, animated responses to the Craven Cottage crowd jeering and even berating team-mates.
But Sharpe has sympathy with the 24-year-old and believes he can still recapture last term's influence and have a major impact on the season's climax.
"I don't think Cristiano was ever going to have or ever will have another season like last year," Lee said.
"It was phenomenal for a winger to score 42 goals. It was breathtaking. It is probably harsh for people to expect that standard of him season after season.
"After a season like last year I can understand that he is now thinking about things too much instead of loving it and playing it.
Amazing
"I can totally understand it. I had it when I as playing. Sometimes you start over-analysing things when it is best to bury your head in the game, play it for fun and then it is amazing what happens.
"If not you start over thinking about things and in that split second when you are wondering whether to go this way or that way the moment of surprise has gone.
"Last year that was natural for him he'd choose the right way without thinking. You make the decision instantly.
"But now that half a second hesitation makes the difference and stops you catching an opponent on the hop.
"All this arm waving and petulance I think is down to frustration. He is looking for excuses and people to blame because he knows he hasn't produced last season's form.
"I don't know what it is whether it is a case of `I am the best player in the world now and you shouldn't tackle me.'
"The best players in the world know they will have two players on them, they know they will be kicked and try to be disrupted and unbalanced.
"But the best players learn to deal with that, they overcome it. Don't you think Kaka gets booted around? But he still turns it on week after week.
"That is mental strength and maybe that is where Cristiano needs to work on his game.
"I feel for him. He is one of the most gifted players I have ever seen and when you go through a time like he's had this season it is hard.
"It is hard to relax and play your own game when you know every little thing is being watched.
"He has to fall in love with the game again, love playing and stop trying to manufacture things and let it happen naturally."
LEE Sharpe was talking courtesy of National Express who will be providing direct services to Wembley Stadium for United fans for their FA Cup semi-final against Everton on April 19.
For more information visit: www.nationalexpress.com/wembley
Play for fun Ronny
April 04, 2009
Comments
Login or Register to comment
thats what u get when u keep a player against his will.... should of cashed in last year as now the price will of dropped quite a bit...
There's talk today about him going to Real for seventy-five million. Good. With that kind of cash Fergie could bolster his squad or, alternatively, leave it in the kitty for when he retires and David Moyes takes over at OT.
Not David Moyes we need someone better !!
Well id sell for what milan wanted for kaka 103 million,ronnies world footballer of the year so match that price,cash in and buy some good replacements,ribery 20 million, lucas podolski 10 million, luca toni,7 million,just raid bayern munich,even miroslav klose would be good.
If bayern arnt prepared to meet the price then contact ac,juve, inter,barca as im sure they would be happy to have ronnie in there team i think he has done his stuff at ot,game over move on just like becks.
Sharpe is correct ...... oh surprise the pro footballer understands the pressures of the game more than the fans. Every sportsman can have a bad time and ronaldo got so good the last 2 seasons that the first thing every team talk of every team we play is quite simply "How do we stop ronaldo?". put 2 players on him and another ready to charge in. kick him a few times hard and foul him to make sure he takes a few hefty tumbles to put doubt in his mind. Was the same with Bestie and ronie should talk to Bobby and fergie about Best and how he coped with it. His petulant reaction is wrong yes but so is Rooney's rage reactions. At least ronaldo stays on the field whereas missing rooney today leaves us only Tevez who just played in a 6-1 humiliation at high altitude the other side of the world - and he can't lead the line on his own even if he hasn't travelled. So does he put in Welbeck or Macheda given the importance and pressure of the fixture? Rooney has put us in this quandry now because he got angry. Well I would expect that the one given the responsibility to lead the line will be .... yep ..... your favourite scapegoat boy since the summer, Ronaldo.
Support the team as sitting back and being entertained for so long now the team needs the fans to sing their hearts out and back them. Fans can get complacement as well as players and half the posters on here sound like unrealistic real madrid hanky-waving spoilt kids. He is the best player in the world and he is playing in red so try getting behind him and singing his name and hopefully that little switch will trigger in his head and then you can sit down and enjoy the havoc he is capable of producing at any time. He still has 18 goals this season despite missing 6 weeks of the season. You tell me any other winger on the planet who gets near that tally in the best season of their lives.
We have a war of attrition to win. We are United and we need to be united. The next 3 days defines our season so sitting back and moaning will not help.