He's not finished, he's just far past his best. I think he's a valuable player to have in he squad, but he simply has to be a squad player rather than having a team built around him. It seems we are having the same discussions that Juve fans were having at the time. Ronaldo is a freak both in terms of his past, but also his longetivity however the massive decline in his overall game is for all to see.
Is ronaldo ironically creating the very same conundrum rvn caused the team
- Thread starter Lee565
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He's not finished, he's just far past his best. I think he's a valuable player to have in he squad, but he simply has to be a squad player rather than having a team built around him. It seems we are having the same discussions that Juve fans were having at the time. Ronaldo is a freak both in terms of his past, but also his longetivity however the massive decline in his overall game is for all to see.
Never should have bought him if that were the case.
Look how well Juve are doing without him
They didn't replace him. They did extremely well before him as well. Right now they were are just about were they were in his final season.
If they did the same in the 2nd half of the season as they have in the first then they'd end up 10 pts behind what they got last year...I think replacing Ronaldo is an extremely interesting idea. A lot easier said than done.
I agree although I think it’s unfair you have put 20 year old Greenwood in the convo, he shouldn’t be carrying the team at his age or competing with Ronaldo. He actually has enough talent that he can contribute in any position he is played in (RW for us) and the lad seems destined for greatness.
Rashford and Martial though are old enough that they are no longer potential and just haven’t developed correctly. They will never reach the required level to be starting in a title challenging team.
It was simply to late in the window and there is a lack of strikers availble for transfers which is why players like Lukkaku are going for big fee's. It's hardly ever like for like though.
Well, quite. The idea that getting rid of Ronaldo solves your problem is crazy. Signing a better / more suitable player solves your problem and that ain't so easily done.
The problem isn't Ronaldo, the problem is that we don't create enough for Ronaldo.
He would be on 25 goals already for a team like City.
The level of disrespect this guy is getting on here is unreal.
He would be on 25 goals already for a team like City.
The level of disrespect this guy is getting on here is unreal.
I don't think Juve sold him to solve a problem. He wanted out, they respected that. It was too late in the window to invest though. After finishing 4th and going out to Porto in humilating fashion, I think the management just wanted to get back to being Juve FC rather than Ronaldo FC because narrative was that he bought to win the CL and it didn't come off. Apart from his shocker against porto, I'm not blaming Ronaldo for that.
Yeah they sold him because they're broke and he wanted out, agreed.
Most definitely yes.
Hope we only get in to Europa so he decides he needs to move to another CL club like Besiktas next.
Complete egotistical delusion in his head.
Hope we only get in to Europa so he decides he needs to move to another CL club like Besiktas next.
Complete egotistical delusion in his head.
He's a far bigger problem than RVN ever was, the man can't control the ball anymore.
RVN still had a couple of years in him at the top level when he left.
RVN still had a couple of years in him at the top level when he left.
It's not quite the same problem, because we don't have world class forwards to step up. Maybe greenwood and that's it. However he's a problem himself. Apart from his heading ability and his movement in the box, he is somewhat terrible at everything you'd think the highest paid player in the PL would be good at.
I'm still reserving judgement until we sort out other areas of the team. It'd be nice to judge if we had a midfield that could actually create, full backs that weren't woefully inconsistent and positionally suspect and a settled number 10 who could provide Bruno level goals and assists but also retain the ball a bit better (probably a big ask I know).
I'm not saying Ronaldo definitely isn't an issue but this was hardly a balanced team before he arrived and the previous top 4 finishes masked some major problems at the club.
I'm not saying Ronaldo definitely isn't an issue but this was hardly a balanced team before he arrived and the previous top 4 finishes masked some major problems at the club.
RVN offered a lot more than Ronaldo offers us now. Even in his worst games, RVNs movement to drag defenders and open up space if not for himself but others was class. Add to that, his hold up play was levels above.
Ronaldo right now - in games where he doesn't score - is a liability. Drops deep at times, where he isnt effective at all. Irrespective, the goal hangar role in which he is likely to succeed in has become obsolete now and while he produces the numbers, the cost is way too high
Ruud was 29 going on 30 when he left United. Ronaldo now is 36 going on 37. The comparison isn’t fair from an age perspective.
