[NZT-One]

Problem is we have a limited number of players who can create for him. The only full back who can really cross is Telles. Shaw is little better than AWB. He gets forward a lot, but his contributions with the ball are very low quality. The only midfielders who can pick a pass between the lines are Pogba and Matic, who gets little game time. Bruno's usually too far up the pitch.

I am looking forward to Rashford being back with him though. He impressed me last season with some of his creativity.

Last season or the season before? Because I remember the 2020 edition of Rashford as a pretty ineffective(?!) player. Great in numbers and I think, his second half of the season was worse then the first, but ran down blind alleys constantly, was always looking for ways to get a shot away for himself.
The 2019 edition of Rashford was far better I think. He tried to create for Greenwood and Martial, it was great to watch and the team benefitted way more from it than from the more current one, even though I guess a few results would have looked differently but on the other hand, who knows how these matches would have went if he would have played more team-oriented.

 

[BlueHaze]

His whole body language today and against Villa points to him regretting even coming here. This guy is a serial winner and has won more titles in the past 5 years than this whole club combined. If this carries on it won't surprise me if he leaves in the summer.

The guy is an absolute hazard in the air and no one can even put a proper cross in.

Abyssmal.

 

[TMDaines]

Last season or the season before? Because I remember the 2020 edition of Rashford as a pretty ineffective(?!) player. Great in numbers and I think, his second half of the season was worse then the first, but ran down blind alleys constantly, was always looking for ways to get a shot away for himself.
The 2019 edition of Rashford was far better I think. He tried to create for Greenwood and Martial, it was great to watch and the team benefitted way more from it than from the more current one, even though I guess a few results would have looked differently but on the other hand, who knows how these matches would have went if he would have played more team-oriented.

Rashford was fine for the first half of last season, especially for someone carrying injuries that caught up with him. I’ve no idea why this forum gave him such a hard time. Hopefully he has healed up because he just makes things happen. We are missing his dynamism. England missed it too in the Euros.

 

[steffyr2]

Problem is we have a limited number of players who can create for him. The only full back who can really cross is Telles. Shaw is little better than AWB. He gets forward a lot, but his contributions with the ball are very low quality. The only midfielders who can pick a pass between the lines are Pogba and Matic, who gets little game time. Bruno's usually too far up the pitch.

I am looking forward to Rashford being back with him though. He impressed me last season with some of his creativity.

"Create" means move and pass, not that someone runs the length of the field to give him the ball. We don't do that, which is why people say that the team plays like they've just met for the first time.

 

[SeeMe]

I've been supportive of Ole and still am even if I'm losing faith but if you bring in a player of the calibre of Ronaldo and can't even get a quarter of his potential out of him then there's something wrong with the system. He's still scored goals despite few opportunities. Feed the GOAT and he will score.

I do not think Ole is the one who want to bring Ronaldo in, Club is having huge pressure by the offer from Man City.

I believe bringing Ronaldo in is the top management decision to avoid Man City having him, and to bring some marketing / fan effect to the club.

Building the team now on the 34 and 36 years old strikers wasn't help the club, Ole should know, great young talented players like Rashford and Greenwood are really to be club legend, blocking their chances of appearances won't help at all.

Of course Ronaldo is great player, one of the best still now, but how to manage dressing room, wages, team structure, formation, tactics, young players ... it will be huge for Ole, I think he prefer life without Ronaldo, He wasn't look for striker at the beginning.

 

[Ali Dia]

Already it’s becoming the same thing as at Juve. He’s our best player and was their best player but it’s always going to be the Ronaldo show until he retires and his last two teams are far worse than his Real. add to that that he’s also in a completely natural but admittedly slow decline. Defenders aren’t going to give him or us an inch and are going to get even more defensive which was the last thing we need and we aren’t creating the necessary room for him. he also hasn’t found a quick way to help his teammates get into the play. I knew he’d score goals but I also knew it would become a side show anytime we choke. I said it at the time I felt it was a much bigger gamble than most wanted to admit. There’s still loads of time for the team to click but it really feels to me like those big Juve games I’d see occasionally. Pressure builds. Nothing comes off. Ronaldo is pissed and it starts to rub off on everything else around the team.

 

[Member 109952]

It was a risky signing on the field for a number of reasons
- Even at Juve he played primarily on the left, not as a CF. They tried it and he was better on the left.
- He is noticeabley declining. If you watch his first two seasons at Juve, the spring in his step and the touch he had at Real were still there. But in the last year or two, it's started to leave him, the fluidity when he gets the ball isn't there anymore.

