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WE CAN DO IT AGAIN !
m4m - Tue, 26 Dec 06 :
Wot a brilliant video and The Rooooooon was one of them 
24 December 2006
By Paul Mccarthy
WHEN even Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs are bowing before you in admiration, then you know you've done something special.
Not that you'll hear Paul Scholes boasting. He might even have forgotten to mention he scored the finest goal of an illustrious career when he got home last night.
True, Mr Unassuming looked mildly excited as he zig-zagged away from adoring team-mates but that was just a momentary lapse of concentration, a rare glimpse of life behind the Scholes mask.
So if the man himself is unwilling to give a blow-by-blow account of a goal that took the breath away, let me do the honours.
A Giggs corner on the right was headed clear by the Villa defence to where Scholes lurked.
A lesser player would have considered a touch. A good player would have sent the ball soaring in to the United fans behind the goal.
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But Scholes? He just relied on natural genius, years of practice, and an unerring sense of theatre to drive an unstoppable volley past the hapless Gabor Kiraly who even had the audacity - or maybe foolishness - to stick in the ball's general direction.
It brought back memories of that stunning Paul Gascoigne goal against Arsenal in an FA Cup semi-final when David Seaman attempted to prevent Gazza's free-kick from hitting the top corner.
As Gazza wheeled away to celebrate, he screamed: "He only tried to stop it, the dopey b****** only tried to stop it!"
Scholes, obviously, would never dream of a similar taunt...but you could have forgiven him if he had.
That goal was so effortless yet so brutal in its execution that even the Chelsea contingent who thought they had the Goal Of The Season wrapped must be wondering if anything Michael Essien, Didier Drogba or Frank Lampard can conjure up will ever better it.
"I've seen Paul do that in training so many times but you cannot fail to recognise just how good he is," said United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
"That goal reminded me of one he scored against Bradford a few years back when David Beckham found him from a corner. He hits the ball so sweetly, you just have to stand back and admire."
So good was it that even Cristiano Ronaldo was forced to take second billing. Not bad considering young twinkle toes scored twice and enjoyed the kind of afternoon that made you forget Rooney didn't appear until the game was all but won.
Ronaldo will just have to be content with a couple of goals, the man-of-the-match champagne, and the knowledge there is no finer sight in football than the United No.7 in full flow.
His first goal came courtesy of a dazzling piece of individualism, his second was testament to the kind of football which would make United worthy champions. And if statistics are anything to go by, that's what Fergie's boys will be come May.
Historically, the team that gets 47 points from 19 games ALWAYS wins the Premiership. Take a look at the table. Ominous isn't it? Especially if you happen to be Jose Mourinho.
The 2,000th goal of Ferguson's reign was all about Ronaldo's love of attacking football. Picking off Aaron Hughes's mistake 10 yards inside the United half, there was only one thought in his head. Few players move as quickly with the ball at their feet as without it but Ronaldo is one. Poor Olof Mellberg was bamboozled so many times in the 40 yards that Ronaldo ran at him you could forgive him for looking punch-drunk for the rest of the match.
Mellberg couldn't stop the kid, Gary Cahill's block just opened up another yard of space, and before Kiraly could adjust his feet, the shot was beyond him and into the top corner of the net.
Joyous though Ronaldo's opener was, his second perhaps just edges it, underlining as it did the overwhelming beauty of United's play.
Giggs started the move fully 90 yards from Villa's goal, feeding a pass into Scholes who in turn eased it to Ronaldo just the wrong side of the halfway line.
Ronaldo's vision allowed him to find Rooney who made tracks down the right and as he held it up, Gary Neville steamed 50 yards to create the overlap and an extra man while Ronaldo had continued his run to tap home from three yards.
PLAYER RATINGS
VILLA: Kiraly 6 - Hughes 5, Mellberg 6, Cahill 6, Barry 7 - Petrov 6, Gardner 7, McCann 7 (Angel 77mins, 5) Davis 7 - Sutton 7, Agbonlahor 6
MAN UTD: Van Der Sar 7 - Neville 7, Ferdinand 7, Vidic 7, Evra 7 - Park 6 (Rooney 76mins, 7) Scholes 8 (O'Shea 88mins), Fletcher 7, *RONALDO 9 - Saha 7, Giggs 8 (Silvestre 88mins).
