RONALDO BLASTS SHOWBOATING RIVALS
Darren Lewis
CRISTIANO RONALDO has told the Premiership's step-over
wannabes: 'Stop copying my skills'.
Manchester United's Portuguese wing-wizard is fed up with fleet-
footed tricksters whom he believes are imitating his party pieces.
Arsenal's Thierry Henry has been leaving opponents for dead with the
technique described as 'lollipops' by ex-ITV commentator Ron
Atkinson.
Chelsea's Joe Cole was impressive with an assortment of step-overs
in England's World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland at Old
Trafford.
Birmingham's David Dunn actually came a cropper attempting
the 'round-the-corner backheel' that saw him fall flat on his face
on TV.
And Barcelona's brilliant Brazilian Ronaldinho has become a serial
thriller with his tricks.
Yet angry Ronaldo is having none of it, and believes his rivals
should make up their own moves.
He said: "There is one thing that annoys me. I don't like people
copying my tricks.
"I would never, for example, copy Ronaldinho if I saw him doing
something on the pitch. I see football as an art and all the players
are artists. If you are a top artist the last thing you would do is
paint a picture that someone has already painted.
"I would never dream of looking at Ronaldinho and trying to emulate
him. I would be offended if he tried to copy one of my tricks.
"Different tricks come naturally to gifted players and we must
concentrate on developing our own natural talents rather than try
and be someone else." Ronaldo was speaking in the April edition of
Champions League magazine about an issue which is sure to anger some
fans who will insist the Euro 2004 star was not the first to invent
step-overs. The midfielder also revealed how he developed his
trickery - playing street football in the alleys of his homeland.
He added: "It's all down to street football. We'd eat, drink and
breathe football. I always felt comfortable on the ball and have
always had the belief that if you put one man or five men in front
of me I could go past them all.
"In Madeira we had plenty of pitches and I used to play football in
every spare second with lots of children my age.
"I used to invent new tricks that I could try in my next game and I
still do the same thing today."
The Old Trafford star also shrugged off United's Champions League
exit and insists he still intends to lift the biggest prizes in club
and inter-national football. And he has not given up on pipping
Chelsea to the title.
He said: "We are a team of winners at United and will never give up
until it is mathematically impossible to win. Let us hope that day
never comes."
Ronaldo's United team-mate Alan Smith claims he will not walk away
from Old Trafford despite starting just one match for Sir Alex
Ferguson's side since January 4.
He has had to make do with cameo appearances from the bench as he
plays second fiddle to Wayne Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Newcastle boss Graeme Souness has noted Smith's lack of first-team
opportunities and wants to buy him in the summer to replace Alan
Shearer.
However Smith's agent Alex Black insists the 24-year-old is
determined to stay at United and win back his place.
"I don't think Alan's position has changed at all," said
Black. "Everything is fine with Alan and he is happy to stay at
United.
"There are no problems. There has been speculation about Newcastle,
but nobody has spoken to us about that."
Black also pointed out that Smith was out for nearly seven weeks
with an ankle injury. He said: "He's got to get some level of
fitness back before he can be judged."
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Was that to me Jae? Well, if it was firstly I am not English, born in Rome in case you wanted to know AND I havent ever lived in England...
