[carlyluvsunited]

I am a big fan of Cristiano Ronaldo, of course I am. He can be assessed as one of
the best players in the world ... sometimes ... when he decides to 'show up'.

We've just had one of the saddest weeks for many younger United fans.
Natuarally we were not alive when the crash happened, neither did we see the
10 years that followed as Busby dragged United from the ashes of Munich to
become Champions of Europe !!

It takes a special kind of person to step up to the mark and be THE ONE who
makes the difference. Geoge Best did it for Busby in 1968 - as he did on many
ocassions on the big stage.

Sure todays game is just a home game in the 38 we play this year in the Premier
League. But not for me. Todays game has only one viable outcome for me -
NOTHING BUT VICTORY WILL DO !!

A draw or a loss will almost feel disrespectful in my eyes - I will feel we have let
Sir Matt and The Babes down if we fail.

So for me today is a MASSIVE game.

Rooney is suspended - he tried to cheat against Spurs with that ridiculous dive -
got booked and earned a suspension. He can change games single handed but
he wont be doing so today.

So this is why I mentioned CR7 at the start of this.

So many times he has let us down on the big ocassion. This for me is his biggest
and maybe his only fault !!

Well today Mr Ronaldo is your big chance. Today more than ever we need you to
step up, stand tall and show us what you really do have. Yes we have a great
team of course and they will play their part.

BUT WE DON'T WANT TO WIN 1-0 WITH A STEADY, SAFE PERFORMANCE.

I don't want to see CR7 being tackled fairly and sitting on his arse his hands in
the air moaning to the ref. Get up and get the ball back, fight for the game like
the Babes used to week in week out.

Become a winner Ronaldo on the big stage, when it matters, when the pressure
is on instead of a bit part player when we thrash Bolton, Wigan, Derby or
Newcastle !!

LET'S SEE CITY SWEPT ASIDE WITH FOOTBALL PLAYED THE MATT BUSBY WAY -
DEFEND AS ONE, ATTACK AS ONE !!!

Anything less is NOT acceptable ....

Then on to Moscow to bring Sir Matt's trophy home where it belongs ....

Let's see what you are made of Ronnie ...

That's what I think anyway ...

 

[Sleepz]

sad to see that everything u didnt want to happen, happend

 

[carlyluvsunited]

I know - I still can't believe it all went so horribly wrong !

It actually worries me this thing with Ronnie ...

I try to remember a big time game where we can say thank God for Ronnie !

 

[Keano4taoiseach]

2005 FA Cup final, Ronaldo destroyed the whole Arsenal team and set Gael Clichy's career back 2 years. *there you go carly, although we still lost *

 

[carlyluvsunited]

2005 FA Cup final, Ronaldo destroyed the whole Arsenal team and set Gael Clichy's career back 2 years. *there you go carly, although we still lost *

Ah OK so for this game I say:

"Thank God for Ronnie - we lost the Cup Final" ...

 

[Andreas_svan]

It's time to finally say " Scholes and Giggs aint what they used to be ". It most be hard for SAF to put them on the bench in one game, but i think they will be great for back up and jump in late in the matches, with their experience and the way they play it cool. Nani - Carrick - Hargreaves/Andersson - Ronaldo is they way we should play the midfield, and if you ask me, we do need a backup striker, Manucho will probably be good for this job, but it's to late this season. And Ronaldo disappears so easliy in the big game.

Defend as one, attack as one. Is the way it should be, as you said carly.

Sometimes i almost think all the players think " We are Manchester United, it will be alright.

 

[Solsk]

I know - I still can't believe it all went so horribly wrong !

It actually worries me this thing with Ronnie ...

I try to remember a big time game where we can say thank God for Ronnie !

Emirates this season. Maybe didnt preform to what he can, but we would of scored zilch without him.

 

[Jazz 16]

You wrote this thread before this game.
maybe you knew Ronnie wasnt going to perform.
Most of what you wrote is right. You mentioned Best showing up when it counted in the big games. Ronnie cant be considered the very best until he proves it in the big games like Best did.

Sad day indeed and it will take a good while to get over this one.
Maybe the pressure and the emotion got to the players and we expected too much?

 

[J_Stand]

After yesterdays performance he should be dropped and fined, his whole attitude stank was a disgrace

 

[CROoney]

Been saying it ever since the WC ended that Ronnie underperforms against strong opponents ( mind the word "strong opponenets" . I stopped using the term "big games" because people threat Cup final against Watford big game ). Season in season out he becomes invisible against the strong teams. The one time he did play well was last season against arsenal at home - but he ended up losing possesion to cesc who played ade for that winning goal.Just because he scored against Arsenal this season, doesn't mean he was good. He was non-existant. That's why he can't be shoulder to shoulder with Kaka. Overall he's been the most consistant but when he beats Chelsea, Arsenal or even poor Scousers on his own - then he can be regarded as the best

 

[Grif SA]

I think we kept on telling ourselves excuses. Our back line was all backup, minus Vidic who just returned against Milan. Something else against Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool. Ronaldo needs to show up for these big games. I mean, Kaka scored against us in the semi final, and Messi scored a hattrick against Real Madrid last season.

