Exactly. Most top level players begin to decline in their early 30s, few are still capable of delivering at the top level by 34-35. The fact that Ronaldo has gone on as long as he has is a minor miracle, but he's shot now
Do you believe Ronaldo is finished as a top level player?
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Exactly. Most top level players begin to decline in their early 30s, few are still capable of delivering at the top level by 34-35. The fact that Ronaldo has gone on as long as he has is a minor miracle, but he's shot now
Although I'm not sure what we mean by top level player Ronaldo isn't good enough to start for a top / aspiring top team if that's the criteria. He's more suited to a rotational / sub role at such a club or a primary role in a smaller club.
I think he is, hard to believe but he's not a top player anymore, his on the pitch performance and the inability to find a new club shows that.
He can still nick a goal here and there so he might still be useful this season.
He can still nick a goal here and there so he might still be useful this season.
Hoping for the best but so far this season, he has been playing worse than Radamel Falcao on his season-long loan to us.
Ronaldo-haters in this thread have a misconception of his time at Juventus. Considering Juve's struggles this and the previous season, I'd like to post a few posts I found on Juventuz forum. Here are some posts from the last 1 week:
on Vlahovic said:
on Ronaldo said:
on Ronaldo said:
on Ronaldo said:
on Ronaldo's first 2 seasons said:
response to Ronaldo's impact on team dynamics said:
response to Ronaldo's impact on finances said:
on their team said:
And for fairness, to balance out the above posts:on Allegri said:
on Ronaldo said:
Zlatan is 40 and just took Milan to the title. Silly post.
Its a shame Juventus fans has paid far more respect on Ronaldo than some of the so called United fans here, who are Ronaldo-haters. I understand he is aging and is on obvious decline now, as he is approaching 38, but some of the post here has been toxic and embarrassing to read.
In the premier league he is. Will still do well in a slower league like Serie A.
Unfortunately, i think he's probably not really cut out to play in the Premier League anymore.
Maybe in a slower league like Serie A he'll do better, maybe even a short stint back in La Liga?
Maybe in a slower league like Serie A he'll do better, maybe even a short stint back in La Liga?
He really didn't, though. He was on the pitch less than 30% of the time over the entire season, scoring a single league goal after the new year - more of an active (and entertaining) passenger than the guy "taking" them to the title
He did, however, have an incredible purple patch the season before that, just before turning 39. Ronaldo is younger and, unlike Zlatan, hasn't had any massive injuries in his mid-30s. So there's still a chance he'll get back to a reasonable level.
Less "took them to the title", more "was there when they won the title".
do you even watch serie a?Like who? We weren’t in for anyone else in the summer of 21 and many of us thought that Martial and Rashford would hit a new gear, but of course that didn’t happen. Whatever the reasons for their abysmal season in 21/22, it certainly wasn’t Ronaldo’s fault.
We were in, apparently, for Darwin and I endorsed that move, but he of course chose Liverpool. We would all loved to have brought in Haaland,, but there was no chance of that happening. There was some talk of Arnautovic, but I trust we agree it was daft talk. Unless Ronaldo in your view has fallen so far in your view that we’d be better off with Arnautovi.
We pay strikers to score goals, not to impress with kilometers run per game stats. If Ronaldo can no longer score goals, and we shall indeed see about that this season, he could run 20 km per game but it would be wasted effort. Truth is, he quite scored quite a few critical for us last season when virtually no one else could get anywhere near the goal. I still need to do the homework what our points total would have been if you subtracted out Ronaldo’s goal but it’s pretty obvious that we would have finished well below sixth place. I suppose your argument is that if we swapped out Ronaldo for any journeyman striker, say Danny Ings or Danny Welbeck, we would have done just as well as we actually did with Ronaldo — or perhaps even much better. Sorry, but I’m not having that.
I share the frustration that we‘re paying a fading GOAT massive wages, but we’re in this position we all agree because of idiotic executive management by a banker. Thankfully the banker is gone but we’re stuck with his legacy for a while. But on the specific point about Ronaldo, it really is too early in the season to declare him a completely spent force. It wasn’t that long ago that he was the only player on the squad worthy of the shirt.
If we are going to compare Ronaldo to Zlatan, then I'd say if Ronaldo had aspirations to play at the highest level until 40 then he'd have to further adjust his game into that of a target man who can dominate in the air and holding the ball up. So far, I don't see it. He's still primarily looking to make runs in behind and he gets pushed off the ball too easily.
The mere suggestion that a 37 is probably past it has certainly ruffled a few feathers.
It's a testament he's performed to such a high level up to this age. Time doesn't wait for anyone and the decline is inevitable.
But let's reminisce about his Juve days as proof he still has it. It's not like that's a slower league or anything
It's a testament he's performed to such a high level up to this age. Time doesn't wait for anyone and the decline is inevitable.
But let's reminisce about his Juve days as proof he still has it. It's not like that's a slower league or anything
If he adjusts and adapts the way he plays, he could be very serviceable and maybe even a potent striker, so I think he is finished at the top level if he remains as he is now.
Why does he drop deep like a 20 year old Rooney?
