Quinton Fortune has revealed how Cristiano Ronaldo reacted to Manchester United team-mates “taking the p*ss” during his first spell at Old Trafford.
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Arrived at Old Trafford in 2003Was a tricky winger in his teensBulked up & became all-time greatWHAT HAPPENED?
The Portuguese superstar arrived in England as a tricky winger in 2003, with there plenty for the teenager to learn in order for obvious potential to be fulfilled. Those around him quickly set about kicking a hot prospect into shape, quite literally at times, but the future Ballon d’Or winner never backed down.
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Ronaldo is famed for his work ethic, with that relentless drive enhanced amid some rough treatment in Manchester. He responded in the best possible way, with a man that has gone on to become an all-time great refusing to walk away from any kind of challenge.
WHAT FORTUNE SAID ABOUT RONALDO
Fortune, who was on United’s books when Ronaldo first arrived, has told of how a rough diamond was polished into becoming “the best”: “Everyone was kicking Ronnie, but everyone was kicking everyone! Ronnie was no different, tackles were flying in before Ronnie came so it was a normal thing, that’s just how we trained. It wasn’t suddenly ‘today I’m gonna kick Ronaldo’, if it was a 50-50, you’re gonna win the ball, simple as that! But Ronaldo when he came, he obviously came from Portugal where it’s a different style off play, a different culture and you get pushed off the ball, you dive; and that wasn’t the culture at United. So, he quickly learned ‘Hold on, I can’t dive here, I can’t fake whatever’, and the boys were aggressive against him because they wanted him to be better.”
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Fortune added: “Did he take up that challenge personally? Oh my God, the guy went to the gym every day, to train harder – that was all the guys, nothing to do with us pushing him off the ball. If we pushed Scholesy off the ball we’d say ‘Scholesly you got weighted’, and he’d kick the sh*t out of you two seconds later! He’d kick the crap out of you and you wouldn’t even see him coming! But Ronaldo took that personally; ‘oh you’re gonna take the p*ss out of me? Okay!’ He went away and a couple of months later he came back with the most ridiculous body you’d ever imagine. That was his mindset anyway; he wanted to be the best.”
Wolverhampton Wanderers crashed out of the Carabao Cup after a disastrous loss to Ipswich Town at Portman Road, with Gary O’Neil’s side suffering a 3-2 defeat to the Championship outfit.
Journalist Steve Madley described the fortune of the game as “infuriating”, as O’Neil’s side looked to be the squad in the second-tier for the majority of the tie, in a result that saw them exit the cup early on.
The manager made 10 changes from his side that played in the draw against Luton Town last weekend, switches that proved to be costly as the squad struggled to maintain their fast start.
Who scored for Wolves against Ipswich Town?
It was an opening 15 minutes that Wolves could have only dreamed of considering their lacklustre start to the season, as Hwang Hee-Chan netted his fourth goal of the 2023/24 campaign after just four minutes played.
The Korean’s goal was quickly followed by the Old Gold’s second, as Toti Gomes put the visitors 2-0 up early into proceedings, marking their dominance over the heavily-rotated Championship side.
hwang-hee-chan-wolves
At the point of the second goal, it seemed as though O’Neil’s squad had already started their trip back to the Midlands, as the hosts got back into the game before halftime via goals from Chelsea loanee Omari Hutchinson and Freddie Ladapo.
After the interval, Wolves’ hard work in the opening minutes was ripped apart, as Jack Taylor put Ipswich ahead with an ambitious strike and some questionable goalkeeping by Dan Bentley, who had a shocking night.
The Express and Star’s Liam Keen stressed in his match report that the keeper “could have done better” for the third goal, as well as the second as he earned an inadequate Sofascore match rating of just 6.0.
While it was more difficult to pick out the better performers from the poor on the night, one player suffered as much as Bentley, as O’Neil handed Santiago Bueno his full-debut for Wolves.
How did Santiago Bueno play against Ipswich?
