Cristiano Ronaldo Will Never Be a Manchester United Legend

"You can argue as much a you like Miles but Ronaldo will never ever be a Man Utd legend!"

This was the scathing and agitated response I got from a mate who happens to be a Manchester United fan through and through. As a modest Charlton Athletic supporter it beggared belief that this thought could be the consensus amongst Reds fans, so here beings the investigation.

Firstly I refuse to patronize the footballing masses by trawling through the various achievements, trophies and accolades amassed by Cristiano Ronaldo under Sir Alex Ferguson.

What is fact is that the right winger scored 118 goals in 292 appearances and what is obvious is that he was United's most influential and important player, as well as being certified as officially the best player on the planet at the peak of his United career.

For a midfielder his scoring record was exceptional and his goals per game ratio eclipses that of any other midfielder let alone right winger to have ever played for Manchester Untied. A prolific dead ball specialist, an accomplished dribbler, a deft finisher from range, a predator in the box and in the air he scored all types of goals and in important matches too.

He netted several crucial goals in Premier League matches in three seasons of dominance for the north east team including goals in an FA Cup Final, a League Cup final and a Champions League final to boot. The talisman also topped the assists charts setting up his team mates as often as he found the back of the net himself.

The exclusive group of players that go down in folklore at Manchester United are never disputed and this is probably why Ronaldo rouses so much debate in this field. Many fans feel he treated the club that made him with disrespect by openly pursuing his dream move to Real Madrid in what would turn out to be a world record breaking £80 million fee.

Others point to some of his on field antics as a reason he may not be appreciated as much as he should be. Everyone bar opposing defenders enjoys the silky skills of the Portuguese superstar, playing his game with a cocky arrogance which in fact is an undeterred belief and confidence in himself to be the best he can possibly be.

But when things were not going so well United fans were exposed to a different Ronaldo. Diving to win free kicks or going down too easily, arguing with officials, sulking and moaning, choking when he needed his composure the most.

In the eyes of some United fans that alone restricts him from sitting side by side with the greats to have pulled on the red shirt but to me it washes as a senseless and weak argument typical of the modern football fans selective memory bank.

His ability is unquestionable but it's when you throw the likes of Bobby Chalrton, Mark Hughes, Roy Keane or George Best into the mixer that the debate intensifies. An 11 year old United fan would not try to pretend that Eric Cantona or Denis Law are they're favourite players to have donned their teams colours. So there is a great number that would feel Ronaldo would probably be the best player they have ever seen in United colours.

But for a 60 year old veteran supporter, opinion would surely differ. But that insight into the understanding of the clubs history should not distort the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo is amongst some of the best players to have played for that club in decades.

Article Source : bleacherreport.com

Football legends pay tribute to Sir Bobby

Some of the biggest names in football have come together to give thanks for the life of Sir Bobby Robson.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, England coach Fabio Capello and Sir Bobby Charlton were among the 1,000 guests who filled Durham Cathedral to pay tribute.

Former England players including Gary Lineker, Paul Gascoigne, Alan Shearer and Stuart Pearce also attended the memorial service, held seven weeks after Sir Bobby died aged 76 at home in nearby Langley Park.

Lineker, who played in Sir Bobby's Italia 90 England World Cup side, praised his "hugely supportive and fiercely loyal" former coach, telling the congregation: "Sir Bobby Robson, we will miss you but we will never, ever forget you." Everton manager David Moyes said: "All the Premier League managers look up to Sir Bobby."

Sir Bobby fought cancer five times and devoted his final years to helping others with the disease.

Amri hailed alongside local football legends

PETALING JAYA: Mohd Amri Yahyah will become a legend and a folk hero of Malaysian football.

The 28-year-old from Tanjong Karang will be hailed alongside some of the former greats, among them the late Mokhtar Dahari and R. Arumugam, “Raja Bola” Datuk Abdul Ghani Minhat and Matlan Marjan, who scored two goals against the visiting England team in the 1980s.

Amri will be a household name and remembered for his double strike in the national team’s spirited showing against English Premier League giants Manchester United in the first match of the Red Devils’ pre-season Asian Tour, which Malaysia lost 2-3 in Kuala Lumpur on July 18.

