Cristiano Ronaldo (I stay)

[ilrm]

He had a similar impact at Juve when he was there. They went from winning league title after league title to not winning any in his last two seasons there.

Not true ... they won the League twice in 3 years with him and the second time round was all because of him & Dybala stepping up. In his last season he performed a miracle against Inter in the cup semi to get Juve into the finals that they won. He scored in 6 out of 8 knockout CL games for Juve and was poor only in his final two CL games which can happen to any player.
Juve became disjointed because their managers were poor and they spent 550m (excluding Ronaldo) on really average players. The ageing team was never fully refreshed. They won because of Ronaldo and not despite him. The Juve team were slow/tired and their managers lacked any ideas ... Even Chiellini/Bonucci have said that the team lacked ideas so started to solely rely on getting the ball to Ronaldo. They were never a pressing team even at their peak. They relied on a tight defense and quick transition to attack.

We went from 2nd and an EL final to 6th and our worst season statistically. You do the math.

Same can be said about the Varane & Sancho purchases. You speak as if United have gone on a 5-game winning streak. You've only won 1 game, at home, against an out-of-form opponent missing 3 starters down the middle (CF/DLP/CB).

 

[imamuppet]

Have the strong feeling we have an agreement in place with Ronaldo that once we sign his replacement (Anthony or Gakpo) he will be granted a loan until January with Sporting which can be extended to the summer should they progress to the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Further to this I reckon there will be an agreement to extend his contract to finish at United next season under the condition we are in the Champions League. In regards to wages, I reckon a mixture of Sporting taking on a share, Ronaldo forgoing a share and United paying the rest but maintainiing image rights or some sort of commercial aspect to keep the moneymen happy.

Overall this is probably a good fit as we really don't need a sulking Ronaldo on 500K per week causing trouble and the man is possibly the greatest player of all time with a legacy which could still possibly be kept in tact.

My obvious preference would be that Ronaldo settles down and fulfills the role we need from him which is to lead the younger players and score important goals in a squad rotation role but I just can't see his ego allowing him to drop out of the Champions League without a fight.

Those are also my sentiments, nice post

 

[Anarion86]

I can't seem to shake the feeling that Ronaldo will be ousted in favor of the view that Harry Maguire and his ilk have of which standards are acceptable for this club.

My biggest dream is that Ronaldo leads this team to a Premier League title like he did in 09, before Rooney truly came of age, and cements his place as perhaps the greatest footballer this world has seen.

 

[The Purley King]

No, there’s plenty of evidence. Ronaldo was in the bottom quadrant in terms of final third pressures, running distance, sprints, and ball carrying for last season. He might have scored goals but goals scored is too basic and unintelligent of a way to judge a player’s worth to a team. Especially for a team wanting to play a certain way, which Ronaldo is incapable of.

I read somewhere on this thread from (I think) an Italian twitter that ronaldo is the solution to the problem that he himself causes.
That is very accurate in my opinion. Yes he scored lots of goals but everything must go through him and he has glaring deficiencies in so many other areas that on balance it’s not worth him being a regular starter.
We should get rid if we can.

 

[Varane around town]

I don't know if Ten Hag is religious. If he is then I reckon he's in church every night praying that someone somewhere takes Ronaldo.

Martial, Rashford, Sancho, Elanga, Garnacho... Gakpp and Antony (if it happens) are all Ten Hag players and would love the chance to pick three of those and not be answering question after question about Ronaldo.

 

[Swoobs]

Not true ... they won the League twice in 3 years with him and the second time round was all because of him & Dybala stepping up. In his last season he performed a miracle against Inter in the cup semi to get Juve into the finals that they won. He scored in 6 out of 8 knockout CL games for Juve and was poor only in his final two CL games which can happen to any player.
Juve became disjointed because their managers were poor and they spent 550m (excluding Ronaldo) on really average players. The ageing team was never fully refreshed. They won because of Ronaldo and not despite him. The Juve team were slow/tired and their managers lacked any ideas ... Even Chiellini/Bonucci have said that the team lacked ideas so started to solely rely on getting the ball to Ronaldo. They were never a pressing team even at their peak. They relied on a tight defense and quick transition to attack.