Signed on deadline day from Girona, the lightweight defender was thrown into the mix in the cup, with the hope that he could show his worth against a theoretically lesser opposition.
That was far from the case as the defender was shunned by Talking Wolves founder Matt Cooper as enduring a “tough debut”, which was matched by his notable frailties in the back line.
santi-bueno-wolves
The £30k-per-week Uruguayan won just four out of eight of his attempted ground duels, as well as losing possession five times and committing two fouls in the heart of defence, via Sofascore.
While his numbers were far from impressive, his lack of game time of late shone through, as he was beaten to the ball by Hutchinson for the Blues’ opener, where he was criticised for looking “flat-footed” by journalist Steve Madeley.
With Manchester City up next in the league, Wolves fans expressed their upset at Tuesday night’s result, as fan account ‘Official Wolves Fans’ described the squad as being “disjointed”, which was a fair account of the evening’s entertainment.
To look so out of place on his debut against a side in the Championship was a worrying sight for Bueno and Wolves, however on what was a pitiful night for all associated with Molineux, the 24-year-old will have a shot at redemption in the future.
Everton's summer of spending is over after the transfer window closed on Friday night, but they considered signing a Premier League player, according to a new update from journalist James Olley.
Have Everton had a good summer?
The Blues again found themselves in a relegation battle last season, ultimately surviving by the skin of their teeth for the second year in a row, thanks to a 1-0 win at home to Bournemouth on the final day.
While there was happiness and relief at staying in the top flight among the fanbase, there was also a feeling that this cannot afford to keep happening, especially with a move to a new stadium expected to take place next summer.
It was clear that reinforcements were needed during the summer transfer window in order to give Sean Dyche the desired quality in his squad, and a number of new faces have arrived.
They include Arnaut Danjuma and Beto, who have come in to add much-needed quality to the attack, with the former joining on loan from Villarreal and the latter scoring on his debut against Doncaster Rovers in midweek.
However, it has emerged that Everton tried – and failed – to bring in defender Cedric Soares from Arsenal late on in the window.
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday morning, Olley claimed that Everton considered making a move for Arsenal right-back Cedric Soares on deadline day, with Olympiacos also seen as potential suitors:
"Everton and Olympiacos showed some interest in Arsenal defender Cedric Soares this week. Didn't materialise into anything yesterday but still time for Olympiacos if they choose to pursue him – Greek transfer deadline is September 11."
Cedric would certainly have been a surprise signing for Everton this summer, and in truth, missing out on him doesn't feel like a huge blow.
Indeed, he hasn't exactly set the world alight since making the move from Southampton to Arsenal, where he has made a total of 59 appearances since his debut in 2020.
The defender was loaned out to Fulham midway through last season and only started twice in the Premier League, as he struggled to become a key man at Craven Cottage.
At 32 years of age, Cedric's best days are likely to be behind him, so he would only have been coming in as a squad option for Everton, so all in all, it shouldn't be seen as one that got away.
That being said, the right-back does still possess some positive attributes, not least having a huge amount of experience at the top level, winning 34 caps for Portugal and making 164 appearances in the Premier League.
Journalist Jacob Steinberg once called him "magnificent" during his Southampton days, and is someone who has quality going forward.
Everton should be just fine at right-back without Cedric making the move to Goodison Park, with Nathan Patterson a solid and young first-choice option at the moment, while Ben Godfrey is arguably a player who can fill in in that position when needed.
The Blues need to be in a position where they are signing players at the peak of their powers or youngsters with high ceilings, and neither of those things applies to Cedric, so not signing him could turn out to be a good decision from the club.
The transfer window slammed shut earlier this month, and with just hours to go, Wolverhampton Wanderers sold star midfielder Matheus Nunes. The Portuguese international joined Premier League champions Manchester City for a fee said to be around £53m.
Football FanCast has taken a look at the player, his transfer and what was going on at Wolves this summer.
Who is Matheus Nunes?
Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes.
