Ronaldo and Tevez

So the silly season has started. The sun is shining and there's nothing to watch on a Sunday afternoon. it can only mean one thing - the close season.

And don't you just hate it?? With nothing new to discuss for the next 10 weeks, we're left with inane newspaper speculation that you find yourself getting overly worked up about, simply because you don't have anything on the field to fill your brain with.

And what was merely a distraction for the past few months becomes centre stage as the emptiness of footballess days stretch out into the distance as far as the eyes can see!

At United, of course, this primarily consists of the Tevez/Ronaldo sagas which are bound to fill column inches, and broadcast time as we plod through the summer. So what will happen... well it's hard to say but for what its worth, here's my two-penneth....

To start with Tevez. Like most United fans, I love him. His attitude, commitment and style of play are all fantastic and I'd love to see him stay... BUT and its a big BUT - if he is going to be the only signing of the summer, will that still leave us short of what we really need.

For me, the complication is Berbatov - I think he was signed as a finisher, but instead of that he has become more of a flair player, a creator rather than a finisher...leaving us with 3 strikers who specialise in the making, rather than the taking of chances. I'd love Tevez to be there alongside a pure front man (ironically what we may give Liverpool with a Torres/Tevez combination), just like I'd like Rooney to have the chance to form a partnership with a predator. But whilst we don't have that predator, it could be a case of too many cooks.... and, alongside the financial problems, this could be the thing that persuades United to look elsewhere.

Who you sign though is another matter. I'm not sure who is out there of the type of striker we need. For me, I've always rated Huntelaar, ever since he was at PSV. But whether he would be available from Madrid is anyone's guess. I've not seen enough of Benzemar to form an opinion, but there doesn't seem to be a raft of names to choose from - and in that case is it 'better the devil you know' with Tevez than taking a risk from elsewhere.

Now Ronaldo... This may be controversial but I think it's a growing feeling amongst match-going United fans. It wouldn't concern me overly if we allow him to go.

Don't get me wrong, he's a fantastic player. I love watching him play and he is a key part of our team and success. But there is more to a player than that. For me, his on-field antics can be costly and frustrating. The pedestrian way he picks himself up when he has been felled legally means he is generally still in an offside position when we win the ball back; he seems to believe he is not required to track back in the same way as his teammates and this means that, in Europe, the manager doesn't trust him to occupy a midfield position.

By moving Ronaldo to a position where his lack of defensive effort is marginalised, we lose Wayne Rooney from his most effective position through the middle - something clear in the final against Barcelona.

There is also the things that wouldnt matter to some but do to me. I want players who WANT to play for Manchester United, WANT to be part of a team, and APPRECIATE values that have evolved over years of how United players behave.

Cristiano plays for himself. Individual honours matter a hell of a lot to him and he doesn't have a team mentality - witness the ridiculous tantrum when he was taken off against City. Do we really want a player, who blatently enjoys people speculating endlessly about where he will play his football, stirs up the press one way and then the other purely for the attention it will bring. And doesn't give a second thought to how this affects United in the slightest.

Another question is his behaviour towards the fans. Most outside United don't realise that the fans, especially the fans that travel away, have a special relationship with the players. There is an unwritten rule that players will go to the fans at the end of the game - whatever the result. Ronaldo blatantly ignores these instructions week after week. It was never more evident than in Rome on Wednesday, when he remained on the halfway line whilst the entire team and staff came to the United fans to thank them for their support.

And is it me, or does he rarely join in the team celebration of a goal - unless it is him who has netted. Surely it is not good to have someone in the dressing room who sees himself as somehow above the rest. Just an outside observation but drawn from plenty of visual evidence.

So there the decision lies - does his obvious talent and importance negate all these factors... or does the old adage that no-one is bigger than the club have to come into play?

It's difficult. But I for one am getting tired of someone treating the club I love with such distain, acting like he is doing us a HUGE favour by reluctantly agreeing to stay whilst courting attention from elsewhere like a partner looking for a fling with someone else. You want people who know the value of the shirt and appreciate the honour of representing United- emotional maybe, but I believe it is the attitude of many of his teammates - AND they don't have to kiss the badge or anything stupid like that to show it. They show it by doing the opposite of the actions of Ronaldo I have outlined above.

It is for these reasons that, whilst I would be upset if he left for the loss of his skill, talent and goals, I would accept that in terms of the team and club as a whole, it could be for the best in the long run.

The decision, of course will lie with the manager... and in Sir Alex we have the best man to judge whether his talent outways the downsides. No doubt the soap opera will run and run (well if Ronaldo has any say!!!)

Both sagas are set to occupy our thoughts for the next few weeks at least, and no doubt the aftermath will also cause plenty of debate. Well at least it gives us something to talk about!!