Tomorrow morning, Cristiano Ronaldo will wake up to be declared as the European Footballer of the Year. I think it’s safe to say Ronaldo will be gob smacked by this achievement as he seems like such a modest and quiet guy. He will join an elite band of Manchester United legends as only Best, Law and Charlton have held the title whilst playing for United.

It would be boring if I was to simply list the achievements of Ronaldo as we all know what he is capable of, what he has done and, love him or hate him, it’s impossible to deny how effective he is.

So, to ensure fairness and to avoid being branded a completely biased Ronaldo loving idiot, I accept that Messi undoubtedly has a God given talent. Whilst I would be absolutely delighted if he ever joined United (I know this is never going to happen but I can dream), I wouldn’t swap him for Ronaldo.

‘Messidona’ is an incredible dribbler and has already replicated two of the most famous goals scored by possibly the greatest ever footballer, Maradona.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=x0cVCq8rsiY&feature=related - Remind you of Maradona’s ‘real’ goal against England?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=frnyf666z0s – I think this is self explanatory.

He also became the first Barcelona player to hit a hat-trick in the El Clásico since the 1993/1994 season – the previous player weas the legandary Romario. And whilst he has the talent, enthusaism and ability to rightly be described as world class and one of the best players in the world, I can honestly say that he isn’t a better player than Ronaldo.

For impact, goals, effectiveness and consistency, there’s only one ‘best’ player in the world.

Am I right? Who is better and who would you rather have in your team?

Read more...

Tomorrow morning, Cristiano Ronaldo will wake up to be declared as the European Footballer of the Year. I think it’s safe to say Ronaldo will be gob smacked by this achievement as he seems like such a modest and quiet guy. He will join an elite band of Manchester United legends as only Best, Law and Charlton have held the title whilst playing for United.

It would be boring if I was to simply list the achievements of Ronaldo as we all know what he is capable of, what he has done and, love him or hate him, it’s impossible to deny how effective he is.

So, to ensure fairness and to avoid being branded a completely biased Ronaldo loving idiot, I accept that Messi undoubtedly has a God given talent. Whilst I would be absolutely delighted if he ever joined United (I know this is never going to happen but I can dream), I wouldn’t swap him for Ronaldo.

‘Messidona’ is an incredible dribbler and has already replicated two of the most famous goals scored by possibly the greatest ever footballer, Maradona.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=x0cVCq8rsiY&feature=related - Remind you of Maradona’s ‘real’ goal against England?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=frnyf666z0s – I think this is self explanatory.

He also became the first Barcelona player to hit a hat-trick in the El Clásico since the 1993/1994 season – the previous player weas the legandary Romario. And whilst he has the talent, enthusaism and ability to rightly be described as world class and one of the best players in the world, I can honestly say that he isn’t a better player than Ronaldo.

For impact, goals, effectiveness and consistency, there’s only one ‘best’ player in the world.

Am I right? Who is better and who would you rather have in your team?

Read more...

Tomorrow morning, Cristiano Ronaldo will wake up to be declared as the European Footballer of the Year. I think it’s safe to say Ronaldo will be gob smacked by this achievement as he seems like such a modest and quiet guy. He will join an elite band of Manchester United legends as only Best, Law and Charlton have held the title whilst playing for United.

It would be boring if I was to simply list the achievements of Ronaldo as we all know what he is capable of, what he has done and, love him or hate him, it’s impossible to deny how effective he is.

So, to ensure fairness and to avoid being branded a completely biased Ronaldo loving idiot, I accept that Messi undoubtedly has a God given talent. Whilst I would be absolutely delighted if he ever joined United (I know this is never going to happen but I can dream), I wouldn’t swap him for Ronaldo.

‘Messidona’ is an incredible dribbler and has already replicated two of the most famous goals scored by possibly the greatest ever footballer, Maradona.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=x0cVCq8rsiY&feature=related - Remind you of Maradona’s ‘real’ goal against England?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=frnyf666z0s – I think this is self explanatory.

He also became the first Barcelona player to hit a hat-trick in the El Clásico since the 1993/1994 season – the previous player weas the legandary Romario. And whilst he has the talent, enthusaism and ability to rightly be described as world class and one of the best players in the world, I can honestly say that he isn’t a better player than Ronaldo.

For impact, goals, effectiveness and consistency, there’s only one ‘best’ player in the world.

Am I right? Who is better and who would you rather have in your team?

Read more...

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If he wants to go, they should let him go.

That's my opinion.

And if you're wondering what I'm talking about, then you really haven't been clued on this whole summer have you?

Cristiano Ronaldo.

The player who signed a lucrative deal with one of the world's richest clubs not that long ago and now is being courted by another club that is of similar stature.