Matheus Nunes' age is 24, having been born on August 27th, 1998, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. However, his family moved to the Portuguese town of Ericeira, near Lisbon, when he was 12 years old. This is why he holds Portuguese citizenship and has represented the European country 11 times at senior level, scoring one goal.
The 6 foot tall midfielder began his career at Ericeirense in 2016 before he moved to top flight outfit Estoril in 2018. Here he would make just six league appearances before being signed by Portuguese giants Sporting CP for just €500,000.
During his time with the Leoes, Nunes would make 76 league appearances, score eight goals, provide five assists and win one league title. This excellent form would earn him a move to Wolves in the summer of 2022 for a fee reported to be £42m.
In the West Midlands, the 24-year-old's salary was around £85,000-a-week, or £4,420,000-a-year. This was the second-highest pay packet at the club, behind only Pablo Sarabia and Goncalo Guedes, who both make £90,000-a-week.
Matheus Nunes' position for Wolves varied, as he played at the heart of the midfield, in a central position, a central attacking position, on the left of midfield and the right of midfield, so his versatility was there for all to see.
What is the latest Matheus Nunes transfer news?
Matheus Nunes warms up for Wolverhampton Wanderers ahead of their Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur.
Transfers expert Fabrizio Romano reported late on August 23rd that treble winner Manchester City had submitted an offer to Wolves for Nunes, though to be worth around €50m (£43m) with add-ons. Romano also confirmed that the Portuguese international had "accepted City" as his new club, with personal terms having already been agreed.
However, in the hours following, it was widely reported that the Old Gold had rejected the proposal from their Premier League competitors. BBC Sport claimed that the rejected deal was worth around £47m, which would have represented a profit for the cash-strapped club.
Ultimately, City would come back in with another offer in the closing days of the window and eventually secured their man in a deal worth £53m, per Sky Sports News.
Why did Man City want Matheus Nunes?
Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Matheus Nunes.
On the surface, it might've seemed odd that the all-conquering, treble-winning, record-breaking City wanted to sign Nunes, who, for all his quality, potentially underwhelmed ever so slightly during his year at Molineux.
However, with the long-term injury to Kevin De Bruyne and a deal for Lucas Paqueta falling through, a move for the 24-year-old suddenly looked much more reasonable.
While the direct comparison to the Belgian doesn't quite work due to the pair taking up different positions on the pitch, Nunes at least adds another body to Pep Guardiola's midfield, and a quality one at that.
Journalist Alex Crook told TalkSport (via The Boot Room) that the interest in Nunes likely spells the end for Kalvin Philips, saying:
"The fact that City are looking for extra midfield cover suggests that Pep Guardiola is now coming around to the idea of letting [Kalvin] Phillips go out, maybe even on loan."
It certainly doesn't look good for the Englishman's playing time now he has another player to contend with, one the club just splashed over £50m on.
Were Liverpool interested in Matheus Nunes?
Wolves' Matheu Nunes
City weren't the only 'big six' club to express genuine interest in the Rio-born gem this year, as Liverpool were said to hold a genuine interest in him in January.
According to Sky Sports News, the Reds were 'monitoring' the midfielder, with their interest in him manifesting before he had even signed for Wolves.
Sky also reported that the club was likely to try and sign him in the summer; however, their valuation of £44m was considered well below the minimum asking price Wolves had of £50m for the former Sporting star.
That said, this 'interest' can't have been all that substantial, as the Liverpool Echo reported in early June that Jürgen Klopp's side had already moved on from Nunes and were instead focussing on other targets.
Did Wolves want to sell Matheus Nunes this summer?
With only one year under his belt at Molineux, it was clear that Wolves were not keen on selling Nunes for such a small profit, and so their reluctance to sell the midfielder shouldn't have come as a surprise to fans or potential suitors.
This desire to hold onto the Portuguese international meant that they swiftly rejected City's opening offer of £47m, and according to TalkSport, planned to only sell if they received an offer worth at least £60m. For City's part, journalist Mike Minay reported that, as with all of their targets, they would've walked away if they felt that Wolves' valuation exceed their own.
