I don’t know about his legacy but he’s certainly ruined the caf for me since three of the top four threads right now are about him.
Has Ronaldo ruined his legacy for you?
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Despite being a Barca and Messi fan. I had always respected Ronaldo for his discipline and competitive spirit.
This however is really disappointing. I didn't expect him to be this childish at 37.
This however is really disappointing. I didn't expect him to be this childish at 37.
Ronaldo has ruined his legacy for himself as well as for many, many who revered him. As a player, in his pomp Ronaldo was awesome but there was always the prospect of a tantrum when things didnt go his way, both on and off the field, and as he grew older this aspect of his character never went away. As a player he is up there with the very best ever but he falls short of being a United Legend due to his sometimes childish behaviour. Besty could be a bit of a prat at times, he once threw dirt at a referee, but, until the very end of his United career, he never showed disrespect for the club, his team mates or the supporters. I will always remember and love Besty for the true legend he was and is, and though I'll remember Ronaldo the great player, thats all I'll remember him for.
Legacy is always based on facts and the fact is that the man has been an amazing asset to every club he has been (including us, until now).
He impacted us not only in the way of trophies, but helped the club market itself massively and considering the complete picture he has been a net positive for United.
Having said that, I'm happy he is acting as a prima donna even. His disreputable behaviour only serves to cement ETH authority and team spirit, the optics are not on his side at all. When you make a career of being a model professional and the mask fallls off there is no turning back.
So all in all, I don't think he ruined his legacy. His image is in shambles but people will eventually forget this incident and only remember the statistics. I think Giggs' actions were worse, legacy-wise.
He impacted us not only in the way of trophies, but helped the club market itself massively and considering the complete picture he has been a net positive for United.
Having said that, I'm happy he is acting as a prima donna even. His disreputable behaviour only serves to cement ETH authority and team spirit, the optics are not on his side at all. When you make a career of being a model professional and the mask fallls off there is no turning back.
So all in all, I don't think he ruined his legacy. His image is in shambles but people will eventually forget this incident and only remember the statistics. I think Giggs' actions were worse, legacy-wise.
No. I think I have said elsewhere that I kind of 'grew-up' with Ronaldo and Rooney at United. I got my first Season Ticket in 2005 when I was 16 and they're both 2/3 years older than me so I spent my late teens and early 20s watching them grow, develop and win everything there is to win with United.
I was lucky in that respect, to see one of the best club sides ever week-in, week out, to see my team win every major trophy, to see some epic games that will go down in the club's history live in the stadium and to see two of the club's all-time greats at their absolute peak.
As much as I think Ronaldo's behaviour is disgraceful and I want him gone at the earliest opportunity, I'll never quite be able to turn because he gave me 4/5 years of my best years as a football fan
I was lucky in that respect, to see one of the best club sides ever week-in, week out, to see my team win every major trophy, to see some epic games that will go down in the club's history live in the stadium and to see two of the club's all-time greats at their absolute peak.
As much as I think Ronaldo's behaviour is disgraceful and I want him gone at the earliest opportunity, I'll never quite be able to turn because he gave me 4/5 years of my best years as a football fan
I wonder how time will play out on this. I remember how much I couldnt stand Rooney at the end of his time here, now Im watching him do a decent job of being a manager and some of his player management skills have been admirable and Im finding Im thinking of his playing days with more fondness. Right now Ronaldo has lost me but maybe in a few years I might get over it?? Who knows.
Perhaps the greatest scorer ever and was great for 2.5 seasons for us and the best in the world for a season.
But he really has never been likeable.
Do Madrid fans even adore him considering the goals and CLs? Genuine question.
His selfishness made him the incredible player he is so he won in the end.
It's just over. If Portugal had a half decent striker he wouldn't even get a start in qatar.
Tom Brady, LeBron and Ronaldo are finished.
Perhaps Messi too, we will know after Qatar.
But he really has never been likeable.
Do Madrid fans even adore him considering the goals and CLs? Genuine question.
His selfishness made him the incredible player he is so he won in the end.
It's just over. If Portugal had a half decent striker he wouldn't even get a start in qatar.
Tom Brady, LeBron and Ronaldo are finished.
Perhaps Messi too, we will know after Qatar.
Leave the Americans out of this.
Leave the Americans out of this.
Gotta be done. It's hard to turn the page.
No. He's still probably my favourite United player ever.