Same can be said about the Varane & Sancho purchases. You speak as if United have gone on a 5-game winning streak. You've only won 1 game, at home, against an out-of-form opponent missing 3 starters down the middle (CF/DLP/CB).

There is only 1 constant between Juve and United’s deterioration, and it isn’t Pirlo, Sancho or Varane.

 

[Chesterlestreet]

Bottom line his playing style, his non-commitment to doing some actual work on the field is an anathema to any squad that wants to play modern football at the highest level.

This is obvious to most neutral observers.

As you rightly say, it's why he had a five minute cameo in what was - to both teams involved - a very important match.

Ten Hag knows exactly what Ronaldo offers as a player - he isn't an idiot.

Ronaldo's most blinkered fans can't see this, though - or they refuse to see it, clinging to the idea that he's still - under ideal conditions, for him - capable of scoring a decent (but by no means very impressive) number of goals.

 

[giorno]

He has 60 goals in the past two seasons. Until we have someone who can contribute similar numbers, all arguments that he is ineffective hit a brick wall.

Goals scored by juventus in the 3 seasons before Cristiano(top scorer 23, 32, 26): 96, 112, 112. Per game ratio: 1.84, 1.96, 2.07.
Goals scored in 3 seasons with Cris(28, 37, 36): 87, 99, 108. Per game: 1.70, 1.90, 2.07
United 19/20: 112 goals, 1.83 gpg, Martial 23
United 20/21: 121 goals, 1.98 gpg, Bruno 28
United 21/22: 71 goals, 1.44 gpg, Cris 24

It does not look as though Cristiano adds a lot of goals to his teams these days...

 

[Raoul]

This is obvious to most neutral observers.

As you rightly say, it's why he had a five minute cameo in what was - to both teams involved - a very important match.

Ten Hag knows exactly what Ronaldo offers as a player - he isn't an idiot.

Ronaldo's most blinkered fans can't see this, though - or they refuse to see it, clinging to the idea that he's still - under ideal conditions, for him - capable of scoring a decent (but by no means very impressive) number of goals.

This is itself a very blinkered view. If we didn't think he could contribute then we wouldn't have bought him and would've made every effort to let him leave (including cancelling his contract). The fact that he is still here suggests there is still considerable interest in keeping him, whether from the manager, the owners or some combination thereof.

 

[Raoul]

Goals scored by juventus in the 3 seasons before Cristiano(top scorer 23, 32, 26): 96, 112, 112. Per game ratio: 1.84, 1.96, 2.07.
Goals scored in 3 seasons with Cris(28, 37, 36): 87, 99, 108. Per game: 1.70, 1.90, 2.07
United 19/20: 112 goals, 1.83 gpg, Martial 23
United 20/21: 121 goals, 1.98 gpg, Bruno 28
United 21/22: 71 goals, 1.44 gpg, Cris 24

It does not look as though Cristiano adds a lot of goals to his teams these days...

Forget about the averages and just look at the raw numbers. He had the third most goals in the league (league alone) and scored more than Kane. At some point you have to realize that he has contributed quite a bit and could continue to do so, especially in the absence of any viable alternatives who can replace his goals.

 

[Leftback99]

This is itself a very blinkered view. If we didn't think he could contribute then we wouldn't have bought him and would've made every effort to let him leave (including cancelling his contract). The fact that he is still here suggests there is still considerable interest in keeping him, whether from the manager, the owners or some combination thereof.

Or just no one wants to buy him.

 

[giorno]

Forget about the averages and just look at the raw numbers. He had the third most goals in the league (league alone) and scored more than Kane. At some point you have to realize that he has contributed quite a bit and could continue to do so, especially in the absence of any viable alternatives who can replace his goals.

