Greedy League lacking dignity.

[Diego_Sideburns]

Tonight's rarely wrong Chron uses a ManUre legend to have a dig at the almost entirely dignity-free zone that is the Greedy League.

 

Dignity a thing of the past?

 

Date published: 23/09/2008

 

THE CHEERING of the returning Cristiano Ronaldo marked a sad low in the recent history of Manchester United.

 

Any fan with a memory long enough to recall the era of Best, Charlton and Law will doubtless have stayed silent when the Portuguese super-ego re-landed at Old Trafford during the Villareal game last week. Sadly, too many rose to welcome him back, just as they did four days later at Chelsea. It didn’t sit right.

 

Ronaldo is a truly brilliant player and, thanks to his achievements, particularly when scoring 42 times last year, one who is rightly regarded as a legend of the club.

 

But he is also a man who showed a thorough disregard for United over the summer in attempting to engineer a move to Real Madrid.

 

“It [moving to Real] is a dream, a step forward, you can call it what you want,” Ronaldo said, despite having four years left on a contract worth £120,000 per week. “For me it is a great opportunity.”

 

No doubt the man who loves to expose his bronzed chest felt entitled to ask for a move to tanfastic new horizons.

 

He had already achieved everything at Old Trafford: cups, leagues, player-of-the-year gongs, an ultimate gay icon award (pushing Kylie into second).

 

There are ways and means, though. Ways and means that avoid thoroughly disrespecting your employer and, by extension, every United fan who cheered him on over the past five years.

 

Clearly, there is no danger of the 23-year-old losing any sleep over what people think of him.

 

“I am already in the history of the club,” he said prior to his return from an ankle operation. “When I play the fans will love me again.”

 

Such a pity that Ronaldo’s self-love was indeed reflected back at him last Wednesday.

 

It follows a worrying trend at Old Trafford which tempts the tricky question — do the fans lack self-esteem?

 

United ask supporters to service the club’s huge debts, ladelled on the club by anonymous American owners, through steep price hikes and the now infamous Automatic Cup Scheme, which last year forced all season ticket holders to pay full whack to watch a smattering of kids in the Carling Cup.

 

It can only be a matter of time before every punter coming through the turnstiles is required to do a spot of book-keeping for sponsors AIG before taking their seat.

 

Now, the Ronaldo saga shows that players as well as administrators can take the mickey out of the fans with impunity.

 

It is a sorry state of affairs, sadly in keeping with the almost entirely dignity-free zone that is the Premier League.

[Hometownclub]

All he did for me was show the kind of disregard for Man Ure that all players should.

[fleetwood Blue]

All he did for me was show the kind of disregard for Man Ure that all players should.

It was funny watching the scum fans shiiting themselves all summer, oh well if he does go at least they have darren fletcher to replace him

[Diego_Sideburns]

I think it's brave of the Chron to have a dig at some of its Red readers.

[Hometownclub]

I think it's brave of the Chron to have a dig at some of its Red readers.

It's brave but also good that they are having a go at some of it's red readers.

 

The Chron should have no red readers, if these tosspots supported their hometownclub.

[RoytonBlueLad]

I think it's brave of the Chron to have a dig at some of its Red readers.

 

 

Levelled out by their competitions to win tickets to watch United though I guess.

[JoeLatics]

Theyre giving free Latics season tickets for 10 years as well! (if you can hit the bar from 40 yards :p )