Champions League Promises More Fun

There are just 8 teams left in the uefa champions league race out of the 32 that started.The Road to the final in Moscow is getting clearer by the day.The road promises to be fun and tough with four games coming up in April alone.

Yes, for the first time, both quarter-finals and both semi-finals will take place in one month, thanks largely to the looming European Championships.

As such, the importance of having a squad, and the effect of telling engagements in domestic competitions threatens to be greater than ever.

The Draw has paired Arsenal against Liverpool,Manchester Against Roma in a game that Roma will definitely want to win in search of revenge of last season's 7-1 defeat to Manchester United,Barcelona will be Up against Schalke In a tricky match that Barca is expected to win without much problems,Chelsea got their prayers answered when they were paired against Fenerbahce in a game that chelsea will must definitely win

Admittedly, Schalke and Fenerbahce are being considered relative outsiders, but the Germans progressed from a group containing Chelsea and Valencia, while the Turks dealt with Inter and PSV in proud fashion. Then, the steel shown to hold their own and win penalty shoot-outs on away turf can not be ignored either.

Barcelona and Roma, meanwhile, won both home and away, and showed that they can be unstoppable on their day.

It is also the right time to remember some of the legendary clubs that will not be here, talking about the likes of Nine time champions Real Madrid and the defending champions Ac Milan. Bernd Schuster's and Carlo Ancelotti's sides were sent out by two young and energetic sides that proved to Europe that football is not all about the big bucks. Roma and Arsenal, as such, will be very difficult to eliminate, for sheer ebullience if nothing else.

Then we have Chelsea and Liverpool, two sides that have been humiliated in the FA Cup this season (Barnsley take a bow), but who will prove to be an entirely different proposition over two legs. Absolutely nobody will be rested, and there is no chance they will be complacent, for both managers need silverware to secure their respective positions.

And finally, we have Manchester United, who have been installed as favourites for the competition by 90% of the bookmakers, due largely to the fact that they are a lot stronger than the side that looked lost at San Siro last April.

Of course, there is the individual angle as well. The likes of Cesc Fabregas and Cristiano Ronaldo are in the running for the Ballon d'Or, and can silence any doubters by guiding their team to glory. Lionel Messi is unlikely to be fit for the quarter-finals, but even he remains in the fray, along with new entrant Fernando Torres.

The Spaniard has not been mentioned as a candidate yet, but with 26 goals already, if he can guide Liverpool to the Champions League and score a few for Spain this summer, he will probably have 40 for the season. Francesco Totti is another player who has always been overlooked for major awards largely because of lack of silverware. Could European glory offer just the excuse to the jury?

Much will depend on the path that is laid out in front of them - whom they face, whether they play home or away first - and it will all be unveiled on Friday afternoon.

Updates:

1. The 8-0 hammering of Besiktas makes Liverpool the team with the most goals in the competition - 21 from eight games.

Barcelona and Arsenal come in second with 16, while Schalke are last, with just six in eight games. Meawhile, Barcelona are runaway leaders in terms of total shots on target - a mammoth 66.

Team Goals scored in 8 games Liverpool 21 Barcelona 16 Arsenal 16 Roma 15 Manchester United 14 = Chelsea 14 Fenerbahce 13 Schalke 6

2. On the defensive front, Chelsea have been the most miserly, having conceded just the two in eight games, which is what makes them one of the most difficult to knock-out.

Attack-minded Arsenal are the surprise second placed team with four, just ahead of Liverpool, Manchester United, Barcelona and Schalke. Fenerbahce conceded five at the last 16 stage to ensure they bring up the rear.

The list, more than anything, indicates just how mean you have to be to win this trophy in the modern era.

Team Goals conceded in 8 games Chelsea 2 Arsenal 4 Liverpool 5 = Barcelona 5 = Manchester United 5 = Schalke 5 Roma 8 Fenerbahce 11

3. Finally, if we measure success as the number of points picked up from eight games (allocating points even for the two knock-out games for the sake of analysis), we find Barcelona at the top of the pile, being chased down by Arsenal, Roma and Manchester United.

As an aside, Barcelona, Man Utd and Chelsea are the only unbeaten teams in the competition. Schalke bring up the rear after having practically squeezed through at every stage thus far.

Team Points from 8 games Barcelona 20 Arsenal 17 =Roma 17 = Manchester United 17 Liverpool 16 = Chelsea 16 Fenerbahce 14 Schalke 11

The Quarter finals promise to be full of intrigues,goals ,tackles and so much surprises.I just can't wait to see the games

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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE : WHICH IS THE BEST LEAGUE IN EUROPE

For the very first time in the history of the champions league,4 teams from the same league (England) made have made it inot the quarter finals.Though this is not surprising since for the last 3 seasons we have always had at least 1 semi-finalist from England,last season witnessed the appearance of 3 semi finalist from England,something that will most likely repeat itself again should all the English Teams measure of to the standard expected of them in the quarter finals in April.

Even Spain and Italy at their best could only produce 3 quarterfinalist in between them,the question that comes to mind then is : WHICH IS THE BEST LEAGUE IN EUROPE? Or is it just a fluke ? Or is that the top four teams in England beginning to wake up ? Or is this the beginning of another dominance of England by English clubs,as was the case when Liverpool,Aston Villa and Nottingham forext won Seven European Cups In just eight seasons.