They are impressed.
INDIE - RONALDO TURNS CONTEST INTO A ROUT
The day before Tampa Bay take on Cleveland in the NFL, Malcolm Glazer's Manchester United buccaneers had much the better of Randy Lerner's Aston Villa browns - sorry, clarets - in the Premiership's equivalent fixture, scoring three times in the second half to run away with the points. What would Glazer's struggling American outfit not give for the equivalent of a Cristiano Ronaldo? Unloved and abused throughout the land, the young Portuguese maestro was again the outstanding figure as United shrugged off last weekend's unlucky defeat at West Ham to ensure that they will lead the table over Christmas.
The marathon that is the Premiership has now reached the halfway stage, and United are striding confidently with only Chelsea still in touch. Sir Alex Ferguson, thrilled by his team's performance after the interval, could not resist a jibe at Jose Mourinho: "That just proves we shouldn't listen too much to Jose. He said we wouldn't be top at Christmas. He had to apologise for lying about an Everton player in midweek. Perhaps he should be apologising again."
Oddly, the top two play three of the same teams over the so-called holiday period; Chelsea can only hope that when they follow United to Villa Park on Tuesday week, Martin O'Neill's side have still not recovered their early-season vim. Seven games without a win, they have fallen to their lowest position of the whole campaign and badly need to flash some of Mr Lerner's cash in the transfer window.
Youngsters such as Gabriel Agbonlahor, preferred to both Milan Baros and Juan Pablo Angel, are running out of steam. Villa could also do with Ronaldo being absent for their two visits to Old Trafford in January.
Pitch appearances before the game by Cyrille Regis and the 1981 championship-winning manager, Ron Saunders - who had not been back since - were a reminder of the days when Villa used to beat yesterday's visitors on a more regular basis. They have not done so since the opening day of the 1995-96 season. Since then United's favourite ground outside Manchester had yielded 11 wins (four in FA Cup semi-finals) and three draws.
The single moment that brought a full-throated roar from a sold-out Villa Park came in the 12th minute as Chris Sutton nodded on Gareth Barry's free-kick for the 20-year-old debutant Craig Gardner, whose header struck a post. If United did not come quite that close to a goal before half-time, they required the home defence to be on a state of fairly constant alert.
Gabor Kiraly was nevertheless required to make only one save, when Ronaldo headed Ryan Giggs's corner straight at him. Ronaldo and Park Ji-Sung wasted the first half-chance after the interval by over-elaboration inside the penalty area, but at least the Portuguese is becoming more self-aware. Conscious that it was not the first occasion on which he had been guilty of over-indulgence, he took the more direct route and a goal resulted. Giggs, on the halfway line, sent him away to sprint at three defenders, one of whom, Gary Cahill, managed to block the first shot but, like Kiraly, could not prevent Ronaldo's fierce follow-up flying into the net for the 2,000th United goal under Ferguson.
Six minutes later Ronaldo returned the favour with another glorious run down the left and a cut-back for Giggs, whose shot was deflected by Cahill for a corner. Giggs took it, Gavin McCann headed out and watched, as awestruck as the rest of the stadium as Paul Scholes hit a magnificent volley in off the crossbar from 25 yards.
It was not the ideal time to see Rooney coming on against you, as he set up Ronaldo for what might easily have been a third goal, Kiraly this time managing to get down and make the save. The same combination pulled Villa apart again eight minutes from time, Ronaldo tapping in Rooney's centre only to be given offside. So they did it again, this time bringing Gary Neville into the fun to receive from Rooney and cross for Ronaldo's second goal. It had become a rout.
THE OBSERVER - CHRISTIANO'S STOCKING FULL OF GIFTS FOR UNITED
This fixture provides about as much surprise as a Christmas present without wrapping paper. Not since 1995 have Manchester United lost at Villa Park in the league and a combination of Cristiano Ronaldo's brilliance and an outstanding goal from Paul Scholes ensured that run did not come to an end.
