When David Pleat remarked that Cristiano Ronaldo had been "compared to the incomparable George Best", we all knew what he meant. Sometimes, malapropisms say it better than anything. Ronaldo and Best are as unique as one another, and yet both belong on the same pedestal. Manchester United happen to believe they both belong at Old Trafford too.
Hands on approach: Roma's Marco Cassetti grabs Cristiano Ronaldo
My esteemed co-commentator for Tuesday night's sacking of Rome also noted that the Glazer family "could get the debt down in one fell swoop" by selling Ronaldo. Yesterday United's American uncles sanctioned a new five-year contract for the club's prize asset. The absentee landlords are going to become popular if they're not careful.
Ronaldo and Best are the essence of what United try to stand for. Dashing, daring, devils in red. The sculptor commissioned by the club to create a statue of Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton may do well to sketch Ronaldo for future reference. The message to Real Madrid, Barcelona and any other suitors could not be clearer. The future is rosy red.
Nine months ago it looked like Ronaldo's United career would not last another five minutes, never mind five years. His infamous World Cup wink was as good as a nod towards the exit. The country rallied around Wayne Rooney and blamed Ronaldo for everything but the weather. How could the two play together again? Ask Roma how they play now.
Sir Alex Ferguson was never going to let a bit of national hysteria get in the way of his plans. Ronaldo was too good to lose. Sir Matt Busby forgave Best his trespasses, now Ferguson has defended Ronaldo to the hilt. A kind of trust has grown between manager and player, a bond Ronaldo is happy to sign up to.
advertisementThe sense of security that comes from having someone like Ferguson in your corner has helped protect Ronaldo from the jeers and jibes of the World Cup fall-out. His game is maturing. There are signs of him passing more and falling less. At least one of the Footballer of the Year awards is likely to land in Ronaldo's hands, though the wager he has won with his manager over his goals tally for the season will probably mean more to him.
Ferguson says Ronaldo shares Best's courage in keeping taking on defenders however often he is kicked. In the closing stages of Tuesday's epic, Roma full-back Marco Cassetti grabbed Ronaldo round the waist and hauled him back in an admission of defeat. Minutes later, defender Philippe Mexes took a vengeful kick at the winger's shins. It was a reprisal of the kind that Middlesbrough's George Boateng had in mind when he said: "One day someone will hurt him properly."
However much we delight in film of Best tormenting opponents, the truth is that many old-school defenders wanted to point him in the direction of the local hospital. Ronaldo's sauce is of the same flavour. Sweet and sour. What looks cheeky to the red army under the Old Trafford floodlights looks like a red rag to the poor full-back caught in Ronaldo's headlights.
There is a fine line between teasing and taunting fellow professionals. Too much ducking and diving costs you respect. United fans hail Ronaldo with a song that actually rejoices in last summer's triumph over England. They have always adored him, but now others are learning to admire him.
Ronaldo is most likely the best match-winner in world football. At 22, he has played in a European Championship final and a World Cup semi. He carries the ball faster than most players run without it. He is tall and strong in the mould of the modern footballer, he can score with headers and free-kicks and he moves his team forward almost every time he receives the ball. I'm told he's even good-looking. United have invested with their heads, not their hearts.