More so, the classic volley when he surprised United No. 1 goalkeeper Edwin van dar Sar from 40 metres out. He also rounded United’s former England goalkeeper Ben Foster to put Malaysia on level terms.

“It feels like being in a different world now,” said Amri yesterday.

“Whoever I meet, they talk of the two goals and congratulate me. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I am happy to have left behind something for the fans to remember.

“In fact, I need to thank national coach K. Rajagopal for giving me the break to don national colours after a three-year break.”

The Selangor skipper has been going great guns and has been playing consistently well for the Red Giants this season.

Selangor have won the Charity Shield (defeating Kedah 4-1) and the FA Cup (defeating Kelantan 4-1 on penalties).

Last night, Selangor clinched the Super League title when they thrashed Police 6-1 at the Selayang Municipal Council Stadium.

Rajagopal should also be credited for taking a bold step in naming only four seniors in the national team, comprising Under-23 players preparing for the Laos SEA Games in December. Besides Amri, the other seniors in the team were Indra Putra Mahayuddin, skipper Norhafli Zamani Misbah and V. Thirumurugan.

“This is the team for the future and there is a lot of work to be done. These players need matches and having played against United would surely motivate them to raise their playing level,” said Rajagopal.

Although Malaysia went down 0-2 to United in the rematch on Monday, it was still a good effort by the team, who were assembled for barely 10 days.

Rookie goalkeeper Mohd Farizal Marlias from Perlis was also outstanding, pulling off several daring saves in the two matches.

Skipper Norhafiz again proved that he could still be counted on to hold the Malaysian fort.

Rajagopal has got to get cracking on the team for the SEA Games and work on the flaws, especially the finishing.

The national Under-23 strikers Mohd Zaquan Abdul Razak, Norsharul Idlan Talaha, Mohd Farderin Kadir, Stanley Bernard Samuel and S. Kunalan certainly need to sharpen up.

Vidic is Happy Staying on at Man U

The 27-year-old joined Man U from Spartak Moscow in the year 2006 for a fee that was rumored to be £7million. Apparently, Vidic was the most expensive defender in the history of the Russian Premier League, before he shifted to Man U. Known for his aggressive defending style, he teamed up with Rio Ferdinand to form an impregnable defense for Man U. As a matter of fact, this duo is considered to have formed the best central defensive partnership in the Premier League, with Vidic standing as a solid rock at the back.

As far as Vidic is concerned, he proved his loyalty and commitment to Man U during the 5:0 win against Wigan. He clarified, ''I've never said anything about Barcelona or Real Madrid or AC Milan - or any club. I never speak about my future so I don't know why someone else does. I showed at Wigan on the pitch how happy I am at this club. Any fan of United only has to see how I played to know how committed I am." The 'someone else' Vidic referred to is his agent Paolo Fabbri, who claimed that he was considering a move to Barcelona. As of now, Vidic is under a two year contract extension that keeps him at Man U until 2012.

The Serb also forms an integral part of his national team's famous four defense line-up. Vidic made a strong impact during the Serbia and Montenegro effort to make their way to the 2006 World Cup finals. This year, Serbia tops Group Seven with 18 points from seven matches, putting it ahead of France, Lithuania, Austria and Romania. Earning a place in the 2010 World Cup finals is all the more poignant and special for the Serbians since it would be their first attempt to reach a major tournament as an independent nation. Their World Cup Group Seven qualifier against France on September 9th is being billed as the 'match of the decade' in Belgrade, with 55,000 tickets selling out in a couple of hours! The Serbian national team's coach, Radomir Antic, is ready to take on France with full force on home soil.

Victory against France would ensure Serbia's berth in next year's finals in South Africa, if France fails to defeat Romania. During a recent news conference, Coach Antic declared, "We've had a great run so far and we want to put the icing on the cake of our qualifying campaign against the French... We need to turn the national euphoria into positive energy on and off the pitch... Our strategy is to win every match and establish ourselves as a force to be reckoned with." He specially mentioned captain Dejan Stankovic and Nemanja Vidic as key players and recognized Vidic's role as the backbone of Serbia's defense.