At some point you have to realize that scoring 121 goals is better than scoring 71, regardless if you have a player scoring 60 of those 71 goals by himself

Can he still contribute to a team? Sure. Can he make a net positive impact on his team when balanced against the media frenzy, dressing room dynamics, and tactical imbalances he brings to the table? Maybe, but only if the team around him is built to maximize his qualities and hide the rest. Is he still good enough to justify building around him? Does not seem to be the case anymore. What you are left with is basically a net neutral - he scores just enough not to make you worse, but not enough to make you better

 

[Greck]

Seen nothing to suggest Ronaldo will score more under ETH. Better manager doesn't mean better player if the player is a terrible fit in the fist place. When he has been on the pitch so far we have almost reverted to being the attack from last season. He sits one game and our LW and RW open their accounts for the season, both goals coming from unselfish striker play both on and off the ball. Then he comes on towards the end and almost takes us back to the Ronaldo show where everyone has to huff and puff to get him the goal. That stupid shot he took prematurely when the play was developing was just him hijacking the attack for his own benefit.

 

[Ali Dia]

I really hope he’s gone by the end of the window. The players looked much happier without him in preseason and on Monday

 

[Oly Francis]

Forget about the averages and just look at the raw numbers. He had the third most goals in the league (league alone) and scored more than Kane. At some point you have to realize that he has contributed quite a bit and could continue to do so, especially in the absence of any viable alternatives who can replace his goals.

Bringing up Kane is actually a very good exemple to show how the "raw number" argument is irrelevant. He did score more than Kane, however Kane is FAR more useful to his team than Ronaldo because of all the other qualities he brings to the table.

 

[youmeletsfly]

Goals scored by juventus in the 3 seasons before Cristiano(top scorer 23, 32, 26): 96, 112, 112. Per game ratio: 1.84, 1.96, 2.07.
Goals scored in 3 seasons with Cris(28, 37, 36): 87, 99, 108. Per game: 1.70, 1.90, 2.07
United 19/20: 112 goals, 1.83 gpg, Martial 23
United 20/21: 121 goals, 1.98 gpg, Bruno 28
United 21/22: 71 goals, 1.44 gpg, Cris 24

It does not look as though Cristiano adds a lot of goals to his teams these days...

Mate what the feck, it doesn't work like that, it's not simple math. Last season you scored 80, now you get Cristiano and you will score 110.

This ain't some Fifa level shit, it's real life. For Cristiano, Messi, or anyone on the planet to come into a new team and score 30-40 a season, others need to create them goals, or at least to play their part.

I'm not defending Ronnie, he surely hurts his teams a bit for not being able to be a fluid player anymore, but I watched all the Juve games when he played and 100% he wasn't the issue. There were times when they couldn't fecking put a ball in the box for their lives.

Juve's issues were the same as United's, old players on good money, bad investments and atrocious managers.

 

[Raoul]

Bringing up Kane is actually a very good exemple to show how the "raw number" argument is irrelevant. He did score more than Kane, however Kane is FAR more useful to his team than Ronaldo because of all the other qualities he brings to the table.

Depends on how a player is used I suppose. Surround him with good players and a competent manager and you will get the best out of him, which given his calibre would be very good for us.

 

[Raoul]

Or just no one wants to buy him.

They would probably get him for free if they could afford his wages.

 

[MrEleson]

14 years ago... He's 37/38. Ronaldo currently is a detriment to the team. He shoots from dumb angles all the time and demands to be on free kicks even though he is horrible at them. He takes up shit positions that get in the way of others or don't provide the right option.

Everything here you listed about Ronaldo is exactly how he’s been for the last 10+ years and his teams were still successful. The only difference in what you wrote is that hes 37/38.
Don’t know about getting into shit positions part though.

 

[Acheron]

Bringing up Kane is actually a very good exemple to show how the "raw number" argument is irrelevant. He did score more than Kane, however Kane is FAR more useful to his team than Ronaldo because of all the other qualities he brings to the table.

