SEVEN COMPARISONS

Clive Tyldesley gets compared to George Best in his column in the Telegraph.

As Manchester United consider retiring their No 7 jersey in honour of George Best's memory, there is a worry that the present wearer of the famous shirt may be disappearing with it. United produced their most cohesive performance of the season at West Ham last weekend without a single stepover from Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Lisbon stage may be set for Portugal's prodigal son to return to the scene of Best's defining display and destroy Benfica next Wednesday. Or, then again, he may just be watching with the rest of us.

Ronaldo is young and gifted but his season has been blackened by personal tragedy and torment. The loss of his father at the start of September was more than enough for an exiled 20-year-old to try to take in his dazzling stride. Since then, his home has been burgled and his reputation has been falsely smeared by rape allegations. Once upon a time, Best might have hopped on the first flight to the sun in the face of similar trials and tribulations. Ronaldo has not hidden, but at a time when Sir Alex Ferguson has put his faith in the tender talent of his two youngest players, one is producing and the other is not.

The new contract Ronaldo was awarded last month is proof of the manager's conviction that he bought one of the outstanding prospects in world football from Sporting Lisbon two years ago. When he rounded off his first season with a goal in the 2004 FA Cup final, Ronaldo appeared to have added significantly to United's weaponry. He could do things David Beckham never could. He still can, but the balance and consistency of the rest of the team's midfield has significantly changed. Ronaldo's own repertoire hasn't. I'm not sure if he has improved since his arrival at Old Trafford.

Teaching the self-taught is a conundrum. Nobody schooled Ronaldo in his extravagant ways. Most of the ingredients in his recipe are natural and unrefined. He has gifts, rather than skills. Like Shane Warne's bowling action, Paula Radcliffe's running stride or Jim Furyk's golf swing, Ronaldo has a unique way of getting his job done. Trying to coach it to anyone else would be futile. Trying to incorporate it into a team structure can seem similarly fruitless at times. He has all the basic qualities - height, strength, speed, a rare two-footedness. Applying and channelling it all is the one trick Ronaldo has still to learn. He may have time on his side, but United have not.

If Roy Keane were picking the United team in Lisbon next week, I've a funny feeling Ronaldo would be warming the bench. The captain's scoldings frequently used to warm the winger's ears. In Keane's book, items such as tights, gloves, earrings and gel were never quite essentials for a must-win game. Ferguson is from the same old school but has learnt to be more forgiving of modern whims in return for match-winning performances of the kind Ronaldo has certainly produced in the past.

You cannot sign teenagers and expect them to behave like seasoned veterans. You don't even want them to. Best used to drive his seniors up the wall with his solo sorties. Yet, like his fragile frame, George's serial self-confidence was bruised but never broken. Ronaldo will still believe he can beat Benfica on his own. Ferguson must convince him otherwise before he dare pick him for such a crucial game.