Looks like we will be seeing a lot of Vidic in action in his Man U soccer shirt and the Serbian national team's World Cup soccer uniforms! After all, he has a reputation to uphold as one of the top defenders in the world of soccer.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brono_Pisino

Premier League 2009 and 10 Season Preview

The new English Premier League season is nearly upon us. Football fans have been waiting all summer long for the season to start, not just in England, but worldwide; with the English Premier League being the most popular and viewed football league in the world.

Manchester City have been the big spenders this summer, already bolstering their attack with the signings of Roque Santa Cruz, Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor. Desperate to make an impact this season after failing to make much of an impression last season despite the big money signings that included Robinho and Shaun Wright-Phillips. Mark Hughes is facing pressure as he knows his team must perform this season otherwise he could be out of work by the end of the season.

Rivals Manchester United have seen their squad weakened by the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo for a world record fee to Real Madrid. Arguably the best player in the world, he seems irreplaceable and United fans will be wondering how much of an effect this will have on their team this season. Their new winger is Antonio Valencia from Wigan Athletic, a proven player in the Premier League who has impressed during his time at a smaller Premier League side. Can he handle the pressure of a top 4 side? While he doesn't have a very good goalscoring record, certainly not near Ronaldo's, Manchester United have brought in Michael Owen on a free transfer to replace Carlos Tevez who they were unable to sign when his loan expired. The England international has a proven record despite struggling over recent years with injury problems. If he can shake them off, expect him to make an impact in Manchester this season.

Down in London, Arsenal and Chelsea have been reluctant to sign many new players, with the Gunners biggest signing being Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax for a fee in the region of £10,000,000. They have however sold Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure for a combined price of over £40,000,000 that should leave manager Arsene Wenger with some cash to spend. Chelsea's biggest name signing under new manager Carlo Ancelotti has been Yuri Zhirkov for CSKA Moscow, while the Italian has also brought in two young Englishmen; Ross Turnbull and Daniel Sturridge.

Last season's runners up, Liverpool have brought in Glen Johnson for what many feel to be overpriced at £17,500,000. Alvaro Arbeloa has headed off to Real Madrid, and Sami Hyypia left for Bayer Leverkusen when his contract expired.

It seems once again it could be the same top 4 teams qualifying for Champions League next season, unless Manchester City transform into competitors after their summer spending spree. We'll have to wait and see how they get on, whilst Aston Villa and Everton may miss out again without strengthening their squads dramatically this summer.

The Premier League welcomes Wolverhampton Wanderers, Birmingham City and Burnley this season following their promotion from the Championship last season. All eyes will be on those and others down the bottom as they fear the drop and the big loss of earnings that relegation brings upon three unfortunate teams.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barrie_Smith

What Does it Take to be Called a Legend of Football?

Through the years we have seen plenty of players with the ability to amaze us with their skill and tremendous talent.

Players like Zinedine Zidane, Diego Armando Maradona, Dennis Bergkamp, Pele, Roberto Baggio, Romario, Jurgen Klinsmann, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, George Best, Bobby Charlton, Zico, Ruud Gullit, Marco Van Basten, Georghe Hagi, Hristo Stoitchkov, and many more stand out from the rest with their exquisite skill.

But that brings us to the point where we could ask ourselves a few questions. What has really made them into the great players—legends, even—they are considered to be today? What does it take to be a legendary player? Is skill enough or is it something more?

In my opinion, it is the latter.

One factor that could be a catalyst in the development of a player’s career is his character. The character of footballers, as in real life, can either help the player gain fame, or bring him to his downfall.

We have witnessed cases in which a footballer with breath-taking skill has been booed by fans and hated by the media, simply because his character is somehow contradictory to the publicly accepted values.

I could not stress more the importance of a player’s loyalty towards a club or his country, as well. If a player is not loyal towards a club of his choice throughout his career, then that would surely damage his image with the public.

The same goes if a player is not loyal to his country. Even if he shows spectacular talent and skills he would still be looked at in doubt and disrespect.