Personally I rate Son above Kane, but those two contribute a lot for their team. However it's not like United have players of similar quality to those two at the moment that are out of the team because of Ronaldo. I think they do need him unless they bring a couple of forwards.

 

[buchansleftleg]

Could playing for Marseilles give him an option to live in Monaco. I know it's a few hours drive away but the "tax benefits" might make it worthwile.

Maybe he's looking to make his commercial activity pay him even more if it's largely tax free.

 

[MrEleson]

No progressive footballing side will touch him with a barge pole. We only did because we’re nostalgia / throwback / sentimental FC.

Yet City we’re in for him last year.

 

[giorno]

Mate what the feck, it doesn't work like that, it's not simple math. Last season you scored 80, now you get Cristiano and you will score 110.

What is the point of signing a player like that if you're not going to score more? Sure, it's not math, it's not a guarantee or anything - obviously. But if you sign a striker who scores a lot of goals, and he scores a lot of goals, and your attack gets worse, obviously there is something wrong there.

This ain't some Fifa level shit, it's real life. For Cristiano, Messi, or anyone on the planet to come into a new team and score 30-40 a season, others need to create them goals, or at least to play their part.

Yup. So how did a team who created plenty and scored a lot, sign one of the best players of all time, and suddenly they get worse at creating chances and score significantly less?

I'm not defending Ronnie, he surely hurts his teams a bit for not being able to be a fluid player anymore, but I watched all the Juve games when he played and 100% he wasn't the issue. There were times when they couldn't fecking put a ball in the box for their lives.

This inability to attack started after they signed him. Yes, obviously it's not just down to him, but it's disingenous to think he didn't play a part in this given the evidence is now carrying over multiple seasons

Juve's issues were the same as United's, old players on good money, bad investments and atrocious managers.

A player that expensive, with that fame, that ego, and everything that comes with it, needs to be able to cover for a lot of those things to be worth it. If he's not, at most he becomes just another player, one who doesn't move the needle

 

[bosnian_red]

Everything here you listed about Ronaldo is exactly how he’s been for the last 10+ years and his teams were still successful. The only difference in what you wrote is that hes 37/38.
Don’t know about getting into shit positions part though.

The difference is he's 37/38 and is scoring half of what he used to with a significant decline in all he attacking effectiveness stats. That's why he's not worth it anymore. He was worth it when he was scoring every game. He's not worth it when he's scoring every other game. Also it's not just about that. Up until the last few years, he was able to make those good runs and make things happen on his own. He'd be able to make a great chance out of a random position. He created tons of scoring opportunities for himself through his dynamism and his ability. He just doesn't do it anymore. He can't dribble past players anymore, he just tries shooting through the player who fronts him up. Which significantly reduces the quality of the chance.

 

[The Purley King]

What is the point of signing a player like that if you're not going to score more? Sure, it's not math, it's not a guarantee or anything - obviously. But if you sign a striker who scores a lot of goals, and he scores a lot of goals, and your attack gets worse, obviously there is something wrong there.


Yup. So how did a team who created plenty and scored a lot, sign one of the best players of all time, and suddenly they get worse at creating chances and score significantly less?


This inability to attack started after they signed him. Yes, obviously it's not just down to him, but it's disingenous to think he didn't play a part in this given the evidence is now carrying over multiple seasons


A player that expensive, with that fame, that ego, and everything that comes with it, needs to be able to cover for a lot of those things to be worth it. If he's not, at most he becomes just another player, one who doesn't move the needle

you are 100% correct in my opinion.
Yes he scores goals but he reduces the capacity of the team as a whole to score goals.
Not worth it.

 

[JPRouve]

What is the point of signing a player like that if you're not going to score more? Sure, it's not math, it's not a guarantee or anything - obviously. But if you sign a striker who scores a lot of goals, and he scores a lot of goals, and your attack gets worse, obviously there is something wrong there.


Yup. So how did a team who created plenty and scored a lot, sign one of the best players of all time, and suddenly they get worse at creating chances and score significantly less?