I just can not wait to see the games and most of the Excitement in the last 8 also involves English teams facing each other.The Gunners' Luck could only place them against veterans-Liverpool

Of the English quartet Chelsea will be the most happy, having drawn Fenerbahce, who on paper perhaps seem the weakest side left. However, Rick Parry of Liverpool revealed his relief at the fact that "at least we don’t have to go to Turkey." Whether this was a reference to the distances to travel or a fear of the Turkish dark horses was unclear.

It was also acknowledged by Parry that drawing an English side was bad luck, with the intriguing situation that the English four are looking some of the most competitive and strongest teams at the moment.

For the ever noisy English media the qualification of 4 Of their teams into the last 8 marks the beginning of an ear. Alex Ferguson, speaking before the draw, proclaimed that ‘the English league is the strongest in Europe’.

Even more telling than a Scot extolling the virtues of the English league was Kaka’s statement: "You can say that the Premier League is not only the best for this season but for what its teams have done over the last few years’." Soon after the draw in Nyon, a visibly relieved Txiki Begiristain, Barcelona's director of sport, also hailed the Premier League as "undoubtedly the strongest league in Europe."

You can blame the Englishmen once in a while for getting carried away, but when praise begins to come from those in the continent - there is most certainly some fire beneath all the smoke.

The fact of the matter is that seven quarter-finalists in two seasons and most possibly six out of eight semi-finalists over the same period is a feat not worth ignoring, even if Serie A and La Liga loyalists may attempt to shoot it down.

Manchester United who has been placed against Roma in a repeat of the quarter finals of last season will sure not be Happy to have Roma again,I am quick to warn the fans of the red devils not to expect a 7-1 win this time around.That said, the feisty reception the Red Devils' fans received in Rome last time round will worry some.

If they are to beat the Italian side they will have to play either Schalke or, more likely, Barcelona, a prospect that will have the mouths of fans the world over watering.

Meanwhile the winners of the all-English tie face either Chelsea or Fenerbahce. Chelsea and Liverpool have a habit of drawing each other in the knock out phases of cups. The Blues have, interestingly enough, often come off worse - unlike in the Premirship - and would be eager to seek revenge.

That said, I honestly think Arsenal has a better chance to progress than Liverpool ( forget the poor performance in the League ) though Liverpool seems to know how to play the ball when it comes to playing it in Europe so also their manager who has not been impressive in the local league but has a big chance in Europe.

This clash promises to be very interesting and full of goal and intrigues ,it is a tripple-header too, : too: the teams also meet in the league in the same week, so the sides will have plenty of opportunities to ‘get to know each other’.

This could be seen as the year the Premier League came of age, announcing itself to the rest of Europe as truly the strongest league on the planet. An all-English final would be the culmination of a true renaissance for the game in its country of origin.

Amid all the criticism directed at this country's football - some justified, some not quite - some of the great positives get forgotten, or deliberately ignored. Surely some credit is due.

I honestly think the dominance of the English League is real,and I look forward to a all English final in Moscow last in the year.I don't want to raise the dust here though but I stronghly believe in a Manchester united - Arsenal final,quote me anywhere

Who Is Zidane?

Zinedine Zidane was unable to contact hospitalised star Ronaldo as he recovers from his horrific knee injury because the hospital operator didn’t know who the Frenchman was.

Ronaldo is in hospital in Paris having undergone surgery for the career-threatening ruptured tendon in his knee that he suffered in last Wednesday’s match with Livorno.

Messages of support have flooded in for El Fenomeno, who is set to be out of the game for at least nine-to-twelve months.

One of these well-wishers was none other than France legend Zinedine Zidane, who is a former team-mate of Ronaldo from their time together at Real Madrid.

Zidane yesterday rang up the hospital that Ronaldo is staying at in order to speak to his old colleague and friend.

When the hospital telephone operator asked who was calling, incredibly the name Zinedine Zidane was not recognised by the employee, thus the 1998 World Cup winner was not granted permission to speak to Ronaldo.

Zidane only retired from football in 2006, after winning one Champions League, one World Cup and one European Championship.

FA Cup Preview: Manchester United - Arsenal

Old Rivals In Match Of The Week

League leaders Arsenal travel to title rivals Manchester United for what is undoubtedly the tie of the Fifth Round. The two have become great rivals since Arsene Wenger's arrival in the country in 1996 and this clash has all the makings of a classic.

United and Arsenal are the two most successful club's in FA Cup history with a combined haul of 21 trophies from 35 finals. Ferguson has won five of them, Wenger four.

The winner of this tie will be among the favourites to add to those trophies because these are clearly the two best sides in the country this season.

Arsenal were tipped by many pundits to finish outside the top this term, but as Gunners fans say, 'Arsene knows'. Wenger has created a team on a shoestring budjet that have excelled beyond even his own great expectations for them.

Arsenal are playing with such energy and style that it is difficult to believe that the club actually made a net profit in the summer's transfer window. Goals are arriving from every part of the team with defensive midfielder Mathieu Flamini and centre back William Gallas scoring vital goals already this campaign.

