Raging Ronaldo: Why was I booked for diving when Pederson escaped?

22 February 2009 14:32
Cristiano Ronaldo has questioned why he got a yellow card but Morten Gamst Pedersen escaped during Manchester United[LNB]'s Barclays Premier League win overBlackburn[LNB].[LNB]The pair were involved in contentious incidents at either end of the field during the second half of United's 2-1 home success yesterday.[LNB]But while Ronaldo was booked for diving, referee Howard Webb chose to wave play on when Pedersen went down under Rafael Da Silva's challenge.[LNB] Booked: Ronaldo is shown yellow by Howard Webb[LNB]'I didn't think theirs was a penalty. The referee did not give it anyway. He didn't give the player anything either - but he gave me a yellow,' Ronaldo said.[LNB]Sir Alex Ferguson was even more forceful in his condemnation of an incident he felt was clear-cut - even if his opposite number Sam Allardyce had a different view.[LNB]'It is not a blatant one, but Da Silva has had a little tug,' argued Allardyce, who refused to rebuke his player for hitting the deck.[LNB]'You have to make the referee's mind up - Kevin Davies will tell you that.[LNB]'He gets fouled more than anyone else in the Premier League. He stays on his feet and never gets fouls. What do you do?'[LNB] Tussle: Pederson (left) and Da Silva do battle[LNB]The latter incident denied Rovers a point; the former was part of a stormy five-minute period during which Ronaldo might easily have been sent off if Webb had taken a less lenient view of a clash with David Dunn that Ferguson felt was sensible but fears others may not.[LNB]'I know people will make a meal of it. But it was no more than a flick, and the referee gave him a warning. You see it time and time again,' observed Ferguson.[LNB]'He has to live with the examination of him. It would have been a ridiculous sending-off.'[LNB]Ronaldo is unlikely to be adversely affected by any criticism, especially because he can take the memory of his brilliant match-winning free-kick with him on tomorrow's flight to Milan for the Champions League encounter with Inter Milan.[LNB]'I am quite happy with the goal - it was a good free-kick,' said the world player of the year.[LNB]The full cost of victory will only be seen at the San Siro on Tuesday night when the Red Devils run out to face Jose Mourinho's Inter.[LNB]With Gary Neville and Wes Brown already out through injury and Nemanja Vidic suspended, United are desperately hoping John O'Shea recovers from a heel injurythat prevented him facing Blackburn - because Jonny Evans seems highly unlikelyto be fit, after suffering a recurrence of an ankle problem.[LNB]'We are having a nightmare with defenders this season,' said Ferguson.[LNB]'The defenders are being changed all the time. You reach a point when you start to find it hard.'[LNB] Man United 2 Blackburn 1: Ronaldo lets fly to see off Rovers[LNB]BLACKBURN ROVERS FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB]MANCHESTER UNITED FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB][LNB] [LNB]  

Source: Daily_Mail