A typical example of this is Nicolas Anelka, who undoubtedly has a tremendous amount of talent but his lack of loyalty towards any team, and his poor decisions throughout his career, remain the main reasons why he would never join the ranks of the greatest players.

Some people would ask how the lack of loyalty towards a club can really matter on the football field.

When the players are down there, it comes to being eleven versus eleven, and a ball. So how could a decision made by the player, who is not pledging his loyalty to a club, possibly affect him and his team on the pitch?

I think it matters exactly how you behave on that field. It is on that football field where you can see the real character of a man.

Nothing can be hidden there. The lack of loyalty or commitment can be easily seen on the football pitch. The state of mind of any of the players can also be easily sensed. At the end of the day, it comes to the things that really matter: your god-given skills and your way of using them.

Sometimes though, it is not that simple. Sometimes there are outside factors that could influence a player’s performance on the field.

The truth is that no matter how good a footballer may be at playing the game, he would always remain under the restrictions of how he should behave on the field and, indirectly, outside of it. Crossing those boundaries will further him from being accepted in any society, thus inevitably damaging the player’s career and reputation.

Do you remember Paolo Di Canio’s Fascist salutes? Do you remember Joey Barton’s misbehaviour on the field, or outside of it?

There are some things that a player, however talented, simply should not do, like attacking a fan, or behaving too aggressively towards his opponents or teammates. That would just damage the reputation of the player, no matter how good he is. It is never simple in the world we live in.

I doubt if a young boy who is making his first steps in football would want to become like footballers of such quality.

A legendary player has to have the necessary qualities to be an example for the next generations of footballers. He has to epitomize the ideal footballer, to which future talents will strive to become.

That can be achieved not only by having a unique and impressive style of play on the field, but also by showing a socially acceptable and admirable behaviour outside of it.

A great footballer has to burden himself with the responsibility that comes with being one.

He has to know that all eyes are turned towards him and in response; he must attempt to act as an example for younger players and future generations of footballers. Only then he can he become a legend.

Maybe that is why some footballers will never be legends. They would be remembered as just one of many others who possessed talent. Nevertheless, those who carry the responsibilities on their shoulders can never be forgotten.

Footballers such as Thierry Henry, Johan Cruyff, Pele, Bobby Charlton, Ferenc Puskas, Franco Baresi, Michel Platini, Dennis Bergkamp, Paolo Maldini and many, many more are footballers who will always be in the hearts of fans and the people who enjoy football.

This is not simply to the fact these people have raised the level of football from a practical point of view but they have also contributed to the improvement of the ethics of football.

They have put a mark on the world with their characters and have revealed to the younger generations a successful path to glory.

Zimbabwe football legend Tauro dies

HARARE, June 19 -- Zimbabwe football legend Shackman Tauro has died on Wednesday, just 11 days shy of his 50th birthday.

The former CAPS United and Zimbabwe national striker passed away at Harare's St Anne's Hospital Wednesday night after a short illness.

Popularly known as "Mr Goals", Tauro is widely regarded as one of the greatest players to have graced Zimbabwean football. Zifa chairman Wellington Nyatanga, who announced Tauro's death on Thursday, described him as a "legend" and a "hero" of local football.

Tauro's heyday was during the 1970s, when his extraordinary goal-scoring instincts illuminated the local soccer scene while he was turning out for CAPS Rovers, who later changed their name to CAPS United.

Tauro helped CAPS Rovers to gain promotion into the then first division in 1977, five seasons after the club's management had spotted his potential while the team was still playing in the lower divisions.

In fact, Tauro joined CAPS in 1972 when the club was in third division and at that time he was receiving his primary school education at Rusvingo School in Harare's high-density suburb of Highfield.

And on his very first outing for CAPS, Tauro, whose soccer career blossomed at Zororo Youth Centre in Highfield, grabbed a hat-trick.

That was a remarkable achievement because Tauro had only turned 14 a few weeks before the match.

In fact, he was lucky to make the team on that day because one of CAPS Rovers officials had objected to his selection because of his youth.

His role in CAPS United's success was first recognized by his becoming the Soccer Star of the Year in 1979.

After that, he was one of the first players to don the senior national team jersey soon after the attainment of Independence on April 18, 1980.

