Cristiano Ronaldo - Golden Boot or golden boob?

SCHOOL SPORTS DEBATE:Two schoolchildren debate the merits of Christiano Ronaldo of Manchester Utd

BOOB: Kevin O'Hara (16), from Templeogue College in Dublin says: SOMEONE ONCE told me, even if you hate a person try looking at their positive qualities and you might change your mind.

There are many positive qualities to Cristiano Ronaldo: his 42-goal season which saw him win the PFA Players' Player of the Year, PFA Fans' Player of the Year, the Premier League, Uefa Champions League and most of all the Ballon d'Or.

But then again, look at his negative "qualities". This is a man who has been regarded as the "best in the world" in the modern era of football. Many people look at him and see a global superstar, some look at him with hatred, jealousy and envy.

Others look at him and think how he has let down so many young children and players alike who look up to him as a role model - and then watch him cheat in a match or con the referee into a decision he may regret later.

Fans and staff will always protect one of their own players against negative publicity, but that doesn't mean we should forget the negative sides to Ronaldo's game.

The 2006 World Cup was when it all kicked off. The way he protested to the referee over Wayne Rooney's foul, in the quarter-final between Portugal and England, was way over the top. The whole of England was against him. Every away ground he played in he got booed - and it was his own fault.

There are many reasons to argue Ronaldo is more of a Golden Boob than Golden Boot, one example would be from earlier this season when he blatantly dived in the box to win himself a penalty, which disgusted Bolton fans. In some parts of the Continent this is seen as acceptable gamesmanship, but not in this part of the world it's not.

Ronaldo's diving theatrics and his other negatives are often dismissed, and are not the main talking points when it comes to discussions about his game.

In the Manchester derby he blocked the ball clearly with his hands and got a second yellow card, but it was not to get an advantage and score a goal, it was to protect his face.

If any other footballer were to do this it he would surely get some stick, but he didn't from the football analysts. They - or most of them - just prefer to focus on the positive aspects of Cristiano Ronaldo.

He won the Ballon d'Or by a long shot, and was judged to be the best player of 2008.

Of course people would say it was a one-horse race, because it was they who decided to focus on his good performances rather than his bad.

If everyone decided to focus on the positive aspects of a player I'm sure the race to win the Ballon d'Or would be wide open and people would start to believe that Ronaldo and many other players just like him are over-rated, spoiled and too arrogant for "The Beautiful Game" today.

BOOT: Kyle Moran (15) from De La Salle College, Dundalk, says:CRISTIANO RONALDO is absolutely phenomenal. He has won an amazing amount of awards. World Player of the Year, the European Golden Shoe, Premier League Player of the Season and Uefa Club Footballer of the Year are only some of the honours he has picked up for his excellent individual performances.

The Portuguese international also has Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup winner's medals.

To add to all this Ronaldo is a prolific goal-scorer. In the 2007-08 season, United's number seven put the ball in the back of the net 31 times in 34 league appearances. This would be unbelievable for a striker, but Ronaldo plays on the wing, making it even better. The 23-year-old scored eight times in Europe in 11 games. Overall, the two-time winner of the PFA Player of the Year award celebrated 42 goals in all competitions in the 2007-08 football year.

Ronaldo is blessed with an array of talents. He has a bullet header, can strike the ball like no one else, he's strong, has agility and pace, dribbles like a legend, has more tricks than a magician, can cross the ball fabulously, keeps his head when he's one-on-one and has a nice left foot.

Also he doesn't get injured easily or often and is confident.

We must remember, though, that the winger is young and still has a lot to learn in the game - he has plenty of time to do so, but this doesn't mean he isn't up there already with the best footballers in the world. The Dutchman Johan Cruyff said: "Ronaldo is better than George Best and Denis Law, who were two brilliant and great players in the history of United."

Lots of people (mostly Man U haters) argue that Portugal's vice-captain moans too much on the field. My argument against this is that he does all this complaining because he wants the team to win and do well. He is a player who is hungry to win, he doesn't want to give up and he can't face losing. These are assets everyone admires.

Ronaldo was involved in a transfer rumour that Real Madrid would fork out €86 million for him. The United superstar said he would like to play with Madrid and that he disliked Manchester.

Lots of people, including Man United fans, got on his back and some of them haven't got off it yet. But Ronaldo doesn't get to meet his family a lot and if he moved to Spain he could live with his mother — and do you really expect him to fall in love with dull Manchester after coming from sunny Portugal?

I think you have to show some respect for him, hate him or love him. How many of you could step out in front of almost 80,000 people for the biggest team in the world, knowing you're being watched by millions, and deliver what they demand every week?