Never really had much one for me to be honest. I can acknowledge how good he was for us before he left in 09. But i always hated his attitude, I appreciated how hard he worked at his craft which definitely benefited us, but his desire to leave for 2 straight seasons wasn’t appreciated.
To me his legacy will always be the player who wanted to leave the best club in the world at the time.
To me his legacy will always be the player who wanted to leave the best club in the world at the time.
One can't seriously believe stepping a bit out of line and being correctly reprimanded by his manager can destroy his legacy. That's ridiculous in the extreme. What he did doesn't even lace the boots of Keane's infamous MUTV incident. Yet that had no effect on Keane
The difference is Keano cared about the club's performance, and the players didn't mind being called out by their captain on standards which had slipped. Ronaldo walked out on his team due to his own ego when they were doing well, which is entirely different. I have respect for Keane over his MUTV rant and I think it's not right to say what Ronaldo did is somehow better than the MUTV incident when you consider the whole context. It's not stepping a bit out of line, it's something 99% of players will not do especially when undermining the manager has been a persistent problem for the club over the years.
With that being said, I'd say Ronaldo has tarnished his legacy but Utd fans will always be grateful for what he has done for us.
People's memories are short-term.
He was just as bad a crybaby when he wanted out of United for Madrid in 2009. During his second stint in the PL, United was never the first choice, City was. He would have probably chosen Newcastle over United had the Saudis bought the club a few years sooner. He has always been a petulant crybaby throughout his career, always putting personal ambitions much higher than the clubs he played for. After knowing all that, his behaviour this season doesn't come as any surprise to me.
So, this season doesn't tarnish his legacy for me as I always conceived his legacy relative to these terms. I wrote before - I don't even consider him a United legend. He's a top United player, a Real Madrid legend, who played for United on either side of the prime of his career.
He was just as bad a crybaby when he wanted out of United for Madrid in 2009. During his second stint in the PL, United was never the first choice, City was. He would have probably chosen Newcastle over United had the Saudis bought the club a few years sooner. He has always been a petulant crybaby throughout his career, always putting personal ambitions much higher than the clubs he played for. After knowing all that, his behaviour this season doesn't come as any surprise to me.
So, this season doesn't tarnish his legacy for me as I always conceived his legacy relative to these terms. I wrote before - I don't even consider him a United legend. He's a top United player, a Real Madrid legend, who played for United on either side of the prime of his career.
No, he is still the GOAT but at this point in time we don't need soar apples and he should either accept his place or leave. The club is bigger than the player.
He should just retire gracefully.
His recent strope has left a bad taste in my mouth, served no one, and only tarnish his legacy.
His recent strope has left a bad taste in my mouth, served no one, and only tarnish his legacy.
Not for me, in that he's always been like this, and it's always affected how I feel about him, so nothing has changed. The thing is, behaviour like this was easier to overlook because he made up for it with how clinical and decisive he was.
Kind of agree to this. He has no loyalty to any club. He would easily have gone to Athletico Madrid without a second thought and thrown away his legacy at Real Madrid.
Well said
That's just like still loving the girlfriend who has cheated on you three times. Those exist though...
Cemented his legacy of being a grade A twat.
You don't get anywhere without the backing of the fans who you play for. He knows this but there looks to be something else at play. It's almost as if he has an offer out of no where & is forcing United to send him out on a free. Very odd behavior doing this when the team has played one of its best games in recent history. TBH, I'm glad it's Ronaldo vs everyone else. We won't miss his lack of quality & we're better of buying someone for the wages we pay him or promoting youth.
No. Footballers come and go - the memories don't change. It'll always be the Ronaldo I saw make his debut as a sub against Bolton, or the one who did that glorious header against Roma, or even the Ronaldo who scored that vital winner against Fulham that I think of.
I didn't want him to come back. Even so, I was still relieved when he didn't go to City and it was still great to see him in back in red last season.
Obviously, I would have preferred him to semi-retire gracefully to some less pressurised team or less scrutinised role. But retiring gracefully isn't something everyone manages to pull off, so I can't really say I'm that upset by it.
I didn't want him to come back. Even so, I was still relieved when he didn't go to City and it was still great to see him in back in red last season.
Obviously, I would have preferred him to semi-retire gracefully to some less pressurised team or less scrutinised role. But retiring gracefully isn't something everyone manages to pull off, so I can't really say I'm that upset by it.
United legacy ? totally. Real Madrid legacy ? not at all. As a whole ? not at all too.