He's completely incapable. He should be in the box constantly dragging CBs and be a target for crosses.
I don't understand why he doesn't want to play to his strengths.
He can still out jump any player and his instincts and shooting are still good.
Stay in the box or feck off I say.
He's completely incapable. He should be in the box constantly dragging CBs and be a target for crosses.
I don't understand why he doesn't want to play to his strengths.
He can still out jump any player and his instincts and shooting are still good.
Stay in the box or feck off I say.
Eriksen on Ronaldo to the Danish press today
(sorry for the bad translation)
Eriksen: The atmosphere has been good. He has been a pro through all of it, in training and in matches. Eriksen also notes he has no idea if Ronaldo has been affected by the supposedly missed move this summer
Eriksen: I don’t know how it was before so I don’t know how I would be able to compare it.
All I know is how he has been this season, and that is committed and professional.
There is nothing there to point your fingers at.
Eriksen: He has been very friendly towards me, its been a positive experience, it has with the entire squad. We have a good chemistry and culture on the team.
I probably have to learn some Portuguese to go beyond that, that will be next language in line (smiles).
(sorry for the bad translation)
Eriksen: The atmosphere has been good. He has been a pro through all of it, in training and in matches. Eriksen also notes he has no idea if Ronaldo has been affected by the supposedly missed move this summer
Eriksen: I don’t know how it was before so I don’t know how I would be able to compare it.
All I know is how he has been this season, and that is committed and professional.
There is nothing there to point your fingers at.
Eriksen: He has been very friendly towards me, its been a positive experience, it has with the entire squad. We have a good chemistry and culture on the team.
I probably have to learn some Portuguese to go beyond that, that will be next language in line (smiles).
Ronaldo doesn't have enough credit in the bank to be obviously crap on the pitch and still universally catch a break from United fans.
His status among United fans simply doesn't warrant it. He is not an undisputed "legend". If he were, he would be cut more slack, simple enough.
And before you make that point - yes, I'm sure many comments have been made about him that are "toxic" and "embarrassing to read". Those can be found in any player performance thread on here. It shouldn't be like that, but there you go. He certainly is not in any shape or form exceptional in that regard. If anything, for a player on his wages, who has been as shit as he has so far this season, he has an extraordinary number of very vocal supporters on here.
It is plausible though, Ronaldo scored goals, but his play - even in those games when he did hit the net - was often poor. Plus, he obviously caused ructions in the dressing room and behind the scenes which thankfully EtH seems to be sorting out.
It was a terrible move on United's part to get him back, the salary, the cost of not being in the Champs League (which may have been achieved with someone like Ings), his failure to go in August - which he could have done by buying out his own contract - gave the new manager a heap of trouble that detracted from his prep for the season (that friendly when he left early, for example). But the biggest issue in my opinion, by re-employing a great player from when United were a great team just reinforces the vibe that United are living in the past: OGS/Bryan Robson/Sir Alex. Sometimes to move forward, you have to forget about the past and its difficult to do when you have a past legend on the bench or in Cup games in the starting 11.
Stop talking bollocks. You probably still think Auba did as well, because your king Arteta told you so.
Like who?
We'd be fielding someone else instead of Ronaldo. Doesn't matter who. If you just subtract his goals without adding anything at all then we'd be playing everything through Ronaldo with no return whatsoever. If you want to talk about a scenario where Ronaldo doesn't score as a way to highlight Ronaldo being important for us you have to take into consideration that someone else would have been on the field in his place. Otherwise you'd just be arguing that Ronaldo scoring was better than Ronaldo not scoring.
It's kinda hard to NOT be nice to Eriksen, tbf. He seems like a very down-to-earth guy, and just love playing football. A bit like Scholes?
What is a top side? How does that compare with us playing Europa league? The question has too many holes in it to give an answer relevant to today's reality. If anything, it's biased towards the negative. An example of a better question is whether Martial/Rashford has performed consistently enough, without injury, over a significant period of time outside of friends to replace Ronaldo's goals of last season in a new system.
The clear answer is I've absolutely now idea. It's nothing more than speculative fantasy football. Thankfully, ETH has the gumption to make a call within the limitations of player availability etc etc.
The clear answer is I've absolutely now idea. It's nothing more than speculative fantasy football. Thankfully, ETH has the gumption to make a call within the limitations of player availability etc etc.
People are being harsh on him, the decline is rapid granted but it must be even more frustrating for him. He will mentally think he can still do it and is find it difficult to accept his body just isn't moving as quickly as it once did. The brain still works as fast you can see he's shaping to shoot but the body just doesn't move at the same speed and the younger more mobile defenders are on him like a shot.
Footballers who love the game don't want to give up, it's not like amateur football where you can move to the veteran league or just play five aside to feed your hunger. Once he's done he's done and it's so sad to see him become a burden on his team.
I actually feel really sorry for the Coach of Portugal, he's in a terrible situation. He will know he will be holding the team back but he will also know the nation will demand Ronaldo start every match.
Footballers who love the game don't want to give up, it's not like amateur football where you can move to the veteran league or just play five aside to feed your hunger. Once he's done he's done and it's so sad to see him become a burden on his team.
