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Interesting article concerning Ruud on Soccernet:
Ruud the Riot Act
Richard Jolly
Accused of stamping, branded a cheat and surrounded by over-exuberant Arsenal players, Sunday must have been among the least enjoyable days of Ruud van Nistelrooy's career.
Previously regarded as the most reliable penalty taker in English football, a third consecutive miss made him suddenly fallible. It could yet decide the destination of the title.
But, more than the ball rebounding off the underside of Jens Lehmann's bar, the defining images of Manchester United's top scorer at Old Trafford are his instantaneous jump away from Patrick Vieira's outstretched leg and his impassiveness in the face of a goading, gloating Martin Keown.
So Ruud is innocent, a victim of provocation, supported by his manager and backed by his team-mates. Or is he? A rare penalty miss was greeted with barely disguised glee by many who do not support Arsenal. Central as he was to the drama at Old Trafford, there are other reasons why it was van Nistelrooy, rather than Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand or Gary Neville, who Arsenal targeted.
As a footballer, van Nistelrooy is rightly regarded among the world's top strikers. Eighty goals in two seasons at Manchester United is an outstanding return. Twice reaching double figures in the Champions League is proof he is equally effective in Europe as in England.
That makes him one of Sir Alex Ferguson's best signings and brings the kind of adulation reserved for the very best players in United's history.
Elsewhere, however, van Nistelrooy is more admired than liked. He is a goalscorer par excellence, but he lacks the thrilling pace or elan of his Arsenal rival Thierry Henry. Despite a series of quality strikes at the end of last season, van Nistelrooy's goals are more inevitable than aesthetic masterpieces.
Which, in itself, does not explain why van Nistelrooy's buffeting at the hands of Martin Keown, Ray Parlour and Lauren did not bring him universal sympathy.
Admittedly, commuters on the London underground experience worse on a daily basis but it was hardly what one of the world's foremost strikers is accustomed to.
But if the Dutchman's reputation as a striker is unchallenged, his character is more a subject for debate - and he should not be looking for references from Highbury.
Van Nistelrooy's long-running feud with Keown is scarcely proof of malevolence. Amid the mutual suspicion and enmity of Manchester United and Arsenal, even the seemingly amiable Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made enemies.
Arsene Wenger, perhaps intentionally patronising the Dutchman, said he 'seems a nice boy'. His disciplinary record suggests as much. Whereas Vieira has now been sent off eight times in the Premiership, Keane seven and Keown six, van Nistelrooy has the princely total of eight bookings and no red cards.
So, despite Vieira's suggestion allegation of stamping, it is hardly a history of bad behaviour. Nor, if team-mates are to be believed, is van Nistelrooy responsible for opponents' red cards.
'There are some people in the game who do try and provoke others but Ruud is not one of them and every player at every other club knows it,' said Phil Neville. The younger Neville's loyalty is admirable, his judgement less so. Van Nistelrooy had established a reputation as an agent provocateur even before his altercation.
In particular, the Dutch forward has proved successful at provoking referees to point at the penalty spot. Helped by an almost symbiotic relationship with Mike Riley, those 18 successful spot kicks came in less than two years. Van Nistelrooy's movement and awareness troubles opposition defenders; his movement to ground in the vicinity of them can cause more difficulties.
Van Nistelrooy has escaped relatively unscathed from several controversial penalty decisions while Francis Jeffers and Robert Pires have been labelled cheats. Sir Alex Ferguson - tongue wedged in cheek? - spoke out against divers before Sunday's game. He made no mention of excessive flinching, though.
And just as van Nistelrooy preys on defensive failings, he looks for temperamental weaknesses. It is inconceivable he did not remember Vieira's earlier booking when he jumped into the Frenchman. Whether he expected the reaction of the Arsenal captain is a moot point. But if the situation was partly of van Nistelrooy's creation, the key decisions were Vieira's and Bennett's.
Thanks to the marvels of the elevated Old Trafford dugouts, Arsene Wenger was temporarily freed of his selective myopia and recognised the provocation. Roy Keane, who provided some of the calmer comments after the game, has reacted to similarly calculated provocation from Alan Shearer in the past. Vieira, like Keane before him, lost his cool however briefly. Van Nistelrooy, in contrast, displayed his composure by not responding to the boisterous Keown.
Slyness and cunning can win penalties or result in opponents' dismissals but never endanger players or van Nistelrooy's participation in the game. Some call it cheating, others regard it as professionalism. And the only cost gamesmanship comes at is personal popularity. Like another unpopular irritant, Robbie Savage, van Nistelrooy 'gets away with it'; referees do not send him off.
It scarcely matters if van Nistelrooy's reported comment of 'you have no class' to Vieira is true. Had the Frenchman retaliated, however, the consequences could have been serious for him.
But such provocation shows why he has supplanted Keane in the affections of non-Manchester United fans, the United player they love to hate. Being a figurehead of the ABU brigade only cements a player's popularity at Old Trafford. Chants of 'Gary Neville is a Red' surely owe more to his pariah status in Liverpool than a few over-hit crosses.
It's not just Arsenal who will come under greater scrutiny from now on. So, too, will Ruud van Nistelrooy. The fall-out from the 'Battle of Old Trafford' might well affect United as well as Arsenal.
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So. Is he a cheat? Or just professional?
I think that, personally, he's the most competitive player I've ever seen. He'll chase down every ball, no matter how hopeless it looks, and somehow gain possession for his club. Much like Keane does. I agree that sometimes this 'enthusiasm' can spill over, but he's no different to any other handful of strikers in the premiership or elsewhere. Except for the fact that he has scored over 90 goals for Man Utd.