He isnt' much older. Maybe he should come back again again.
Ronaldo suits a build up team where he can score the winner and goals.
Not a intense pressing attacking team.
Not a intense pressing attacking team.
Sad to admit it but he would have been well suited for City. We bought him to stop him from going there.
Feck all to do with Ronaldo, Cavani or even an out of form Rashford/Sancho it’s all on the midfield and has been all season. Fred, McT and Matic (too old now) are one of the worst midfields in the league if they would start 40 games a season for Liverpool/City they’d be struggling as well.
We lose the midfield battle almost every game so we’re always up against it. The fans can see it. The pundits and journalists see it but for some reason 2 professional managers and a load of coaches seem to think they’re better than the likes of Donny and its one of the most baffling things I’ve ever seen in football, it’s generally beyond me how they start 50 games a season for a club like United.
Ronaldo and Cavani would be on 20-30 goals this season at City it’s not their fault they’re living on scraps here.
We lose the midfield battle almost every game so we’re always up against it. The fans can see it. The pundits and journalists see it but for some reason 2 professional managers and a load of coaches seem to think they’re better than the likes of Donny and its one of the most baffling things I’ve ever seen in football, it’s generally beyond me how they start 50 games a season for a club like United.
Ronaldo and Cavani would be on 20-30 goals this season at City it’s not their fault they’re living on scraps here.
The denials that the goalscorer could be a problem are very similar to when the RVN-Saha discussions were ongoing.
It is both,
It is both,
Would have been interesting to see Pep trying to find a way to integrate him in his team. I am sure, it is possible somehow.
Can't understand how some can be so adamant, that nothing of the current issues are connected to him. I'd say there aren't many strikers in football these days who offer so little interplay. Especially when more and more team unleash collective systems to increase the potential of a group even more but at United, it seemingly is totally ok, if we afford ourselves a player who the others should play for and compensate...
I think the issue is the midfield then anything else. The problem is the club believes that McTominay is some amazing footballer when he is a Stoke City player.
We create nothing, we have no control on games and the times we do get forward it’s just a mediocre cross from AWB or Shaw, there’s feck all for the strikers to work on.
Why we even play 2 strikers when we can’t control a fecking football is another conversation altogether, mind boggling in itself.
Crazy thing is that two managers in a row have fallen for it so far. How he stayed on for 90 mins today is beyond me.
Strikers are also part of the creative process, not just there to tap it in and take glory.
Neither Cavani or Ronaldo give hold up play or much creativity for others, they are apart from the play, and that is not just on the midfielders.
the opponents defence stalk Ronaldo not giving him a sniff. You would think that would allow our smart creative players to pick out Cavani in space———- nope...still aim for Ronaldo. It’s fuking tragic to watch.
True, but if we're signing a player for the short term, he needs to offer a lot more than he does right now
Him at City 
The guy doesn't have a first touch at all. He doesn't make runs behind the defence anymore. Doesn't have the ability to play with his back to goal. Doesn't have the ability to make passes. Doesn't Reposition himself after making a pass.
Might as well be wondering what Lukaku would be like at City.
The guy doesn't have a first touch at all. He doesn't make runs behind the defence anymore. Doesn't have the ability to play with his back to goal. Doesn't have the ability to make passes. Doesn't Reposition himself after making a pass.
Might as well be wondering what Lukaku would be like at City.
I'm shocked at how badly Ronaldo has regressed. I hadn't watch him much at all over the last couple years. I was hyped as most people were when he arrived, but he's nothing at all like he used to be. His touch and passing are pretty average/bad these days. Like a lot of our players, you see him failing extremely simple passes. He gets pissed when other players fail passes, but he is just as guilty as the rest of them. He also always tries stupid flicks that rarely ever come off, and just turns over possession. Then he just stands and watches while we get countered on.
