Kid gloves for Ronaldo will give him 10 years at the top
The calls for Ferguson to hand the 18-year-old his first Premiership start at Newcastle today have been deafening following his startling 30-minute cameo against Bolton last weekend.
Ronaldo showed a blistering turn of pace, strength and the ability with both feet as he turned a narrow lead into a 4-0 win. Already the 18-year-old has drawn comparisons with George Best.
That will not sway Ferguson into changing his philosophy.
His delicate treatment of emerging talent has been a feature of the Scot’s managerial career ever since he blamed himself for the failure of his brilliant crop of youngsters at Aberdeen to reach their full potential.
The way Ferguson handled Ryan Giggs by shielding him from attention and introducing him to the first team on a gradual basis is now seen as a blueprint all managers should follow.
He used the same methods to guide David Beckham and Paul Scholes and nothing is going to change now.
“Cristiano didn’t just impress the fans last week, he impressed me and all his team-mates as well,” said Ferguson, who splashed out £12.24m to lure him on a five-year contract from Sporting Lisbon.
“But we have to be cautious with him and let him develop. English football is not easy. It is a tough, demanding game and we will have to pick the times we think it is suited to him.
“We are planning a year or two ahead and the aim is to have the final product ready by the time he reaches his early 20s.
“We have to carefully consider his age and development and by doing that we could have him playing here for 10 years at the very top level.”
Ferguson believes Ronaldo will only benefit from the international exposure he gained in Portugal’s encounter with Kazhakstan.
However, after such a tiring week, it is unlikely the United boss will offer Ronaldo anything other than a place on the bench at St James’ Park, when United look to repeat their stunning 6-2 triumph at the back end of last season.
That victory was seen as the decisive moment of the title campaign, coming as it did immediately after United had been soundly beaten by Real Madrid.
While no-one is expecting a repeat the last four matches between the teams have produced a total of 27 goals and with the Magpies eager to start their home campaign with a win following last Sunday’s disappointing draw at Leeds, Ferguson is predicting plenty of excitement.
Meanwhile Bobby Robson is urging his side to forget that 6-2 mauling.
“Obviously what happened when United came here last season will be on our minds but we must forget all about it,” he said.
Robson has added Lee Bowyer to his squad and is banking on the midfielder today.
“His development has been fantastic and as a person he is first-class.”
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