The main man at the moment is Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor who has stepped out of Robin Van Persie's shadow to produce a stunning run of form where it seems everything his hits turns to goals. With excellent service provided to him by the subtle midfield promptings of Hleb and Fabregas, Adebayor will look to add to his winner at Old Trafford last season, when the Gunners were in a preiod of transition. A huge boost for Arsenal is the return of Kolo Toure at centre-back.

The powerful Ivorian has returned from the African Cup of Nations just in time as Wenger may be without three defenders that started Monday's win over Blackburn at the Emirates.

Returning Rooney Bolsters United

United will be boosted by the return to the team of both Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra, and both players are key to the way United play. Without the energetic duo last week, United appeared flat as they fell to defeat at home to local rivals Manchester City which sees the champions trail Arsenal in the league by five points. Louis Saha is also back after six weeks to provide options up front, something they sorely missed against City.

United will be desperate to put a marker down in the title race by knocking the Gunners out of the cup this weekend. United just never really got going in last week's derby, and looked unusually sloppy at the back where the usually dependable duo of Ferdinand and Vidic each had their worst game of the season so far.

It could be argued that they missed having a shield infront of them, and either Michael Carrick or Owen Hargreaves should return to the starting line up in an attampt to quell Arsenal's quick passign attacking midfield.

Alex Ferguson has laughed off the distance between these sides at the top, arguing with some credibility that Arsenal have the more difficult run in and far less experience. The fiery Scot will hope that his side can back up his argument by beating his old enemy Arsene Wenger's side, and continue in the hunt for a second treble, which Ferguson has mentioned at various points this campaign.

It is hard to recall when United last lost consecutive home games, but that is a fait which awaits them unless they produce a much improved performance against a rampant Arsenal. The sides drew 2-2 at the Emirates earlier in the campaign, and another stalemate can be expected again at Old Trafford on Saturday.

FORM GUIDE

Manchester United

10 Feb v Manchester City (H) LOST 1-2 (Prem)
02 Feb v Tottenham (A) DREW 1-1 (Prem)
30 Jan v Portsmouth (H) WON 2-0 (Prem)
27 Jan v Tottenham (H) WON 3-1 (FA Cup)
19 Jan v Reading (A) WON 2-0 (Prem)
12 Jan v Newcastle (H) WON 6-0 (Prem)

Arsenal

11 Feb v Blackburn (H) WON 2-0 (Prem)
02 Feb v Manchester City (A) WON 3-1 (Prem)
29 Jan v Newcastle (H) WON 3-0 (Prem)
26 Jan v Newcastle (H) WON 3-0 (FA Cup)
22 Jan v Tottenham (A) LOST 5-1 (League Cup)
19 Jan v Fulham (A) WON 3-0 (Prem)

FA CUP THIS SEASON

Manchester United

Round 3 v Aston Villa (A) WON 2-0
Round 4 v Tottenham (H) WON 3-1

Arsenal

Round 3 v Burnley (A) WON 2-0
Round 4 v Newcastle (H) WON 3-0

FA CUP HONOURS (bold ones won under current managers)

Manchester United
11 times winners (1909, 1948, 1963, 1977, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004)

Arsenal
10 times winners (1930, 1936, 1950, 1971, 1979, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005)

TEAM NEWS

Manchester United Long term casualties Michael Silvestre (knee, Gary Neville (calf) and Ben Foster (knee) are all missing, but the short term problems have all been solved.

As mentioned, Wayne Rooney, Loius Saha and Patrice Evra are all available again. Midfielders Michael Carrick and Owen Hargreaves as well as Evra and Rooney could return to the starting eleven after sitting out last weekends defeat to City.

Last Starting XI (v Manchester City): Van der Sar - Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea (Carrick 73) - Ronaldo, Scholes, Anderson (Hargreaves 73), Nani (Park 64) - Giggs - Tevez

Arsenal

Jens Lehmann should continue in goal as he has been chosen for all Arsenal's FA Cup ties this season even if first choice Manuel Almunia recovers from a virus in time. Lively midfielder Tomas Rosicky is expected to remain sidelined with a hamstring injury and Denilson (hamstring) and Abou Diaby join him in the stands.

Dutch forward Robin Van Persie (thigh) is still missing, although with Adebayor in such fine form Arsenal are not missing there star forward as much as they would have anticipated. Full-backs Gael Clichy (knee) and Bakary Sagna (personal reasons) could miss out and Johan Djourou (groin) and Philip Senderos (thigh) are also doubtful.

Last Starting XI (v Blackburn): Lehmann - Sagna, Gallas, Senderos, Clichy - Fabregas, Flamini, Gilberto, Hleb - Adebayor, Eduardo

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Manchester United - Wayne Rooney, although not the most technically gifted of United's attacking talent, has shown his importance to the team in his absences so far this season. His feisty presence was sorely missed in last weekend's derby defeat, and United never manage to play at as high tempo when Rooney is missing. His return will be a welcome boost and should allow a little more space for the skillfull Tevez and Ronaldo to exploit.

Arsenal - Emmanuel Adebayor is currently the hottest striker in the Premier League, and is enjoying a sensational run of goalscoring form that has seen the Togolese hitman find the net nine times in his last seven Premier League games, plus two in the last round against Newcastle. Adebayor on this form is unplayable and he will cause Ferdinand and Vidic all sorts of problems if they perform as sluggishly as they did last week.

