I had a similar conversation regarding Ronaldo with a friend last night. What peturbs me is most is that he's held in such disregard by a large fraternity of the United support, based solely on his actions over the summer. Now I'm not saying that I endorse what he did, but let me put it into perspective.

George Best - unequivocably a United legend. There's not a United (nay, football) fan I've met who would argue otherwise. And yet Best was a man who spent a large portion of his United career indulging in some very questionable off-the-field activities - namely misogyny, alcoholism, and clubbing. Far from being a model professional, his behaviour brought the club into disrepute on a number of occasions, and affected his performance on the pitch.

Ronaldo has, by contrast, merely re-iterated a desire to play for Real Madrid; a desire which he has harboured since childhood, and yet - following a discussion with Alex Ferguson - one which he dropped, no questions asked, without the merest hint of regret or disillusionment. His performances on the pitch simply cannot be called into question, and as long as he continues to exhibit the proper effort and dedication to Manchester United I, for one, will have nothing but good to say about the lad. Especially now that he's stated his intention to do precisely that.

And for the record, I often find myself exasperated by his prancing and preening. He's toned it down a fair whack, but - as is the case with most Meditteranean players - it's a facet of his game that we're never going to be able to eradicate entirely.

Besides, you've got one or two divers yourself. Look no further than Steven Gerrard. He's certainly guilty of having conned a few referees over the years.