Rocking Ronnie

Ronaldo hammers home title warning,

Cristiano Ronaldo received a World Player of the Year award and Golden Boot before the kick-off of Manchester United versus West Ham.

Then within half an hour, he showed just why he won those prestigious trophies, two first-half goals, a match-winning display and all with the minimum of effort.

The world award is decided by 50 players from around the globe and there is no greater honour than to be recognised by your contemporaries in any trade. Ronaldo was rightly acknowledged with that, while his 31 league goals last season landed the Golden Boot. He received both awards with some humility, aware that many Manchester United fans still see his summer attempts to engineer a move to Real Madrid as treacherous. It was muted cheers at best but the noise level went up when he found the back of the net.

World Player of the Year

Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo has been named as the FifPro World Footballer of the Year.

The accolade is voted for by players from more than 40 countries around the world.

Ronaldo scored 42 times for his club last season as they won both the Premier League and Champions League titles.

at Goodison

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was able to make five changes to the United side that outclassed Celtic in the Champions League in midweek. Rio and Evra were back from injury, Wes Brown and Ji-Sung Park were also recalled and Ryan Giggs returned as captain

In the first half United found space with ease. Berbatov may seem to show an economy of effort, but his clever link-up play kept United moving forward with menace. United's quality passing and the amount of men they got forward so quickly had Everton constantly stretched.

Fletcher had a header from Giggs' corner deflected wide, and Neville blocked a drive from Cristiano Ronaldo. Wayne Rooney then blasted wide after a free-kick had been blocked. A goal from the champions has been on the cards for a while when Fletcher broke the deadlock after 22 minutes. Giggs' astute angled ball into the box by-passed a static Fellaini to allow Fletcher a run into space where he evaded Lescott, before calmly placing his shot wide of Tim Howard.

United sensed blood and Osman cleared off the line from Vidic, and Howard saved well from Ronaldo and Giggs as the visitors stormed forward. Giggs' run and chip then created a headed chance for Rooney that dropped just wide.

Everton started the second period with more urgency, Phil Jagielka was booked for a foul on Berbatov after 51 minutes, then Neville enraged his former United colleagues with a nasty lunge at an already grounded Ronaldo, boot connected with knee and the Everton captain was booked when the uproar had died down.

Everton then got their lifeline, having barely troubled Van der Sar previously. After 63 minutes Neville crossed from the right and Fellaini rose above Vidic to head the equaliser. A minute later Yakubu harassed Ferdinand, stole the ball and ran into the box to see Van der Sar touch his shot onto the right post.

As Everton got more physical United got trapped in the same game and Rooney and Brown were booked. Tevez and Nani came on, but it was too late and Everton got a point.

Ain't life great ...

Defending champion Manchester United took big strides toward the next round of the Champions League with an easy victory this morning.

Dimitar Berbatov scored twice and Wayne Rooney took his total to nine goals in seven games as United outplayed Scottish champion Celtic 3-0.

United leads Group E on goal difference with seven points, ahead of Villarreal, which beat Aalborg 6-3, on a night when 36 goals were scored in the eight matches. Both teams are six points clear of Celtic and Aalborg, with only two clubs advancing from each group

Rooney Rooney ..

A great display by the United players in England drag, with Rooney grabbing another double against a youthful Belarus team this morning.

Rooney and Heskey worked well again and its Waynes willingness to drop back and help out that makes him great. Like Tevez, when the forwards drop back and get stuck in, it picks up the whole team.

and what a howler from that liverpool guy ..

United for England

Good to see the lads dominating the scoresheet this morning with Rooney bagging a couple for England and Rio getting in on the act as well.

United 3 Aalborg 0

Sir Alex Ferguson sprung a major selection surprise by handing a debut to 18-year-old Rafael Da Silva. Rafael caught the eye with a couple of sizzling shots which might easily have ended up in the Aalborg net.
Berbatov was still searching for his first United goal. It seemed his duck would be broken after just six minutes when Cristiano Ronaldo half-blocked Karim Zaza's clearance but the Bulgarian could not adjust his body quickly enough to turn the ball into an empty net. Then Nemanja Vidic nodded Nani's corner onto Rio Ferdinand shortly afterwards but the defender's shot was saved by Zaza.

It was largely one-way traffic, although United's momentum was briefly halted by a worrying injury to Paul Scholes. Ferguson introduced Ryan Giggs, who created Rooney's opener. Nani flicked a pass into Giggs' path and the Welshman immediately spotted an opportunity to release his young team-mate. The 22-year-old darted past Michael Beauchamp and slotted home the opener. With Rooney tormenting, Ronaldo teasing and Berbatov creating problems despite failing to find the net, Aalborg were fully stretched and only a last-ditch tackle from Steve Olfers prevented Rooney turning home Berbatov's near-post cross.

10 minutes after the re-start, Berbatov was onto the loose ball in an instant, lashing it past Zaza as if his thunderous effort was merely routine.
From his central midfield station, Giggs was producing the kind of forceful bursts United have tended to rely on Scholes for. One such surge took him deep into the Aalborg box but he could only turn his shot into the sidenetting.

Berbatov and Ronaldo, whose contribution for once was overshadowed, went close to increasing United's lead, as did Carlos Tevez who on this occasion was deemed only to be good enough for a substitute's role.
Ferguson now has the striking strength he has yearned for since his first Champions League triumph in 1999. And in Berbatov he has another master of the spectacular, as he proved again with a brilliant scissor kick 11 minutes from time.
Ronaldo was desperate to get one too but, like Giggs earlier, could only find the side-netting after a solo burst near the end, leaving Berbatov to grab the headlines.