In the end, City's final offer of £53m was deemed good enough by the club – a decision likely influenced by their economic difficulties and concerns about financial regulations from the Premier League.
What did Matheus Nunes' goals stats look like at Wolves?
Matheus Nunes battles off Son Heung-min as Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
For all the attention he was courting from the country's biggest clubs, you'd be forgiven for thinking Nunes must've scored plenty of goals for the Old Gold last season; well, unfortunately, that is just not the case.
In his 37 Premier League appearances for Wolves, Nunes scored just one goal and registered one assist. However, he was playing more as a central midfielder than an attacking one, which does help to explain his poor output somewhat.
That said, the one goal he scored against Chelsea was an absolute screamer.
While it was evidently clear that Wolves did not want to sell their prized asset last month, especially so close to the end of the window, the player himself was much more positive about the move.
According to ESPN, the Portuguese midfielder was 'keen' on a move to Manchester, and with Guardiola at the helm who can blame him?
What is the latest Wolves transfer news?
It was a summer of sales for the club that had spent over £100m on signings this time last year. In all, ten players left the side permanently this summer, with several first-team players among them.
Ruben Neves was at least able to fetch the club £47m, while Nathan Collins brought in another £23m. However, former stars like Adama Traore and Joao Moutinho left for nothing.
Another name that looked like it would be added to the list of departures is that of Nelson Semedo. According to Football Insider, the full-back had attracted interest from Manchester United, with the Red Devils enquiring about his availability. Luckily for the club he's still there.
The main reason the club have had to sell so many players and so dramatically reduce their spending is the fear that they would break the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules if they repeated last summer's spending.
The regulations stipulate that no club in the league can register losses of more than £105m over a three-year period, and according to The Athletic, the club were very much at risk of doing precisely this were they not to sanction a raft of sales this summer.
Ultimately, this concern over the club's financial well-being and the generally more than fair offer from City meant that the club felt they had to sanction the sale. Hopefully, for the fans, the sales this summer mean the club can start adding players to the squad again next summer.
The injury has ruled him out of the third T20I against India on Sunday and could also put him in doubt for the start of the forthcoming Bangladesh tour
ESPNcricinfo staff23-Dec-20172:55
The Angelo Mathews story
Angelo Mathews will be out of action for at least two weeks with the hamstring strain he sustained on Friday – another chapter in his long-standing woes with leg injuries.Mathews pulled up injured as he ran in to deliver the third ball of his third over in the T20 in Indore. He left the field without completing that over, and did not return to bat. Sri Lanka’s team management has since confirmed the presence of a grade one strain – an injury that will not only rule him out of the third T20 against India on Sunday, but will also put him in doubt for the start of the forthcoming Bangladesh tour. The official word is that Mathews may be fit again in two weeks, but his recoveries have often taken longer than expected.Though it is calf injuries that have given Mathews most grief over the past 18 months, hamstrings have also been problematic throughout his career. Since the middle of 2015, he has missed a full tour of Zimbabwe, come home early from a tour of South Africa, missed Bangladesh’s tour of Sri Lanka, and missed a full tour of the UAE – all because of various leg injuries.The team management had already decided not to deploy Mathews’ bowling in Tests, in order to minimise risk of further complaints, but this latest injury also raises doubts over whether his body can sustain even a limited-overs workload.There is also the issue of his batting form. The stuttered nature of his international involvement over the past two years has coincided with a long lean stretch. He had just begun to produce runs again when this injury was sustained.*This article had originally said Mathews had sustained a tear in his hamstring. However, he has merely strained it – a less serious injury.
Em Pituaçu, Jacupiense e Botafogo-PB bem que tentaram, mas ficaram no empate por 1 a 1. Co o resultado, o time baiano é o quarto da chave A, com quatro pontos. O Belo é o oitavo, com dois pontos.