PREDICTION

A game that could go either way between the two top sides in the country. Surely United will have to show an improvement on their lacklustre derdy day defeat last week, but in present form it is hard to back against Arsenal. A score draw and an unwanted replay may be the outcome of this mouthwatering cup tie for old enemies Ferguson and Wenger.

Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire)

Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal

Anglo/Italian Debate: “Ronaldo Best In World” - Is The English Media Naïve?

As a person who was born and educated in England, but has Italian parents and was largely brought up the ‘Italian way’, I am perhaps well placed to understand the difference between the English and Italian/continental way of thinking, not only in football, but in culture as a whole.

Now I don’t want to sit here and preach that Italian is better as every country and culture is different. I just want to demonstrate, in reference to the Cristiano Ronaldo issue, the general lack of understanding of European football in the English media (and by this I don’t mean Goal.com which is an international website!).

I was first bugged by this issue in about 1996/97. I was not even a teenager at the time but I was already stubborn enough to form my own opinions about football, and have scant regard for what much of the media said.

Alan Shearer was proclaimed in the press as the undisputed best forward in the world. This really irritated me. “Shearer couldn’t possibly be better that Ronaldo, Roberto Baggio, George Weah, Davor Suker, Gabriel Batistuta e.t.c,” I thought to myself.

Slowly but surely I formed an opinion that the English media really had a very poor, somewhat non-existent, understanding of the European or world game. If they did not then they would have known that the pragmatic Shearer didn’t deserve to be named in the same breath as these attackers.

As the years passed my view was slowly reinforced. England took an early 2-0 lead in their first group game at Euro 2000 over Portugal, and the commentators on television were already proclaiming them as champions of Europe. Portugal came back to win 3-2 and England were eliminated in the group stages after conceding another three goals to Romania.

Then of course you had the so-called ‘golden generation’ of English talent that went to Euro 2004 and World Cup 2006. The English media boasted repeatedly that they had the best team in the world in their possession and that they would bring home the trophy.

After all they had the best left-back in the world Ashley Cole, the best centre-backs John Terry and Rio Ferdinand, the best centre midfielders in Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, and the best support striker in Wayne Rooney.

Following a simply disastrous tournament when England displayed all of their innate technical deficiencies, manager Sven-Goran Eriksson was slated for throwing away this golden generation of talent. It was all his fault.

Of course this was absolutely ridiculous. Steve McClaren’s subsequent stint as manager, coupled with Eriksson’s work at Manchester City, has proven that the Swede actually did an excellent job, and in reaching three quarter-finals he actually punched above England’s weight. In truth this has probably been accepted now by most people, although many of the lessons, as we will soon see, have still not been learned.

My point though is that the English media makes ridiculous statements, such as “Alan Shearer is the best striker in the world”, and that “England are going to win the World Cup”, and unfortunately the majority of the nation, as is the power of the press and broadcast, are brainwashed into believing it. You are what you are taught after all.

The most recent of these preposterous declarations is that Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world.

Once again, referring back to first Shearer and then the World Cup, this belief is only present due to a complete lack of understanding of the European game.

Ronaldo may have smashed in 27 goals this season, however as Gil Gillespie correctly pointed out in his Who Is Better – Kaka Or Ronaldo article, how can a player who has almost always flopped whenever he has come up against a top team/defence/defender, or in a big match, possibly be regarded as the best player in the world.

It is ignorance such as this that is so frustrating.

Only on Sunday I was watching a programme called ‘Sunday Supplement’ on Sky Sports. For those of you who don’t know, this is a weekly show that includes the chief football writers from all of the top newspapers in England; The Guardian, The Times, The Daily Mail e.t.c.

These are the so-called experts of English footballing journalism, the people that the country ‘should’ look up to for their knowledge and understanding of the game.

One of the chief writers, whose name I will not disclose, incredibly claimed that Ashley Cole was the best left back in the world. The rest of the panel did not disagree.

My first reaction was shock, my second reaction was to switch off the television, then my third reaction was “actually I want to hear some more gems such as these.”

I immediately had flashbacks to 1997 and Alan Shearer. I mean Ashley Cole is so clearly better than the likes of Gianluca Zambrotta, Philipp Lahm, Maxwell, Eric Abidal and so on. For me personally, Ashley Cole is not even the best left-back at his own club, let alone the world.

Until the English media begins to grasp a better understanding of the European and World game I fear that the same age-old football problems that have plagued this country in recent years will always be present.

The top journalists may have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the domestic game, but their grasp of continental football (unlike the journalists in Italy and other European countries) is frankly embarrassing.

What are your views on this topic? Is the English Media naïve? Do they lack an understanding of the European game? Are the English people in general being brainwashed by statements such as “Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world”? I will like to know what YOU Think

Player Ratings: Manchester United - Manchester City

Party poopers Manchester City claimed all three points and a rare double over neighbours United in an emotionally charged derby. Nigel Smith offers his player-ratings from the game.

MANCHESTER UNITED

Van Der Sar - 6: Had no chance with either of City’s goals and will feel let down by the ragged performance of the defenders in front.

Brown - 5.5: Offered little going forward. Had his hands full coping with the dangerous Petrov.

Ferdinand 5.5: Surprisingly off-colour display from the normally authoratative centre half. Nearly gifted City a third goal when needlessly giving away possession in the second half.