To cut a long story short, he's wanted by Real Madrid but Manchester United's owners would rather see him rot in the reserves (which made him even more upset, mind you) and the young man's even gone on to say nothing about the whole situation throughout Euro 2008 which has pretty much frustrated every single MU fan around the world.

He's also gone on to say that he's only thinking about Portugal's progress in the tournament and has successfully ducked all the questions concerning his footballing future after the summer.

Here's a little thought for all those MU fans out there.

Sir Alex Ferguson has always said that no one is bigger than the club, not even himself. Remember Jaap Stam, Ruud Van Nistlerooy or even one Golden Balls?

If one Ronaldo goes, then so be it. It's a team game after all, right?

But then again, it's only an opinion.

Read more...

If he wants to go, they should let him go.

That's my opinion.

And if you're wondering what I'm talking about, then you really haven't been clued on this whole summer have you?

Cristiano Ronaldo.

The player who signed a lucrative deal with one of the world's richest clubs not that long ago and now is being courted by another club that is of similar stature.

To cut a long story short, he's wanted by Real Madrid but Manchester United's owners would rather see him rot in the reserves (which made him even more upset, mind you) and the young man's even gone on to say nothing about the whole situation throughout Euro 2008 which has pretty much frustrated every single MU fan around the world.

He's also gone on to say that he's only thinking about Portugal's progress in the tournament and has successfully ducked all the questions concerning his footballing future after the summer.

Here's a little thought for all those MU fans out there.

Sir Alex Ferguson has always said that no one is bigger than the club, not even himself. Remember Jaap Stam, Ruud Van Nistlerooy or even one Golden Balls?

If one Ronaldo goes, then so be it. It's a team game after all, right?

But then again, it's only an opinion.

Read more...

If he wants to go, they should let him go.

That's my opinion.

And if you're wondering what I'm talking about, then you really haven't been clued on this whole summer have you?

Cristiano Ronaldo.

The player who signed a lucrative deal with one of the world's richest clubs not that long ago and now is being courted by another club that is of similar stature.

To cut a long story short, he's wanted by Real Madrid but Manchester United's owners would rather see him rot in the reserves (which made him even more upset, mind you) and the young man's even gone on to say nothing about the whole situation throughout Euro 2008 which has pretty much frustrated every single MU fan around the world.

He's also gone on to say that he's only thinking about Portugal's progress in the tournament and has successfully ducked all the questions concerning his footballing future after the summer.

Here's a little thought for all those MU fans out there.

Sir Alex Ferguson has always said that no one is bigger than the club, not even himself. Remember Jaap Stam, Ruud Van Nistlerooy or even one Golden Balls?

If one Ronaldo goes, then so be it. It's a team game after all, right?

But then again, it's only an opinion.

Read more...

After seeing Manchester United crowned Premier League champions, we can finally take stock of what has undoubtedly been a truly enthralling season.

As the dust settles on Fergie's final day success, I have to say that, like many others, I have been thoroughly impressed with United's flying winger Cristiano Ronaldo this campaign, a player who has really caught the eye - for obvious reasons. Hats off to the lad.

The Portugal international has illuminated almost every game he's played in. Then again, the same can be said of Liverpool's Fernando Torres. Well, whenever he's been allowed to play that is.

Since there has been so much praise lavished on Ronaldo, let's talk more about Torres.

For me, he has been nothing but fantastic this season, no doubt about it. This 24-year-old striker is a newcomer to the hustle and bustle of the Premier League and he has shown that he is a cool customer when coming to terms with the physical side of the English game. Not every foreign player can do that, often failing to make as big an impact as Torres has.

The fact that the Spaniard did so well in his debut season is very encouraging and I think he can only get better. The only criticism is maybe that he doesn't score enough goals away from home. A sign of a true quality striker is the ability to score both home and away. But, so far at least, he's still worth all the money Liverpool spent on him..

To be honest though, it's a shame that despite all the effort shown by Torres, Liverpool have finished the season with nothing to show. They may have won a lot of accolades, but there are no trophies to show for their efforts. No hardware. Praise can only take you so far.

On the flip side, this will just make the team hungrier for success and, with that desire for glory, comes titles. Hopefully, Liverpool will shed the tag of ‘nearly-men' soon.

I expect a clear out at Liverpool come summertime when the league goes into hibernation. Xabi Alonso, John Arne Riise, Peter Crouch and Jermaine Pennant could all be saying their goodbyes. I actually wouldn't miss most of them, especially Pennant whose place on the right wing was taken by Dirk Kuyt. Need I say more?

