That's bollocks. Ronaldo's mentality has always been to work harder than anybody else and that's not going to change. He has the tools to adapt to a different style of play, but why should he right now when everything is working? Same thing he did as a youngster.
Cristiano Ronaldo
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That's bollocks. Ronaldo's mentality has always been to work harder than anybody else and that's not going to change. He has the tools to adapt to a different style of play, but why should he right now when everything is working? Same thing he did as a youngster.
Yup Henry played on with a sciatic nerve problem, at first he was able to deal with it but towards the end of his days with us you could tell quite clearly when he played there was something troubling him. Quite sad to see him decline so rapidly towards the end but with injuries that don't really have a proper cure it was to be expected.
What can he adapt his play to, though? I see him ending up as a centre forward with a bit less pace and probably a less explosive style of play. It's not like he's going to drop deeper and become some sort of playmaker.
I'm not sure, but if he has then it hasn't impacted him so far. In his last 92 league games he has 97 goals, if there is a sign of injury taking it out of him or slowing him down, it's not really evident. Henry didn't pass the 50 game barrier in a season again after 2003-04 season, an indication of more serious injury problems, something I think is more apparent throughout his career rather than Ronaldo's, who is like a freak in terms of injury. I'm not sure I really see the parallel between Ronaldo and Henry, I don't see him having the same injury setbacks at all, pace and power etc yes, but to the extent of Henry's injuries, no. Disregarding Ronaldo's injured first season at Madrid which still saw a goal per game output, he hasn't had the same thing. Henry's goal output dropped from 06 onwards from 30+ per season to an average well under 20. Ronaldo's as his career has progressed has added more to his game, and his totals have been increasing as time goes on. There doesn't seem to be much to suggest Ronaldo is going to suddenly regress and stop producing at the levels he currently is in the next two years, nothing at all, despite what happened to Henry - if anything, judging on his most recent seasons he looks to be bettering his records. Maybe he will and you're right, but I can't see it, I reckon it's a safe bet to say in 2 years time we will still be talking about Ronaldo as one of the best players in the world, and his goal output will still be 40+ a season (if he's still in Spain anyway).
It's hard to judge these sort of things. Who would have thought Giggs had the tools to adapt and become a central midfielder when he was bombing down the wing?
Having said that, I agree on him becoming a proper centre forward, someone like a Drogba as he grows older.
I know the story is bs and it isnt going to happen...
but hypothetically, if we could afford to get him back, it'd be amazing.
If we had to cut corners in other areas to pay for him, then no thanks.
Same as any good player.
but hypothetically, if we could afford to get him back, it'd be amazing.
If we had to cut corners in other areas to pay for him, then no thanks.
Same as any good player.
Agree, I never really get the comparisons to others, it happened to Henry so therefore it'll happen to Ronaldo? Why?
You could just as easily compare him to Lampard, both rarely injured, both prolific goalscorers without necessarily being involved in the game. Lampard's best season was when he was 30/31, so why can't Ronaldo do what Lampard's done.
I think his physique is something else and will comfortably see him into his 30's.
Did you ever think of Giggs the flying winger at 28 ever becoming a fine central midfielder?
I'd say Ronaldo has a better physique and skill set at 28 to make that change than Giggs did at 28.
EDIT -
Beat me to it.
Giggsy's always had the passing game to play in midfield and there are a few posters on here that said they actually called it in the late 90s. If you look back through his assists in the 90s alone you'll see he's got real passing class and wonderful vision, it's not something he developed later on. I don't think that's the kind of thing someone can develop in their 30s really which is why I can't see Ronaldo becoming anything other than a centre forward.
Henry was 28 at the end of 05/06 which is of course the age Ronaldo will be at the end of this, up until that point he had shown no signs of suddenly regressing either. His goals record in 04/05 and 05/06 were the second and third best of his career - only 0.03 off his best record, and at least 0.1 better than any other season. I'm not saying the same thing will happen to Ronaldo at all, I'm just saying that world class players can suddenly drop down a level or two in their late 20s with very little notice - it's not outrageous to suggest it could happen to Ronaldo. All depends on how serious that injury is in my view, jojojo's been talking about it having some sort of effect this year with hi having a couple of injury problems and this has been possibly his worst season at Madrid form-wise so maybe it's beginning to have a small effect on him.
He's an absolute physical beast though, I just can't see him losing his pace or regressing as a player for a few years yet.
And with his unrelenting thirst to succeed, you can be sure that he will not stop trying to improve till he absolutely cant.
He really didn't, the criticism from that time was in fact his passing, final ball, decision making. He was capable of moments but there were plenty at the time who believed that without the pace he'd be fecked.
If he had the passing and wonderful vision in the 90's, combined with that pace and balance he'd have been awash with personal awards.
No one knows for sure how Ronaldo's ankle will hold up in a year, 2 years or in 5 years time.
But Torres and Kaka transfers in recent history shows the dangers of splashing cash on a player in his 20s, especially if they have a patchy injury record.
But Torres and Kaka transfers in recent history shows the dangers of splashing cash on a player in his 20s, especially if they have a patchy injury record.
Really? Surely Ronaldo has all the attributes to play as a conventional striker in his later year.
Spoony seems to have some ridiculously irrational hatred for Ronaldo.
I dont think he's going to regress much any time soon. He's got much more in his locker than Henry ever had. Sure, I don't see him going on at a high level till 35, but he's too good a goal scorer, is too strong physically and has too much drive to fall away at least until he's about 32 I reckon.
Why would we want to spend 55m and then play him as a striker?
I don't want him here. Better we spend the money on a midfielder and a younger wide player. It would be better to spend 35-40 on Bale and the rest on a mid then spending 55m on Ronaldo.