Vidic - 5: Made one or two heroic interventions but his current dip in form mirrors that of the whole team. Played the last 10 minutes as a centre forward and was hardly more impressive.

O'Shea - 5.5: Disappointing performance from the Irishman. Lacked the pace and imagination to support United’s attacking thrusts and looked vulnerable whenever City attacked down the flank.

Giggs - 5: Poor and peripheral performance from the winger. Seldom found himself in synch with the rhythm of the match and contributed little to the few United attacks. Substitution would have been merciful.

Anderson - 7: The pick of United’s players. The young Brazilian was inexplicably substituted when he alone demonstrated the drive and urgency that the occasion warranted.

Scholes - 5.5: Another below-par performance from the usually reliable midfield general. Sat too deep for much of the game and all too often his passes were horizontal. When he did move further forward, Scholes contributed to United’s goal. Lucky to be starting on current form.

Nani - 5: Another United forward player to be missing in action for most of the game. Failed to make any worthwhile impression in a game he will want to forget.

Ronaldo - 5.5: Looks to be running on empty. The manager complained that he the winger had been overused on midweek international duty and it showed. Heavy-legged, the Portuguese star couldn’t get past the City defenders nor offer his usual spark and invention.

Tevez - 6.5: Showed the usual willing and energy. An acrobatic first half shot was well saved. Thereafter, the Argentine was marshalled effectively by City’s defenders.

Substitutes:

Ji Sung Park - 5.5: Had little impact on the game.

Hargreaves - 5.5: Couldn’t improve on United’s disappointing midfield performance.

Carrick - 6: A good goal, but too little too late. Finally, a United midfielder on the score sheet other than Ronaldo.


MANCHESTER CITY

Hart - 7: Excellent save from Tevez in first half. Relatively untroubled by United’s toothless attack.

Ball - 6.5: Kept Nani quiet and contributed to a disciplined defensive performance.

Dunne - 8: Towering performance in defence. When City needed a last man his name was Dunne

Richards - 7: Athletic, spirited but occasionally clumsy performance from the England man who might have conceded a penalty in the first half.

Onuoha - 6.5: Understated display. Didn’t push forward as much as City might have liked but was not found wanting when United attacked.

Fernandes - 6: Showed some neat touches and used the ball with intelligence before fading in the second half.

Hamann - 7: Used all the means leagally available, and a few more, to keep Manchester United in check. Howard Webb was perhaps a touch lenient with him, and he made the most of that to stamp his authority.

Ireland - 7: Effective midfield display. Got forward well and was instrumental in City’s first goal.

Petrov - 8.5: Tormented United in an excellent first half performance. The Bulgarian was at the heart of City’s dominance and was the creator of both goals.

Benjani - 6.5: Will enjoy the tape of his first derby performance. Showed willing as the lone raider and was rewarded with his goal.

Vassell - 7: Played his part in a famous victory. Worked hard for the team, and took his goal well.

Substitutes:

Caicedo 5: No impact on the proceedings.

Sun Jihai 5: Didn’t touch the ball in the eight minutes he was on the field.

Who Is Better - Kaka or Ronaldo?

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro and Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite are named, respectively, after actor-turned-President Ronald Reagan, and the baby babble of a younger brother who couldn't pronounce the word 'Ricardo'. From these beginnings come the two most famous names in world football: Ronaldo and Kaka.

The pair are also the subject of one of the most polemical arguments currently being debated in pubs and bars around the planet. One of the two gets the vote of FIFA, UEFA, Pele, and the majority of Europe’s army of football journalists. The other can count on the support of Sir Alex Ferguson, the late George Best, and his mum. So, who is the better player, Kaka or Ronaldo?

Based on this season’s form, it is difficult to argue against Ronaldo.

In Serie A Kaka has been stumbling a little, looking slightly jaded, not quite managing to pick up the rhythm that has previously marked him out as the most outstanding attacking talent of his generation. By his standards, it’s been a "nearly, but not quite" kind of season so far.

Ronaldo, on the other hand, has been almost supersonic in the Premier League. Swapping his annoying diving antics and some of his unnecessary trickery for a more straight-running, direct approach, the Portuguese midfielder has frightened the living daylights out of just about every defender and goalkeeper in the league.

His blistering pace, remarkable athleticism, unstoppable free-kicks and clinical eye for goal have seen him overtake his goalscoring tally of last season already and taken him to the top of the netting charts. He has hit 27 goals in as many games for Man United - not bad for a player who’s supposed to play in midfield. His willingness to attack is relentless.

But when comparing these two stellar talents, it is important to remember the old adage: ’form is temporary and class is permanent.’

Michel Platini, who spoke about Ronaldo this week, is correct in saying that the Portuguese has yet to prove himself on the biggest of stages.

"It's difficult to compare players in competitions and teams. Is it more difficult to play right wing in Manchester than it is in Italy, where it doesn't exist?” Platini argued this week.

What the UEFA president is saying is that, for all it’s thrills and spills, the Premier League is not as defensively sophisticated as the equivalent competitions in Spain and Italy.

"If Ronaldo is the best player in the world or Europe he will have to prove it in the Euros, because that will be the only way we can judge him, when all the best players will have had the chance to be recognised," declared Platini.

