Cristiano Ronaldo: Set to leave by mutual agreement

[lex talionis]

Because you or anyone else can't possibly know where we would've ended up in the table if someone else had played instead of Ronaldo. You can't just take away his goals and imply that the team couldn't possibly have played better or scored as many/more goals as a collective without him, that's not how football works.

I understand the point you’re trying to articulate, but you simply cannot ignore what actually happened.

We went into last season believing we were set at forward positions with the following players: Martial, Rashford, Greenwood, Sancho and Elanga. Then Ronaldo dropped on our laps. We were not in the hunt for another CF and even if we were, who were we possibly going to get that was anywhere close to Ronaldo as he was in the summer of 2021? Not Haaland…no one.

There is no basis in reality to believe Martial and Rashford would not have been crap last season had we not brought in Ronaldo. We all suspected Sancho would need a season to get used to the pace of PL play. As for Greenwood, not much need be said here.

We just can’t argue that Elanga would have performed at the level of Ronaldo last season.

All that leaves is the argument that we would have obviously brought in someone else, but we all know we weren’t looking for another CF when we brought in Ronaldo. But let’s pretend we were…exactly who could we have brought in?

 

[Irwin99]

Because you or anyone else can't possibly know where we would've ended up in the table if someone else had played instead of Ronaldo. You can't just take away his goals and imply that the team couldn't possibly have played better or scored as many/more goals as a collective without him, that's not how football works.

I think the concern is that to blame a lot of last season on the signing of Ronaldo is to absolve a lot of players who, let's face it, have a history of finishing second one season and then collapsing to midtable the next season or the one after that. The 'improvement' that Ole oversaw was really just the level that Jose was at a few years previously which also wasn't good enough either and ended in the same fashion. The idea that Ronaldo destroyed a well-oiled machine is utter nonsense in my opinion.

I'm firmly in the camp that Ronaldo's behaviour has been pretty disgusting and egotistical and he shouldn't play for us again but I wouldn't bet against stories emerging in the press from players about how he damaged the team and that he was a bad influence and all that. We'll see I guess.

 

[MrEleson]

Clearly he felt personally undermined as the captain of a dressing room that Ronaldo's gigantic ego was destabilising. On the pitch though, Ronaldo made our midfield vulnerable to counter attacks by never tracking back, which then left the slow Maguire less protected and more vulnerable, thus destroying his confidence further. And finally, he scored goals but caused less goals to be scored overall, meaning teams felt more even confident to counter attack. How many break out goals did we see where Maguire was all over the place and Ronaldo was goal hanging?

Yes it would have been different with a decent holding midfielder. Yes it was a poor team to begin with. But Ronaldo broke it.

So in summary, Ronaldo was the entire problem and Maguire's diabolical form was all on him. His comical errors at the back that made him the laughing stock of the whole world was because Ronaldo was "goal hanging." Got it. Thanks for expert analysis.

 

[Tom Van Persie]

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Rooney's always maintained that Messi is the greatest and better than Ronaldo. Also Ronaldo has to be dropped atm among those three.

Well done Wayne.

 

[tenpoless]

Cristiano Ronaldo offers himself to Real Madrid on six-month deal

"For Madrid’s part, it is a stopgap solution with very little risk and potentially high reward."
You just have to laugh.

 

[ShinjiNinja26]

That’s not even having a dig, it’s just a fact.

 

[GazTheLegend]

What other “way” can one look at the fact that Ronaldo scored 18 goals in the PL last season than the fact that he was, by far, our leading scorer during a season when we struggled to score goals?

I will bite.

Now there's no doubt Ronaldo is an athlete and has an incredible shot on him, but to my mind he's a selfish player. Iniesta never used to score a fraction of the goals Ronaldo scored but I saw any team with Iniesta in it absolutely ANNIHILATE Ronaldo's side. And a lot of that is percentages, selflessness, and the ability to do the dirty work: if Ronaldo takes every single shot a team has, he's going to score the most goals. He's going to take every free kick, penalty, and even if his team mates are In better positions, have a pop himself. That works when the goals fly in, but if you're his team mates you might wonder why you're not getting the ball off him, or having a go at a free kick yourself ... See: Bruno's numbers before Ronaldo arrived.

That said selfishness is kind of what you want from your number 9, and if Rashford had the ruthless finishing Ronaldo has he'd score 30-40 a season himself.

 

[Strelok]

Don't know why but whenever I see him lately I always think about him wearing some medieval armour waving a big ass axe in the middle of a battle. Would fit him perfectly imo.