Of course that's to be expected, we only spent £20m on him Vs the £90m or so Juve spent. But in my opinion he's not that far of Cavani as a player currently, he's a better and more technical player for sure, but Cavani has the natural instincts of a CF player and knows how to play it better. So essentially an expensive squad player.

What we really need is our wide forwards and full backs to contribute more, beat players more and stretch static defences. Would also help if we had a midfielder ala Carrick or Scholes to get the game moving quicker. Mctominay does help by getting in the box a lot, but we need more numbers, more stretching play and faster movement to help out both Ronaldo and Cavani going forward.

 

[Ronaldo's Fan Boy]

The guy just scored last match's winner, and only came in for this match as a sub for merely 30 minutes and people start jumping on him already. Next match, I believe Ronaldo will come back and shut people up as he has done again, and again, and again... in his career of more than 15 years at top level.

At Juventus, he won two consecutive Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, two Supercoppa Italiana and a golden boot (and a silver boot); and people talked of him as a failure. I wish he would be a failure like that at Manchester United and bring us those similar trophies.

Just you see, next match he will again show you what a monster he is.

 

[hobbers]

If Ronaldo having temper tantrums hastens the changing of the coaching guard then I'm all for it.

I'd never usually back player revolts but in Ronaldo's case I think an exception can be made.

 

[YeahYeah]

- Even at Juve he played primarily on the left, not as a CF. They tried it and he was better on the left.

Not only that, when you look at which player complemented him by far the best, it was Mandzukic, a true CF, robust and a hard working target man.

Now we dont have anything close to a player like that, closest would be Cavani, might experiment with Martial/Rashford or even playing Greenwood more centrally but yeah agree with you 100 %, Ronaldo is better on the left. It would take some creativity and out of the box thinking to get the best out of him and I dont think Ole has it.

I suggested the other day that a formation with 2 strikers might work the best for us with Ronaldo cuz at this point he isnt really a winger either. Oh well we got him now, gotta get the best out of him.

 

[IhabX7]

90% of the opinions here are absolute rubbish. How the feck is to Ronaldo to blame? He created more than Cavani in his 30 minutes. He was good yesterday, we conceded a goal from a corner of that didn’t happen we would be praising him.

 

[GueRed]

I wouldve started him yesterday

 

[Brwned]

No, I just told you what I said.

I'll state it again: now he's here, he is not going to accept not challenging or winning the major honours. He is not a man who will remain quiet and meekly accept the situation. It has the potential to be a big problem.

I don't think we're good enough (mainly due to the manager), but that's irrelevant. Now he's here (however it came about) he's going to want to win. I'm not lionising it or pandering to it. I'm stating it based on his past and his personality. You saw it today! Of course, any player can be disappointed when we lose points, but it's different with him. And of course it has the potential to be detrimental to the team - that's what I was implying in my other post. Again, I'm not lionising it and saying that this is what should be admired in an individual. I'm simply stating what is likely to be the situation if this form continues.

What you’re saying can be described in different ways. Describing it as delusional doesn’t overwrite what else you’re saying, it just adds a different dimension to it. It strips away the tone that suggests Ronaldo is somehow above it all.

Did Ronaldo come here expecting to win? Yes. Is he capable of making this team win by his presence alone? No. Can he accept not winning? No. Those are the things you’ve said about him. Put those together and you describe a delusion.

If he can’t accept he accept the reality he finds himself in, and he can’t accept his role in co-creating that reality, then he’s deluded. This isn’t the Ronaldo from 10 years ago that could expect to transform a team into title winners. His last club was an obvious example of that, he went there aiming to transform them into CL winners, and he failed.

We expect players to know their own limits, their own capabilities, and ground their expectations in that. That’s a necessary part of being a team. If Ronaldo isn’t capable of doing that it should be held against him.

 

[Regalia]

Hopefully Ronaldo helps expedite Ole's exit from the club. If anything is going to shake it into these players that expectations should be higher at a club like this and that they deserve a better leader, it's having one of the GOATs of the game tell you that. No more falling back on rubbish excuses like 10-year rebuilds and the so-called 'United Way' (more like the Ole cowardly way). If he manages that, then he's worth every penny and all the baggage that comes with him.

 

[ForeverRed1]

It’s like having roy keane back on the pitch. Desire to win, sore loser and makes it known this isn’t good enough. Ole better watch his back, he won’t accept this!

Ole was smiling after the game. Let the difference sink in

 

[snk123]

Spot on. I hope we don’t stunt Greenwood’s development for his sake.

If Greenwoods development is trying to find new impossible angles to shoot from and Ronaldo is hindering that by making him pass more - then I do hope we stunt his development.