This inability to attack started after they signed him. Yes, obviously it's not just down to him, but it's disingenous to think he didn't play a part in this given the evidence is now carrying over multiple seasons


A player that expensive, with that fame, that ego, and everything that comes with it, needs to be able to cover for a lot of those things to be worth it. If he's not, at most he becomes just another player, one who doesn't move the needle

United poor record last season was a combination of two things and as you insinuate Ronaldo fixes neither. Despite his poor season in terms of finishing Martial was above average in open play in 20/21 until his injury and Greenwood was bette than the alternatives we had after his 'suspension".

Ronaldo scores what Martial or Greenwood would score in 19/20 while not providing the playmaking that Martial brings.

 

[MrEleson]

The difference is he's 37/38 and is scoring half of what he used to with a significant decline in all he attacking effectiveness stats. That's why he's not worth it anymore. He was worth it when he was scoring every game. He's not worth it when he's scoring every other game. Also it's not just about that. Up until the last few years, he was able to make those good runs and make things happen on his own. He'd be able to make a great chance out of a random position. He created tons of scoring opportunities for himself through his dynamism and his ability. He just doesn't do it anymore. He can't dribble past players anymore, he just tries shooting through the player who fronts him up. Which significantly reduces the quality of the chance.

That’s one angle to look at it from but you can also say that his teammates in recent seasons are significantly worse than they were when he was scoring 50+ goals per year which will obviously bring down his total. Obviously, he’s nowhere near his prime but for me he’s still a world class player and would shine in the correct system (admittedly doesn’t suit this current United side). He stopped being that all action, complete forward years ago - even as far back as his last 3 seasons at Madrid but he still creates chances out of random every now and then - more so than other players on the team as evidenced against Spurs in both games, Atalanta, Brighton, etc etc.

 

[2ndTouch]

Everything here you listed about Ronaldo is exactly how he’s been for the last 10+ years and his teams were still successful. The only difference in what you wrote is that hes 37/38.

And that he's a 24 goals/season striker, instead of one who was once good for 50. Other than that, all's fine, though.

 

[The Corinthian]

I'd say a manager going on public record about a topic is far more informative than internet rumors by people who gossip for a living. If Ronaldo wanted to leave and ETH thought he was surplus to requirements, then the contract would've been terminated weeks ago.

Again, do managers speak the truth in front of the cameras all the time? You'd have to be extremely naive to think that's the case.

Also, from noise around the club, it sounds like EtH prefers for Ronaldo to head out the door, but it's Joel Glazer who wants to keep him - it goes back to the vanity signing aspect with Woody and our owners more interested in interactions, likes and clicks rather than what happens on the football pitch.

The reality is, Ronaldo's camp probably made murmurings about his discontent to sound out the market. If there was some appetite from the market to get Ronaldo, he would have either been sold or at the very least had his contract terminated. What's transpired is that no one wants to touch him and his only option looks to be a secondary (or tertiary) level club, such as Marseille.

Not true. He's on 375k a week since we failed to qualify for the CL.

His gross is over £500k though - no club other than a select few can afford that level of wage.

 

[Raoul]

What is the point of signing a player like that if you're not going to score more? Sure, it's not math, it's not a guarantee or anything - obviously. But if you sign a striker who scores a lot of goals, and he scores a lot of goals, and your attack gets worse, obviously there is something wrong there.


Yup. So how did a team who created plenty and scored a lot, sign one of the best players of all time, and suddenly they get worse at creating chances and score significantly less?


This inability to attack started after they signed him. Yes, obviously it's not just down to him, but it's disingenous to think he didn't play a part in this given the evidence is now carrying over multiple seasons


A player that expensive, with that fame, that ego, and everything that comes with it, needs to be able to cover for a lot of those things to be worth it. If he's not, at most he becomes just another player, one who doesn't move the needle

We didn't score less because of Ronaldo. We scored less because we had poor managers who were incapable of getting the team to perform at a high level, which then had a knock on effect in how we did everything from defending to attacking. That was the problem last year, not Ronaldo. When the team is up for it, the attackers do better. See the Newcastle game last year.