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Na próxima rodada, a Jacupiense encara o Paysandu, fora de casa. O Botafogo-PB mede forças com o Imperatriz-MA.
O jogo
O gol da etapa inicial foi do Botafogo-PB. Após levantamento na grande área, o goleiro afastou errado e Ramon aproveitou a sobra para dar vantagem ao Belo fora de casa.
No segundo tempo, o time paraibano recuou demais e deu campo ao adversário, que cresceu dentro de campo e fez o gol ser questão de tempo. De tanto insistir, Rafael Bastos acertou uma linda falta e deixou tudo igual.
West Ham United are reportedly interested in Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu, as David Moyes explores his options this transfer window.
After losing the likes of Manuel Lanzini and Declan Rice, the Hammers will require significant midfield reinforcements this summer, with the finances to welcome new faces thanks to the £105m sale of their captain.
Could West Ham sign Hakan Calhanoglu?
As reported by Italian outlet Calciomercato, relayed by Football365, the Irons are plotting a sensational move for the Turkey international.
The report details that the 29-year-old is being ‘seriously targetted’ by the Premier League side, who could be prepared to pay Inter’s €50m (£43m) asking price.
Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…
It’s added that the interest could depend on the future of Lucas Paqueta, who is mentioned by the Italian outlet as being subject to expected interest this summer.
How good is Hakan Calhanoglu?
Hailed as “exceptional” by AC Milan manager Stefano Piolo during his time with the Rossoneri, the midfielder could add a creative swagger to proceedings at the London Stadium.
Raised through the ranks in Germany, the Turkey international has secured 78 caps and 17 goals for his country, as well as recording 106 domestic goals and 122 assists in his recorded career appearances, via Transfermarkt.
The midfielder’s name was introduced to the forefront of the Bundesliga after he rifled in a 41-metre direct free-kick against Borussia Dortmund for Hamburg in 2014.
Despite having innate set-piece strengths, the 29-year-old has been lauded as a “phenomenon” for his efforts in Milan by former international manager Fatih Terim.
Inter midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu.
Having spent time on either side of the San Siro, Calhanoglu has netted 32 goals and recorded 53 assists in his career in Serie A, making him a strong acquisition for Moyes to chase this summer.
Averaging 4.58 shot-creating actions per 90 over the past year, the Turk is a competent figure to unleash in the final third from the middle of the park, where he ranked in the top 3% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues in this area, via FBref.
His numbers accumulated over the past year have seen him compared statistically to Newcastle United new boy and former AC Milan teammate Sandro Tonali, who has been praised as “class” by journalist Jordan Cronin already in the North East.
Tonali’s arrival in England is eagerly anticipated due to his performance in Italy prior to his move to the Magpies, however, Moyes could now identify his answer to the Italian by making a swoop for Calhanoglu.
The former Milan duo have strengths in their distribution, and added an ounce of superiority in the midfield, as highlighted by their averages in Serie A last term.
As per FBref, the Newcastle new-arrival averaged 5.27 progressive passes and 2.06 key passes per 90 for the Rossoneri, while maintaining an average pass completion rate of 75.7% per 90.
The quality of the West Ham target is identifiable when comparing him to the talent of Tonali, with the Turkey international bettering the Italian with an average of 6.55 progressive passes and 2.67 key passes per 90 in Serie A, via FBref.
With an average pass completion rate of 83.2% per 90, the Turk could be the difference between Moyes’ side remaining as relegation candidates or firing up the table to compete at a higher level.
The Scotsman must follow the ambition of Eddie Howe by signing the Serie A ace, who could be the east Londoners answer to Tonali.
