MU 4 : 0 Villa; Cris 1 goal 3 assist

Cristiano Ronaldo put in a virtuoso performance, scoring with an audacious back-heel and then setting up three more as Manchester United thrashed Aston Villa 4-0 ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash with Roma...More

CR7 - Shades of Best

Sir Alex Ferguson admits Cristiano Ronaldo reminds him of George Best.

The Portuguese winger rewrote Best’s club record for goals in a season from midfield when he notched his second against Bolton last Wednesday.

It took Ronaldo’s 07/08 tally to 33, a figure he added to on Easter Sunday in United’s 3-0 win over Liverpool.

“There are certainly similarities [between Ronaldo and Best], “ Sir Alex told Manchester United Radio.

“When George played as a winger I don’t think he ever stayed still. He roamed from side to side – he played on the right, the left and through the middle.

“I’ve looked at Best’s goals and a lot of Cristiano’s are similar. He starts from wide positions before cutting inside. The boy’s in tremendous form right now."

Ronaldo may have eclipsed Best’s tally, but United’s club record for goals in a season still belongs to Denis Law. In the 1963/64 campaign, Law found the net an incredible 46 times.

“Denis was a fantastic player – he was my hero – but I didn’t know that,” Sir Alex said. “That even beats my record! I scored 45 in 51 games for Dunfermline back in 1965/66.”

Cris miss out Greece friendly

Manchester United's Portuguese stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani were ruled out on Monday of Wednesday's friendly with European champions Greece it was announced by the Portuguese Football Federation's doctor.

Ronaldo is suffering from pains in his left leg while Nani - who along with his compatriot scored in the 3-0 Premiership win over Liverpool on Sunday - has pulled a muscle in his right leg.

Portuguese coach Felipe Scolari opted not to replace them for a match that is a repeat of the Euro 2004 final in Lisbon which Greece won.

MU 3:0 Liverpool ; Cris scored his 34th goal of the season

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 34th goal of the season Sunday in Manchester United's 3-0 win over 10-man Liverpool in the Premier League.

Wes Brown and Nani also scored at Old Trafford for Man United, which leads the standings with 73 points. Liverpool, which played the entire second half a man down after Javier Mascherano was sent off for two yellow cards, stayed in fourth place with 59 points. Chelsea's match against Arsenal later Sunday will also shape the title race. The Gunners will need to end Chelsea's 78-game unbeaten league streak at its Stamford Bridge home or risk being overtaken by the Blues in the standings.


Before the match, Arsenal had 67 points, and Chelsea 65. In a nervy opening first half, Wayne Rooney and Ronaldo had chances before the Red Devils went ahead.

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina almost palmed the ball into his own goal in the 33rd minute and fumbled again a minute later to allow United to take the lead.

Rushing out to punch away a cross from Rooney, Reina was beaten to the ball by Brown, who headed it over the line. It got worse for Liverpool in the 44th minute when Mascherano was sent off for a second yellow card, for arguing with referee Steve Bennett over a foul by United defender Rio Ferdinand on Liverpool forward Fernando Torres. Just beforehand, Torres had been booked for dissent.

A clearly angry Mascherano initially refused to leave, with members of the Liverpool coaching staff attempting to calm him down before manager Rafa Benitez eventually persuaded him off the field. Mascherano was shown his first yellow in the 10th minute for a foul on Paul Scholes.

Ronaldo scored his 25th Premier League goal in the 79th, just moments after Reina pushed another of his attempts on to the crossbar. The Portugal winger headed in his goal from a corner by Nani.

United made it 3-0 in the 81st through Nani, who played a one-two with Rooney before shooting into the corner.

Liverpool has yet to beat United in the league under Benitez and has lost its last three games against the Red Devils. It last won at Old Trafford in April 2004.

Oh Captain My Captain

Cristiano Ronaldo admitted it was 'an honour and a pleasure' to captain United for the first time against Bolton Wanderers.

The 23-year-old also scored both goals in the 2-0 victory, taking his goals tally to 33 for the season.