 

[Raoul]

Again, do managers speak the truth in front of the cameras all the time? You'd have to be extremely naive to think that's the case.

Also, from noise around the club, it sounds like EtH prefers for Ronaldo to head out the door, but it's Joel Glazer who wants to keep him - it goes back to the vanity signing aspect with Woody and our owners more interested in interactions, likes and clicks rather than what happens on the football pitch.

The reality is, Ronaldo's camp probably made murmurings about his discontent to sound out the market. If there was some appetite from the market to get Ronaldo, he would have either been sold or at the very least had his contract terminated. What's transpired is that no one wants to touch him and his only option looks to be a secondary (or tertiary) level club, such as Marseille.


His gross is over £500k though - no club other than a select few can afford that level of wage.

You have to take a manager's word at face value, unless of course you think they are all liars who are plotting to deceive the fan base whenever it suits them.

 

[The Corinthian]

Not true ... they won the League twice in 3 years with him and the second time round was all because of him & Dybala stepping up. In his last season he performed a miracle against Inter in the cup semi to get Juve into the finals that they won. He scored in 6 out of 8 knockout CL games for Juve and was poor only in his final two CL games which can happen to any player.
Juve became disjointed because their managers were poor and they spent 550m (excluding Ronaldo) on really average players. The ageing team was never fully refreshed. They won because of Ronaldo and not despite him. The Juve team were slow/tired and their managers lacked any ideas ... Even Chiellini/Bonucci have said that the team lacked ideas so started to solely rely on getting the ball to Ronaldo. They were never a pressing team even at their peak. They relied on a tight defense and quick transition to attack.

Same can be said about the Varane & Sancho purchases. You speak as if United have gone on a 5-game winning streak. You've only won 1 game, at home, against an out-of-form opponent missing 3 starters down the middle (CF/DLP/CB).

@giorno posted some telling stats about Ronaldo's overall performance within the team. Although he does get you goals, its to the overall detriment to the team. Same thing at Juve happened with us. It's not Varane, it's not Sancho...but it is Ronaldo.

 

[The Corinthian]

You have to take a manager's word at face value, unless of course you think they are all liars who are plotting to deceive the fan base whenever it suits them.

You don't have to take it at face value. In any case - the reality is there's no market for a 37/38 year old striker that doesn't press, run, carry the ball, provide a positive cohesive atmosphere, and one that requires, at a minimum, around £350k a week.

 

[The Corinthian]

Yet City we’re in for him last year.

City can afford to sign players for £100m, and write them off if they're not contributing for a season. City are also a lot more coherent and mature in their footballing roadmap, meaning players can be swapped in/out and it doesn't affect the team as a whole.

 

[Chesterlestreet]

This is itself a very blinkered view. If we didn't think he could contribute then we wouldn't have bought him and would've made every effort to let him leave (including cancelling his contract). The fact that he is still here suggests there is still considerable interest in keeping him, whether from the manager, the owners or some combination thereof.

I don't see why, really.

For one thing, this part:

If we didn't think he could contribute then we wouldn't have bought him and would've made every effort to let him leave (including cancelling his contract).

is a rather strange argument from authority given the state of United. In fact, I'm puzzled why you would make it at all: do you think the people who decided to bring Ronaldo back were first class decision makers?

As for why he is still here, there could be many reasons for that. That Erik ten Hag desperately wants to keep him is probably not one of them - would be my guess. And if the combination you refer to involves the owners more than the manager, you * have a gigantic problem right there.

* Or rather we, all of us.

 

[Raoul]

I don't see why, really.

For one thing, this part:



is a rather strange argument from authority given the state of United. In fact, I'm puzzled why you would make it at all: do you think the people who decided to bring Ronaldo back were first class decision makers?

As for why he is still here, there could be many reasons for that. That Erik ten Hag desperately wants to keep him is probably not one of them - would be my guess. And if the combination you refer to involves the owners more than the manager, you * have a gigantic problem right there.