Before the start of the Border-Gavaskar series, KL Rahul had four Test centuries and only one fifty. Now, halfway into the fourth and final Test, he has added five more half-centuries to his tally but hasn’t converted any of them into a hundred. On Sunday, having scored 60 and laid the platform for India’s reply to Australia’s 300, he was out to a short ball from Pat Cummins.”Quite honestly, not regretting anything,” Rahul said when asked about the series he has had so far. “Obviously, a little disappointed that I have not been able to convert the starts and get big runs for the team. As an opening batsman, my responsibility is to spend as much time in the middle as I can, try and get big scores in the first innings so that we don’t have to bat in the second innings.”On a personal front, [it] hasn’t been the worst series for me. Got starts, batted really well, enjoyed batting in the middle, and the Aussie bowlers haven’t made it easy. They have challenged us in all the games. Thoroughly enjoyed batting and hopefully [I can play] one good knock in the second innings. Might be the knock I have been waiting for the whole series.”Not for the first time in the series, Rahul was out playing an aggressive shot. This time, he tried to hook Cummins – having earlier either swayed away from or fended at his other short balls – and toe-ended it to cover. Rahul said he had bungled the execution of the shot rather than the thinking behind it.”Horrible execution for sure,” he said. “But having batted out there in the middle for a long time, I thought I could have taken him on as there were no fielders at the back. Like I said, horrible execution, the intent was right.”But I can always sit here and question intent and a hundred things. But then in the middle, I thought I could take him on but [it was] unfortunate it didn’t go my way. Hopefully, in the second innings, I can get him away. So I will go out with a positive intent in the second innings again.”Rahul said the conditions had given some assistance to all of Australia’s bowlers, the spinners and the quicks, and that they had kept India under pressure right through the day.”It has been a fantastic cricket wicket,” he said. “Something in it for everybody. [Nathan] Lyon and [Steve] O’Keefe spun it and of course, [facing] Josh [Hazlewood] and Cummins in the first session, I can say, is the toughest session I have faced in Test cricket so far.”They put the ball in the right areas and they swung the ball, bowled with a lot of pace and venom. There is something in it for bowlers and it will keep us interested in the second innings when we go out there to bowl.”Given the control Australia exerted, Rahul said India had done well to end the day where they did – six down and trailing by 52. He said India’s pace of scoring – they have made their runs at 2.72 per over so far as compared to Australia’s 3.38 in their first innings – was a reflection of how well Australia bowled.”I think we played really well,” he said. “They did put a lot of pressure. They put the ball in the right areas. It’s not like we missed out on any boundary balls. These are the sessions in Test cricket that you have to grind it out and play these off.”You tell yourself that the runs will come, maybe after tea in the last hour. When I was batting in the first session, my intent was to give the ball and the bowlers the respect and I can come out in the second session and make some runs.”One prominent feature of the Dharamsala pitch has been the cracks on its surface. In the morning session, Hazlewood, in particular, got the ball to misbehave frequently off them, though this tendency died down as the ball grew older. Rahul said the cracks would continue to play an influential role in the match.”I think the ball will do things off the cracks,” he said. “Even when we bowled the first day, a few balls did do something funny off the cracks. The conditions are really good for the fast bowlers like I was mentioning. The conditions aren’t too hot. There is some swing out there and the fast bowlers out there are enjoying bowling on this wicket.”
New Zealand Cricket is monitoring the situation in Christchurch ahead of the second one-day international against South Africa next Wednesday as bush fires continue to rage in the Port Hills area close to the city.The fires, which started on Monday, have destroyed homes, caused large evacuations, and led to a state of civil emergency being called in Christchurch.Currently, the ODI at Hagley Oval is expected to go ahead but NZC will be taking advice as required. Health warnings have been issued about the smoke from the fires.”We are monitoring the situation and taking note of the advisories,” an NZC spokesman told ESPNcricinfo.Kane Williamson, the New Zealand captain, offered his thoughts to the people of Christchurch. “It’s pretty devastating, the Cantabs have had a very tough time of it recently and to see the fires, we certainly hope they are out or under control very quickly. It’s obviously a tough time for them.”The fourth ODI of the series on March was moved from Napier to Hamilton earlier this week due to the concerns about the outfield at McLean Park following the abandoned match against Australia.