He looked great when he played in Benfica and his first steps in the NT, specially in the WC.
Cristiano Ronaldo - Much Ado About Al Nassr
- Thread starter Bastian
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He looked great when he played in Benfica and his first steps in the NT, specially in the WC.
There is definitely a player in there! I agree. I think he has more to offer, and he is only 23. He probably needs to help himself too and go somewhere where he will always play, but he seems like a very sensible option for them up top that would offer them so much more.
Well their choice of managers have everything to do with Ronaldo that's why they went with a wimpy yes man like Martinez instead of someone with a strong personality like Luis Enrique.
Fernando Santos was sacked cause he dared to bench Ronaldo in the last world cup otherwise he would have continued cause he achieved the minimum goal that was asked of him but hey gotta keep Ronaldo happy.
They want to continue to milk the cash cow that Ronaldo has been for the Portuguese FA for as long as possible so they will continue to apoint coaches who are basically puppets.
The best Portugal has played in recent years was during the group stages when they ended up wining it. They played the group stages without Ronaldo and the team flow was much better, the link up play much fluid, you could see that the players felt more free cause they didn't need to constantly look to pass the ball to Ronaldo with fear that he would threw a tantrum if they didn't.
Their best game in a major tournament in recent years was the 7-1 win over Switzerland also without Ronaldo and with Ramos scoring 3.
In the last euro I think it was against Turkey where Portugal scored a goal and he was still pissed that the player who scored didn't pass him the ball.
Or who can forget the game in the last world cup where Bruno put in a cross and Ronaldo jumped but didn't touched the ball and the goal was awarded to Bruno. At the end Portugal won the game and Ronaldo was still angry and arguing with the ref cause the goal wasn't given to him. One of the most pathetic displays I've ever seen.
Ronaldo has been very important to Portugal but right now he's more of a problem than a solution. It's time to go.
Is that really the case though? Maybe at CF they lack quality (Ramos, Jota, Ronaldo and at a stretch Joao Felix) but their squad depth is almost as good as any, isn’t it?
I think the past 2 tournaments Ronaldo plus their managers have been two really big issues hampering them.
Sure, it’s impossible to say if replacing Ronaldo would’ve made the difference (it probably wouldn’t have) but margins are sometimes so small (think Eder at Euro ‘16). I know you’re not advocating for him to start.
I also think they have such a dominant midfield, they could even deploy a false 9 and suffocate teams through just dominating possession, instead of carrying a literal passenger up top who puts in just about non existent work outside the penalty area.
Is there even any sort of media backlash in Portugal questioning why he starts or is he basically undroppable?
He is well rounded, he looked really great in those instances I've mentioned. Yet I dunno about his character, I don't see Luis Enrique ditching someone that actually has quality if he has the right set of mind. But not every player it's for every coach and I agree that maybe it's time for him to move if he doesn't get his chances with his coach and see if he settles.
To me the problem is he doesn’t press nor defend much so for the team as a whole it’s bad.
Sure against cannon fodder he is still good but against bigger teams he rarely does anything of notice. It’s been like that for a while, then he does a hat trick against Faroe Islands and suddenly everything is ok.
I think Messi is a bit different because at least he still creates plays, he has great vision and passing and gives plenty of assists.
Ronaldo nowadays is basically a target man. He is not at the level Lewandowski still is. Plus Lewa still helps a bit pressing. Same for Kane.
I wouldn’t mind him being a sub, but playing 90 minutes every time even when producing zero is annoying.
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As if Ronaldo would accept being a sub, he would sack Martinez if he was dropped.
Hopefully he plays another 3 world cups, great for entertainment value
Which is probably the main reason Ronaldo still plays.
No idea how people in Portugal view him.
Martinez is a shocking appointment at any top level football team or organisation. He's an absolute spoofer. Santos was sacked because he plays shit football, he only held out so long because he had a bit of credit in the bank from winning the Euros. Another dreadful manager.
Ramos scored 3 vs Switzerland, since then he's scored 4 goals. Ronaldo has scored 17 in that same time period.
As for the last bit, I've already stated he should be a bit part player. But, when you're other options aren't up to much it's easy to see why a manager would opt for a proven goalscorer, especially at international level.
