Not the Best yet
Ronaldo needs more honours to match George, says Holt
Last updated: 23rd March 2008
Holt: jury still out
Let's wait until Ronaldo has won a few more honours with Manchester United. Let's wait until he has scored the winner in a Champions League final against Barcelona; let's wait until United are back at the top of the game.
Oliver Holt
Quotes of the week
Is Cristiano Ronaldo as good as George Best? Not yet, says Oliver Holt.
The Manchester United winger was the subject of much discussion on the Sunday Supplement following the row between Sir Alex Ferguson and Rafa Benitez.
Ferguson has been accused of putting pressure on referee Steve Bennett ahead of the game with Liverpool, again claiming that his Portuguese winger is in danger of being kicked out of the game.
It led The Supplement panel to discuss the idea that Ronaldo is as good as the legendary Best. And although he had no doubts that he can become as good, the joint Sports Columnist of the Year says there is still some way to go yet.
"I saw Paddy Crerand wrote a piece in The Mail this week. He said he never thought he's see a player like Best again, but he's seen one in Ronaldo," Holt told The Supplement.
"There was one caviate in there and it was let's wait until Ronaldo has won a few more honours with Manchester United. It's a bit like Michael Jordan when he first started playing basketball.
"He was said to be too indvidual and too selfish - until the Chicago Bulls started winning things.
"Let's wait until Ronaldo has won a few more honours with Manchester United. Let's wait until he has scored the winner in a Champions League final against Barcelona; let's wait until United are back at the top of the game.
"Okay, they're probably the pick of the Premier League at the moment, but let's wait until he can lead them to real honours.
"For that to happen we need to see him in the same way we saw George Best in the late sixties, leading United to great things, winning European Footballer of the Year, winning World Footballer of the Year.
"I think he's still got a long way to go - he's got to do it consistently."
"There's no doubt he's a fantastic talent, but I think he's got to do it for a little while lonmger before we can say he's matched George Best."