A then hard-up youngster from Highfield, Tauro was the toast of the newly-born independent State of Zimbabwe.

He hammered in two goals in Zimbabwe's 6-0 trouncing of Mozambique, and nodded home the winner in the four-nation Independence Tournament final against Zambia on April 21, 1980 at Rufaro.

In the match against Zambia, Tauro grabbed a moment of soccer glory for himself and the nation when he headed in Zimbabwe's winning goal in the final minute to send an estimated 40,000 crowd ecstatic at Rufaro.

Tauro's most memorable footballing moment, though, came on June 2, 1977, when he banged in six goals against Kaizer Chiefs during a North Zone Select team match against the South African glamour side.

Tauro became popularly known as "Mr Goals" in 1982 after he notched 28 goals to clinch the Mr Strong Top Goalscorer of the Year award.

Tauro won numerous caps for Zimbabwe, scoring more than a dozen goals for the senior national side until a knee injury forced him to hang up his boots in 1988.

May 1996 saw Tauro moving on to the now-defunct Premiership side Arcadia United, joining them as head coach only for him to rejoin CAPS United in June 1997.

He subsequently had spells with lower division side Circle United and the women's national team — the Mighty Warriors.

At the time of his death, Tauro was involved in running Premiership side Shooting Stars.

Do you see Ronaldo as a Man United Legend

Will Ronaldo go down as a Man United Legend?


Man United sign a 18 year old ronaldo for £12m in the summer of 2003, picured here alongside another magnificent talent - kleberson.



Ronaldo signs a contract extension till 2010 in the summer of 2004



Ronaldo looses out on the young player of the year to rooney to seasons in a row between 2004-2006




In euro 2006 Ronaldo apparently played a part in Rooney's sending off and his infamous wink made him extremely unpopular with united fans. Real came knocking on the door and Fergie only just kept him at united, convincing him he still has a future in england.




Ronaldo finally wins the league for the first time in may 2007, scoring 28 goals in the process making him PFA player and young player of the year for the first time in his career. He also signed a contract until 2013 fending off Madrid's intrest



March 2008 vs Bolton, Ronaldo captains united for the first time, breaking george best's 40 year old record in the process. That season he scored 42 goals in 49 games!! He was PFA player of the year for the second year running, was 3rd in the world player rankings.




Despite scoring a header for united vs chelsea in the CL final, ronaldo misses his penalty. Luckily for him Terry and anelka did no better.


2009- Ronaldo agrees with blatter on comments that he is a slave, again trying to force a move to madrid. Instead he stays and wins the premier league for the 3rd year running and becomes world player of the year.




Ronaldo plays his last game for united, in an all white strip. United lost, he later took off his loser's medal in discontent and slammed fergie's tactics. In total he had made 292 appearances for united, scoring 118 goals.

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Honours

Club

Manchester United

* Premier League: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
* FA Cup: 2003–04
* League Cup: 2005–06, 2008–09
* FA Community Shield: 2007
* UEFA Champions League: 2007–08
* FIFA Club World Cup: 2008

Individual

* UEFA Euro 2004 Team of the Tournament
* FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year: 2004–05, 2005–06
* Portuguese Footballer of the Year: 2006–07
* UEFA Team of the Year: 2003–2004, 2006–07, 2007-08
* FIFPro World XI: 2006–07, 2007–08
* PFA Young Player of the Year: 2006–07
* PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08
* PFA Fans' Player of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08
* PFA Premier League Team of the Year: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
* FWA Footballer of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08
* Barclays Player of the Season: 2006–07, 2007–08
* Barclays Player of the Month: November 2006, December 2006, January 2008, March 2008
* Barclays Golden Boot: 2007–08
* Barclays Merit Award: 2007–08
* European Golden Shoe: 2007–08
* UEFA Club Forward of the Year: 2007–08
* UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2007–08
* FIFPro World Player of the Year: 2007–08
* Ballon d'Or: 2008
* FIFA World Player of the Year: 2008
* FIFA Team of the Year: 2008

Orders

* Officer of the Order of Infante Dom Henrique
* Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (House of Braganza)[67]