Yes, the same people that thought Giggs should retire back in 2008. Giggsy tends to attract those kind of ridiculous opinions for whatever reason. His passing, final ball and decision-making are still criticised today because that's the type of player he is. He takes a lot of risks with his passing and ends up losing the ball more than pretty much everyone else in the team. I think for the whole 07/08 season his passing % was in the 60s for christ's sake. A lot of his best games in midfield have still been littered with poor decisions and ridiculously ambitious passes, but when it comes off he just carves teams apart over and over again. His passing's being carving teams apart since the 90s and that vision for a killer ball is something very few players possess, and it's the kind of thing the astute observers on here recognised would serve him well in midfield at a later date.
Yes but how does that prolong his career in any way? Bergkamp dropping back away from the physical nature of playing right up top is what prolonged his career, how does moving further forwards up alongside two bruisers help prolong someone's career?
Basically exactly how I see it.
I'd rather spend £55m on Ronaldo than £40m on Bale. Bale is a much lesser version of Ronaldo. Ronaldo is also a marketing machine, the money we would make off the back of him would more than cover his fees.
I'm also living in a dream world here but given those 2 options I would take Ronaldo.
I tend to agree that for the figures that will be required to get him back here, it is risky. I am also a big fan of Bale and believe that he is capable of great things and that over the next 10 years he would prove to be a better signing overall. The wages that Ronaldo will demand will be incredible. I would love to see him back but I understand the reservations.
Not sure how you could know that but without doubt Giggsy has transformed his game. Him becoming a CM is definitely more a surprise than an expected progression.
I think it's generally difficult to guess how a player will evolve in his thirties.
I only see a loss of pace as being the thing that will diminish Ronaldo's capabilities. As a striker he will not require that kind of pace. I don't feel that he is as fragile as you suggest, he is also quite capable of dropping deep and linking up, firing off shots, from that area he would be quite dangerous and I always feel that he is a decent passer of the ball too.
.... and you're not astute enough to have spotted the same in Ronaldo's game? He's got excellent vision and excellent passing, it's just his decision making is generally focused towards a more direct route towards goal and he's generally not in a position to have players running ahead of him.
As his pace goes, he's got two options:
1. Keep looking for goals, use his physique and play in more of a target man/centre forward type of role.
2. Drop into the hole and adapt his game, start looking to orchestrate rather than be the main source of goals.
Personally, I think #2 would be the better option around 32 when he feels his physical attributes declining and could see him be a top player for another 4 or 5 years considering how well he looks after himself. I think he's got too much of a lust for goals and will want to set ridiculous records and keep competing with Messi though so I can see him choosing option #1 and trying to get as many goals as he can in that would surely see his game appear to decline quicker.
It's not just £55m. He'll be 28.5 years old when he comes here and would at least sign a 4 year contract at around £225k/wk. Which takes the cost of the overall package over £100m. That is very risky for a player at his age, and whose game is very dependent on pace and sudden acceleration.
Also, I don't get the marketing machine logic. He is not going to open any new markets for us. Our major revenues come from:
(1) Gate Receipts
(2) Television Revenues
(3) Commercial deals
The affect on gate revenues will be minimal and the TV revenues are fixed. As for the commercial side, we have already signed the shirt sponsorship deal with Chevy, so that's fixed. I think the contract with Nike is up for renewal, so we might be able to negotiate a better deal with them. The rest I don't think he will make any major difference.
But we'd win everything if he came back!
I'd love to see Ronaldo try and orchestrate things.
"Why always the same questions? Why Manchester? I very happy in Madrid, no?"
We bloody would as well! Could you imagine our fans at away games knocking out Viva Ronaldo as he blasts past the opposition?! Imagine RVP's set peices from wide with Ronaldo on the end....
DDG
Rafael - Evans - Vidic - Evra
Carrick --------
-----------Cleverley
Nani---------------------------
-----------------------Rooney
---------Ronaldo
Van Persie--------
Rafael - Evans - Vidic - Evra
Carrick --------
-----------Cleverley
Nani---------------------------
-----------------------Rooney
---------Ronaldo
Van Persie--------
Jesus he doesn't need to orchestrate things in midfield to prolong his career.
I think he means orchestrate a move home.
de Gea
Rafael Smalling Evans Evra
Cleverley Carrick
Rooney Kagawa Ronaldo
van Persie
Rafael Smalling Evans Evra
Cleverley Carrick
Rooney Kagawa Ronaldo
van Persie
That'll do pig, that'll do.
That will be some sight actually. A Prima donna like Ronaldo accepting his limitations and trying to adapt his game.
I have serious doubts that'll happen. My bet is that he would get frustrated and just quit.
I would live in fear if this move actually happens. I am already scared.
Hang on, why spend £60m on a 29 year player hoping he may adapt to a different role, when you could spend a lot less on a player who is already playing in that position and has years ahead of him? Not only will Ronaldo cost.. what? £60m but factoring in his wages we're talking £100m+. Now really, does that make economic sense? Would astute businessmen make such an irrational decision? As for Giggs, the biggest difference is... he was already at the club, having him adapt to a different role saved us millions.
Because you'd hope for a good 4 years of Beast Ronaldo before he uses his supreme ability to adapt into another role.
I think Ferguson would snap your hand off for Ronaldo for that price to be honest.
It would be, wouldn't it? But I don't see that happening. That's not his style.
He's a smart player, so he'll easily find a role as his physical attributes start to decline (which I don't see happening for a few years).
He's not got 4 years left at the top. I think there's a lot of wishful thinking in here.
Only a madman wouldnt.
I think Fergie is smarter than you are giving him credit for.
From all my years of following United, if I have understood Fergie correctly, this move will never happen.
From all my years of following United, if I have understood Fergie correctly, this move will never happen.
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