Sounds a bit obvious, but to be fair, when the most talented player in the world at one time falls off not because of ability, but because of mentality and application, it is an important lesson to learn for those coming through the ranks. How often do we hear stories of players that think they've made it already when they break into the first team a few times? Flashing their cash and living it up. Sure some might be able to have a decent career doing that, but how many throw their lot down the pisser instead? How many are robbing themselves of all they could have achieved?
Milan prepared to sell Ronaldinho
- Thread starter Billy Blaggs
- Start date
Jascha Heifetz once said it's easier getting to the top than it is staying there - a phrase which seems to sum up Ronaldinho's career pretty well.
I think my problem with your earlier post is that, as so often, you got in an ugly mess with your grammar and ended up saying something you didn't quite intend to. In this case you managed to feck your tenses up and implied that he was never a player - suggesting you thought he'd never reached his potential.
Generally, I find it annoying when people look back over Ronaldinho's career and condense all the good stuff and generally underrate his career. I think his productive years were longer than people seem to recall and if I were him I certainly wouldn't swap my career with, say, Wayne Rooney's.
So that was my problem with your post really. You took a generally negative approach to his career - exacerbated by your grammatical difficulties - and combined with your usual preachy style it was another of your fairly annoying posts.
I don't want to sound like a drama queen, but the way Ronaldinho let himself go broke my heart!
it just saddens me to the fullest
his fitness seemed to change dramatically in the latter half of the 2005/06 season which makes me believe that the missed training sessions started to effect him greatly and he never quite recovered his fitness
Good post BL
don't think he is particularly arsed and is quite happy with his career.
he's won everything there is to win on the international stage, he's won europe, he's won la liga, and he's won ballon d'or and fifa WPOTY.
Along the way he he knows he was one of the best players for about 5 years, with a couple of those years being streets ahead of anyone. Plus he got mega wages and a fat wedge from nike.
I reckon most of us would've gone on a bender and probably killed ourselves on snow and prozzies if we had his talent and won what he won.
he's won everything there is to win on the international stage, he's won europe, he's won la liga, and he's won ballon d'or and fifa WPOTY.
Along the way he he knows he was one of the best players for about 5 years, with a couple of those years being streets ahead of anyone. Plus he got mega wages and a fat wedge from nike.
I reckon most of us would've gone on a bender and probably killed ourselves on snow and prozzies if we had his talent and won what he won.
it doesn't sadden me. a full flying ronaldinhino in 2008 (if he was on 04-06 form), most probably helps barca in beating us in the semi and thereby stops us from getting number 3.
Barca couldn't even rely on Ronaldinho to pick him for games at that point
I wasn't thinking about us vs them but the joy Ronaldinho brought to the world of football
I'm not sure how declaring someone the best of their era is underrating them, but hey ho
The Feeding Seagulls gramatical pomposity quotient of the forum is already filled ta
He would probably still be here, be very fit, and playing a considerably higher level, had we bought him in the summer of 03. But then we probably wouldn't have bought Ronaldo, so it all worked out ok in the end. Although Ronaldinho and Robben - the two that got away, would've been fantastic under Fergie's tutelage.
He would have probably left for Spain just like Ronaldo did though, it'd only delay his inevitable downfall.
To be fair, his was a downfall but it only looked so start when viewed in the context of the traditional career of a footballer, which is generally thought to be anywhere from 17-35 ish. Perhaps we need to expand that idea to take account of players who, in a game which is becoming more and more physical, peak earlier and are no longer able to put in those sorts of performances at stages in their careers that we traditionally think of as being their 'peak years'.
Maybe it's the case that for some players who, like Ronaldinho, base a lot of what they do around explosiveness and the ability to be a split second quicker than the players around them, we have to realise that there may be an earlier fall off in their productivity (for whatever reasons) and judge their careers accordingly. When you look at someone like George Best it's impossible to argue that he didn't have a wonderful career, despite the fact that everyone was left wanting more. It seems to me that for some players, there will be factors that conspire against them (though will often be self-inflicted), whether they be physiological or mental, and that has to be taken account of too. Personally with the way modern football is going, and the physical and mental demands it puts on players, I can see quite a few more players burning out of peaking much earlier that what is considered the norm.