In the Champions League last season, when it mattered most, Ronaldo went missing. While Kaka was busy winning the competition and becoming its top scorer, Ronaldo turned in a few cameo performances and scored a couple of goals. In his side’s vital away leg against Milan in the San Siro, he first made a fool of himself, then appeared to have gone home for the rest of the evening.

But lets not dwell too long on Ronaldo’s flaws. He is, after all, still only 22. No-one is suggesting that he won't go on to become a great player.

This, in turn, should not distract from the fact that Kaka is, quite simply, a more complete footballer than Ronaldo.

His balance is better, his technique is easier, he is much more elegant in possession, a far better team player, a more incisive passer and a more intelligent reader of the game. The Brazilian has never attempted a step-over in his life because he doesn’t have to. Such circus trickery is beneath him.

Kaka glides past players as if they aren‘t there; he's as subtle as he is lighting quick. And when Kaka sings, Ronaldo often stutters. The latter's jittery, jinking, dribbling is easier to deal with as a defender. Not easy, by any means, but easier.

To put it another way, marking Ronaldo is about as difficult as dodging bullets. Marking Kaka is like marking the breeze.

The Portuguese, however, is better in the air and probably a better free-kick taker. Probably? We haven't really had an opportunity to see how good Kaka is at set pieces because Pirlo, the best in the world, takes them for Milan and Ronaldinho usually takes them for Brazil. As for Ronaldo's higher ratio of goals per game, as Platini intimated, he is doing it in a league where it is easier to score goals. As for his 20 strikes in 53 games at international level, almost all of them have come against teams such as Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Estonia.

Pele, who is usually a terrible judge of talent, to be quite honest, has actually got it right this time.

“Kaka is the best player in the world, without a doubt,” the Brazilian legend told Gazzetta Dello Sport recently.

Most of the talk of Ronaldo being the best player in the world has come from England, where there is a tendency to claim global supremacy too easily and too quickly.

Take Ronaldo’s stunning free-kick against Portsmouth. As soon as his strike hit the top right hand corner of the net, pundits and fans were proclaiming it as the greatest free-kick of all time. It wasn’t. Its not even the best free-kick of the season. Andrea Pirlo’s pearler in the Milan derby was much closer to the edge of the box and more difficult to lift up over the wall and down again into the top corner.

Okay, all these claims about one player being better than another are probably unproductive, anyway. Football is, lest we forget, a team game. Are Kaka and Ronaldo really better players than the likes of Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Buffon, Francesco Totti, Esteban Cambiasso, Andrea Pirlo, Fernando Torres, Cesc Fabregas or Zlatan Ibrahimovic? It is, of course, virtually impossible to compare players who perform completely different roles and functions on the pitch.

The best we can conclude in the debate about Kaka and Ronaldo is that Kaka is the finished article and Ronaldo still has a little way to go. But then again, if he is a finished praduct, should he not be producing the results in Serie A? And the debate goes on...

One thing is certain: it is a privilege to watch both of them play.

Tottenham - Manchester Preview

Ronaldo Continues To Amaze

United arrive at White Hart Lane in buoyant mood, sitting at the top of the Premier League after another double from Ronaldo gave the Red Devils another three points against Portsmouth in midweek.

Alex Ferguson described Ronaldo’s second goal on Wednesday night as the best free-kick he has seen in the Premier League.

Ronaldo is certainly the best player in England this season, and he will be confident of again scoring against Spurs, a team that he scored twice against last Sunday to knock Tottenham out of the FA Cup. That game finished 3-1 to United, although Spurs matched their illustrious opponents for large parts of the game.

Juande Ramos has improved Tottenham since he arrived, and has had a busy January in the transfer market, clinching deals for Brazilian left footer Gilberto, Rangers full-back Alan Hutton and England central defender Jonathan Woodgate to further improve his already strong squad.

Spurs Hoping For Improvement

Tottenham are in good form at home, and will offer a serious test to United, who have lost just once in their last 14 games in all competitions.

That defeat came in London at West Ham, and United have struggled for victories when they have travelled South of Birmingham so far this term, with only a win at Reading to show from four trips to the South.

United will be confident of improving that record at the Lane, having won on each of their last 6 visits here, including a memorable comeback in 2001, when United trailed their hosts 3-0 at half-time before smashing five second half goals without reply to complete a magnificent comeback.

There is unlikely to be eight goals this time, as Juande Ramos has worked hard to improve how Spurs defend. Woodgate made an impressive debut at Goodison Park in midweek, helping Spurs to a goalless draw at Everton, and the introduction of Radek Cerny in place of the error-prone Paul Robinson has steadied the nerves of Spurs fans everywhere.

Alex Ferguson was able to relax during January, knowing that his squad is brimming with ability, experience and desire. The club are still in three competitions and Ferguson himself has made tentative noises about the possibility of the club doing the second treble of his reign.

For now, however, United will just hope to stay ahead of Arsenal and Chelsea in the title race, and they know that they need to keep winning as neither of those clubs are showing any signs of fading away.