“You Either Die A Hero, Or You Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become The Villain " is so true for Ronaldo.
any footballers that you know that retire at his absolute peak ? Because after peak is decline and free fall into the dark abyss.
Cantona had only slightly declined by 1997 from his peak (the 1996 season in which he led United to the double after coming back from suspension), and chose to retire after the season.
He'd be a good example.
I never got the impression that the likes of Ronaldo and Rooney, two of our best in my more memorable years of watching United, are proper legends of the club. I guess they can never match up to the likes of Scholes etc who were exemplary on and off the pitch
The question we have to ask here is what actions the people here define as ruining his legacy. To me, I have always seen him being professional (though he can let emotions get the better of him) and he has always tried to give his best for us, so his legacy is always firmly cemented.
Cantona was a one off. I can’t remember any player walking out in his peak.
Ronaldo is a character! Even great players make mistakes. He admits he was wrong. I am sure he will be back en will play his role for Manchester United. Watching him the past months I liked his attitude, he was not very lucky when he was on. Ten Hag is dealing with this situation very well,. Which is easier after a win. I miss Ten Hag at Ajax but I enjoy watching him at Manchester United. He is a good coach and a funny guy. Uh Uh.
The problem some old school fans have is he doesn’t love the club like some others did.
He loves Madrid more but to those who grew up watching him first time at United he’s forever the player we will reminisce the most about.
Certainly Ronaldo 07-09 would be who I’d choose first in my United dream team. That to me makes him as much as a United legend as any other.
He loves Madrid more but to those who grew up watching him first time at United he’s forever the player we will reminisce the most about.
Certainly Ronaldo 07-09 would be who I’d choose first in my United dream team. That to me makes him as much as a United legend as any other.
His Utd legacy for me was done when he went to Real.
His return just reminds me of an old boxer that doesn't know he is better off hanging up his gloves....not as if he needs the money.
His return just reminds me of an old boxer that doesn't know he is better off hanging up his gloves....not as if he needs the money.
His legacy is intact with Real Madrid. For United there is no self respecting man utd supporter who can say this guy who through his time here, has constantly disrespected the club, fans, numerous managers and teammates can say he is a legend
Beckham, giggs, best, scholes, cantona, keane, rooney they all had their drama's and the odd controversy with flirting with other clubs or being unprofessional but they always remained respectful to the manager, the club and it's supporters and there was no consistent themes where they believed they were bigger than the club and manager
Beckham, giggs, best, scholes, cantona, keane, rooney they all had their drama's and the odd controversy with flirting with other clubs or being unprofessional but they always remained respectful to the manager, the club and it's supporters and there was no consistent themes where they believed they were bigger than the club and manager
You have summed that up brilliantly.
Bestie
No. His legacy as a Real Madrid legend is well in tact.
Well, his legacy here is way overstated anyway. He is a legend at RM, not United. What is happening now was expected from the day 1 we re-signed him, it was so easy to predict because he behaved like this his entire life.
Ronaldo can't do this at Real Madrid or Juventus and get away with it. It's an insult to the club, teammates and the coach. Now we can see how bad Solksjear handled the Ronaldo situation last season. I saw the disjoint between Ronaldo, Rashfold, Greenwood and Cavani
Never really had legacy, wasn't here long enough to become a legend. He's a Madrid legend. Was a fantastic footballer though.
Interesting one.
With someone like Schweinsteiger or Blanc it's really easy - they were great players, I saw them in a Utd shirt, but they were not great United players because by the time they played in that shirt they were clearly on the decline.
Bit more complicated with the likes of Larsson or Cavani or Zlatan, certainly in parts they were still playing at a really high level, but by and large I think I'd say that they were great players who I saw be good, occasionally great, in a United shirt, but not great United players.
Ronaldo is different. I don't think many people would argue that he was at his best at United - clearly he played at his best, consistently, at Madrid. But was his level in 07/08 up there with the seasons that put him in the conversation for best of all time, or are we looking back knowing that's what he became and seeing something that (although a spectacular season) wasn't quite there?
For me it's the second one. There's no doubt he was special that year, but I've seen spectacular seasons from players in that shirt - and I've also seen players be consistently great in it, even if not to that level, which for me is a great player (as Ronaldo then was for Madrid).
This might be exactly what you meant with the way you phrased it, right? I would probably agree that Ronaldo is the best player (on the basis of his career as a whole) I've ever seen play for United. But not the best United player I've seen.
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