I think it's the fact this game meant, arguably, so much more to us than any of the other games, and now we're taking notice that Ronaldo doesn't step up. However, we know Ronaldo is only 23, and has much more time to make sure he steps up his game in the big games.

 

[carlyluvsunited]

... and now we're taking notice that Ronaldo doesn't step up

Objection !!!

I have been saying this from day one of this season !!

I have made a couple of threads pointing out his faults ...

And on both ocassions I was called mad ...

Not to be stupid ...

Now here we are 5 months later ...

Suddenly everyone wakes up ...

Everyone prefers Rooney to Ronaldo !!!

I asked for times when Ronnie turned up for the big games ...

All ANYONE could remember was the Cup Final 'v' Arse - we lost !!

And the Emirates game 'v' Arse - we drew !!

Other than that - nothing !

There is a chance he will whack one ot two in against Lyon - they are a poor side.

In the next few rounds with the likes of Barca, Madrid, Milan etc etc he will struggle.....

These teams along with Chelsea, Liverpool and Arse have more than got the measure of Ronnie in the past !

Maybe he will overcome this problem !

But right now they have him in their pockets ...

 

[Ajant]

Lyon are certainly not poor, and I do not expect a victory in France!

Pointing out Ronaldo's faults, fair enough, are we pointing out Rooney's faults? ie. Finishing. There's too much pressure on Ronaldo to score, because if he doesn't we don't have anyone who is a natural finisher and will be there to put the ball in the back of the net.

To be honest, Giggs' time has to be up, loyal servant and all, but i think it's time to start limiting his role within the first team, but having said that..Nani isn't upto Manchester United standard. Simply put. Scholes has had 1-2 bad games in recent times but he can still change a match and set up Carrick brilliantly.

Ronaldo should never be played as a striker or just off Tevez again though...well not in so called 'big matches' anyway.

 

[CROoney]

what's with everyone saying nani isn't united potential ! he's been very good imo ! he's had a lot of assists ! he needs a run in the team and he'll be fine ! he was better than giggs against city imo. he played a few great through balls and he should have had our corner kicks ...not giggs ! he wasn't particularly bad...everyone was

 

[Guest]

Sugestion for Sir Alex Ferguson

Well I wanted to say that I'm also a big fan of Cristiano Ronaldo and I want to play together with him but I'm living very far.I live in Macedonia if someone have heard about this country.I hope that someone will come to me and to see how I play.Please somebody come from the club to negotiate with me and to see my abbilities.Also I want to say big HELLO for the fans of Manchcester United. SEE YAAAA

 

[ono5985]

It's frightening to lose 2-1 at home to a city team that was missing Elano, Bojinov, Castillo, Corluka and Johnson.

 

[Grif SA]

Well yes Carly, you have taken notice, but I'm saying now most if not all of our fans have taken notice. We see that all of the big teams know Ronaldo is going to try his tricks, so the person marking him takes a step back, lets him do his moves, then stops him. One thing he has to learn is that he's quick! Probably only Messi is quicker, so he has to beat people with his pace too. While tricks can be countered, his pace can only be countered by somebody quicker, and few teams have people quicker than him, yet alone a defender. Until he realizes that, he likely won't step up for the big games.

As for Rooney... He can step up for the big games. His brace against Milan last year for example. But right now he just needs a goal. If he scores against Arsenal, that would be perfect. He already has 10 and he's hasn't scored in a while, and he was injured. And once he gets a goal to regain form... Then we will go on a streak. I'm probably dreaming, but I want Rooney and Anderson to score against Arsenal or Lyon. I feel both of them have the goals in them, but just getting the first one is a challenge.

As for Lyon, they are in no way a poor team. I don't think you get to the knockout stages of the Champions League by accident. And in previous group stages they defeated Real Madrid and others.

 

[stretty]

its a fact about ronny alas he doesnt seem to perform against the bigger clubs , i can still see cashly cole tapping his back pocket at o.t. last year saying he had ronny in it, which he did for most of the game.
i would love to see him turn it on against the scousers arsenal and chelsea , but he hasnt managed it very often , although he scored a double at highbury some years back.
i do not blame ronny one bit , i think ts fergies fault , ronny was playing centre forward for most of the game against city , this is because fergie again failed to buy a centre forward in the window .
ronny has been most effective on the wings for us as his goals tally shows.
we have never replaced ruud , its no good signing a player you have to send out on loan , we needed manucho now not next season .
i know i shouldnt have a go at fergie after all he has achieved , but his tactics do leave me bafled a lot of the time , he knew things were not going well up to half time , but failed to do anything about it till it was too late , much to the confusion of the stretford end.
also scholes and giggs are a little off the pace these days , which is understandable considering their ages , they should be used sparingly.
fergie also said wellbeck may well start on sunday and low and behold he doesnt even make the squad , we had little options up front on the bench , so it was baffling why he left him out all together.
he has a habit of saying things in his conference and totally contradicting it with his selection , prime example being against coventry in the carling cup , he said rooney would start as captain and he would put a strong team out , he played a total youth team and we got battered , which wasnt nice for the people there like myself wo expected a few of the first team to start