IT'S JUST like the Rambo sequels on DVD.

Either you watch it over and over again, or you dump it straight into the bin.

When it comes to Cristiano Ronaldo, there seems to be no middle ground.

You either hate him, or you love him.

So, just what does one make of the Portuguese?

Mention Ronaldo and every living thing on planet earth seems just one millisecond away from passing judgment.

Simply because he's good. No, make that very good.

And because he's a star, every move was going to be magnified by a million times.

He hasn't helped himself with certain things he did over the years.

Not that he bothers.

Take the wink, long forgotten by his fans but forever etched in the minds of the boo-boys.

It was the World Cup 2006 quarter-final between England and Portugal, and Ronaldo ran half the length of the field to seek his Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney's sending-off.

He succeeded, but was subsequently caught on camera winking at the Portuguese bench after the referee flashed red.

Then, there was the Real Madrid saga.

His loyalty for the Red Devils was seen as wavering when the Spanish giants tried to poach him from Manchester before towards the end of last season.

And then there was this penchant for hitting the ground at the slightest touch.

When you make about ??pounds;12 million ($26m) a year and are surrounded by flash cars and voluptuous babes, the public is never going to to cut you any slack.

They say Ronaldo is a crybaby who got too big for his mitten.

They dislike him for putting on a stunned look, hands on head, when the referee doesn't award him a free-kick.

They detest football's Dancing Queen for overdoing his step-overs, at a rate exceeding the permitted limit, which often make his markers look worse than than they actually are.

Admiration

Look, there's even a website dedicated to hating the poor man.

Admiration and jealousy are separated by a fine line.

Confidence and arrogance are so often mixed up.

Ronaldo is not the only one who dives in today's game. There are also too many to count and not one receives as many brickbats as he did.

He is not the only one ever to be tempted to leave the club which made him a star, nor will he be the last.

He's not my idol, for sure.

But he sure is one hell of a player, whether you like it or not.

And I certainly don't hate him.