Ronaldo in class of his own after Fergie call

14 April 2012
Man Utd 3 Wigan 1

Sir Alex Ferguson's promise — made in his programme notes — to entertain a Premiership record crowd at Old Trafford yesterday was looking rather hollow as his team struggled for anything approaching their best form against Wigan.

But such is the confidence of Cristiano Ronaldo at the moment that it took just one half-time decision from the manager to transform a difficult afternoon into a Boxing Day stroll before 76,018 fans.

With the game scoreless, Ronaldo was despatched from his place on the substitutes' bench rather earlier than Ferguson would have anticipated when making five changes from the team that won at Aston Villa at the weekend.

But at least it worked as Ronaldo scored twice in 11 minutes at the start of the second half to ease United from their lethargy and once again put a little distance between themselves and Chelsea.

The gap may be only four points but with United's superior goal difference it is effectively five. And what is more, it must be said that United's football is far superior to that of their rivals at Stamford Bridge at the moment.

Having been irked by suggestions that his squad does not boast the strength in depth of Jose Mourinho's, Ferguson struck back in the matchday programme, commenting that such talk was an insult'. And, as if to underline the point, he promptly fielded a team containing fringe players such as Darren Fletcher, Mikael Silvestre, John O'Shea, Ji- Sung Park and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Ferguson had reasons other than to spite his critics, of course. The holiday period is always a time when some players need to be nursed a little and at full time he can claim to have got his Christmas swapping absolutely right.

Ferguson said: "I had to give these players a chance as later in the season, when we need them for the really big occasions, they would be no use to us if they did not have some miles on the clock.

"These players also must know that they are important and that I need them to make a contribution.

"This is a hectic programme we are in at the moment so I will make some more changes for Saturday's game against Reading.

"I needed to change what had happened in the first half. It worked out for us and it was a different game after that."

Ferguson was speaking with the benefit of hindsight but at halftime he surely can not have been so confident. As one would have expected, United had enjoyed the majority of the possession but had been somewhat short of impressive.

Whenever United mix and match it seems to affect their fluency and this was certainly the case here as Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland was called upon only occasionally.

Kirkland's first contribution was exceptional as he dived to his right to save at point-blank range from Wayne Rooney and then scrambled to his feet to claw the ball from the goal-line as it threatened to disappear behind him on the rebound.

That chance came in only the sixth minute but if United expected that to set the tone then they were a little disappointed.

Rooney volleyed over after Park set him up in the 17th minute and then shot over from distance 10 minutes later.

But it was not until the half hour mark that United looked likely to score as a sublime Fletcher pass released Rooney only for the 21- year-old to drag his shot a foot wide of the post as Kirkland came out.

Paul Scholes then brought a decent low save from Kirkland with a shot from 25 yards and Solskjaer headed a Rooney cross into the goalkeeper's midriff.

From that point of view, it was tempting to think that half-time had come at the wrong time for United, but Ronaldo's appearance on the touchline served to lift Ferguson's team.

Having scored twice at Aston Villa on Saturday, and eight in total this season, it was perhaps no surprise that Ronaldo should have a profound impact on the team What was a little interesting, however, was that the Portuguese winger should open the scoring with a header from a corner.

As Ferguson later pointed out, Ronaldo had come close in similar fashion against Villa and this time there was to be no stopping him as he rose to head Scholes' corner high in to the net from 10 yards.

Ronaldo had only been on the field for 67 seconds at this stage, but already he had changed the course of the game.

And four minutes later he did it again as took responsibility from the penalty spot after Park had been brought down by Gary Teale.

Kirkland saved Ronaldo's first effort but was still prone when the United player bundled in the rebound with his right foot.

Just before the hour Rooney outmuscled Emmerson Boyce to allow Solskjaer to slide a typical goal beneath Kirkland and Wigan must have wondered if they were facing a different side to the earlier tepid outfit.

Silvestre brought down David Wright in injury time to allow Leighton Baines to score a consolation penalty, but it was a rueful Wigan manager who was left to reflect on his own decision to rest Denny Landzaat and Josip Skoko.

Paul Jewell, whose team have now won just one of their last eight Premiership matches, said: "We tried to frustrate them and were determined not to concede from a set-piece. But that's what happened. Ronaldo is a brilliant player, not just with the ball at his feet but in the air, too."

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