Does it even need to be Ole tactics, City play with a CF/Haaland.
Do you believe Ronaldo is finished as a top level player?
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Does it even need to be Ole tactics, City play with a CF/Haaland.
His age. I was referring to his time at Juve to now. Thats any player over mid 30s, thats why I mentioned Messi as well. All players decline a little bit each season over 35, get slower, stiffer, prone to knocks more. Its human nature
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The year is 2040 and the Ronaldo fanboy's are still insisting a 50 year old Ronaldo could still play football at top level.
Go and watch the highlights of these games from last season and you will see there were signs of him being finished. Fa Cup at home to Middlesbrough , brighton away when he was chuckling to himself at the end of the match in an attempt to distance himself away from the teams dismal performance after we got smashed 4-0 and he performed exactly how he is now performing. Then go watch the highlights of Everton away, brentford away, wolves at home and many more games where he looked completely washed out.
It's been a stupid transfer based on sentimentality that has reaped no benefits other than padding up Ronaldo's record and boosting up shirt sales, at the cost of the teams functionality, harmony and chemistry while dividing the fanbase between supporters of what is best for Ronaldo vs supporters of what is best for the clubs interests.
The cold hard reality is, we ended up breaking our wage structure at the cost of purchasing an old man who's best days are long gone, while causing issues with management, media circus and having a player who goes about his business like he's bigger than the manager and the club, leading to 3 different managers having to tip toe around him and massage his ego.
The year is 2022 and some people think possibly the greatest player of all time has gone to a zero overnight...
He may not be elite anymore and will keep declining as he ages, but to add a little more context here, he was actually PL top 3 goalscorer last season, and was PL best 11.
Overnight? It's been going on since his Juve days. He couldn't even beat shitty Serie A defenders 1v1.
It's like a dealing with cult with some of you
Just listening to the Second Captains podcast and James Horncastle is painting a pretty convincing picture of Ronaldo being a terrible signing for Juve as well. When he was considerably younger than he is now.
Actually that’s not true. His avg dribble stats over 3 seasons in Sere A was 1.6, 1.7, 1.8. Which is slightly better than Antony in Dutch league over past 2 seasons (1.3, 1.8), a player whom we just spend over 80m for his dribbling talent.
For example, below is a 10mins footage of his dribbling video in one season (19-20) at Juventus:
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People act like a decline is linear. Some players simply decline more graciously than others. Giggs is an example of player that adapted well to his body not being able to keep up and do what it had when he was in his 20s.
We only need look back a few years to see someone like Sanchez who seemingly declined overnight. Despite hindsight everyone was excited by his signing and excuses, similar to what we're seeing for Ronaldo currently, were made to excuse his poor form at Arsenal before he signed. Rooney is another, despite the odd good game.
Some players simply just drop off.
I do think Ronaldo will have good games and probably get a decentish goal return. But to pretend he isn't or hasn't declined is laughable.
We only need look back a few years to see someone like Sanchez who seemingly declined overnight. Despite hindsight everyone was excited by his signing and excuses, similar to what we're seeing for Ronaldo currently, were made to excuse his poor form at Arsenal before he signed. Rooney is another, despite the odd good game.
Some players simply just drop off.
I do think Ronaldo will have good games and probably get a decentish goal return. But to pretend he isn't or hasn't declined is laughable.
Think he'll have a big World Cup and that'll be it for him - off to America in January if he's sensible (which I think he knows, hence him trying so hard to play Champions League for one final year).
1. He's not the greatest of all time
2. It's not happened overnight
it's like dealing with a hate group with some on here (not saying that that includes you)
He's finished as a world class player, but there is still a player who can be useful for United in there, if he can mentally accept reduced minutes and more of a team role.
His touch and finishing will improve with more match fitness, but he needs to adapt to no longer having that yard of pace advantage when trying to open up space to shoot.
His touch and finishing will improve with more match fitness, but he needs to adapt to no longer having that yard of pace advantage when trying to open up space to shoot.
Ibrahimovic played a whopping 11 matches last season to "take Milan to the title". Silly post.
It doesn't matter how long you look after yourself, how professional you are or what you've done in the game. It can catch up with anyone at any time and certainly more so with forwards.
Ronaldo is absolutely done at the top end of football, and it's not a recent thing. He will always have the ability to score goals, either by being in the right place in the box or smashing one in out of nowhere. Despite his prowess in that department, 37 year old Ronaldo cannot contribute in the same way 27 year old Ronaldo did - and even then there were question marks in regards to him being a passenger when his team is out of possession.
It doesn't take away from who he is and what he's done - but at 37 it's absolutely okay to say he's barely a shadow of himself and he's in absolutely the wrong league and team. Yes he scored double digits in the league last season, but at what cost? Sure he wasn't solely responsible for it but his presence was a factor in the team lacking cohesion to both defend and attack.
I've still never seen him live. We're going to the Omonoia game in a couple of weeks - so from a selfish nostalgic point of view I hope he's fit to start that game. Other than that, I don't really want to see him in a United shirt now.
Ronaldo is absolutely done at the top end of football, and it's not a recent thing. He will always have the ability to score goals, either by being in the right place in the box or smashing one in out of nowhere. Despite his prowess in that department, 37 year old Ronaldo cannot contribute in the same way 27 year old Ronaldo did - and even then there were question marks in regards to him being a passenger when his team is out of possession.
