“At home it was easy; we’ll see when we play away”

2006-08-21
Cristiano Ronaldo was cheered, scored a goal and participated in two more, and spoke to Gestifute Media

Old Trafford showed its highest support as always for United’s start in the Premier League. But it also gave Cristiano Ronaldo its full support, after all it written during the World Cup, when Portugal beat England and Rooney was sent off. “Today was good, the game went very well, I got a great reception, the crowd was very happy”, said the Gestifute Media player, shortly after millions of people saw, with their own eyes, Ronaldo and Rooney embrace out on the pitch. “The truth is that nothing happened, nothing”, he underlined. “This home game went very well, everything was calm, it was easy, we will see what happens when we play away” he added, without creating false illusions: “I know that the next away game people will put more pressure on me, because it will be the first, but I’m ok, I want to show off my football and help my team to get a win”.

necessary to protect Cristiano Ronaldo and that the young player, who Gestifute represent, is mentally strong and capable of coping with adversity, such as those created by the English in the World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo proved his manager right, and at the end Ferguson didn’t spare his eulogies. “They [Cristiano and Rooney] combined on many occasions. You could say they were the best of team mates. People are always trying to find weaknesses, but even the Fulham fans applauded Ronaldo at the end. I think they understand that the kid is a great player”, said Alex Ferguson. Cristiano Ronaldo thanked his manager. “I was very happy with these words”, he commented. “Because of that, I am always going to try my best in all the games”, he added.

The truth is that the Premier League start could not have gone better, and in these things it is “very important to set off on the right foot” in the championship. But it wasn’t only Manchester United who had a brilliant start, beating Fulham 5-1 with three goals scored after only 16 minutes. Cristiano Ronaldo also began the competition in full power, not just with the great game he played but also with the goal that he scored in the 20th minute. “The goal was very important”, he recognised. “Particularly since this was the first official game of the season”, he explained, adding, however, that this Cristiano Ronaldo is still not the best that the world will see. “I am still not a hundred per cent, because the season is just beginning and I started work late, due to the World Cup, but I am sure that I am going to continue to work and improve myself and so that in two or three games I will be at my best”.

Within three days, Cristiano Ronaldo will have a test of fine, when he goes to London for the game against Charlton, which will be the first match away from home. The “kid who is a great player”, as Ferguson said, knows what to expect, but he is not going to be intimidated, as he wasn’t, also, by a similar experience in the last two matches that Portugal competed in, in the World Cup in Germany. “Of course the whistles are a bit wearing”, he recognises. “The away games are going to be complicated, the one against Charlton will be the first, but I am going to take the chance to distance myself from it, and try to do my best. We will see what happens”.

Independently of the events on Wednesday, Cristiano Ronaldo is prepared for what will come, and is thinking about just one thing: “Winning”. “We are confident, we are only thinking about three points, we need to be more consistent than last season and we will take the title”. The young player believes that this year will finally be the year in which he can celebrate the winning of a great competition in the Manchester United shirt. “I believe that every year we can go further than the previous year, and so I hope that this year is our season and we can win the League”, he finished.