* Or rather we, all of us.

IIRC most were in favor of bringing him back, so i don't see why the decision would be remotely controversial, especially given the uproar it would've created had he joined City.

I think ETH is building a long term squad, which means keeping older players isn't ideal. Unless of course said older player can score upwards of 25-30 goals, at which point the prospect of not having those goals elsewhere becomes very relevant in ETH's calculus.

 

[Nou_Camp99]

Again, do managers speak the truth in front of the cameras all the time? You'd have to be extremely naive to think that's the case.

Also, from noise around the club, it sounds like EtH prefers for Ronaldo to head out the door, but it's Joel Glazer who wants to keep him - it goes back to the vanity signing aspect with Woody and our owners more interested in interactions, likes and clicks rather than what happens on the football pitch.

The reality is, Ronaldo's camp probably made murmurings about his discontent to sound out the market. If there was some appetite from the market to get Ronaldo, he would have either been sold or at the very least had his contract terminated. What's transpired is that no one wants to touch him and his only option looks to be a secondary (or tertiary) level club, such as Marseille.


His gross is over £500k though - no club other than a select few can afford that level of wage.

No it's not. His wage from United is now 375k before tax. He had to take a 25% wage cut like the whole squad did. So the 500k isn't true anymore. That was last season.

 

[Chesterlestreet]

And that he's a 24 goals/season striker, instead of one who was once good for 50.

Yes.

A 24 goals/season striker who doesn't fit into any overall scheme where his 24 goals would be an undoubted, brilliant contribution from a 37 year old.

The latter is what his fans think happened, it seems.

Can you squeeze a decent number of goals out of Ronaldo (making sure he ends up not too far behind the actual top scorer in the league)? Yes, you probably can (Ronaldo isn't utterly finished as a football player - nobody's saying that). But why the feck would you want to?

Is there a way to use Ronaldo effectively for a manager like ten Hag (who has a huge and very particular job on his hands)? Possibly - yes. But is Ronaldo himself happy to be used in that way?

 

[Chesterlestreet]

IIRC most were in favor of bringing him back, so i don't see why the decision would be remotely controversial, especially given the uproar it would've created had he joined City.

Firstly, I'm not sure that's true. Many of us were extremely skeptical about him coming "home". Once he had actually signed the contract, we decided to be positive about it - or at least not overly negative. That, at least, was what I did myself .

Secondly, this has nothing to do with assessing his status at the club now. Whether it was a popular decision to bring him back or not - is utterly irrelevant, surely.

 

[youmeletsfly]

What is the point of signing a player like that if you're not going to score more? Sure, it's not math, it's not a guarantee or anything - obviously. But if you sign a striker who scores a lot of goals, and he scores a lot of goals, and your attack gets worse, obviously there is something wrong there.

He did hinder their attack at certain times, but didn't hurt them by a lot. You can't put your finger on it and say "Ronaldo is the reason why they didn't score 30 more a season", especially when he was the only one scoring 30 a season.

They had no clue on how to use him and their wingers were average at best. Also the switch between wingers, especially on the right side, from game to game, didn't work and fecked them over big time.

A player that expensive, with that fame, that ego, and everything that comes with it, needs to be able to cover for a lot of those things to be worth it. If he's not, at most he becomes just another player, one who doesn't move the needle

I agree with that, however, it's not on him 100%. They had a top caliber striker and didn't know how to adjust the team to suit him.

Look at RM and how they adjusted in his last 3 seasons to accommodate for 70% of the game where he does nothing in order to get the 30% where he carries them on his back. The same with Messi at Barca.

In a league with such slow football, any decent manager would have found a way to make it work. If others managed it in Spain, I'm sure Juve managers should have done so in Italy.

I agree he does slow a team down when attacking, but it's not like Juventus were scintillating before he joined. They weren't playing some tiki taka levels of football and Cristiano came in and fecked it big time. They were the best team in a bad league, like Bayern in Germany.