Sir Alex Ferguson discovered the true cost of his decision to allow Cristiano Ronaldo to leave Manchester United for Real Madrid as Robbie Blake’s first-half goal sent his toothless champions to defeat.Blake, the journeyman forward who cost £250,000 when rejoining the club from Leeds United in 2007, marked Turf Moor’s first top-flight fixture for 33 years with a goal to fit the occasion, scoring with a blistering 18th-minute volley. But despite the romance of Burnley’s famous victory, United had only themselves to blame.
Michael Carrick’s missed penalty, Michael Owen’s painful search for form and Wayne Rooney’s frustration almost earning a red card as a result of a brutal late challenge on Tyrone Mears were the sorry tale of United’s evening.
And it was a night when the absence of Ronaldo was telling. The Portuguese would have fancied his chances from the penalty spot and, as Burnley tired, he would have relished the opportunity to put Owen Coyle’s team to the sword. For all of his faults, Ronaldo was deadly against lesser mortals. United are simply not the same without him.