 

[Sandikan]

Don't know why but whenever I see him lately I always think about him wearing some medieval armour waving a big ass axe in the middle of a battle. Would fit him perfectly imo.

Always struggled to keep in condition when playing, so was always going to beef out a bit after. Looking a lot like his dad now.
But I see the armoury thing for sure!

 

[Luffy]

Always struggled to keep in condition when playing, so was always going to beef out a bit after. Looking a lot like his dad now.
But I see the armoury thing for sure!

Yeah, he could realistically audition for the role of Robert Baratheon nowadays.

 

[No Idea For Nickname]

 

[fallengt]

The reason Maguire was misfiring? Crazy.

Not directly.
Don't remember whose post was it but poster said Ole wanted to play more adventurous with new signings, Ronaldo included and high backline system exposed Maguire.

 

[kps88]

Was hoping we'd get another round of every top club saying they aren't interested.

 

[city-puma]

It’s the whole replay of the last summer. The next will be athletic Madrid … one by one

 

[fallengt]

He burnt the bridge with Perez. Unless either of them apologize, it will never happen

 

[FrantikChicken]

That’s not even having a dig, it’s just a fact.

None of it has been a dig, Ronaldo just perceives everything that way because he can’t come to grips with the fact that he’s no longer at the top

 

[Greck]

This is hard to watch. A legendary career shouldn't wind down in so much disgrace but it's his own doing. It's not like his football aged poorly, it's his ego that did. His ego screwed him one final time last summer saying no to smaller CL clubs that might have been conned into taking him. He's in this no-go zone where the smaller clubs can't handle his baggage and he isn't good enough for the bigger ones.

 

[glazed]

So in summary, Ronaldo was the entire problem and Maguire's diabolical form was all on him. His comical errors at the back that made him the laughing stock of the whole world was because Ronaldo was "goal hanging." Got it. Thanks for expert analysis.

You are most welcome. Glad to have increased your understanding.

 

[glazed]

Not directly.
Don't remember whose post was it but poster said Ole wanted to play more adventurous with new signings, Ronaldo included and high backline system exposed Maguire.

Exactly. Some people only understand goals for and against and the rest is just random running around like it's not all connected

 

[Penna]

Don't know why but whenever I see him lately I always think about him wearing some medieval armour waving a big ass axe in the middle of a battle. Would fit him perfectly imo.

I just said to oates he's looking like Henry VIII these days. That portrait by Holbein, he's a dead-ringer.

 

[2mufc0]

Ronnie's ultras

 

[DWelbz19]

He paid her off the first time and the second time they did not consider the evidence because it was leaked document about him admitting to it and argued it breached his privacy or some other bs. Either way he got away on a technicality

The second case was in a civil suit (the victim was suing for damages as she wasn’t getting any criminal justice), and as you say, there was an issue of disclosure and how the evidence was obtained by the claimants.

 

[2mufc0]

This thread is still going strong, 232 pages!

 

[Zlaatan]

I understand the point you’re trying to articulate, but you simply cannot ignore what actually happened.

We went into last season believing we were set at forward positions with the following players: Martial, Rashford, Greenwood, Sancho and Elanga. Then Ronaldo dropped on our laps. We were not in the hunt for another CF and even if we were, who were we possibly going to get that was anywhere close to Ronaldo as he was in the summer of 2021? Not Haaland…no one.

There is no basis in reality to believe Martial and Rashford would not have been crap last season had we not brought in Ronaldo. We all suspected Sancho would need a season to get used to the pace of PL play. As for Greenwood, not much need be said here.

We just can’t argue that Elanga would have performed at the level of Ronaldo last season.

All that leaves is the argument that we would have obviously brought in someone else, but we all know we weren’t looking for another CF when we brought in Ronaldo. But let’s pretend we were…exactly who could we have brought in?

You still seem to ignore that we're talking about the team as a collective here, not how some replacement CF or the other forwards alone could cover Ronaldo's goal tally, and saying that there's no basis in reality to believe that Martial would not have been crap last season when in actual reality he spent the majority of the season playing for another team just proves my point.

It's perfectly fine if you believe that everyone would've played roughly the same in a team without Ronaldo, but to say there's no other way to look at it is simply not true.

 

[alexthelion]

Sorry, but you couldn’t be more wrong. We were putrid not because of Ronaldo, but because of a lot of shit Ole allowed to fester. I personally give De Gea more credit for saving our season from the unthinkable, but Ronaldo was the only outfield player who put in a decent shift last season. He kept us in the top half of the table when everyone else was dropping turd after turd.

