Man Utd icon Sir Alex Ferguson’s Cristiano Ronaldo complaint ahead of Middlesbrough clash
Manchester United will face Middlesbrough in the fifth round of the FA Cup tonight. Cristiano Ronaldo will play his first encounter against the Championship outfit since leaving Old Trafford for Real Madrid the following year. And Sir Alex Ferguson was not pleased with the outcome of the game.
Manchester United hosted Middlesbrough in December 2008 in the hopes of bolstering their chances of regaining the Premier League title.
They were trailing Liverpool and Chelsea at the time and were forced to dig deep in the match at Old Trafford under the lights.
United eventually triumphed 1-0, with Dimitar Berbatov scoring the game’s only goal.
Ronaldo battled on an unusually bad night for the Portugal international.
However, he was subjected to a chokehold by Emanuel “Mad Dog” Pogatetz, who seemed to grip the 36-year-old by the neck during the fight.
Klopp believes Diaz will be a Liverpool success story.
Pogatetz was already despised at the Theatre of Dreams after a vicious tackle on Rodrigo Possebon in a Carling Cup match earlier in the season.
Pogatetz was already despised at the Theatre of Dreams after a vicious tackle on Rodrigo Possebon in a Carling Cup match earlier in the season.
And he didn’t endear himself to the home fans when he grabbed Ronaldo by the neck while they jostled for position at a corner.
Ferguson, as is his wont, was unimpressed with the game’s outcome.
Despite the fact that his team won, he believes Pogatetz was fortunate to remain on the field.
“It felt as if Pogatetz grabbed him around the neck,” the Scot stated after Berbatov’s goal sealed the victory.
“That happens all the time in penalty boxes.”
“A couple of years ago, we had referees come to see the players, and they claimed it would be stamped out with one warning and then a red card.”
“However, nothing ever happens.”
At halftime, tensions erupted, with Ronaldo going out of his way to speak with Pogatetz in the tunnel.
Players from both teams were then forced to interfere to prevent the two from fighting.
But it was Ronaldo and United who had the last laugh, as they went on to win the league and reach the Champions League final in the same season.
Now, as Ronaldo prepares to play Middlesbrough once more, the two teams are in quite different places than they were over a decade ago.
The FA Cup is United’s greatest opportunity of winning a trophy this season, with the league already out of reach.
They, too, are still in the Champions League, but their performances show they aren’t good enough to win it.
Middlesbrough, on the other hand, was in the Premier League as recently as 2017.
But, like United, they are no longer the club they once were.
Boro is presently seventh in the Championship table, 13 points behind leaders Fulham.
They might yet make the playoffs, however, because they have a game in hand on West Brom.
Meanwhile, former Manchester United striker Alan Smith feels Ronaldo must step up and assist the club’s younger players as they attempt to turn their season around.
“I believe the trouble with going to Manchester United is that people feel they have to show how wonderful they are, but I think it’s exactly the opposite,” he explained to Offer Bets.
“You must demonstrate commitment and a desire to improve, as he clearly does.” Inconsistency is natural when you have inexperienced athletes.
“He’ll also need the help of experienced players to help him along, and he’s got certain individuals around him at the club that he needs to look to in order to keep improving, which I’m sure he’s doing.”
“It took Cristiano a while to adjust to the league — the pace, the brutality, getting kicked all the time, that kind of learning curve.”
“You should constantly attempt to learn from your older players, since there’s a reason they’ve been there for so long, and they will expect and demand of others.”
“He’s had a run of games now, and I hope consistency will come now that he’s feeling a little more relaxed.”