"It's always good to be captain at this massive club," he said. "For me it's an honour and a pleasure. But my responsibilities are the same. I do not change my game or personality just because I'm captain."

Sir Alex Ferguson felt Ronaldo took the added responsibility in his stride. "Cristiano looks for that kind of responsibility, I think he’s very comfortable with it," he MUTV. "Not everyone wants to be captain, but he carries the mantle very well."

Ronaldo's second goal was another superb long-range free-kick - his fifth of the season - and Sir Alex says the winger's success is purely down to practice. "It’s another marvellous free-kick. He has a technique, but practice is the most important aspect of getting shots on target," he said.

Yet again, Ronaldo's technique for striking dead balls came into question and, when asked if he had christened his style, he replied: "I like to hear people say 'the Ronaldo rocket'. Of course, I am joking!"

Goalscoring 'Genius'

One man might not make a team, but Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo seems hell bent on single-handedly retaining Manchester United's Premier League crown this season.

His latest two-goal salvo against Bolton last night not only saw United move three points clear at the top of the table but took his goal tally to 33 in all competitions for the season.

The Portuguese winger, who was made captain for Bolton's visit, has eclipsed George Best's 40-year-old record of 32 goals from a United winger in a season, and he shows no signs of letting up in his mission to score 30 league goals this term.

Ronaldo is one goal off equalling Ruud Van Nistelrooy's 24-goal league haul and has eight remaining Premier League matches left in order to set a new club record starting with the contest against Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday.

While United have not struggled in front of goal this season - they have scored 86 in all competitions - Ronaldo is the only United player to have scored in their last four matches, scoring the match winners in United's triumphs over Lyon in the second leg of the Champions League and their 1-0 win over Derby.

Ronaldo's latest goal heroics, which included another trademark freekick, has seen him lavished with praise from rival managers with Bolton manager Gary Megson leading the tributes to the 23-year-old.

"The second goal was genius," said Megson of Ronaldo's 30-yard free-kick. "I honestly don't know how he does it. Even my lads were talking about it."

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp echoed Megson's view when he said: "The kid's a genius.

"He's built like the Incredible Hulk with skill like you've never seen. He's a special talent. Kaká is a brilliant player but I wouldn’t swap him for Ronaldo - a wide player who will get you 20-odd goals a season."

Despite another star performance, Ronaldo was keen to attribute United's victory, which moved them ahead of Arsenal and Chelsea in the race for the title, down to a strong team effort.

He said: "It is not just about my work and my goals, my team-mates help me a lot in my career. At the moment I feel very good about my form.

"The team is the most important thing. When you win and when you score it is great. I feel very happy."

Ronaldo's goal exploits
Goals (33)
Premier League(24)
FA Cup(3)
Champions League (6)

Feats & Streaks
Doubles(9)
Hat-Tricks (1)
Free-kicks (5)
Longest scoring streak (6)
Longest streak without scoring (4)

# Ronaldo has had more shots on goal (104) and more shots on target (59) in the league than any other player this season.
# He has scored five goals against Newcastle, the most against any team this season.
# His longest streak without scoring this season is four games, his first four of the season.
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MU 2:0 Bolton; Cris claims Best goal record after double

Cristiano Ronaldo, Portuguese midfielder, was hailed as a footballing "genius" after he eclipsed George Best as the highest-scoring winger in Manchester United's history and helped the Red Devils edge closer to another English Premier League title.

Ronaldo took his United scoring tally for the season to a remarkable 33 goals in all competitions after netting twice as Sir Alex Ferguson's side defeated Bolton 2-0 at Old Trafford.

United, who host fourth-placed Liverpool on Sunday, are now in a strong position to defend their Premier League title after opening up a three-point advantage over second-placed Arsenal with eight games to play.

Ronaldo surpassed Best's record of 32 goals in a single season, set in 1967-68, with two first-half strikes, the first an opportunist finish from 12 yards, and the second a stunning 30-yard free-kick.