Mind you, I’m not suggesting any mercy toward the ingrateful shithead, but he truly was the only outfield player worthy of the shirt last season.

 

[The holy trinity 68]

I understand the point you’re trying to articulate, but you simply cannot ignore what actually happened.

We went into last season believing we were set at forward positions with the following players: Martial, Rashford, Greenwood, Sancho and Elanga. Then Ronaldo dropped on our laps. We were not in the hunt for another CF and even if we were, who were we possibly going to get that was anywhere close to Ronaldo as he was in the summer of 2021? Not Haaland…no one.

There is no basis in reality to believe Martial and Rashford would not have been crap last season had we not brought in Ronaldo. We all suspected Sancho would need a season to get used to the pace of PL play. As for Greenwood, not much need be said here.

We just can’t argue that Elanga would have performed at the level of Ronaldo last season.

All that leaves is the argument that we would have obviously brought in someone else, but we all know we weren’t looking for another CF when we brought in Ronaldo. But let’s pretend we were…exactly who could we have brought in?

The Ronaldo performing good last season is extremely exaggerated and actually a bit of a myth.

He played 30 league games last season and got 18 goals and 3 assists, but his 18 goals came in 12 games, he didn't score in 18 league games, which for a player that only offered goals and not much else in his all round game is actually not great.

18 games where the team was hampered by only playing for him yet him not contributing is part of what cost us last season.

United finished on 58 points last season, and Ronaldo's 18 goals and 3 assists only gained the team 15 points. To suggest a different striker couldn't help the team gain more than 15 points is questionable.

Ronaldo scored 10 of his 18 goals in 4 games. So in the remaining 26 games he played he only scored 8 goals.

He had a period where he only scored 1 goal in 8 games. He also had a period where he only scored 2 goals in 10 games.

 

[sepulturite]

The Ronaldo performing good last season is extremely exaggerated and actually a bit of a myth.

He played 30 league games last season and got 18 goals and 3 assists, but his 18 goals came in 12 games, he didn't score in 18 league games, which for a player that only offered goals and not much else in his all round game is actually not great.

18 games where the team was hampered by only playing for him yet him not contributing is part of what cost us last season.

United finished on 58 points last season, and Ronaldo's 18 goals and 3 assists only gained the team 15 points. To suggest a different striker couldn't help the team gain more than 15 points is questionable.

Ronaldo scored 10 of his 18 goals in 4 games. So in the remaining 26 games he played he only scored 8 goals.

He had a period where he only scored 1 goal in 8 games. He also had a period where he only scored 2 goals in 10 games.

This post needs to be pinned so people who keep saying how great he was last season can see why he wasn't because it was in fact to the detriment of the whole team.

 

[phelans shorts]

Is this a good time to say Fred was easily our best outfield player last season or not?

 

[Woodzy]

We should wait to sack the cut minutes after Portugal win their first World Cup game to show him how it feels.

 

[Greck]

The Ronaldo performing good last season is extremely exaggerated and actually a bit of a myth.

He played 30 league games last season and got 18 goals and 3 assists, but his 18 goals came in 12 games, he didn't score in 18 league games, which for a player that only offered goals and not much else in his all round game is actually not great.

18 games where the team was hampered by only playing for him yet him not contributing is part of what cost us last season.

United finished on 58 points last season, and Ronaldo's 18 goals and 3 assists only gained the team 15 points. To suggest a different striker couldn't help the team gain more than 15 points is questionable.

Ronaldo scored 10 of his 18 goals in 4 games. So in the remaining 26 games he played he only scored 8 goals.

He had a period where he only scored 1 goal in 8 games. He also had a period where he only scored 2 goals in 10 games.

This needs to be quoted for emphasis. He quite possibly spent more time out of form than in form. Asides making him our plan a, b and c another damaging layer was how he was (and still is) expected to feature regardless of form, that is, around 18 league games managers couldn't sub or rotate a misfiring striker without drawing controversy. It's not exactly a loose correlation that the competition for his position would all end up disillusioned by a lack of opportunity. This season merit has resumed and look where Ronaldo is.

 

[Irrational.]

And the serial rejections from the European elite begins again.

Deja SIUUUUUUUU

 

[ArbeitervonWien]

I just said to oates he's looking like Henry VIII these days. That portrait by Holbein, he's a dead-ringer.

You've made my day!
Imagine Holbein's Henry viii about to take a freekick he's bound to shoot 3 meters over the bar. This is exactly Cristiano Ronaldo nowadays!

