Benjamin Franklin famously said that there are two certainties in life: death; and taxes.

A third could potentially be added to this exclusive list as an uppity utterance or arrogant action is either said or done by the man of the moment, Cristiano Ronaldo, on a consistent, weekly basis.

Manchester United's iconic number 7 yesterday claimed that he is part of a select group of men that are the strongest in the world, like Hercules.

Bigger Men Fall Harder

"Even the strongest men in the world - including legends such as Hercules - fall over at times. I am part of this group," he said.

A comparison spat with such pompous narcissism that it can only be laughed off, dismissed, and tossed into the gutter of not-to-be-taken-seriously headline-hogging trash.

However, some might claim that the analogy is perhaps more accurate than Ronaldo initially intended it to be. Hercules was indeed a great warrior but he was alleged to also employ cheap and dirty tricks for his own personal gain.

Hitting The Deck

Ronaldo, when he first arrived in the Premier League, used to go down quicker than Amir Khan in his first Sky Box Office fight. But like the Bolton-born British boxer he got back on his feet and was ready to rumble for the next battle.

Diving is an aspect of Ronaldo's game that has been diluted over the years, but this annoyance has been replaced with another: arrogance. And if it the 23-year old was going to be compared to any Greek legend then surely it is Achilles because his main weakness, or heel if you will, is his sky-high hauteur and it is in danger of permanently tainting any legacy he leaves in the Premier League, and indeed his career.

CR7 defenders may allude to the fact that it comes with the territory of scooping a lion's share of the major individual (and club) prizes of the year. But could you imagine Lionel Messi behaving in the same manner?

Feeding The Hecklers

Cristiano's actions speak even louder than his words. Towards the end of November he tried to silence the intense jeers he received whilst playing Aston Villa by gesturing to the crowd that he was number one as he walked down the tunnel at Villa Park. Two weeks ago he sarcastically applauded referee Howard Webb for cautioning him in the Manchester derby. The man does himself few favours.

Ronaldo is not constantly reviled because he is the best footballer in the world, it is because he embodies most, if not all, of the negatives that exist within the Premier League.

He is about to be offered a £150,000 per week contract in order to help fend off interest from Spain and tie him down to Manchester United for the short to long term future. This would mean that it would take an NHS nurse six years to earn what he does in a week.

The Manc, The Quiff, The Arrogant Legend

There is too much distance between himself and the fans that pay to see him; he is arrogant and flash; he is perceived to care more about brylcreem than he does about his club; and he is clearly in need of Sir Alex Ferguson's infamous 'hairdryer' treatment in order to bring him back down to Earth.

The moxie Scot is world renowned for his man-management skills. Ronaldo was public enemy number one when he returned to England after his World Cup winking exploits in 2006 that led to national darling Wayne Rooney's sending off. Sir Alex not only needed to mend the bridges between his two biggest assets, but also convince Cristiano that his future lay with the future double winners. Whether Ferguson will intervene again though remains uncertain.

What are your thoughts on this subject? Do you think Cristiano Ronaldo's arrogance has spun out of control? Does Sir Alex Ferguson need to man manage the player in order to keep his feet on the ground?

Alan Dawson, Goal.com