I don't think you can say he IS the problem. There are many problems in this team. We were never a free flowing team before he arrived. He is still not helping us to play better. We're definitely a worse team than we were last season, and he's the major player that's been added to the first XI. You can say that a strikers job should be just to score goals, but we need more than that. Especially with how badly the team is struggling as a whole. The service isn't great, but when he does get the ball, he's not using it well himself.
RVN was better than Ronaldo is now when he left us. Ronaldo has scored some important goals, but his performances have been poor on average.
I don't think you can say he IS the problem. There are many problems in this team. We were never a free flowing team before he arrived. He is still not helping us to play better. We're definitely a worse team than we were last season, and he's the major player that's been added to the first XI. You can say that a strikers job should be just to score goals, but we need more than that. Especially with how badly the team is struggling as a whole. The service isn't great, but when he does get the ball, he's not using it well himself.
RVN was better than Ronaldo is now when he left us. Ronaldo has scored some important goals, but his performances have been poor on average.
He's just not that good anymore. Get him on off the bench.
Of course he'd score more if he's given 15 chances on a plate every game, hell probably even half of that, but his overall game now is so limited. His first touch, his movement with the ball, it's so laboured and harder for him than it used to be.
You'd still back him to score most chances he has, but if he's anywhere else but in the box, his involvement is most of the time poor.
You'd still back him to score most chances he has, but if he's anywhere else but in the box, his involvement is most of the time poor.
So Ronaldo is the teams problem then? Weird how every single attacking player in the team from Rashford to Sancho and Martial have been crap as well.
Theres nothing for a striker in this team at the moment we’re getting outplayed by the likes of Newcastle and Norwich 2 of the worst teams in the PL we’re creating absolutely nothing.
Our main route to goal, our biggest threat and number 1 weapon to score at the moment Is a AWB cross we’re fecking rubbish.
It wasn't anything to do with them thinking they were bigger than the club. Ferguson was a master team builder and every decision he made was for the good of the team. That meant removing any negative influences, even if individually they were more talented than others in the team.
It baffles me that so many United fans are happy to ignore one of the greatest strengths of our greatest manager and champion the idea of buying or keeping individuals who don't fit our team. Our fans are as bad at learning from mistakes as our inept board.
I agree. I thought in 04/05 RvN's all round play was as well rounded as it ever was. I remember him even playing incisive through balls that season. I think it was exaggerated that he was holding the team back. Ronaldo and Rooney just came of age the season after and that was ultimately the difference and would have probably happened regardless of whether RvN stayed or left.
Definite Parallels between Ruud getting pissed off that Ronaldo didn't pass to him, and today with Ronaldo moaning at Mason/Marcus/Jadon for being too greedy
Is Ronaldo the reason we are playing two up front, it seems an outdated model, but is it being utilised because he can't lead the line himself?
I was convinced with Ragnick took over we would be playing a typical 4-3-3, high pressing game, at last but instead it appears we have gone back to the 90s when everyone else is looking ahead to the future.
I was convinced with Ragnick took over we would be playing a typical 4-3-3, high pressing game, at last but instead it appears we have gone back to the 90s when everyone else is looking ahead to the future.
Our whole team is incoherent, the midfield is non-existent and our wide players are neither creating nor scoring. Even our starting back 4 has been taken apart by the lower clubs in this league. Our fullbacks are offering nothing going forward and are out of position on defense a lot.
I don't see how one can single our Ronaldo for criticism. Of course at his age he is in decline, but in a functional team, he will score loads. He might not be the best suited forward for our desired style of play, but he isn't too high on the blame scale.
Let's sort out the glaring issues in our midfield first, then assess the individual players. because right now, it seems like all of Ronaldo, Greenwood, Sancho, Rashford, Martial, Cavani are all shit.
I don't see how one can single our Ronaldo for criticism. Of course at his age he is in decline, but in a functional team, he will score loads. He might not be the best suited forward for our desired style of play, but he isn't too high on the blame scale.
Let's sort out the glaring issues in our midfield first, then assess the individual players. because right now, it seems like all of Ronaldo, Greenwood, Sancho, Rashford, Martial, Cavani are all shit.
Nah Ronaldo is a goal machine that's surrounded by greedy idiots. We won last night had Sancho made the obvious choice.