It definitely feels like ETH is being forced to play Ronaldo. Surely he can see the negative impact he is having on team performances! I can only think there’s some sort of contract clause stating he has to play a certain percentage of games or the Glazers need him to play for commercial reasons.When we get everyone back fit, I wouldn’t even pick him in the squad!
Do you believe Ronaldo is finished as a top level player?
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It definitely feels like ETH is being forced to play Ronaldo. Surely he can see the negative impact he is having on team performances! I can only think there’s some sort of contract clause stating he has to play a certain percentage of games or the Glazers need him to play for commercial reasons.When we get everyone back fit, I wouldn’t even pick him in the squad!
Nar, ETH aint the type to go along with that, he’d walk.
I think he’s an albatross and that ETH has been desperately trying to get him into some kind of form so that he can be of use. A completely out of form Ronaldo that has to sit on the bench becomes a massive distraction and problem, as we’ve already seen.
We scored more goals, quite a lot more in fact, in 2002 and 2003, so that makes Rooney what exactly?
I’m not sure you should get into law if you rest your case on something so weak.
Well hardly the same thing that though given we were class before Rooney signed. In fact we went for youth in Rooney n Ronaldo so we went backwards to go forwards.
It was a really daft example for many reasons. For one, United's best player (Van Nistrelrooy) only played 17 league matches and was plagued with injury problems all year long. More importantly, United were undergoing a transition.
More recently, we have seen Juventus' goals dry up from 2017-18 to 2018-19 (as well as a decline in team performance) and we have seen United's goals dry up with an even more start difference in performance (2nd place with the lowest points differential to 1st place since Ferguson retired, to the worst finish in the Premier League era overnight).
Where there any doubt ?
It's a lot more complicated I think. Ronaldo survive in a team that creates loads of chances for him. He has lost his pace and quick feet. He takes ages to line up his shot now. None of our forwards bar Antony can pass well or hold the ball. Yes I know that Martial can but he is injured and Antony as well. For that matter neither Bruno nor Eriksen is good at holding the ball.
He has completely lost his confidence and touch too.
He has completely lost his confidence and touch too.
Yes, I believe something like this to be the case.
Well I accept the point, but he hasn't has he.
I think ETH has realised that he can get top-4 (just) mainly because Chelsea, Spurs and especially Liverpool are poor this season (Newcastle might be a problem) and next season he won't have the Ronaldo circus to worry about.
At the end of the day if the Glazer fella wants Ronaldo to play he will have to play. ETH isn't going to walk away - if Ronaldo's lack of form does stop him achieving top-4, the manager will get sacked and walk away with 6-8 million pounds. If he strops off now, he would get nothing.
Here’s a question: given how shit Ronaldo has been, could Arnautovic have actually been a decent signing after all? I personally think it would’ve still been stupid, but hard to imagine him being any worse than what Ronaldo has been.
There is no doubt in my mind he would have been better than Ronaldo. I'd take Neil effing Maupay over Ronaldo. I'd take every other PL teams striker over Ronaldo (except Nottingham Forest, cuz I don't know their striker)
Arnautovic has himself to blame for previous misdemeanours,if that hadn't happened he would have joined last summer.
I don't see anything unusual about him not pressing or being not dynamic enough off the ball - he didn't do a whole lot of that even at his peak. What I'm more concerned about is his finishing. These days he misses chances that I'd expect him to put away in his sleep and that's costing us important points.
Everything you are saying is spot on,the trouble is Luckhurst's tweets suggest we won't be buying in January which is depressing
Not a good idea to use Juventus as example, as their goals/performance has dried up/decline even more since the start of 2021-22 and up to this season. It’s more of a collective decline and they are just getting worst and worst.
He's done out here.
Looks like he's running through molasses.
Easily shrugged off the ball or goes down at the slightest shrug.
ZERO movement off the ball.
We're essentially a man down with him on the pitch.
His stans in the media and online won't hear it though.
I respect him for coming to. The prem at such a late age, he could have gone somewhere easy. But last season was his Swan song.
Looks like he's running through molasses.
Easily shrugged off the ball or goes down at the slightest shrug.
ZERO movement off the ball.
We're essentially a man down with him on the pitch.
His stans in the media and online won't hear it though.
I respect him for coming to. The prem at such a late age, he could have gone somewhere easy. But last season was his Swan song.
The January market is not a good one to make big signings though. I think it's ideal for a temporary loan or someone under the radar. So I think we'd have to wait till Summer anyway. In the meantime, we'll have to hope that Martial stays fit and we can use Rashford as well. Having said all that, ETH has to make a call on the starting XI.
The World Cup will tell us a lot, either he carries on not being able to finish, then yes he is done, or he gets that finishing touch back into his game and the confidence comes flooding back.
I'm off to the game tonight, if he starts I'm fecking going home - already had to sit through the shit-fests of Real Sociedad and Omonia.
Try not to let one player get to you SK, not worth sacrificing your time over him
Hopefully we can find some form again and you enjoy the game <3
We literally went from scoring 121 goals all competition the season prior to only scoring 70 goals the season Ronaldo arrived. We dropped 51 goals, that's absurd.
Whoever pushes this narrative about Ronaldo helping the team is out of their goddamn mind. He is the definition of detrimental to the team.
This season our goal stats close to triple sans Ronaldo. He is absolutely terrible for this team, weighting us down and holding us back.
Wonder if he's just saving himself for the WC.
He is even more finished because he had no pre season.
I think he is finished, and it's sad to see.