 

[DoomSlayer]

I'd rather have Ronaldo as the manager at this point. He could probably find some more modern-thinking coaches to make the team play a more refined style of football.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

If Greenwoods development is trying to find new impossible angles to shoot from and Ronaldo is hindering that by making him pass more - then I do hope we stunt his development.

I'd rather have Ronaldo as the manager at this point. He could probably find some more modern-thinking coaches to make the team play a more refined style of football.

 

[Isotope]

Did anyone notice when he's fixing his boots, ready to sub in, McKenna tried to show him the tactic board/paper, but Ronaldo just dismissed him. You could see McKenna's stonefaced.

 

[Desert Eagle]

I wouldve started him yesterday

Me too. Ronaldo at home to inferior teams must start. Rest him against Liverpool and other high energy, pressing teams.

 

[Isotope]

Already it’s becoming the same thing as at Juve. He’s our best player and was their best player but it’s always going to be the Ronaldo show until he retires and his last two teams are far worse than his Real. add to that that he’s also in a completely natural but admittedly slow decline. Defenders aren’t going to give him or us an inch and are going to get even more defensive which was the last thing we need and we aren’t creating the necessary room for him. he also hasn’t found a quick way to help his teammates get into the play. I knew he’d score goals but I also knew it would become a side show anytime we choke. I said it at the time I felt it was a much bigger gamble than most wanted to admit. There’s still loads of time for the team to click but it really feels to me like those big Juve games I’d see occasionally. Pressure builds. Nothing comes off. Ronaldo is pissed and it starts to rub off on everything else around the team.

Should we sell him to City this winter window? Let him becomes their "problem" instead?

 

[Brwned]

Did anyone notice when he's fixing his boots, ready to sub in, McKenna tried to show him the tactic board/paper, but Ronaldo just dismissed him. You could see McKenna's stonefaced.

Would like to see the video but in fairness that’s better feedback from Ronaldo than what coaches get from most players. They just stand their nodding along inattentively clearly uninterested in some last minute diagrams, either they know the plan or they don’t at that stage, now they’re just getting revved up to play. Always seemed like an act of hubris from coaches at that point.

 

[Josh 76]

It’s like having roy keane back on the pitch. Desire to win, sore loser and makes it known this isn’t good enough. Ole better watch his back, he won’t accept this!

Ole was smiling after the game. Let the difference sink in

I get all this winner mentality Ronaldo brings to the club, but the issue is Ronaldo is not the Ronaldo of old where he could win matches on his own and set the standard. Now he needs help from his team mates, who are simply not good enough. If you thinks he’s getting pissed off now, you haven’t seen anything yet!

 

[Black Adder]

Would like to see the video but in fairness that’s better feedback from Ronaldo than what coaches get from most players. They just stand their nodding along inattentively clearly uninterested in some last minute diagrams, either they know the plan or they don’t at that stage, now they’re just getting revved up to play. Always seemed like an act of hubris from coaches at that point.

This is something I've been thinking about for some time now.

How the feck is player expected to memorise like 100 potential playes in 60 sec before coming on??

 

[red4ever 79]

Would love to have been a fly on the wall yesterday. Ronaldo was clearly seething at dropping points and was first down the tunnel. What do you reckon he thought /said when Ole came in smiling probably getting a piggy ride from Fred.

 

[Judge Red]

Not Ronaldo’s fault. If he’d gone to City, he’d have at least the same number of goals and team mates who could back him up and we’d all be fuming that we didn’t sign him.

I mean, that’s what we bought him for. So City couldn’t have him. We knew he wasn’t what our squad needed.

 

[Pep's Suit]

He makes 2.7 pressures per 90 mins, that's absolutely shocking. You can take care of yourself as much as you want, look fit, ripped but a guy in mid to late 30s simply can't compete with younger men. Genuinely have no idea how that would work under Pep when Jesus makes 17.8.

 

[Mickson]

This is something I've been thinking about for some time now.

How the feck is player expected to memorise like 100 potential playes in 60 sec before coming on??

It's set pieces, what he should do and what his role will be at defensive and attacking set pieces. It's not 100 different things and it's nothing complicated.

 

[Gehrman]

The problem with having Ronaldo on the bench is that he's the highest paid footballer in the prem and of course the biggest name together with Messi. I quite like the fact that he shows discontent when we drop points. However due to his age and his natural decline I don't think it's wise to build around Ronaldo.

 

[Sultan]

Ronaldo, Ole, the club, and the fans should realise he is no more GOAT or spring chicken and has limitations in his games. He is not, or will not be our saviour.

