Dan Dare
06-06-2008, 06:06 AM
The ongoing saga involving Christiano Ronaldo and an impending move to Real Madrid appears to be coming to a head.
According to Sir Alex Feruguson the deal will not proceed even though Real have supposedly offered United a world record fee of € 100 million (£ 78 or $ 155 million) for the winger's signature.
According to reports today (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/06/05/ufnronaldo205.xml) Ronaldo has signalled his intention to move to Madrid.
So, what should Ferguson do? He has been reported as willing to let Ronaldo languish in the reserve team for the remainder of his five year contract rather than bow to Real's pressure. But is that rational?
This episode brings to mind the similar saga of Sir Matt Busby and George Best when the latter, a winger like Ronaldo but in one's opinion one with double the talent, thought he was more important than the club itself. Busby cut him down to size and thereby established the precedent that no player is more important than the club, and therefore George had to go. He never again reached the heights he achieved with United.
Perhaps the best approach for United and Ferguson would be to let Ronaldo go, since his oversize ego is becoming counter-productive, and the € 100 million thereby raised could be invested in the development of local talent.
The following article from the Independent makes a similar point.
Link ... (http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/why-selling-ronaldo-would-be-a-good-thing-840369.html)
According to Sir Alex Feruguson the deal will not proceed even though Real have supposedly offered United a world record fee of € 100 million (£ 78 or $ 155 million) for the winger's signature.
According to reports today (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/06/05/ufnronaldo205.xml) Ronaldo has signalled his intention to move to Madrid.
So, what should Ferguson do? He has been reported as willing to let Ronaldo languish in the reserve team for the remainder of his five year contract rather than bow to Real's pressure. But is that rational?
This episode brings to mind the similar saga of Sir Matt Busby and George Best when the latter, a winger like Ronaldo but in one's opinion one with double the talent, thought he was more important than the club itself. Busby cut him down to size and thereby established the precedent that no player is more important than the club, and therefore George had to go. He never again reached the heights he achieved with United.
Perhaps the best approach for United and Ferguson would be to let Ronaldo go, since his oversize ego is becoming counter-productive, and the € 100 million thereby raised could be invested in the development of local talent.
The following article from the Independent makes a similar point.
Link ... (http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/why-selling-ronaldo-would-be-a-good-thing-840369.html)