I actually feel really sorry for the Coach of Portugal, he's in a terrible situation. He will know he will be holding the team back but he will also know the nation will demand Ronaldo start every match.
His legs look gone to me
I hope I’m proved wrong and it’s just a fitness thing but doubt it
I hope I’m proved wrong and it’s just a fitness thing but doubt it
He barely contributed
It actually does matter who.
Last season we expected great things from Martial and Rashford and instead of what we expected, we got nothing from them. Both are over a decade younger than Ronaldo but it was Ronaldo who carried us on his back, while they contributed nothing.
I’m on board with the argument that in hindsight we should have brought in a promising prospect at CF instead of Ronaldo, but the problem with that argument is that club management had every reason to believe that we already had two top forwards in Martial and Rashford, and of course Cavani for depth. So there was never going to be a massive signing last season for the next brilliant young striker.
But as it turns out all three of Martial, Rashford and Cavani dropped turds season, as did most of the rest of the squad with the exceptions of Ronaldo and De Gea. Had we relied entirely on those three, which was the only alternative to the nonexistent hypothetical of buying another top striker besides Ronaldo, we would have been even more fecked. There’s no question whatsoever that Ronaldo saved us from even greater disaster than the ignominious sixth place finish we scratched out.
The only open question is whether Ronaldo, our player of the season in 21/22, has dropped off the cliff as a professional footballer in the last few months. Reasonable minds can differ on this question, but I would only suggest that the sample of matches after a nonexistent preseason for him is too small to write him off as a worthless spent force just yet. Despite not scoring against Real Sociedad he did beat the keeper on a difficult header that no chance do Martial and Rashford even attempt and he took a few decent shots on goal.
I expect him to improve a lot on the two poor performances in the Europa. He scored 24 in all competitions just last season, I don't think he's completely gone to shit that quickly and I expect he'll chip in with important goals this season.
Martial was on thin ice going into last season having had a terrible 2020/21, and it was well established by then that Rashford was not a CF. If anything, the idea before signing Ronaldo was that we'd play Greenwood up front (how we started the season) with Cavani and Martial as backup.
I don't agree with the "Ronaldo's goals weren't worth the lack of effort last season" line of reasoning (lack of effort isn't the problem, especially not when the rest of the team is hardly a pressing machine. The problem is offering nothing on the ball when not scoring - but again, every single attacker was rubbish and only one of them offered 20-odd goals to paper over the cracks), but simply subtracting every goal he scored last season and coming up with a points tally based on the "scoreline" isn't a useful way to try and prove it. That's the point the other poster is making.
Just as he did last year, and the previous 5 or so years, Ronaldo will prove all of the naysayers wrong. CR7 defeats time (until, like, his forties or summat).
Admittedly though, slow start to the season for him. Missing the cutting edge, but I still don't think showing signs of a huge amount wrong physically. It'll come good. Thoughts that Martial will displace him full-time are divorced from reality IMO.
Admittedly though, slow start to the season for him. Missing the cutting edge, but I still don't think showing signs of a huge amount wrong physically. It'll come good. Thoughts that Martial will displace him full-time are divorced from reality IMO.
Projection
I feel that he is more of a mental person that people give him credit for.
With the right mindset I don't think anyone could argue against having him in the squad. The truth remains that will he be able to gather enough motivation to do the job. It's out of Ten Hag's hands to be honest, Ronaldo won five champions leagues trophies, there is too much disparity.
With the right mindset I don't think anyone could argue against having him in the squad. The truth remains that will he be able to gather enough motivation to do the job. It's out of Ten Hag's hands to be honest, Ronaldo won five champions leagues trophies, there is too much disparity.
You are right. He shouldn't come deep but he is going to come deep if he is not getting the service. He is still our best header of the ball.
Maybe it’s manager instruction? Or maybe he isn’t confident about lack of support from our midfield after last season shitshow and wants to drop back and give more support?
Anyway tactically speaking I feel with him dropping back will often attract markers and as result opening up more space for our other forwards especially during counter.
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We can easily have him playing the level he did last season -
But Ten Hag will need to play the tactics Ole did to be our main attacking threat.
I don’t think Ten Hag would ever do that.
Ronaldo is a player that would be scoring 15-20 goals a season in any league that’s not in the top 3.
But Ten Hag will need to play the tactics Ole did to be our main attacking threat.
I don’t think Ten Hag would ever do that.
Ronaldo is a player that would be scoring 15-20 goals a season in any league that’s not in the top 3.
I don't think Ronaldo is finished yet. What he needs to do now is adapt his game to the changes on his physical attributes.
Yes but that was at least 2 seasons ago and you can see he has declined here since last season. You can pick any player Ronaldos age and after mid 30s they will drop off season on season. Even Messi isnt the player he was 2 seasons ago.
What makes you believe he has declined from last season?
Why isn’t it just a manager not getting the best out of him?
He has a completely new manager who focuses on a team possesion game than the type of football Ole used to get the best out of Ronaldo - and only Ronaldo.