The other options aren't up to much cause they don't play. Of course Ronaldo has more goals he starts every game while the others barely get any minutes it would be weird and almost impossible if he had less goals than them.
And Santos wasn't fired cause he played horrible football if that was the case he would have been fired way before he did cause the team always played like shit and they still kept him there for years he was fired cause he benched Ronaldo in the WC otherwise he would have continued cause he still manage to achieve the goal of reaching at least the quarters of the WC.
This. It applies to every football mad country. It is for Ronaldo to accept the fact that he is done and retire. Unfortunately the bloke lacks the humility to do exactly that.
He was already done in Qatar at 37. I feel sorry for Portugal having to play him at 41 just for his stats.
Most Portuguese casuals want Ronaldo to play but most fans that actually follow football every week want him benched.
Maybe he will score tomorrow and restart the cycle.
Maybe he will score tomorrow and restart the cycle.
At 41 he should retire
Bruno essentially lost some of his peak at United and his whole peak at Portugal for this. Take for example free kicks. Bruno has scored the most direct free kicks in the league this year, Ronaldo has a terrible conversion rate. But no matter what Ronaldo takes all free kicks, mostly against the wall or miles over. There is a real culture of deference to the ‘boss’ at Portugal that seems to hamper them considerably.
I would enjoy him retiring and Messi coming back to Europe for a few years on a whim directly after. Only 12 CL goals in it!
He's been unlucky at PSG with injuries so hasn't really had a proper run in the team, one of his injuries was a virus where he lost a considerable amount of weight, if he can stay fit I can see him doing well as PSG don't really have a CF.
There's a reason a lot of legends of the game retire perhaps even if they have a bit more in the tank. The longer Ronaldo keeps this charade going, the more he potentially damages his legacy. Really needs to let go and celebrate his incredible achievements.
Some players still refer to him. As the best player on the world such is de deference he gets in the national team.
I don't think they believe that but they want to stay on his good graces cause he's basically the one running the all show.
I don't think they believe that but they want to stay on his good graces cause he's basically the one running the all show.
Martinez said Bernardo will play tomorrow cause it will be his 100th cap and he wants him to have a big party. This is how bad it is.
Messi can barely withstand an MLS season and you want him back in Europe? Surely you jest?
When CR7 was injured in the Euro final and had to go off Portugal looked much better and went on to win. Coincidence?
21 goals and 11 assist in 22 games last year. Surely you don’t think he couldn’t play for the likes of Milan in a groups stage against Club Brugge and the like? He would be fine in Serie A too.
We should go for him. That way we could have two of the top players in the world over the past 16 years here way past their prime. Maybe he could do an interview with Piers Morgan and shit on the club as well!
Good thing Woodward isn't still here or he'd try and make it happen!
We couldn’t have Messi here because people would complain that he was taking minutes away from James Scanlon
Siiuuuu
Misstiano pennaldo!
Misstiano pennaldo!
929
They took the lead one minute after he left the pitch 
What a legend!
Sure he scored today but he could have been helping to end world famine instead. Honestly a despicable guy.
I wonder what happens when the countdown clock hits 1000
Get your head out of there and get some air. That post wasn't serious!
I thought about this option, but the word “honestly” made it sound serious.
Apparently he's received a Guinness World Record for the most wins in a men's international football career with 132 games between August 2003 and November 2024.
Credit where credit is due, that's a heck of an achievement.
Credit where credit is due, that's a heck of an achievement.
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Sorry bud, I was messing around. There's quite a few people in here who do because sometimes the conversation can get a little too serious. Lighthearted shitposting, if you will
The guy posting all the numbers whenever Ronnie scores for example - heroic as that is - is definitely intended as a bit of a running joke to wind people up. It's great.
He's a clown nowadays, just been at the game and he looked useless. Didn't even take his one really good chance and cheerleading the crowd the whole game to try to distract from his feckups.
It can't happen surely, can it?
Oh it’s going to happen. This is the only thing that is driving him now and he will have persuaded himself that that is what will finally beat Messi.
I think he needs this now, and he has the perfect situation to do it in.