Shape up or ship out
I never wanted to get involved in this Cristiano Ronaldo affair, but I think now the time has come after Sepp Blatter put his foot (I think both feet) into his mouth with his "famous" statement.
Blatter said that Manchester United should let Ronaldo go, as players are being treated like slaves. Well slaves don't get paid!!! I thought he sucked at football, but history too? Ronaldo meanwhile agrees with him, I think I speak for many United fans when I say please go!! But think of the ramifications it will cause with 4 years to go in his contract everybody can behave like Ronaldo.
The irony of Blatter's statement is that players actually have more power now compared to yesteryears after the Bosman ruling. In fact clubs should now be protected for we are going to see teams changing every season and surely this cannot be good for football.
Real Madrid meanwhile continue to pursue Ronaldo like a man chasing a girl to get married. Fabio Cannavaro the captain of Real Madrid gave a sort of "unwelcome" response when he said that Ronaldo should honour his contract you get the feeling that many Real Madrid players do not want him and this is now a fact, a diplomatic way of saying Please don't come!
After Real Madrid won the La Liga last season the Madrid players instantly went to Ramon Calderon and told please don't change this team we like it as it is. Robinho and Wesley Sneider have also told that they do not want to leave so you can see a clear picture forming here.
Player power is rampant at Real Madrid just ask Chelsea player and journeyman Nicholas Anelka, he was not welcome at Real Madrid a few years back when he was sold by Arsenal. Raul and Fernando Hierro told the board that they did not want him on the team. This was conveyed to Anelka on the first day he arrived at Real by Samuel Eto and Geremi who were both in the stable of Real Madrid at that time.
In 1982 when Italy won the World Cup the current UEFA president Michel Platini who was France's playmaker and midfield general was not so welcome in the Juventus dressing room when he was signed, Antonio Cabrini the Juventus player and Italian international at that time gave a sarcastic remark, "Who won the World Cup Italy or France?" Platini was the highest paid player in the dressing room, but he did go on to win the hearts of Juventus by being the top scorer a couple of times and winning some silverware including the Champions League (known at that time as the European Cup).
Ronaldo is now in similiar circumstances with Spain winning the Euro 2008, Sergio Ramos could say the same thing to Ronaldo in the dressing room when he arrives, but he might not be so lucky as Platini in performance wise.
Surely Real Madrid must know that chasing top players for the sake of it is not going to win them anything, it is now all about building a team step-by-step, gone are the days of buying gems like Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, Raymond Kopa and company just for the sake of buying, you get the feeling that Real Madrid just don't want those bygone days to end. Zidane, Ronaldo (Brazil), Figo were the last bastion of the "great white hope" well whatever said and done Ferguson is a shrewd tactician on and off the field and he will wait until Madrid up the ante, Ronaldo meanwhile is in no man's land, good luck Ronaldo.
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