"The second goal was genius," said Gary Megson, Bolton manager.

"I honestly don't know how he does it. Even my lads were talking about it."

Ferguson was equally glowing in his praise of Ronaldo, who was made captain for the night in the absence of Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney.

"He didn't make a big issue of it," said Sir Alex when asked how Ronaldo reacted to being handed the captain's armband.

"He looks comfortable with the responsibility that comes with the role. It was a marvellous second goal."

A worthy successor

Ferguson also regarded Ronaldo as a worthy successor to the legendary Best.

"It speaks volumes of the boy's ability (the record)," the Scot said.

"It's amazing that he can do that playing in the position he does. Nobody can do that in this day and age.

"The free-kick was marvellous. He does put in the practice and he has this technique."

Bolton failed to improve their chances of survival as they sit deep in relegation trouble after losing their last five Premier League games.

MU 1:0, Cris scored the only goal

Alex Ferguson has hailed the courage of Cristiano Ronaldo in the wake of another match-winning performance.

Ronaldo scored the only goal of the game, and his 31st of a quite remarkable season from his ninth of 11 opportunities overall in a vital 1-0 victory at rock-bottom Derby.

It was a case of persistence is a virtue from the Portuguese star as chances came and went before he finally broke the brave Rams’ resistence in the 76th minute.

It was also a case of Ronaldo picking himself up after last week’s FA Cup defeat to Portsmouth at Old Trafford.

The 23-year-old expressed his frustration after the Portsmouth game as he felt he was afforded little protection by the match officials.

At Pride Park, Ronaldo was bullish as he kept plugging away until he eventually grabbed the winner after earlier striking the post, whilst also seeing Roy Carroll pull off a number of fine saves.

“In the first 20 minutes we should have been four or five up, and that would have made it much, much easier for us,” said Ferguson.

“You have to admire the second half from Derby. They made a real battle of it.

“But the name of the game is to win, and we have to thank Ronaldo again. It was a fantastic goal because it wasn’t easy to take

“The ball bounced up off the turf and he had to get up and over it and make sure he kept it down. It was a really good finish.

“It was probably his hardest chance of the match because he had a lot of tremendous chances throughout the game.”

Ferguson added: “Everybody trusts him now, and what you have to admire about the boy is that his courage is beyond question.

“I don’t know how many fouls he has on him every game. Last week there were three in the first seven minutes, and seven in total, yet no-one was booked.

“So he has the courage to get up and get on with it.

“He made a comment last week that he is getting a bit frustrated with it all, but he has to trust the game.

“People want to see footballers like him, and I think we have to give him encouragement, and we do that.

“We tell him to keep doing what he is good at, not to stop. That is what we would hate to see.”

MU 0:1 Portsmouth in FA Cup; Cris : Refs don't protect us

Cristiano Ronaldo feels he is not given enough protection from referees and fears suffering a serious injury.

The winger was denied a clear penalty against Portsmouth in the FA Cup quarter final defeat at Old Trafford. That incident, coupled with persistent fouling throughout the game, highlights an oft-felt view that the Portuguese is not protected by referees.

"It's very frustrating, the referee was unbelievable," he told MUTV. "He didn't want to give the penalty, he didn't want to give yellow cards - I'm very disappointed.

"Refs don't protect skilful players. I think about the Arsenal player (Eduardo) and I'm scared sometimes to do skills because some players do unbelievable fouls and the ref protects the defender, not the skilled player! It's very disappointing and I'm thinking a lot about changing my game. When referees don't give penalties, yellow cards or reds, it's difficult to play."

Sir Alex Ferguson was left aghast that referee Martin Atkinson did not award a penalty for Sylvain Distin's clear bodycheck on Ronaldo in the seventh minute. Ronaldo added: "He (Distin) didn't try to take the ball. It's a joke."

But it wasn't just refereeing decisions that disappointed the 22-year-old. "We lost today and everyone is disappointed because we were the best team," he said. "We created ten chances while Portsmouth created just one. It's frustrating to lose like that.