It's his worst year in a long time in terms of goals. While the last few years he has hit the target about 30-40% of the time, this year he's barely above 20%. Looking at the last 6 years of stats on fbref he has never attempted fewer passes. The passes has never been shorter or less progressive. The number of passes blocked by opponent have never been higher. He's creating half as many shooting opportunities for his teammates than what he did at Juventus and for the first year ever he hasn't created a single shooting opportunity from a dribble. While his dribbling success has been at or around 60% for the last 5 years, this year its at 30%. Add to that the lowest amount of blocks, tackles, interceptions, touches on the ball and being on the receiving end of teammates passes in the last 6 years. He's also never made more fouls and since his days in Madrid he's never been more in offside.
It looks like his legs are gone.
It's his worst year in a long time in terms of goals. While the last few years he has hit the target about 30-40% of the time, this year he's barely above 20%. Looking at the last 6 years of stats on fbref he has never attempted fewer passes. The passes has never been shorter or less progressive. The number of passes blocked by opponent have never been higher. He's creating half as many shooting opportunities for his teammates than what he did at Juventus and for the first year ever he hasn't created a single shooting opportunity from a dribble. While his dribbling success has been at or around 60% for the last 5 years, this year its at 30%. Add to that the lowest amount of blocks, tackles, interceptions, touches on the ball and being on the receiving end of teammates passes in the last 6 years. He's also never made more fouls and since his days in Madrid he's never been more in offside.
It looks like his legs are gone.
Insightful reply.
The kind that does so much to encourage debate and new posters on here.
If the new posters post the nonsense you've just posted I'll do whatever I can to dissuade them.
This decline was evident last year, but there are still people, like you, looking to find excuses to pardon his downright awful performances and impact on the squad.
As with most people who are pro-Ronaldo you have to start accusing people of being haters or some other childish name to justify, in your mind, why he's being criticized. He's being criticized because of his performances. That doesn't take away what he has achieved with us in the past, the same way it didn't with Ole. However it is so reductive and ruins debate (something you seem to think is important, hence your facetious reply to me) as points are never discussed in good faith and often, as you've displayed, descend into nonsensical, intangible things or rewriting of history.
If a lack of preseason is the reason for his form (it isn't); that's entirely on him. No-one forced him to miss the tour. If anything the club were supportive, and he still spent the rest of the summer trying to force a move away.
When he eventually gets to leave and joins some lower CL team in a slower league, you may see a slight upturn in his personal stats. However whichever team is unfortunate enough to end up with him will also see a huge drop off elsewhere as the team have to accommodate him.
I agree. ETH clearly didn’t see him as a starter. We play well Vs Spurs, Chelsea, (I’ll also add Newcastle regardless of what people say) then you have Keane putting Ronaldo above the club, Yorke talking about “Ronaldo told me things that the board would pay me £5m to not repeat”. And all of a sudden Ronaldo is starting and we’re back to DDG being our MOTM or saviour most weeks, and football quality deteriorating. It really doesn’t take a genius to see that he ruins the whole rhythm of the team.
Being made captain was just the pathetic appeasement of bad behaviour and being past it that we used to see before ETH arrived. So makes you wonder do the board interfer to protect “marketable” players
I read this a lot on here, but still nobody criticises the ex-manager/club-ambassador/associate director/Glazers 'yes-man' and now think-tank supremo, who brought him back to the club.
Why is this?
Top player, would easily get into a world eleven even on current form
Saw a clip pop up earlier of him during his later Madrid days and his physique has totally changed to what it is now. He looks a lot more skinnier and frail and is really noticable, lost all strength and his reactions also seem shot.
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I think a lot do. Essentially we were the only ones to take him on his massive wages at his age. Dunno if City would gone ahead with it.
I have read and half-believe conspiracy theories to suggest City were never seriously interested in Ronaldo, but they knew to even hint at signing him would force United into action - wasting a ton of money and messing up the team for a year or two.
Sadly, that is how its turning out.
Sanchez, Fred and now Ronaldo. Works well.
Wonder why? Strength and size shouldn’t normally decrease at his age if someone sticks at weights, can usually increase still if they increase volume. Look at many ex pros Rio & Jenas come to mind, also think Shearer might have more muscle mass now than he did when younger.
Really difficult to say, maybe can't do the same level of strength training anymore? People often forget he also lost a child not too long ago and we have no idea how that would have impacted him mentally.
Good point about the loss of the child. We hear it, say how awful it is and then get on with our lives. While these things effect the people effected for life
Ronaldo stated at the end of his Madrid days that he was deliberately slimming down to prolong his career. Presumably to maintain some speed and agility as he aged. It may have worked for a while but now he’s sadly lost his pace , agility and his strength.
his physical peak is at 32 before declining ?
Probably yeah.
Absolutely certain there will be no business in January unless he is sold which looks unlikely
He is getting in the right positions but he is snatching his shots. Shots you can bet your house that he was going to score. He is taking an extra touch and giving the defenders the extra time to block. I think he is going to have a decent WC and it's good for us if he has a good WC if he is going to stay until the end of the season.
The mind is still sharp, but the body just isn't quite there. It's marginal but the reaction timing is just a bit off, only needs to be half a second and a chance is gone at the top level.
I hope he has a good World Cup. Would be delighted to if Portugal won it, great end to a career. There's no future for him in a top league after May though.
I hope he has a good World Cup. Would be delighted to if Portugal won it, great end to a career. There's no future for him in a top league after May though.