Carlos Tevez had a cracking game for United today, working non-stop, despite the ease at which United brushed Derby aside. He closed down every ball in his reach, running up and down the field, striking at goal and attempting to set up others. He scored two of our goals in our 4-1 win at Old Trafford today, and could have had more. He really has a fierce shot on him and tested Derby’s number, erm, 43, on a number of occasions.
After Derby pulled one back back, whilst still happy with the three points, I was looking for more than a final score of 3-1 against this season’s Premiership whipping boys. The pitch was completely waterlogged, and credit must go to them for finding the net three times in such conditions, but we wanted more. When Ronaldo went down in the area and the ref pointed to the spot we were practically guaranteed a fourth.
Now, in any other situation the crowd would be egging Ronaldo on. Before today, he was on 13 goals from 16 games so far this season, 7 goals from his last 5 games. His scoring record is incredible and of course we only want to see it get better and better. However today, Carlos Tevez was the man, who worked tirelessly in the pissing down rain, whilst Ronaldo jogged around the field. The player who we’ve seen in recent months, whose covered almost every inch of the field, going forward and surprisingly eager to track back, just didn’t look in the mood today. With decisions often not going his way, sodden kit, bitterly cold wind, Ronaldo just didn’t really look up for it today. (I must stress I am judging him by his own high standards, and compared to most players on the pitch, still looked bloody good, setting up both Giggs’ and Tevez’s first half goals, as well as winning the injury time penalty).
Today should have been Tevez’s day completely, the crowd chanting “Argentina!” eager to see our new signing get his first hatrick for the club, a hatrick he really deserved. Ronaldo wasn’t having any of it though, and picked up the ball, which was met with boos, in more of a light hearted manner than anything else. The chants of “Argentina!” returned, as Tevez appeared to be asking Ronaldo if he could take it. No chance. Ronaldo executed the spot kick perfectly, moving him up to the second highest goalscorer in the league this season.
Can Tevez begrudge Ronaldo’s decision to take the glory for himself? After all, Ronaldo did win the penalty. In hindsight, it was pretty ridiculous for us to expect anything other than Ronaldo taking the penalty. He wants to get every goal he can in a bid to win his spot amongst the all time greats; his name on the list of those who’ve claimed the FIFA World Player of the Year (which will be announced on December 17th). Still, it would have been a nice gesture to allow Tevez a go.
What do you reckon? Who should have taken the penalty?
Man Utd News 24/7
I think he should have allowed Tevez to score it. Probably tevez would have gifted him with another some other day…
Ronaldo is a selfish player – and it has made him the best player in the world. It is part of his nature, and I belive it is a part of the driving force behind his incredible career. He wants EVERYTHING – and he usually get what he wants.
Yes, it would be a godd thing if he gave the penalty away today – but I am ready to accept things like this as a consequence of whi he is – when you see everything else this player provides for us.
What I am not ready to accept is his divinv. And today Ronaldo dived. Period.
Reds: Ronaldo was spot on
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Cristiano Ronaldo was right to take the penalty against Derby County, even if it prevented Carlos Tevez from claiming a richly deserved hat-trick.
That was the opinion of two senior United players and Sir Alex Ferguson after Ronaldo scored from the spot in injury-time. Tevez had scored two goals at that point and with the Reds 3-1 up, there seemed little risk in Cristiano passing him the penalty-taking duty.
But Reds captain Ryan Giggs insisted: “Penalty takers should always take penalties, simple as that. If we got an important penalty in the next couple of weeks then Cristiano scoring one today will give him the confidence to do it again.”
Rio Ferdinand added: “It’s professionalism. If the game was 1-1, Ronaldo would have taken the penalty. Sentiment doesn’t really come into it. We’re a professional team and I’m sure it means nothing to Carlos.”
Sir Alex agreed: “Cristiano is the regular penalty kick taker and I can understand him wanting to take it. It would have been great for Carlos to get his hat-trick, but it’s also important for Ronaldo to keep his goalscoring run going.
“When you’re on a run like Cristiano is (12 goals in his last nine games) you want him to keep it going. It’s the same for any player, it helps to keep your confidence high.”
Giving Tevez a hattrick would indeed have been a nice gesture but Ronaldo is not that type of a character. He wants the glory, he wants the records, he wants everything. Thomax is right though..it’s this selfishness that makes him stay after training to practice and be the perfect winger that he is.
And anyway, when has Ronnie missed a penalty for us? So good job to Tevez and Ronaldo and hopefully we’ll find ourselves in the same situation next weekend. Tevez or Ronaldo??
guys… remember my comment a couple of weeks ago? Ronnie is Fergie’s favourite and will always get the penalties. He is selfish and sometimes shoots or hangs on to the ball longer than I would have liked.
Yes, he has improved but still is not the selfless player like Giggs.
A few years ago, it certainly didn’t please Ronnie that he has to give up a penalty to give Diego Forlan the chance to claim his first united goal.
He eventually did, after much persuasion from the team. He is selfish
Penalty takers take penalties… seems fair enough….. btw, did anyone else notice on Monday night’s game a few times when Tevez on 3 separate occasions had chances to lay the ball off to Ronaldo in the penalty area when ronnie was in great positions but seemed reluctant to do so ? Keep an eye out for this…..
It’s a team game – there’s no “I” in team; Ronaldo is the chosen penalty-taker. End of.
Of course, Ronaldo is selfish – that’s just another way of saying he’s got tremendous confidence in his ability.
Ronaldo is a selfish player.He should have given Teves the opportunity.I’m sure if he was in that position and denied the opportunity, he would have been gutted.He has a lot to learn about sportsmanship.
I had no doubts when the penalty was given that ronaldo will take it. Whoever is the penalty taker should and will keep on taking them unless the gaffer says so. He needs to keep scoring goals. And for tevez he truly deserved it but I believe he will have other chances.
It would have been nice for Tevez to get his hat-trickbut also Ronaldo needs to keep up his goalscoring run and besides Ronaldo is the penalty taker and he shd take it. If Tevez had won the pen like Saha did against Chelsea, then he would have taken it. I dont begrudge Ronaldo at all.
I’ve noticed it and obviously so have you Roontastic! There is definitely a ‘problem’ – possibly only minor – between Tevez and Ronaldo. Tevez is not a selfish player but for him to behave as he did against Fulham and deliberately ignore Ronaldo is a sign he is sick of his selfish play and wants to teach him a lesson. This could undermine the team is it’s allowed to simmer and Ferguson must knock their heads together. You can see it in their reactions to one another, when something goes wrong they don’t even look at each other afterwards. I wonder if there is also a bit of jealousy on Ronaldo’s part because where he used to be top of the bill at OT, the Rooney-Tevez partnership/understanding is definitely the headline act now!
Come to think abt it, there really might have been something going on abt Ronaldo and Tevez…
Like I said before, Ronaldo is too selfish…needs to know when to release the ball