If you were to ask me who I would like to see arriving at Anfield, then Gareth Barry is one of them. It is getting a little ugly between Martin O'Neill and Rafael Benitez, but this shows how important and talented Barry is.

There can be little doubt that Barry will be the perfect foil for Steven Gerrard in the centre of midfield. We have seen it before when the duo played for England. It will be a good combination for Liverpool and one that will persuade Rafa to stick Stevie G in midfield because that is his best position. Period.

Liverpool also need an out-and-out winger and Blackburn's David Bentley is one of those who has impressed me. This former Arsenal apprentice will be a perfect replacement for the other former Arsenal apprentice at Anfield. Bentley is one of those wingers who can do everything - deliver accurate crosses from deep, take on players with pace and is deadly from free-kicks. But Blackburn have been steadily improving every season and don't need to sell their players. It would take a massive amount of effort and money to even open discussions with Rovers gaffer Mark Hughes.

Apart from Liverpool, there were a few key moments - or should I say controversial moments - that marked this BPL season. I was particularly surprised by the sackings of Jose Mourinho and Sam Allardyce at Chelsea and Newcastle respectively. They were perhaps a victim of their own club's misguided ambitions. But the most talked about BPL moment has to be the reinstatement of Kevin Keegan at Newcastle. It was an appointment that shook the English game.

Who knows what kind of twists and turns we will have in the coming 2008/09 season? After the exciting cliff-hanger we had on the final day of the season, I for one will be looking forward to next season with even more anticipation than before. Will you?

Read more...

After seeing Manchester United crowned Premier League champions, we can finally take stock of what has undoubtedly been a truly enthralling season.

As the dust settles on Fergie's final day success, I have to say that, like many others, I have been thoroughly impressed with United's flying winger Cristiano Ronaldo this campaign, a player who has really caught the eye - for obvious reasons. Hats off to the lad.

The Portugal international has illuminated almost every game he's played in. Then again, the same can be said of Liverpool's Fernando Torres. Well, whenever he's been allowed to play that is.

Since there has been so much praise lavished on Ronaldo, let's talk more about Torres.

For me, he has been nothing but fantastic this season, no doubt about it. This 24-year-old striker is a newcomer to the hustle and bustle of the Premier League and he has shown that he is a cool customer when coming to terms with the physical side of the English game. Not every foreign player can do that, often failing to make as big an impact as Torres has.

The fact that the Spaniard did so well in his debut season is very encouraging and I think he can only get better. The only criticism is maybe that he doesn't score enough goals away from home. A sign of a true quality striker is the ability to score both home and away. But, so far at least, he's still worth all the money Liverpool spent on him..

To be honest though, it's a shame that despite all the effort shown by Torres, Liverpool have finished the season with nothing to show. They may have won a lot of accolades, but there are no trophies to show for their efforts. No hardware. Praise can only take you so far.

On the flip side, this will just make the team hungrier for success and, with that desire for glory, comes titles. Hopefully, Liverpool will shed the tag of ‘nearly-men' soon.

I expect a clear out at Liverpool come summertime when the league goes into hibernation. Xabi Alonso, John Arne Riise, Peter Crouch and Jermaine Pennant could all be saying their goodbyes. I actually wouldn't miss most of them, especially Pennant whose place on the right wing was taken by Dirk Kuyt. Need I say more?

If you were to ask me who I would like to see arriving at Anfield, then Gareth Barry is one of them. It is getting a little ugly between Martin O'Neill and Rafael Benitez, but this shows how important and talented Barry is.

There can be little doubt that Barry will be the perfect foil for Steven Gerrard in the centre of midfield. We have seen it before when the duo played for England. It will be a good combination for Liverpool and one that will persuade Rafa to stick Stevie G in midfield because that is his best position. Period.

Liverpool also need an out-and-out winger and Blackburn's David Bentley is one of those who has impressed me. This former Arsenal apprentice will be a perfect replacement for the other former Arsenal apprentice at Anfield. Bentley is one of those wingers who can do everything - deliver accurate crosses from deep, take on players with pace and is deadly from free-kicks. But Blackburn have been steadily improving every season and don't need to sell their players. It would take a massive amount of effort and money to even open discussions with Rovers gaffer Mark Hughes.

Apart from Liverpool, there were a few key moments - or should I say controversial moments - that marked this BPL season. I was particularly surprised by the sackings of Jose Mourinho and Sam Allardyce at Chelsea and Newcastle respectively. They were perhaps a victim of their own club's misguided ambitions. But the most talked about BPL moment has to be the reinstatement of Kevin Keegan at Newcastle. It was an appointment that shook the English game.

Who knows what kind of twists and turns we will have in the coming 2008/09 season? After the exciting cliff-hanger we had on the final day of the season, I for one will be looking forward to next season with even more anticipation than before. Will you?