It doesn't take away from who he is and what he's done - but at 37 it's absolutely okay to say he's barely a shadow of himself and he's in absolutely the wrong league and team. Yes he scored double digits in the league last season, but at what cost? Sure he wasn't solely responsible for it but his presence was a factor in the team lacking cohesion to both defend and attack.
I've still never seen him live. We're going to the Omonoia game in a couple of weeks - so from a selfish nostalgic point of view I hope he's fit to start that game. Other than that, I don't really want to see him in a United shirt now.
As a cheerleader maybe. On the pitch, not really.
A little bit like how Romelu Lukaku took the Chelsea to the CL triumph in 2012.
This poster obviously does not watch Serie A.He is/was one of the best players to play the game and he barely can pass the ball. You can lose your speed when you get older, but he lost his technique. It's brutal.
And don't tell me all these it's because he missed pre season. He supossedly had the body of a 22 years old when he had 35. Well, he aged quick as hell then.
And don't tell me all these it's because he missed pre season. He supossedly had the body of a 22 years old when he had 35. Well, he aged quick as hell then.
80% of posters on a United forum think Ronaldo is finished at the top level. Isn’t it a little more likely that rather than all of those people being haters, they are just reporting something they are seeing with their eyes? They may be end up being wrong, but numbers don’t lie and your opinion is in the overwhelming minority.
Is he still expected to start for Portugal? Interesting to see him turn out for them on the world stage and see how he does.
United is playing him wrongly. Once he moves to another club, he will shine again like another Zlatan.
Sadly, he is not at the world-class level, done at the top level is questionable. Our way of football is highly dependable on #9 movements and work rate, anyone who is 38 years old would struggle. Put it him on current Haaland's position at city, or Bayern. He could score as many as Haaland's.
You don't actually watch any football, do you?
Zlatan barely played that season. To day the he "took" Milan to the title is laughable.
He's nowhere near being the best of his generation, nevermind the best ever.
And literally nobody in this thread said someone "turned to zero overnight". He last scored 40 goals in a season in his Madrid days and has been declining since then.
why are you replying to his post with that if he’s not included in the “hate group” you speak of?Definitely not as frequency as you checking the forums for Ronaldo threadsYou don't actually watch any football, do you?
Zlatan barely played that season. To day the he "took" Milan to the title is laughable.
He's nowhere near being the best of his generation, nevermind the best ever.
And literally nobody in this thread said someone "turned to zero overnight". He last scored 40 goals in a season in his Madrid days and has been declining since then.
Hate group? Some of you are completely out of your minds when it comes to Ronaldo.
He's 37 ffs and some of you expect him to perform? He's literally at the end of his career.
Given how he has performed this season so far, it will be a miracle if Ronaldo can walk onto the pitch without a cane and seeing eye dog.
He confirmed today that if Portugal qualify for Euro 2024 he will play in that tournament
No. Put some respect on his name. EPL is the toughest physcial league in the world. He also had no pre-season, it will take him time to start going again, he'll probably come good in the WC and prove doubters wrong (again).
You can't be successful at the top level by playing a system that suits Ronaldo these days. It's not us misusing him. He's no longer at the required level.
I was curious and checked, since 2015, his league goals per season has decreased every season (apart from his second one at Juventus). Decreasing from 40-something goals is a big peak to fall from so he was still brilliant (despite declining) but he hasn't been playing like "possibly the greatest player of all time" for 4 or 5 years.
Agreed. Pirlo, Ole, Ragnick and ETH all misused him after Real were OK with letting him go? Maybe a 37 year old being too old for elite level is more likely.
It's only now that he's not "performing" and being "misused" anyway. He had an excellent scoring record at Juve and last season was good apart from the middle 3rd. But the teams were not good in those years at all. Which points to you just can't be successful as a team in a system that gets the best out of Ronaldo.
Don't forget he scored a ton of goals from the penalty spot. Just for Juve in the last 3 seasons he scored 28 pens and missed 5.
2021/22 3 scored / 1 missed
2020-21 9 scored / 2 missed
2019-20 14 scored / 2 missed - 37goals in all comps and 38% of them came from the spot
2018-19 5 scored / 1 missed
Yeah I think he can score a lot because he's still a brilliant poacher. But so much has to be done to accommodate him that the team gets completely handicapped.
That record isn't as good as I would have thought.
Of course he isn't what he used to be, but that doesn't mean he's finished. No one in the world ever could go on getting 40 goals a season - a stat which in itself which no one on the way up or at the time seems able to match... yet: I wouldn't be surprised if Halaand achieves it
but the question is: is he finished? which, for me, has the answer "no" . and my comment was in response to being branded a member of a cult... who is out of whose mind?
because he told me I was in a cult...
there is a difference between declining and "finished". also, my comment was to show how ludicrous the "you fan boys are in a cult" type postingYou don't actually watch any football, do you?
Zlatan barely played that season. To day the he "took" Milan to the title is laughable.
He's nowhere near being the best of his generation, nevermind the best ever.
And literally nobody in this thread said someone "turned to zero overnight". He last scored 40 goals in a season in his Madrid days and has been declining since then.