FORM GUIDE

Tottenham

30 Jan v Everton (A) DREW 0-0 (Prem)

27 Jan v Manchester United (A) LOST 1-3 (FA Cup)

22 Jan v Arsenal (H) WON 5-1 (League Cup)

19 Jan v Sunderland (H) WON 2-0 (Prem)

15 Jan v Reading (A) WON 1-0 (Prem)

12 Jan v Chelsea (A) LOST 0-2 (Prem)

Manchester United

30 Jan v Portsmouth (H) WON 2-0 (Prem)

27 Jan v Tottenham (H) WON 3-1 (FA Cup)

19 Jan v Reading (A) WON 2-0 (Prem)

12 Jan v Newcastle (H) WON 6-0 (Prem)

05 Jan v Aston Villa (A) WON 2-0 (FA Cup)

01 Jan v Birmingham (H) WON 1-0 (Prem)

TEAM NEWS

Tottenham

Captain Ledley King has missed the two previous games as he slowly returns from injury, and he may be able to partner new signing Jonathan Woodgate here. Fellow new boy Alan Hutton may debut after joining from Rangers. Reserve striker Darren Bent (knee), and defenders Benoit Assou-Ekotto (knee), Gareth Bale (foot) and Young Pyo Lee (leg) are all definitely sidelined.

Last Starting XI (v Everton): Cerny; Chimbonda, Huddlestone, Woodgate, Gunter (Boateng 62); Lennon, Jenas, O’Hara, Malbranque; Berbatov, Keane.

Manchester United

United are almost at full strength with only Gary Neville (foot), Louis Saha (knee), Mikael Silvestre (knee) and Ben Foster (knee operation) missing from their star studded squad. Tevez, Giggs, Anderson and Hargreaves could return after sitting out the Portsmouth win in midweek.

Last Starting XI (v Portsmouth): Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Nani, Scholes (Anderson 62), Carrick, Park; Rooney (Tevez 73), Ronaldo (Hargreaves 73).

Tottenham - Dimitar Berbatov

He has been persistently linked with a move to Old Trafford and it is not difficult to see why. Berbatov has the ability to open up the tightest of defences with his subtle touch and ability to do the unexpected. Ferdinand and Vidic will have their hands full with the Bulgarian and his skillful strike partner Robbie Keane.

Manchester United - Cristiano Ronaldo

The Portuguese winger has everything - pace, power, work rate and outstanding technical ability. Two more sumptuous strikes against Portsmouth during the week took his outrageous goal scoring return to a phenomenal 30 for club and country already this season, including 19 league goals. Spurs will have their work cut out to deal with him here as on present form Ronaldo appears unplayable.

PREDICTION

Spurs are unbeaten in six home games and they have improved immeasurably since the arrival of Ramos. This is a tricky fixture for the Champions, who may have to settle for a point after the highs of the midweek master-class against Pompey.

Tottenham 1-1 Manchester United

Ronaldo Reclaims His Spot As Penalty King

Cristiano Ronaldo rediscovered his confidence from the penalty spot in the FA Cup fourth round against Tottenham and insisted he had no problem in stepping up to take the kick

Last month the Portuguese winger suffered the ignominy of missing a penalty in Man United's 2-1 victory over West Ham but when he was asked by MUTV if this was playing on his mind when he put the ball on the spot in his side's 3-1 win over Spurs he replied: "To be honest, no."

"Sometimes you score, sometimes you miss," he continued, philosophically. "I wasn't thinking about West Ham - that's in the past. I needed to think about the present.

"My confidence is always positive. I took a good penalty and I scored. I'm very happy, my colleagues are happy... everyone is happy."

The player did, however, admit that his side didn't have it all their own way against an organised and threatening Tottenham.

"The game was very difficult," added Ronaldo, who scored two goals in an otherwise average performance by his standards.

"We knew before the game it would be tough because Spurs are a good team and they were coming to Old Trafford with confidence after beating Arsenal in their last match.

"But I think we played better (than Spurs) and we deserved to win."

Ronaldo's two strikes took his tally of goals for the season to 25, two more than his total for the whole of the last campaign.

"I'm having a great season and I need to carry it on. But the most important thing is the team is playing very well, we are top of the league and in the next round of the FA Cup," he concluded.

Ronaldo signing impossible - Real

Real Madrid sporting director Predrag Mijatovic says it is virtually impossible that Cristiano Ronaldo will join the Spanish giants.
The Portugal winger has been linked with Real over the last couple of years, but is committed to a long-term contract with Manchester United.

Ronaldo, 22, agreed a five-year contract extension last year, tying him to Old Trafford until 2012.

"I see it as an impossible signing," Mijatovic told Radio Marca.

"Of course it would not be bad for us to have a player like Cristiano Ronaldo, but he is at a great club like Manchester United."

The prospect of Ronaldo signing for Real Madrid has not been helped with Ronaldo admitting recently that he would one day love to play in Spain.

And to compound matters, Ronaldo's mother appeared in several national newspapers saying that she hoped that one day her son would go to Madrid and "play for the best team in the world."

But it appears that Madrid have grown tired of "wasting time" pursuing players that are seemingly untouchable.

Another reported Madrid target, Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas, is another player Mijatovic says is an "impossible" target.



"He is the same," said Mijatovic.

"We are not the only team who would like to have a player such as Cesc, but he belongs to a great club like Arsenal and it is almost impossible to sign him.

"I am very clear that we are not going to waste time on things which we cannot do.

"We will see what happens in the future. It is undeniable that he is as a very interesting player, but signing him is something that would be tremendously difficult."

United retain top spot

Manchester United hung on to top spot in the Premier League with late goals from Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo sealing a 2-0 victory at Reading on Saturday.

