Catch Ronaldo if you can

So, did you see that Cristiano Ronaldo free kick against Portsmouth last night? You know, the one which he absolutely wellied with the outside of his right foot? The one that flew like a Patriot missile into the top left hand corner of the net, while David James barely had time to turn his head, let alone try and save it? If he had started 2 or 3 metres further across goal, James still wouldn't have stopped that. My reaction was something along the lines of a wide grin, a shake of the head, and a shout of "f*** off" at the TV. I bet I wasn't the only one.

This is the same Cristiano Ronaldo who has now scored, I believe, 19 goals in 20 games in the Premiership, plus a glut in other competitions. This boy is the top scorer in the Premier League, with a strike rate that the world's best strikers would dream of, yet he's playing on the wing.

It seems that, since missing out to Kaka' for all the major world player of the year accolades, Ronaldo has somehow found another gear, a way to push on from his performances last year, which were already pretty scintillating. At the moment he's playing the best football of his career so far, football that any player would dream of.

And he's only 22. He's younger than I am now. Jeez...

It has to be said that, in late 2005, I had similar feelings about Ronaldinho, who had playing blinders week after week after week. At that time I couldn't remember anyone else I had seen who I took as much joy from watching. I still watch Barca play now, in futile hope that he's lost the weight and that he can destroy defenders again. But now Ronaldo fills that hole, and long may it continue. Fate may yet claim him in the same way as the buck-toothed Brazilian, whether it be through ego or injury or whatever, but imagine, whatever your feelings for Manchester United, that the Portuguese maestro continued to play at this level for, what, six or seven years more?

Previous generations had Pele, Maradona, Beckenbauer, Di Stefano. Some would put Zidane in that bracket, I guess, but not me. Ronaldo, however, has everything - pace, skill, trickery, aerial power, two good feet and ice in his veins. Who here would really begrudge him a place in the upper echelons, if he continued to give such wonderful entertainment for years to come?

Long may it continue, that's what I say, if he's gonna keep scoring goals like that.

L.