After scoring as many as 42 goals the previous campaign, the 2008/09 season was always going to be a decline for Roanldo (even though he kept on claiming that there was room for improvement). Ronaldo missed the first one and a half months of our season as he was recovering from an operation and at times in August, we were desperate for him to return to action. United started quite poorly and our failure to score goals was partly due to the absence of our Portuguese's magician. He made his season bow against Villarreal in the Champions League group stages but he got his first goal in the league game against Bolton, scoring a penalty that he won in his own unique way!
The past season has been somewhat a transition for Cristiano. After making his desire to play for Real Madrid clear in the summer, we all thought that this was the last season we had with Ronaldo but events in his supposed last season could yet keep him at OT for another season or so. Real Madrid have somewhat fallen off the pace as far as winning titles is concerned so you wonder if he will swap the titles at OT for the trophy less campaigns at the Bernabeau.
Anyhow, despite starting the season in mid-September, Ronaldo has still managed to score 26 times for United this season--a tally that is only second to last year's astonishing season. His assists have also come in handy for us, making him our most potent weapon upfront for us this season. The Madeira magician hit form at just about the right time of the seaon, scoring vital goals for us against Aston Villa, Tottenham, Inter Milan, FC Porto, and almost single handedly destroying the Arsenal in the Champions League semis. If luck was on his side, he could easily have scored another Champions League final goal.
As far as I'm concerned, I couldn't have asked any more form Ronaldo this season given what he did for us last season, but Cristiano is a player that loves to be hated. His arrogance has many time got the better of him. He has substituted himself in a game and in another, reacted angrily at being substituted. The lad had also had numerous kick-outs at opponents. Luckily for us, the refs missed all those. Rather unsurprisingly, the Madrid talk has been part of Ronaldo's season and so we can be braced for another summer of Real's obsession with the Portuguese. This time though, it could materialise as Florentino Perez plans to rebuild the 'galacticos' at Real Madrid.