Newcastle boss : Hard to stop Ronaldo

Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder admitted his side faced an almost impossible task trying to subdue Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford.

Although Ole Gunnar Solskjaer netted both goals in a 2-0 Manchester United triumph which sent them soaring back to the Barclays Premiership summit, Ronaldo was the Magpies' tormentor in chief.

Three times the Portugal winger struck the woodwork, while three Newcastle players were booked attempting to stop him. And, after watching Ronaldo's latest masterclass, Roeder is pleased he does not have the problem of stopping him.

"Everyone, and I mean everyone, is finding it hard to cope with Cristiano Ronaldo," he said. "He picks up pace so quickly he could be an athlete. I certainly would not like to be a right full-back trying to stop him.

"Along with Wayne Rooney and Thierry Henry, he is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous players in the Premiership. "He doesn't appear to have been bothered by anything that went on during the World Cup and it is amazing to think he is going to get even better."



So sustained has Ronaldo's improvement been this term, Sir Alex Ferguson is even starting to believe the 21-year-old's career is benefiting from the controversies which erupted around him in Germany.

The Manchester United manager does feel the Portugal winger needs to be more aware of his team-mates in certain situations. But, on days like this, it is a minimal complaint. "Nothing fazes Cristiano," said Ferguson.

"He has been marvellous all season and, while it is difficult to say with any certainty, maybe what happened to him at the World Cup could turn out to be a defining moment in his career.
"I could see the potential for greatness the first time I saw him in training and he has a great future ahead of him."

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