Sublime week, but squad strength will be crucial

BEFORE the first leg of the European Cup quarter-final, I wrote here that we were looking to the young god Ronaldo and hoping, perhaps, that Rome ‘07 might be read as Benfica ’66: namely, that we would achieve a result as historic as that classic quarter-final and that the Madeiran might yet be bracketed with George Best, should he make the impact that he promised.

Well, it took a further leg, but who could doubt that, to some extent at least, it was mission accomplished on both counts? And the wholly unexpected coda, delivered last Friday, put paid to all our fears that no-one would be more dangerously tempted than Real Madrid by such a display.

Ronnie’s new contract capped a week of sublime reverie truly fit for a Theatre of Dreams, with the football providing a thoroughly Unitedesque response to the nightmare that had been Fratton Park.