 

[Longshanks]

So in summary, Ronaldo was the entire problem and Maguire's diabolical form was all on him. His comical errors at the back that made him the laughing stock of the whole world was because Ronaldo was "goal hanging." Got it. Thanks for expert analysis.

It's more to do with the affect that Ronaldo has on the team than what Ronaldo does or doesn't do. With Ronaldo any form of attacking structure falls apart, he demands that the ball gets played to him ASAP and everything goes through him. What it causes is our attacks to be very short and often unproductive, handing possession back to the opposition alarmingly regularly causing the defence to come under more pressure.

Maguire had a poor season no doubt, but he and the rest of the team were horribly exposed by the Ronaldo effect.

 

[BorisManUtd]

I never expected him to score 24 goals like last season but I never expected him to play as bad as he has played this season. Thought he'd get around 15 goals in all comps, which would've been fine contribution for a 38 year old footballer. Then he'd get a move somewhere else and finish his career in 2 years. It's stupid how it's all going to end but Cristiano clearly wants it that way.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

Don't know why but whenever I see him lately I always think about him wearing some medieval armour waving a big ass axe in the middle of a battle. Would fit him perfectly imo.

Always struggled to keep in condition when playing, so was always going to beef out a bit after. Looking a lot like his dad now.
But I see the armoury thing for sure!

Wayne gives me serious Brian Blessed vibes these days. This should grant you some satisfaction.

 

[Sandikan]

So in summary, Ronaldo was the entire problem and Maguire's diabolical form was all on him. His comical errors at the back that made him the laughing stock of the whole world was because Ronaldo was "goal hanging." Got it. Thanks for expert analysis.

It's why Sancho hasn't played well either - intimidated by his presence.
Why Rashy has only regained form this year.
Erm...we'll make something up about Wan B too soon.

 

[Gazza]

This thread is still going strong, 232 pages!

what an interesting observation!

 

[Vidic178]

The Ronaldo performing good last season is extremely exaggerated and actually a bit of a myth.

He played 30 league games last season and got 18 goals and 3 assists, but his 18 goals came in 12 games, he didn't score in 18 league games, which for a player that only offered goals and not much else in his all round game is actually not great.

18 games where the team was hampered by only playing for him yet him not contributing is part of what cost us last season.

United finished on 58 points last season, and Ronaldo's 18 goals and 3 assists only gained the team 15 points. To suggest a different striker couldn't help the team gain more than 15 points is questionable.

Ronaldo scored 10 of his 18 goals in 4 games. So in the remaining 26 games he played he only scored 8 goals.

He had a period where he only scored 1 goal in 8 games. He also had a period where he only scored 2 goals in 10 games.

You could do the exact same thing and dissect any other striker's goalscoring record last season like this. Most strikers have periods of bad form where they only score 1 goal in a month.

Ronaldo and Lukaku were both brought over from Serie A to the Prem last season. Lukaku was considered to be better than Ronaldo at the time, and cost £100m. And yet Ronaldo vastly outperformed Lukaku whilst playing in a much worse team than Tuchel's Chelsea. The idea that his first season back was a failure is crazy to me.

Look at Juventus to see if Ronaldo's goals actually made them worse. They sold Ronaldo, splashed 55m on Vlahovic, one of the top young strikers in Europe, and they were awful last season.

 

[the_cliff]

The Ronaldo performing good last season is extremely exaggerated and actually a bit of a myth.

He played 30 league games last season and got 18 goals and 3 assists, but his 18 goals came in 12 games, he didn't score in 18 league games, which for a player that only offered goals and not much else in his all round game is actually not great.

18 games where the team was hampered by only playing for him yet him not contributing is part of what cost us last season.

United finished on 58 points last season, and Ronaldo's 18 goals and 3 assists only gained the team 15 points. To suggest a different striker couldn't help the team gain more than 15 points is questionable.

Ronaldo scored 10 of his 18 goals in 4 games. So in the remaining 26 games he played he only scored 8 goals.

He had a period where he only scored 1 goal in 8 games. He also had a period where he only scored 2 goals in 10 games.

3 of the goals were also penalties. So he actually had 15 non penalty goals in 10 games. He didn't score a non penalty goal in 20 league games last season.

So there's a period where he actually had 2 non penalty goals in 12. In fact, after his first game against Newcastle he only scored 5 non penalty goals in the next 22 fixtures before he went on a run towards the end of the season and scored the majority of his goals in that period.

As you said for a player that's only contribution is goals, there was around 20 games last season in the league that we were playing the 'Ronaldo of this season'.