Read more...

After seeing Manchester United crowned Premier League champions, we can finally take stock of what has undoubtedly been a truly enthralling season.

As the dust settles on Fergie's final day success, I have to say that, like many others, I have been thoroughly impressed with United's flying winger Cristiano Ronaldo this campaign, a player who has really caught the eye - for obvious reasons. Hats off to the lad.

The Portugal international has illuminated almost every game he's played in. Then again, the same can be said of Liverpool's Fernando Torres. Well, whenever he's been allowed to play that is.

Since there has been so much praise lavished on Ronaldo, let's talk more about Torres.

For me, he has been nothing but fantastic this season, no doubt about it. This 24-year-old striker is a newcomer to the hustle and bustle of the Premier League and he has shown that he is a cool customer when coming to terms with the physical side of the English game. Not every foreign player can do that, often failing to make as big an impact as Torres has.

The fact that the Spaniard did so well in his debut season is very encouraging and I think he can only get better. The only criticism is maybe that he doesn't score enough goals away from home. A sign of a true quality striker is the ability to score both home and away. But, so far at least, he's still worth all the money Liverpool spent on him..

To be honest though, it's a shame that despite all the effort shown by Torres, Liverpool have finished the season with nothing to show. They may have won a lot of accolades, but there are no trophies to show for their efforts. No hardware. Praise can only take you so far.

On the flip side, this will just make the team hungrier for success and, with that desire for glory, comes titles. Hopefully, Liverpool will shed the tag of ‘nearly-men' soon.

I expect a clear out at Liverpool come summertime when the league goes into hibernation. Xabi Alonso, John Arne Riise, Peter Crouch and Jermaine Pennant could all be saying their goodbyes. I actually wouldn't miss most of them, especially Pennant whose place on the right wing was taken by Dirk Kuyt. Need I say more?

If you were to ask me who I would like to see arriving at Anfield, then Gareth Barry is one of them. It is getting a little ugly between Martin O'Neill and Rafael Benitez, but this shows how important and talented Barry is.

There can be little doubt that Barry will be the perfect foil for Steven Gerrard in the centre of midfield. We have seen it before when the duo played for England. It will be a good combination for Liverpool and one that will persuade Rafa to stick Stevie G in midfield because that is his best position. Period.

Liverpool also need an out-and-out winger and Blackburn's David Bentley is one of those who has impressed me. This former Arsenal apprentice will be a perfect replacement for the other former Arsenal apprentice at Anfield. Bentley is one of those wingers who can do everything - deliver accurate crosses from deep, take on players with pace and is deadly from free-kicks. But Blackburn have been steadily improving every season and don't need to sell their players. It would take a massive amount of effort and money to even open discussions with Rovers gaffer Mark Hughes.

Apart from Liverpool, there were a few key moments - or should I say controversial moments - that marked this BPL season. I was particularly surprised by the sackings of Jose Mourinho and Sam Allardyce at Chelsea and Newcastle respectively. They were perhaps a victim of their own club's misguided ambitions. But the most talked about BPL moment has to be the reinstatement of Kevin Keegan at Newcastle. It was an appointment that shook the English game.

Who knows what kind of twists and turns we will have in the coming 2008/09 season? After the exciting cliff-hanger we had on the final day of the season, I for one will be looking forward to next season with even more anticipation than before. Will you?

Read more...

Choose Your favourite Sports performer from 2008. From November 28th, www.ESPNSTAR.com, alongside SportsCenter India, Asia & Malaysia, and Score Tonight will be conducting a joint initiative Online and On Air to decide the Sports Personality to have made the biggest impact on sport in the calendar year 2008.

The criteria for selection are that the "nominee" should have made an "impact" on sport during the year 2008. It is not solely a performance related vote. It is your vote that will decide who wins.

Below, you'll see a list of sixteen athletes who have excelled in 2008. When voting opens, we're looking for you to decide exactly who was the "Best of the Best."

The mechanism to decide the winner is as follows:

1. Sixteen sports personalities have been shortlisted.
2. This list has been chosen by a group of ESPN STAR Sport representatives. From now on, it's your choice on who wins.
3. The voting mechanism will be in the form of a knock-out.
1. The 16 will be paired against each other in a knockout draw shown Live on SportsCenter on Friday, November 28th.
2. Pairings will then be made available for the public to cast their votes for a set period.
3. The "winner" (i.e. the person with the bigger percentage of votes cast) will go through to the next round – while the loser is "eliminated"
4. This is repeated for a Quarter Final, Semi Final and Final with the winner announced on SportsCenter on December 31st.

Read more...