Maybe it's the case that for some players who, like Ronaldinho, base a lot of what they do around explosiveness and the ability to be a split second quicker than the players around them, we have to realise that there may be an earlier fall off in their productivity (for whatever reasons) and judge their careers accordingly. When you look at someone like George Best it's impossible to argue that he didn't have a wonderful career, despite the fact that everyone was left wanting more. It seems to me that for some players, there will be factors that conspire against them (though will often be self-inflicted), whether they be physiological or mental, and that has to be taken account of too. Personally with the way modern football is going, and the physical and mental demands it puts on players, I can see quite a few more players burning out of peaking much earlier that what is considered the norm.
Hes only 30!........Hmm
Fair point, and of course different players peak at different points
But with Ronaldinho, I think its more padding out than burning out that did for him
He's only 30, but it feels like quite a long time ago now he was at the top of the game. Was going into the 2006 World Cup, which he was meant to dominate. He didn't, not entirely of his own fault in fairness, and after that he let himself go
Or perhaps he wouldn't have signed Saha and/or Rooney.
Watching him play in his prime was among the best thing related in football I ever witnessed.He was something else
He 'let himself go'? I think if you have to be that preachy you should at least be certain you know what you're talking about before talking down from up high about players, or offering professional footballers advice as you've done quite a lot in this thread.
I agree very much with Brophs post above. As he says, it's probably too much for us to expect modern players to sustain careers over 10-15 year periods today. We're spoilt following United by having a manager who seems to have no equal when it comes to getting long term consistency out of major talents but that shouldn't make us so dismissive of talents who've struggled to stay at the top for as long as we think they should.
I still think that there's barely any players of the last decade that Ronaldinho would swap his career with, if any.
Yes, let himself go Baldwin. There are pictures in this thread and testiment elsewhere which fully back this up. You need a new gear, the angry little man argue the toss for the sake of it act is getting boring
This thread has nothing to do with who he'd swap his career with, its to do with the decline of an exceptionally gifted player, where if he'd kept his focus, we could be talking about a legend of the game by now
on his day it was awesome to watch him play
Exactly Brad, its the difference between a player who was bpitw for a while, and a player that with the right focus and attitude could have been legitimately talked about along with the Peles of history.
So true, that goal againest Chelsea still makes my jaw drop.
Definitely
He's the only top top player, after Zidane, who had that aura about him in big games, who just seemed to lift himself. Then the 2006 world cup happened and that theory went to bits.
He was true joy to watch at his best. Noone around these days that's such a pleasure to watch.
He was true joy to watch at his best. Noone around these days that's such a pleasure to watch.
I still felt it last year when we played him.
A little. Mentally he brought it but physically he wasn't half as good a specimen. It was as if he decided United were worthy of bothering to play well against. Had he been as fit as the old Ronaldhinio he would probably have tore us to shreds that night.
Used to watch Barca play just to see him take the piss out of opponents. Best player of his generation at his peak for me, better than anyone now playing the game including the likes of Messi and Ronaldo.
do not want!
We need an extra winger. He'd be worth a punt surely
hahahahaha
hahahahaha
he was great, but he wasn't that great imo
That is amazing, what a goal that would of been.
Remember his first goal for Barcelona?
If only Paris SG could get him back.
anderson
You can only believe that if you were in nappies in 2004-2006. No one around in the game currently can entertain and dominate like that fella could at his best.
That's when he was "off form" apparently. The most entertaining player I have ever seen.
not in the slightest my friend, Messi has surpassed the great man imo
it depends, for entertainment I would agree with that statement,nobody is touching the goofy one, but being an actual better player, I would say Messi is ahead and believe me mate, I remember Ronaldinho's performances like it was yesterday
Fair enough, but I'd still take a Ronaldinho at his best over a Messi at his best.
Fair enough. I'd personally not choose anyone playing right now over Ronadlinho at his best. Neither Messi nor Ronaldinho can have the impact nor run a game the way that fella could. I will never forget how he humbled Pirlo, Gatusso and Seedorf at their best at the San Siro for example.