The article, for what it's worth is fairly spot on.
Ruud the Riot Act
Richard Jolly
Accused of stamping, branded a cheat and surrounded by over-exuberant Arsenal players, Sunday must have been among the least enjoyable days of Ruud van Nistelrooy's career.
Previously regarded as the most reliable penalty taker in English football, a third consecutive miss made him suddenly fallible. It could yet decide the destination of the title.
But, more than the ball rebounding off the underside of Jens Lehmann's bar, the defining images of Manchester United's top scorer at Old Trafford are his instantaneous jump away from Patrick Vieira's outstretched leg and his impassiveness in the face of a goading, gloating Martin Keown.
So Ruud is innocent, a victim of provocation, supported by his manager and backed by his team-mates. Or is he? A rare penalty miss was greeted with barely disguised glee by many who do not support Arsenal. Central as he was to the drama at Old Trafford, there are other reasons why it was van Nistelrooy, rather than Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand or Gary Neville, who Arsenal targeted.
As a footballer, van Nistelrooy is rightly regarded among the world's top strikers. Eighty goals in two seasons at Manchester United is an outstanding return. Twice reaching double figures in the Champions League is proof he is equally effective in Europe as in England.
That makes him one of Sir Alex Ferguson's best signings and brings the kind of adulation reserved for the very best players in United's history.
Elsewhere, however, van Nistelrooy is more admired than liked. He is a goalscorer par excellence, but he lacks the thrilling pace or elan of his Arsenal rival Thierry Henry. Despite a series of quality strikes at the end of last season, van Nistelrooy's goals are more inevitable than aesthetic masterpieces.
Which, in itself, does not explain why van Nistelrooy's buffeting at the hands of Martin Keown, Ray Parlour and Lauren did not bring him universal sympathy.
Admittedly, commuters on the London underground experience worse on a daily basis but it was hardly what one of the world's foremost strikers is accustomed to.
But if the Dutchman's reputation as a striker is unchallenged, his character is more a subject for debate - and he should not be looking for references from Highbury.
Van Nistelrooy's long-running feud with Keown is scarcely proof of malevolence. Amid the mutual suspicion and enmity of Manchester United and Arsenal, even the seemingly amiable Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made enemies.
Arsene Wenger, perhaps intentionally patronising the Dutchman, said he 'seems a nice boy'. His disciplinary record suggests as much. Whereas Vieira has now been sent off eight times in the Premiership, Keane seven and Keown six, van Nistelrooy has the princely total of eight bookings and no red cards.
So, despite Vieira's suggestion allegation of stamping, it is hardly a history of bad behaviour. Nor, if team-mates are to be believed, is van Nistelrooy responsible for opponents' red cards.
'There are some people in the game who do try and provoke others but Ruud is not one of them and every player at every other club knows it,' said Phil Neville. The younger Neville's loyalty is admirable, his judgement less so. Van Nistelrooy had established a reputation as an agent provocateur even before his altercation.
In particular, the Dutch forward has proved successful at provoking referees to point at the penalty spot. Helped by an almost symbiotic relationship with Mike Riley, those 18 successful spot kicks came in less than two years. Van Nistelrooy's movement and awareness troubles opposition defenders; his movement to ground in the vicinity of them can cause more difficulties.
Van Nistelrooy has escaped relatively unscathed from several controversial penalty decisions while Francis Jeffers and Robert Pires have been labelled cheats. Sir Alex Ferguson - tongue wedged in cheek? - spoke out against divers before Sunday's game. He made no mention of excessive flinching, though.
And just as van Nistelrooy preys on defensive failings, he looks for temperamental weaknesses. It is inconceivable he did not remember Vieira's earlier booking when he jumped into the Frenchman. Whether he expected the reaction of the Arsenal captain is a moot point. But if the situation was partly of van Nistelrooy's creation, the key decisions were Vieira's and Bennett's.
Thanks to the marvels of the elevated Old Trafford dugouts, Arsene Wenger was temporarily freed of his selective myopia and recognised the provocation. Roy Keane, who provided some of the calmer comments after the game, has reacted to similarly calculated provocation from Alan Shearer in the past. Vieira, like Keane before him, lost his cool however briefly. Van Nistelrooy, in contrast, displayed his composure by not responding to the boisterous Keown.
Slyness and cunning can win penalties or result in opponents' dismissals but never endanger players or van Nistelrooy's participation in the game. Some call it cheating, others regard it as professionalism. And the only cost gamesmanship comes at is personal popularity. Like another unpopular irritant, Robbie Savage, van Nistelrooy 'gets away with it'; referees do not send him off.
It scarcely matters if van Nistelrooy's reported comment of 'you have no class' to Vieira is true. Had the Frenchman retaliated, however, the consequences could have been serious for him.
But such provocation shows why he has supplanted Keane in the affections of non-Manchester United fans, the United player they love to hate. Being a figurehead of the ABU brigade only cements a player's popularity at Old Trafford. Chants of 'Gary Neville is a Red' surely owe more to his pariah status in Liverpool than a few over-hit crosses.
It's not just Arsenal who will come under greater scrutiny from now on. So, too, will Ruud van Nistelrooy. The fall-out from the 'Battle of Old Trafford' might well affect United as well as Arsenal.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
So. Is he a cheat? Or just professional?
I think that, personally, he's the most competitive player I've ever seen. He'll chase down every ball, no matter how hopeless it looks, and somehow gain possession for his club. Much like Keane does. I agree that sometimes this 'enthusiasm' can spill over, but he's no different to any other handful of strikers in the premiership or elsewhere. Except for the fact that he has scored over 90 goals for Man Utd.
The article, for what it's worth is fairly spot on.

