Yeah I assumed he'd done well today considering nobody bumped this thread 
Cristiano Ronaldo - Much Ado About Al Nassr
- Thread starter Bastian
- Start date
Saudi leagueYeah I assumed he'd done well today considering nobody bumped this thread
Beautiful assist for the first... But the second was not an assist. Unless we count him disturbing the keeper's view (from an offside position?) to be an assist.
More interesting regarding him... Saudi Arabia will arrange FIFA Club World Cup in 2023, which means if he wins the League and stays there for next year (or at least until December), he will get a shot a playing that Competition again. And maybe he could help Al Nassr become the first non-Brazilian and non-European club to win it.
Bonkers to think he could have been playing in Camp Nou last night. I truly believe his return is one of the biggest mistakes of an era littered with mistakes, but I honestly think if he'd had the decency to listen to Erik Ten Hag and leave his ego in the Rolls Royce, he could have a third wind. Ah well, we're not exactly missing him now.
Subbed on past 80 minutes or something like that, yeah
That's surely still miles better than playing in the Saudi Arabian league.
The disrespect
Am I living in an alternate reality where people think he's still any good?
Not if you are being paid 200M+ to play in the Saudi league... I don't think there is anything ETH or anybody could have done to make him see reason. He was angry for missing the CL (scared for his record) and at least as much for the pay cut (for the whole squad) this season without the CL meant.
The disrespect to Barcelona... Bringing in a retired footballer in a tight KO match against them.
Yeah, why not? I actually think if he listened to the manager and had the humility to follow instructions for the good of the team, he could have played more. I cannot believe he couldn't have done the work Weghurst is doing if he'd tried. It's not like he couldn't have waited a few more months to play exhibition matches for Al Nassr.
Who is to blame?
To be clear, no. I'm saying he could have performed a function.
Ronaldo... and Ed Woodward.
I think he'd still be a better option than weghorst
But nah last season he got played too often because we had no back up, and it ran him into the ground, maybe he can come back to Europe, but assuming we get a takeover it's not going to be a choice between him and weghorst, we should be aiming an awful lot higher
There's no chance he could've played the role or worked as hard as Weghorst did in the last two games.
Cristiano Ronaldo's ego is to blame.
The only answer.
A poster genuinely claimed he could be the difference if he'd stayed in us winning the league this season the other day, that's literally having seen how much better we are after he left as well. Some posters live in a completely different reality.
We're lucky he came a year or two earlier. If we get taken over by the Qataris and they bring him, it'll be goodbye ETH.
Another hat trick today, looks like he's having fun
Does anyone give a shite, genuinely?
You obviously do, as you replied.
That's a 'no' then.
Yep, he’s found his level.
Tbf, two hat tricks in 5 games probably suggests he's still much better than this level.
It’s ‘Ado.’
Not ‘Adu.’
Not ‘Adu.’
This post reads like an alien who has only heard about who and what Cristiano Ronaldo is from a stats page and knows nothing of the personality.
This. It’s just painful to see the league where he’s at now because if only he was a tiny bit humble this past year he still could have played a role off our bench or a top 6/8 side around Europe.
The guy who assisted his goal cried. When he plays everyone else feels obligated to help him score goals. Works in lower level but not at the top level.
Thats the key though isn't it. It's not in his nature to do all the low key, ugly, thankless work that weghorst is prepared to do. Not to mention weghorst has been about as prolific as Ronaldo for united this season on top of that.
To be fair, I still think if Ronaldo just kept his mouth shut and did what he was told, he'd still be a vastly superior upgarde to Wout (I'm not counting Martial since he is perma-injured). But given his huge ego, he had to go.
Freddy disagrees
To be fair, I just watched the highlights, the first of which I've watched of him there.... HE looks like he's holding back tears quite often, like 'why am I here?' tears... before the 'oh yeah, money' inner monologue motivates him to give it a go.
I mean he didn't even appeal for a clear handball penalty nor did he really appeal to the level were accustomed for another foul on him in the area.... the standard is utterly atrocious though, and the fact he's taking it seriously to a degree unlike others who have done the move, it's quite funny to see the level disparity in reality, it's genuinely like slapping him in a Division 2 team in FM/Fifa for no reason other than to humour yourself.
Well he is 38 and is clearly playing for money there, a lot of money, and he is scoring for fun now, I think that’s all matter at this stage of his career. Just think about all the past greats (Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Beckenbauer) moving to poorer leagues during their early-mid 30s or retiring at 2nd rated league at mid-30s. Ronaldo has already extended his career at the very top level longer than any of them. And I think it also somehow turns out to be win win situation for him, for us and for his new club too, as we all end up in better situation now.
As for his remaining motivation, of course it’s mainly about money, it’s a lot of money you know. But then maybe he also need to maintain his popularity in social media by posting his goals/win regularly, and of cos every goals would still counts to his career records - career goals, career hat tricks, or even trophies count etc it’s always better to spend last years of his career on high by winning trophies/scoring goals/making records/earning money rather than sitting on bench contributing nothing to his team, especially when he had already achieved everything at the very top level at club football.
cnut
In theory yes because Wout has limitations but the things he's good at are crucial to Ten Hag's team. Namely work rate and pressing. Ronaldo can do neither of those but with better finishing. However Rashford and other players are now more productive as well so we aren't reliant on a single goal scorer anymore.
I don't know why comparisons to players from 30-50 years ago is a relevant argument for his fans either. Anyone should be playing far longer if they want it... by the sheer nature of the modern science, data and dietary knowledge. It's not some wild achievement really, I mean, it still is... but it kind of isn't.
Regardless of age, he could still be playing somewhere reasonably relevant... instead of wiping his tears with money where even a 5 minute highlight clip is a bit of chore since it's clearly too easy for him. He could continue scoring hat-tricks until he's 50 there, but they're just totally pointless goals, and novelty to his ultras will clearly fade... I mean he's what? 5 games in and actually scoring for fun, and you can already tell it's massively faded from social media point of view.
It's incredibly bizarre (and hilarious) how less than 6 months ago I would've been sympathetic if Ronaldo had considered reaching the League Cup final beneath him...
He’s young still, has plenty of time to come good.
Because the past greats are mostly from 30-50 years ago, whereas whether modern science/dietary would help or not, fact remain most top players from his generation had already retired (ie Rooney, Tevez, Torres, Kaka, Ribery, Robben, Aguero, Pique, Bale etc). So there is clearly still age limitations in football even today.
Sure I think he could still play his part at the top league in Europe, but truth is, no big club is willing to pay big money for him and guarantee him as starter in every game there, and potentially undermining the manager too. And sure his ego could not accept playing 2nd fiddle/backup to anyone too, while not winning any trophies.
In the end, maybe he could choose to play in MLS or some mid table club at European top leagues instead. But he choose money, and I would not say it’s a very bad move at this stage of his career.