"We controlled the game, but we didn't score. Carrick had one cleared off the line, Patrice hit the post... we had a great chance to win the FA Cup but we need to think now about the Premier League and the Champions League. These are the priorities."

No English team please

Manchester United picked up a 1-0 home win against Lyon thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo strike to progress to the quarter-finals 2-1 on aggregate.

With Arsenal having qualified by beating Milan, and Chelsea and Liverpool also on pole position to join them, the chances of them meeting an English team are almost even.

However, that is not something Ronaldo wants just yet.

“I would prefer to play a foreign team [in the quarter-finals]. Then an English team in the semi-finals or the finals, that would be fantastic,” he said.

"The team is more mature, and the big focus is to win the Champions League. But we also want to win the Premier League, and the FA Cup.

"We have the opportunity, we have the players and we have the squad."

He is also the top scorer in the competition along with Lionel Messi, having scored six goals already. Kaka was the star of last season's tournament, something that won him the Ballon d'Or.

“If I am top scorer, that would be wonderful, and if I get the chance, I will look forward to it. But, I am not thinking about that - I am thinking about getting my game,” he concluded.

Carry on scoring?

Cristiano Ronaldo has vowed to carry on scoring as Manchester United's bid for the treble gains momentum.

The Portugal winger took his tally for the season to 30 goals in all club competitions with the winner against Lyon.

United secured a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in the process thanks to his sixth strike in the competition.

With two months of the season remaining, there is the remarkable possibility he could smash the 40-goal barrier, given his scoring ratio.

United have 10 league games to play in their bid to retain the title and at least another two in Europe.

The FA Cup is also on the agenda with a home quarter-final tie to come against Portsmouth on Saturday.

Ronaldo has scored 12 goals in his last 12 appearances and took advantage of Lyon's failure to clear Anderson's effort with a clinical finish in the 41st minute.

Ronaldo said: "My colleagues help me a lot. The most important thing is to win games and trophies.

"I feel fine, I am in good shape and getting vital goals. I want to score more and help the side.

"Maybe we did not play that well against Lyon but we deserved the victory.

"Sometimes you do not play your best but you win. That is the important thing and we are through to the next round."

Midfielder Darren Fletcher has lauded Ronaldo for bringing his "magic" to the Champions League stage.

"He can't stop scoring and is a world-class player," said the Scotland international.

"This season he has gone on and beaten his record from last year already.

"He is an incredible player, an incredible talent. On these nights you love having him in your team as he brings a bit of magic to the game."

Now Ronaldo is looking forward to the next challenge that lies on the horizon this weekend.

He added: "We will need to be strong against Portsmouth as they are a good team and difficult to beat.

"But we have a good chance as we are at Old Trafford where we must win our home games."

Cris's 30th completes perfect 10 for MU

Cristiano Ronaldo's 30th goal in 30 matches this season sent Manchester United into the last eight of the Champions League at the expense of French champions Lyon.

The Portuguese winger's close-range strike just before half-time secured a 1-0 win that sent Sir Alex Ferguson's side through 2-1 on aggregate.

The win also represented a little bit of history with United's tenth straight Champions League victory at Old

Trafford equaling the competition record for consecutive home wins set by Juventus in 1997.

It left Ferguson happy, but also a little frustrated that United hadn't given the scoreline a proper reflection of the match.

"We should have made more of our chances and possession," said the Scotsman.

"We made it difficult for ourselves," he growled.

Ferguson, who could emulate the 1999 win with a treble trophy haul as United are still in contention for the domestic double with the title and FA Cup in their sights, lauded Ronaldo for his scoring achievement.

"It is fantastic. It takes a rare player to do that and it is a great contribution.

"There was no target set for him at the beginning of the season, but that is what we look for in our young squad.

"Ten wins in 10 home matches is a marvelous achievement, and I would put that down to apart from the players that the pitch has improved.

"The squad is very strong now and you can see that in our midfield which changes all the time and will be different for the FA Cup match this weekend (against Portsmouth in the quarter-finals)."