Ferguson attacks Ronaldo critics

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has hit out at critics of Cristiano Ronaldo, saying he is the "most fouled player in the country".

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate labelled Ronaldo a serial diver after the winger won a penalty on Saturday.

But Ferguson said: "What's more serious in our game, preventing the best players playing or going on for three days about a dive that wasn't a dive?

"I have seen it a million times and Cristiano lost his balance completely." The Scot went on: "As I have said time and time again, we do not condone diving and Cristiano knows that. But it is difficult for players who run as quickly as he does. For instance, if you were driving at 70mph in a car and another car comes out in front of you, do you brake or carry on?

"The interpretation is down to the referee but, to me, it was a clear penalty."

Southgate said he felt cheated after Ronaldo went down in the 19th minute at The Riverside, with television replays showing keeper Mark Schwarzer had made no contact.

"I realise people criticise me for anything I do" Cristiano Ronaldo

However, Ronaldo argued that he was merely taking evasive action. "Southgate stopped playing football last year. He needs to understand football much better," said the 21-year-old Portuguese international.

"I was trying to get past the goalkeeper. I lost my balance. I realise people criticise me for anything I do. They love to do that ever since the World Cup. But it doesn't bother me."

Ferguson agreed with Ronaldo's account and branded Southgate's remarks "naive". The United boss went on to accuse the English media of using the incident to attack Ronaldo for his role in Wayne Rooney's sending-off at the World Cup. "It is revenge for the English press," he said. "They have been waiting months to do this since the World Cup."

Ferguson also believes Ronaldo is not winning as many free-kicks as he should because of a reputation he gained in his first season for going to ground too easily.

"It is possible referees are still judging Cristiano on the way he played in his first season," said Ferguson. "The first thing that happened to him at Middlesbrough on Saturday was that he was hacked from behind. The referee did not book the player, which only encourages players to keep kicking him and kicking him.

"All I know is that Cristiano is the most fouled player in the Premiership and the stats are there to back it up."

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