Ronaldo sets new rules at Old Trafford

YOU can always rely on Cristiano Ronaldo to steal the headlines at Manchester United, but the newly-crowned European Footballer of the Year can now claim a walk-out that Roy Keane would be proud of. Ronaldo and Keane.

Two hugely divisive figures with perhaps only the red shirt of Manchester United to link their characters.

But while the build-up to this game was dominated by the latest unexpected sudden exit of Keane’s footballing career, the aftermath was all about Ronaldo and his bizarre and petulant decision to down tools and walk off the pitch due to an injury sustained moments earlier in an accidental collision with Andy Reid.

Never mind that Nemanja Vidic’s third goal of the season, 18 seconds into stoppage time at the end of the game, turned one point into three after Sunderland had frustrated and denied United throughout.The Serbian’s match-winner was ultimately nothing more than a footnote in the wake of Ronaldo’s disappearing act.

In recent weeks, the Portuguese star has clearly allowed himself to be distracted by close attention on and off the pitch and it has been marked by his childish reactions of hand gestures and arm-throwing at Villa Park and Villarreal.

But this was different. Obviously struggling with a pain in his side, Ronaldo simply turned around, kicked the ball into touch on the far side of the pitch and limped, grimacing, off the pitch. A brief signal to the bench and that was it, he was off towards the corner flag.

No thought of waiting for a substitute to be introduced in his place, just a self-centred march towards the players’ tunnel. And although United manager Alex Ferguson defended his star player, he appeared to do so through gritted teeth. “There was no need for Cristiano to come to the bench,” he said. “The best thing is to get treatment straightaway, so it was the sensible thing to do. We’ll see how he is on Monday morning, but we have Aalborg at home in the Champions League on Wednesday and Spurs at the weekend, so we will freshen it up anyway.”

There is an increasing belief that Ronaldo can now get away with almost anything at United. Had Ji-Sung Park or Rafael da Silva vanished like Ronaldo, the Ferguson hairdryer is likely to have been turned on to full power.

But Ronaldo is clearly a delicate child, a player to be indulged rather than hit with the big stick. How Keane would have reacted had he still been patrolling the field as United’s captain, one can only imagine. The Cork man was nowhere to be seen at Old Trafford on Saturday, though. Having called time on his reign as Sunderland manager two days earlier, he was probably walking the dog by the time Ricky Sbragia gave his team-talk to Sunderland’s managerless players.

Their instructions were clearly along the lines of ‘defend, defend, defend and, when you’ve finished defending, defend some more.’ Rarely has a team approached a game at Old Trafford in such a negative fashion, but it almost worked.

Goalkeeper Marton Fulop and his over-worked defenders repelled United time and again. Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Darren Fletcher all missed golden chances and United seemed set to drop two points.

But when Carlos Edwards diverted Michael Carrick’s injury-time shot onto the post, the ball dropped free to Vidic and the centre-half displayed the finishing prowess of a goal-poacher to tap the rebound into the net. It was agony for Sunderland, but just reward for United.

Keane would have been proud of Sunderland’s determined performance, but seething at the late goal. Losers get nothing and Keane would have been the first to remind his players of that. The future is uncertain for Sunderland. Chairman Niall Quinn revealed that he has received “30 sensible applications” for the manager’s job since Keane’s exit and a two-week consultation process is likely to follow.

Informed sources at the Stadium of Light talk of players celebrating Keane’s exit, relieved by the departure of an increasingly hard-line manager. But Keane’s presence alone lifted Sunderland and midfielder Dwight Yorke admitted that his resignation has left a big hole. “I was shocked, surprised and saddened when Roy left,” he said. “He was the man responsible for me coming here in the first place and if it wasn’t for Roy, I wouldn’t be here.

“I’m very grateful for that, and very sad to see him go.’’

REFEREE: Mark Halsey (Lancashire): 8 Ran the game in a cool, unflustered manner. Spotted a Ronaldo flick on Phil Bardsley in the first half and gave the United winger an old-fashioned ticking-off rather than a needless yellow card.

MATCH RATING: *** Hopelessly one-sided but Sunderland’s resistance was plucky in its own way. United were still worthy winners, however.