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    Paul Parker

    Ronaldo free-kicks a waste

    Alex Ferguson needs to have a word with Cristiano Ronaldo about his free-kicks.

    Against Inter, most of United's best chances came from set pieces around the box, which Jose Mourinho's side seemed happy to give away, knowing that Ronaldo would shoot every time, no matter how far out.

    He had that one right at the end that almost caught Julio Cesar out, but the rest of his set pieces made the goalkeeper look good.

    We've seen it before with Roberto Carlos, when he scored a couple of amazing ones that got shown around the world, but when you actually saw him taking them every week then he hardly ever scored. The same is true of Ronaldo. He got one at the weekend against Blackburn, but how long before he buries the next one? Alex Ferguson needs to do something about that because it's really depriving his side of attacking options.

    After the first leg, it's still down to the managers as to which team makes it through to the Champions League quarter-finals.

    In the first half at the San Siro, there was really only one side in it. Manchester United had all the possession, and were the only one's who looked like scoring.

    United's front two, Dimitar Berbatov and Ronaldo, couldn't take full advantage, and they will return to Manchester regretting that they did not kill the tie off or at least take the lead.

    Jose Mourinho described his own striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the best in the world before the game, which is just the sort of sound bite he loves to give. He might be right when talking about the striker's potential - the Swede has the right physique, the touch and definitely the arrogance - but I didn't see anything against United to convince me. Apparently he's brilliant every week in the Italian league, but I've never seen him have a good game.

    When you look at him next to Berbatov, who is a player in the same mould, then for me there is no comparison.

    Adriano is another Inter player with a big reputation, but he looks like the sort of guy who, unless the ball is put right on his boot in front of goal, then he can't be bothered.

    One defender, Rivas, was having an absolute nightmare, and Mourinho had to make changes at half-time.

    In the second half he sent out his team with a different game plan, and it worked much better, proving what a good manager he is.

    He knows that United are the better side, and that if he could hold them at their place then they'd have every chance at Old Trafford, which they now do.

    Jose seems to have a hold over Ferguson, although he knows deep down that he got lucky when his Porto side knocked them out of the Champions League a few years ago - Paul Scholes had a perfectly good goal disallowed in that game.

    Mourinho knows how to grind out a result, but that's something that United did at times last year - particularly against Barcelona - on their way to the final, proving that Ferguson is still good enough to able to change his ways when he has to.

    About Paul Parker

    Paul Parker enjoyed a distinguished career for club and country. The versatile defender won 19 England caps and played the 1990 World Cup semi-final against West Germany. After spells at Fulham and QPR, Paul joined Manchester United in 1991, where he helped the club claim their first league title for 26 years, and won the Double twice. During six seasons at Old Trafford, he played with legends such as Eric Cantona, Roy Keane and David Beckham.

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