Protect your legacy, Ronnie. Don't let your mind/heart fool you into thinking you're still at the same level you were over the last many years. It simply happens to all of us as we start getting older and we just don't realise our limitations.

Onto you Ole, have the cajoles to make decisions on Ronaldo the player as he performs now and not his previous greatness.

 

[Isotope]

Would like to see the video but in fairness that’s better feedback from Ronaldo than what coaches get from most players. They just stand their nodding along inattentively clearly uninterested in some last minute diagrams, either they know the plan or they don’t at that stage, now they’re just getting revved up to play. Always seemed like an act of hubris from coaches at that point.

Well, it wasn't really Ronaldo told McKenna to feck off (maybe). it's more like he said one word when McKenna started to show him that tactic paper. Then McKenna just gave up right away. I thought that's kind of funny.

But you're right. What's a 10 second instruction would do at that point. Also when only the sub, not others, could see what the Coach was trying to implement.

 

[DoomSlayer]

Ronaldo, Ole, the club, and the fans should realise he is no more GOAT or spring chicken and has limitations in his games. He is not, or will not be our saviour.

Protect your legacy, Ronnie. Don't let your mind/heart fool you into thinking you're still at the same level you were over the last many years. It simply happens to all of us as we start getting older and we just don't realise our limitations.

Onto you Ole, have the cajoles to make decisions on Ronaldo the player as he performs now and not his previous greatness.

Ibrahimovic played about every game he was fit at a similar age to Ronaldo and was our best player most of the time. You are seriously undervaluing Cristiano with this post.

 

[tenpoless]

Ronaldo, Ole, the club, and the fans should realise he is no more GOAT or spring chicken and has limitations in his games. He is not, or will not be our saviour.

Protect your legacy, Ronnie. Don't let your mind/heart fool you into thinking you're still at the same level you were over the last many years. It simply happens to all of us as we start getting older and we just don't realise our limitations.

Onto you Ole, have the cajoles to make decisions on Ronaldo the player as he performs now and not his previous greatness.

He has been our saviour. Where are we without his goals? before this Cavani wasnt ready as well.

 

[croadyman]

Should we sell him to City this winter window? Let him becomes their "problem" instead?

Nope how about get him to really push in the press how much we badly need better coaching because surely a born winner is going to get fed up of trying to save his manager's incompetent arse time and time again

 

[Isotope]

Nope how about get him to really push in the press how much we badly need better coaching because surely a born winner is going to get fed up of trying to save his manager's incompetent arse time and time again

I was being sarcastic with those questions. Ha..

 

[Sultan]

He has been our saviour. Where are we without his goals? before this Cavani wasnt ready as well.

We have managed without both Cavani and Ronaldo in the past and will do so in the future. Are you saying with any conviction or science another player would not have played and scored in his position in those games?

 

[Black Adder]

It's set pieces, what he should do and what his role will be at defensive and attacking set pieces. It's not 100 different things and it's nothing complicated.

Sorry coach, here I was thinking it's literally 100 things.

No matter how complicated or not it's something every player should know before match, not going through it in last seconds before coming on. But what do I know, I'm just Black Adder from internet.

 

[Sultan]

Ibrahimovic played about every game he was fit at a similar age to Ronaldo and was our best player most of the time. You are seriously undervaluing Cristiano with this post.

Apples and oranges

 

[Mickson]

Sorry coach, here I was thinking it's literally 100 things.

No matter how complicated or not it's something every player should know before match, not going through it in last seconds before coming on. But what do I know, I'm just Black Adder from internet.

You can't really prepare that because it depends on who you have on the pitch. His role may change if Cavani is there or not, for example. You don't seem to know such a basic thing, so I have to explain it to you. All clubs at all levels do it. A nothing story here.

 

[tenpoless]

We have managed without both Cavani and Ronaldo in the past and will do so in the future. Are you saying with any conviction or science another player would not have played and scored in his position in those games?

If Martial was his replacement, I highly doubt it. He was underperforming at the time. And I definitely wouldnt think any other player could have scored a CL match winning goal in 95th minute. Its easy to put a blame on him since he looked lazy. But hes a proven goal scorer although a rather limited one now in his defensive play. But Ole knew what he was getting. All Im saying is theres no need to underrate him when the mistakes lie in midfield. If we had a top class CM that keeps feeding Ronaldo to score, a DM that could actually defend or rather, a structure for the current players to play in I bet you would be singing a different tune now. Like it or not we look like a bunch of strangers being thrown to play football at times. Add to that is the crazy amount of mistakes from midfield. Lack of cohesion and keeps gifting away chances. You can put Messi or Mbappe up there and it'd be the same. And he has like what... 5 goals in 7? calm down.