Source: Daily_Mail
Can United triumph? Yes - but only if the real United turn up?
Manchester United need a big performance from Cristiano Ronaldo in Oporto
Watching Manchester United's attacking players disembark from the club's charter plane in Portugal, it was surprising to realise how many of them still have something to prove with the English and European champions.
Perhaps it sounds peculiar given the nature of the club's achievements, but the likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Carlos Tevez, Ji-sung Park, Anderson and Nani have some way to go before they can call themselves established and successful United players.
The same, of course, cannot be said of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Even if he does depart Old Trafford for Real Madrid this summer - something that remains much more possible than anyone at United will admit - the mark the Portugal forward will leave on English football will be permanent.
Nevertheless, the remaining weeks of this season will certainly affect his legacy.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was right when he suggested his team cannot rely on one man to pull them out of their peculiar malaise.
'It is not about one person,' he said. 'At times like this you need all your players to step up to the plate.'
However, if United's campaign is not to end in relative disappointment then they really could do with their star player bringing his unique gifts back to the party.
Ronaldo arrived in his home country having been left out of the starting line-up for the Premier League match at Sunderland on Saturday.
He will be back in the side at Porto's Estadio do Dragao and United will hope that he has had sufficient time to rediscover some of his true self.
This season was never likely to be as spectacular as the last. It still seems hard to believe that he scored 42 goals last term while rarely playing as a central striker.
But that Ronaldo has scored only one goal in Europe this season and four away from home in all competitions will concern his manager as he looks for something on which to hang hopes of victory.
Unusually, Ferguson took an opportunity to criticise Ronaldo ahead of the 2-1 win at Sunderland. That is rare indeed.
In revealing he has had to speak to the 24-year-old about his on-field behaviour and his tendency to give the ball away in dangerous areas, Ferguson broke his own code of never speaking ill of a player whom he has done so much to protect and nurture over the last five-and-a-half years.
Undoubtedly, though, it was time. Ronaldo was dreadful as United drew the first leg of this quarter-final 2-2 eight days ago and there have also been suggestions - though unconfirmed - that his manager has had cause to chastise his forward in training, too.
Even the best players sometime need a proverbial kick up the pants.
It will be interesting to see whether Ronaldo responds in the style of Wayne Rooney - try harder, run faster - or returns to the frustrated toddler mode that has become so familiar.
Certainly United need a fresh, motivated and confident Ronaldo in a game that would appear likely to yield more goals.
The draw at Old Trafford a week ago was a compelling European game thanks largely to the vibrancy and bravery of Porto's attacking play and, of course, the wretched nature of United's defending.
More of either in front of a 56,000 sell-out in Oporto and United will in all likelihood be sending their favourite trophy back to UEFA with the ribbons off next week.
Ferguson will be hoping the momentum United began to build in the second half last week will continue into the game and that Rio Ferdinand declares himself fit to release Jonny Evans from the personal torture of uncertain form.
Despite his cavalier suggestion that United 'only know how to play one way and that's to attack', the United manager will ask his team to be a little more pragmatic - at least early on - as they look to draw Porto's sting.
Ferguson said: 'The mindset will be to make sure we are sound defensively .... get a feel of the game first. We will be much better prepared this time and need to get into the rhythm of the game quickly.
'I trust these players. They deserve my trust after the things they have done for me at places like Rome, Milan and Barcelona in recent times.
'Porto's last-minute goal in the first game has placed a definite edge towards them but we are capable of turning that round and, hopefully, the players will recognise the opportunity they have here.
'We defended much better at Sunderland and I think that will prove a watershed for us.
'We just have to get the players to perform to their capability now. If we can get them to the standard required by Manchester United then that's all we can ask.'
The game will be Ferguson' s 150th in the Champions League, a record.
His team are unbeaten in 22 games in the competition but have lost on the last four occasions they have played the second leg of a knockout tie away from home. All that tells us is that statistics can sometimes tell us nothing at all.
What will perhaps encourage Ferguson more is that Porto's coach, Jesualdo Ferreira, will not be in the dug-out tonight after losing an appeal yesterday against a suspension imposed following a run-in with a referee in the last round.
