Where it happened: AT LUBANG PANTAT
Langauge: MALAYSIA
Sex: Female
Rating: 5
Category: Straight
INSAFLA KORANG SEMUA….KORANG NAK TIPU DLM CITE NI PUN AGAK AGAKLA BEBUnited’s Squad List: 2003/04
1 Fabien Barthez 15 Kleberson
2 Gary Neville 16 Roy Keane
3 Phil Neville 17 Ricardo
4 18 Paul Scholes
5 Rio Ferdinand 19 Eric Djemba-Djemba
6 Wes Brown 20 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
7 Cristiano Ronaldo 21 Diego Forlan
8 Nicky Butt 22 John O’Shea
9 23 Kieran Richardson
10 Ruud van Nistelrooy 24 Darren Fletcher
11 Ryan Giggs 25 Quinton Fortune
12 David Bellion 26 Danny Pugh
13 Roy Carroll 27 Mikael Silvestre
14 Tim Howard 28 Mark Lynch
………………………………….
KORANG TENGOK BOLA LG BEST LA ….
It was certainly a match-changing performance. The assembled press had probably been planning their headlines for months since David Beckham’s departure.
But if Ryan Giggs’ curling free-kick wasn’t enough to convince the doubters that United will march triumphantly on without the England skipper, then a certain 18-year-old, 61st-minute substitute left some journalists hogging the ‘delete’ key in the press box at Old Trafford on Saturday.
It has been described as the most exciting debut since Ryan Giggs burst on the scene in 1991, and likened to the fervent anticipation caused by a supremely talented young Northern Irish lad called George Best making his first Reds appearance back in the sixties.
The game was poised at 1-0 to United, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s emergence from the bench put Bolton on the back foot. His first touch was met with a crunching challenge from Bolton’s Nicky Hunt – but that was the nearest he got to Ronaldo for the rest of the game.
The 18-year-old’s introduction to Old Trafford was exhilarating to say the least. Fifteen minutes on each wing, and Bolton didn’t know what had hit them. A dangerous run into the box and a far-post cross was the prelude to Giggs’ second goal of the game. And the sheer frustration of not being able to stop his surging runs led to Kevin Nolan tugging at the Portuguese winger’s shirt for Ruud van Nistelrooy’s missed penalty.
It was his ability to impress, excite and terrorise Bolton’s defence from either wing, with either foot that left more than 60,000 United fans behaving like a jack-in-the-box every time the ball was at the feet of the Reds’ new number seven.
Few inside Old Trafford had seen more than Ronaldo’s display in the friendly against Sporting Lisbon two weeks ago. But any player who comes with the glowing endorsement of Luis Figo, and described by Ferguson as one of the most exciting young players he has ever seen, the expectation around the stadium was understandable. Sir Alex wouldn’t shell out £12.24m on an 18-year-old unless he was something special. Something special was exactly what United supporters got.
According to former United defender, Brian Greenhof, the comparisons to George Best are unavoidable. “Older supporters are bound to compare Ronaldo with George Best because they are both the same sort of players,†Greenhof said on MUTV after the game.
“When Ronaldo got the ball, the fans were immediately out of their seats wondering what was going to happen. Everybody will be talking about him,†he added.
Ronaldo’s versatility to play on either flank also impressed Greenhof. He continued: â€ÂHe can cross from the left, he can cross from he right and he has the quickest feet I have ever seen. Everyone was excited by him, including me.â€Â
Ferguson quite rightly pointed out that Ronaldo will need to be rested, but one thing is certain; if Saturday’s performance is anything to go by, it will become increasingly tempting to pick the youngster.
Two-goal Ryan Giggs was quick to praise Ronaldo for his uninhibited debut but also highlighted the need to protect the teenager. He said: “Obviously, the manager will look after him. The fans are bound to get excited, but it’s a long career and even though he was brilliant today we’ve just got to look after him.”
Giggs himself was protected when he was thrust into the limelight by Ferguson, and knows more than most the pressure of possessing such a talent so young, but the Welshman couldn’t help but be thrilled by the emergence of another gem at Old Trafford.
He said: “The fans gave him a great reception, there was a real buzz about the place.”
Report by Ben Hibbs.
Saturday saw Ronaldo make an exciting debut for United. But before the Portuguese teenager, who left you gasping in delight at their first performance in a Reds shirt? Send your emails to FanTalk
Read what Giggs thought of Ronaldo’s debut >
Check out ManUtd’s match report from Old Trafford >
Ronaldo’s debut has caused a stir amongst Reds fans >
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