Cristiano Ronaldo struck a sensational hat-trick for Manchester United at the weekend as he delivered his best performance of the season.
If slightly overdue, the timing was pretty immaculate, with Ronaldo delivering in a game United had to win against a top four rival.
Ronaldo is now pumped up and full of confidence ahead of this week’s Champions League clash with his old rivals Atletico Madrid.
Former United captain Roy Keane told Sky Sports after the win over Tottenham that he saw Ronaldo ‘playing with anger’ in the victory.
Speaking to FIVE, Ronaldo’s former United teammate Rio Ferdinand has elaborated further, and explained how the superstar used negativity surrounding his recent lack of goals to fuel his super-show against Spurs.
Ferdinand said: “‘How dare you doubt me. How dare you make me the scapegoat for problems at this club. How dare you call me the problem. When I am capable of this, when I do this.’
“‘I do this in my sleep, I’ve done this for years, nothing changes. Age changes, output, I’m still doing it. ‘
“Hat-trick at OT not many people can say they have done this, he’s done it again at 37 years-old. Cristiano has always used negative press as fuel. It doesn’t stop because he’s 37.”
Let’s do it again
We can only hope then, that Ronaldo read or is aware of words uttered by Spanish journalist Raul Varela, who told Radio Marca after the first leg against Atletico he was going to change Ronaldo’s nickname from CR7 to CR3.5.
He said Ronaldo was in an ‘unstoppable decline’ and that ‘he needs his teammates more than ever.’
The reality is probably the opposite, Ronaldo’s teammates need him, and they have needed him for much of this season’s Champions League campaign.
Varela even said after the first leg, “Yesterday we didn’t even see him angry like usual.”
Well, hopefully we see an angry Ronaldo on Tuesday night at Old Trafford, just like the one Atletico have discovered to their unfortunate cost several times before.
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