Man U 2 - Sheff U 0 - godliness 1

Well I managed to get through the Man U Sheffield U game without getting angry at either Sir Alex Ferguson or Christiano Ronaldo. Several people were in attendance where we watched it to check up on me on this one. I actually felt quite relaxed! Mind you my pleasure at England getting knocked out of the World Cup cricket may have tempered my mood!

Ronaldo heads PFA award nominees

Ronaldo heads PFA award nominees

By Martin Smith

Ronaldo is one of six players nominated for the PFA award. Reflecting Manchester United's marauding season to date, elder statesmen Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes are also nominated. Representatives of the other members of the Premiership elite - Chelsea's Didier Drogba, Steven Gerrard of Liverpool and Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas -complete the list.
Ronaldo, who is the outstanding favourite, returned to Old Trafford in July to the displeasure of the nation, fuelled by a rabid media campaign, after he was accused of playing a significant part in the sending-off of Wayne Rooney as England departed the World Cup at the quarter-final stage against Portugal. It looked at one stage as if Ronaldo would be forced to leave the Premiership.

Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of the PFA, said: "This season was a big test for him, both of his temperament and his ability to rise above the abuse he received after the incident with Wayne Rooney, and he has passed with flying colours in every department. I was not sure after the World Cup if things would get back to normal at Old Trafford, but Cristiano has shown great maturity and proved himself to be a top, top player."

Much of the credit must go to Sir Alex Ferguson, his manager, who had managed to get Eric Cantona back on track a decade earlier, and who persuaded Ronaldo not only to stay but also to become one of the game's biggest draws. The showboating show pony of the past has transformed into a thoroughbred who can harness his box of tricks within a team ethic.

advertisement"He has still got the tricks," Taylor said, "and, if he was to perform them on the stage at the London Palladium, you would have to stand up and applaud. For him to be able to perform them on a football field, at full speed with everything going on around him, makes it all the more remarkable."

Drogba also came back from Germany last summer with something to prove. He had struggled to impose himself on Premiership defences in his first two seasons at Chelsea, only showing occasional flashes of what was to come. This season, however, he has scored 30 goals to keep Chelsea challenging for Premiership, FA Cup and Champions League honours, as well as winning the Carling Cup in February.

"What I have liked about Didier this season is the way he has committed himself to the Chelsea cause and how he has maintained such excellent form, even when Chelsea have been going through a sticky time," Taylor said.

Like Ronaldo, Fabregas has also been nominated for the Young Player of the Year award alongside Rooney, Kevin Doyle, of Reading, Tottenham's Aaron Lennon and Micah Richards, of Manchester City.

"Fabregas is usually at the heart of every [Arsenal] move," Taylor said. "He is going to be a player for all seasons if he keeps going the way he is."


PFA Player of the Year Nominees:
Didier Drogba (Chelsea), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Scholes (all Manchester United)

Young player nominees:
Kevin Doyle (Reading), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham), Micah Richards (Manchester City), Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

Real who? Cristiano Ronaldo signs new five-year contract for Man Utd

Real who? Cristiano Ronaldo signs new five-year contract for Man Utd

Real Madrid, stick that in your overpriced pipe and smoke it! Master Ronaldo loves playing with John O'Shea, Kieron Richardson and Darren Fletcher so much that he has decided to snub your billion-dollar advances and sign a new, improved five-year contract that will keep him at Old Trafford until 2012.

'I am delighted,' said CR. 'I spoke with Sir Alex and David Gill about my future and everyone knew that I wanted to stay. I am very happy at the club and I want to win trophies and hopefully we will do that this season.' Great news for Man Utd fans and great news for English football that the most exciting player in the world is staying in the Premiership.

Soccer: Chelsea and ManU reach FA Cup semis

Soccer: Chelsea and ManU reach FA Cup semis

LONDON - Champions Chelsea beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 and league leaders Manchester United overcame Middlesbrough with a Ronaldo penalty today to book their places in next month's semi-finals of the FA Cup.

United will meet Watford and Chelsea will take on Blackburn Rovers, with the final scheduled to return to the rebuilt Wembley stadium.

A magical 55th minute goal conjured against the run of play from Andriy Shevchenko and a second scorcher nine minutes later from Shaun Wright-Phillips earned Chelsea their win in Monday's quarter-final replay.

The Ukraine striker took a pass from Wright-Phillips on the right, stepped inside Steed Malbranque and sent a left foot shot into the top left of the net from 20 metres.

Seven minutes later Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba expertly chested a ball, passed from deep by Ashley Cole, to Wright-Phillips on his left and the diminutive winger belted it past Paul Robinson in the Spurs net.

Chelsea looked to be cruising until Ricardo Carvalho brought down Dimitar Berbatov in the Cheslea area in the 77th minute and Robbie Keane sent a penalty past Petr Cech.

After an uneventful first half this set up a grandstand finish with the home side pouring towards the Chelsea goal but, despite six minutes of time added on, Spurs failed to break through.

United had Middlesbrough on the backfoot from the first kick in their replay and might have scored half a dozen but for some fine goalkeeping from Mark Schwarzer.

He plucked the ball from England striker Wayne Rooney's feet and denied him twice more in the second half with Middlesbrough constantly unbalanced by Cristiano Ronaldo's jinking runs.

The tie was finally decided by a Ronaldo penalty after the Portuguese winger was brought down by Jonathan Woodgate in the 74th minute.