United failed to put any daylight between themselves and Arsenal, however, with Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor scoring twice as the Gunners returned to form with a 3-0 rout of Fulham at Craven Cottage.



Third-placed Chelsea rode their luck to beat Birmingham City 1-0 away thanks to Claudio Pizarro's late header. They stay four points behind the top two who have 54 points from 23 matches.

There is a yawning gap to fourth-placed Liverpool who are facing a stiff battle for fourth spot with Everton, Aston Villa and Manchester City. All four clubs are on 39 points.

Liverpool, who have only played 21 matches, are at Villa on Monday, while Everton travel to Wigan Athletic on Sunday when Manchester City host West Ham United.

While the top three all won, the bottom three all lost. Fulham's defeat makes them increasingly likely to join Derby County through the relegation trapdoor.

Bottom club Derby took the lead at Portsmouth before a Benjani Mwaruwari hat-trick ended a nine-hour goal famine for Pompey at home to seal a 3-1 win.

Sunderland stayed in the bottom three after a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur, for whom Robbie Keane scored his 100th goal. Middlesbrough drew 1-1 at Blackburn Rovers.

United were stifled by Reading on the opening day of the season when they drew 0-0 at Old Trafford and goals were at a premium again, although there was no lack of chances.

The country's top scorer Ronaldo wasted several chances for United while Reading also had opportunities, the best of which fell to Dave Kitson who lobbed wide when through on goal.

With 15 minutes remaining, Rooney broke the deadlock, producing a cool finish after an instinctive pass by Carlos Tevez. Ronaldo broke away in stoppage time to take his league tally to 17.

"We kept making chances but you start to worry if you are going to get the goal," United manager Alex Ferguson told Sky Sports News. "We got the goal at the right time and hung on."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was a happy man after his side clicked into top gear against Fulham having dropped points against Birmingham in their last league game.



Two textbook headers from Adebayor and a Tomas Rosicky volley underlined their superiority and gave Wenger an afternoon free of worry.

"This was a very strong response to our last game and shows that this team is up for it," Wenger told the BBC. "There was still more in the locker if we needed it."

Nicolas Anelka was given his first start for Chelsea since arriving from Bolton Wanderers in a £15 million deal but it was Pizarro who earned the Londoners a gritty victory with his first league goal since the opening day, also against Birmingham.

Despite not playing well, Chelsea, without the likes of Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, John Terry and Michael Essien, are still very much in the title race.

"At this stage of the season it was very important to win. We knew it would be a very difficult game because they drew against Arsenal last week," manager Avram Grant told the BBC.



Kevin Keegan began his second stint as Newcastle United's manager with a late kickoff at home to Bolton Wanderers.

Ferguson: Ronaldo's Better Than Ever

Manchester United annihilated Newcastle United 6-0 at Old Trafford, and Sir Alex Ferguson was understandably happy with his players - if not the referee

Sir Alex Ferguson was delighted with his team after Manchester United stunned Newcastle 6-0 at Old Trafford.

Carlos Tevez netted twice and Rio Ferdinand once but the real star was Cristiano Ronaldo who recorded his first ever hat-trick.

Considering the game was goalless at the break, it was unbelievable turn of events, and Fergie was pleased the players heeded his half-time words.

"I thought there were too may individuals in the first half trying to walk the ball into the net," Ferguson told Setanta Sports after the game.



"But once they increased their passing and movement they did better. You always want a quick start," added the Scot when asked whether the early second half strike from Ronaldo allowed the side to settle and the floodgates to open.

"They then relaxed and expressed themselves - it was a marvellous performance. Everyone played their part, some of the play was absolutely outstanding and you couldn't fault it."

The Styles Council

The United boss had less kind words for referee Rob Styles, however, after his team were refused several penalties.

Reflecting on the decisions, Fergie suspected the referee was being purposefully harsh having given United a soft penalty against Fulham in a game earlier this year. "I couldn’t understand Rob," he exclaimed. "I think he’s maybe trying to make a point: 'I did give it last time so I’m not giving it this time'.

Defensive Might



Moving on from those incidents, which ultimately mattered little, the Scot stressed that despite scoring six today, United's success of late has stemmed from stability at the back. "I said last week that our performance against Villa (in the FA Cup) was carved out of a magnificent defensive display and it was the same again today. I think it was N'Zogbia or Duff had a good chance but apart form that we had a great performance."

Ronaldo Better Than Ever

The greatest praise of all, however, was reserved for hat-trick hero Cristiano Ronaldo. "(The hat-trick) was always coming," reflected Fergie of the fact that the hotshot has been scoring goals regularly for some time now.



"He’s been close on so many occasions and today he’s capped a fine performance. 22 goals is fantastic, incredible," enthused the Scot of the Portuguese's monumental goal tally. "We wondered if he could match last season’s (goal count) - well why not! His decision making is better all the time, I think he can do it."

A Fight To The Death

United are back on top of the league now thanks to Arsenal's dropped points, and today's huge win ensures their goal difference is now seven greater than the Gunners'. Nevertheless, Fergie expects the title race to go right down to the wire.

"I think it's a hard league," he said. "It’s tough - teams are taking points off one another a lot. A lot of teams below the top four are spending a lot of money to improve their squads so there's a drive to improve and stay in this premier division. I think the points total (for winning league) could be lower this year."