Victory gives United 47 points, a total that after 19 games of the season has never failed to bring the title. Ferguson might not have been aware of that statistic but he did not need anyone to point out the significance of United's position. 'Perhaps that shows we shouldn't believe Jose Mourinho,' said the United manager. 'He said Chelsea would be top at Christmas and they're not. He had to apologise this week about lying about an Everton player [Andrew Johnson] so perhaps he should apologise again.'
United had failed to find any rhythm against an obdurate Aston Villa side in the first half, but the shackles were removed in spectacular style after the interval. Ronaldo ran from inside his own half to score 13 minutes after the restart, before Scholes thundered an unstoppable volley in off the underside of the crossbar to seal victory moments later. The latter goal prompted Edwin van der Sar to run to the halfway line to celebrate, such was the majesty of the strike. With Villa now reeling, United inflicted a final blow five minutes from time, Ronaldo finishing off a move that had started with Ryan Giggs on the edge of the Villa penalty area.
It was a moment that confirmed United's second-half superiority, with the visitors' exhilarating ability to turn defence into attack draining the last traces of belief from Martin O'Neill's embattled side. It is now seven matches since Villa last won, a sequence that has checked the momentum that followed the manager's arrival. With fixtures against Spurs on Boxing Day and the visit of Chelsea following a trip to Charlton, the festive period promises to bring Villa little cheer.
On this evidence, Sir Alex Ferguson can anticipate a much better return. He could afford to leave Wayne Rooney on the substitutes' bench, a family bereavement earlier in the week cited as the reason for Ferguson resting his most penetrative player, and still win at a canter. Not that Ferguson was in danger of getting carried away by this success. The United manager showed he has lost none of his hunger when he subjected Giggs to the infamous hairdryer.
United were already two goals to the good when the Welshman, in possession on the left flank, attempted to pick out Louis Saha with a crossfield ball instead of the more obvious pass to Ronaldo. Ferguson's face took on a distinctly purple hue as he stepped out of his touchline area to berate Giggs with a verbal barrage. Later Ferguson would offer much more welcoming words about Ronaldo. 'He was a revelation,' said Ferguson.
THE SUNDAY TIMES - RONALDO DEMOLISHES VILLA
So Upton Park was no more than a blip after all. United ensured that they would lead the Premiership at Christmas for the first time in three years by overcoming Villa’s stubborn resistance in the second half, when Cristiano Ronaldo ran amok. Villa were spikily competitive for a long time, but were eventually outclassed, and after that promising start under Martin O’Neill they have now gone seven games without a win, which must be cause for concern.
They were always second-best against opponents determined to atone for last weekend’s defeat at West Ham. United had a matchwinner in Cristiano Ronaldo, who gave Aaron Hughes a miserable afternoon, and was outstanding throughout. The Portuguese trickster scored two goals and had another disallowed for offside. In terms of the champagne moment, however, he had to give first place to Paul Scholes, who crowned a trojan stint in midfield with a volley from distance that was special, even by his standards.
United now play Wigan, Reading and Newcastle over the rest of the Christmas programme, and are going to take some catching. They may lack Chelsea’s strength in depth — witness the prosaic contributions of Darren Fletcher and Park Ji Sung — but if they can steer clear of injuries and suspensions, the dream is on.
Sir Alex Ferguson certainly believes it. "This just proves that you shouldn’t listen to Jose Mourinho," he chortled. "He said Chelsea would be top at Christmas, but they’re not. Ours was a fantastic performance against a good side. There was a lot of energy in the Villa team and we had to handle that."
For a crowd in festive mood, there was a nostalgic treat shortly before the kick-off when Ron Saunders was feted on his return to Villa Park. The manager who won the league with Villa in 1981 walked out over a contractual dispute and took charge of Birmingham City the next season, leaving his erstwhile assistant, Tony Barton, to oversee the club’s finest hour, when they won the European Cup in 1982. This was the first time that Saunders, 74, had been back to watch a match since his acrimonious departure and, deservedly, he was given the warmest of receptions.
United made two significant changes to the team beaten last weekend. Michael Carrick could be out for a fortnight with an ankle injury, and gave way to Fletcher, and Wayne Rooney spent the first 66 minutes on the bench before getting on for Park. Ferguson explained that Rooney had missed two days’ training after suffering a family bereavement in midweek.
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