Ronaldinho

Raoul

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Nearly became a Red a decade ago, and despite having ruled the world for a couple of years in the mid 2000s seemed to fade a bit towards the end of his Barca and Milan days. He recently made the comment - "If Manchester United had signed me they would have won more European Cups," which begs the question of how would Goofy's career have unfolded differently in terms of his form and longevity if he had a decade under Fergie ?

What say you 'tards ?
 
Didn't we try to sign him and we got gazumped by Barcelona?

Somehow I don't think he would've hit the same heights at Utd... he was unstoppable at Barca. The only negative is the rapid decline from around 2007. Fergie would've made sure he lasted longer at his peak, but I'm not so sure the peak would've been the same at Utd. Fergie's preference for wing play, the nature of the English game and all these little things lead me to believe that.
 
Maybe perhaps possibly in 03/04, but only if Rio had also not been suspended.

04/05, 05/06 - no way, we were too poor defensively and in midfield.

06/07 - Undone by defensive injuries against a rampant Milan side. I doubt he would have made a difference.

07/08 - We won it, jokes on you bucky.

08/09 - The addition of an excellent attacking midfielder (assuming he hadn't fallen off the wagon, as he had at this point) may possibly have helped seeing as Barcelona did sit off us a fair bit. Well, relative to how they came to play later on.

09/10 - No.

10/11 - Definitely not.

11/12 - Defensive feckups and not taking the group seriously cost us.

12/13 - No.
 
I don't see any similarity between the two. I'm convinced that the only reason Ando was compared to him about 5 years ago was because they had similar hair.

Wasn't it his performances at the youth world cup that got people excited about him? the comparisons to Ronaldinho were due to that tournament and the few games he played for Gremio as far as I can recall. I can't really understand where people saw any similarities though, just his shooting technique alone should have put that one to bed.

As for Ronaldinho, we got Ronaldo instead, can't really complain about that tbh:D, but this is still my favourite non United goal.

869779_o.gif
 
Maybe perhaps possibly in 03/04, but only if Rio had also not been suspended.

04/05, 05/06 - no way, we were too poor defensively and in midfield.

06/07 - Undone by defensive injuries against a rampant Milan side. I doubt he would have made a difference.

07/08 - We won it, jokes on you bucky.

08/09 - The addition of an excellent attacking midfielder (assuming he hadn't fallen off the wagon, as he had at this point) may possibly have helped seeing as Barcelona did sit off us a fair bit. Well, relative to how they came to play later on.

09/10 - No.

10/11 - Definitely not.

11/12 - Defensive feckups and not taking the group seriously cost us.

12/13 - No.

Not talking about Ronaldinho's form at Barca/Milan and how we would have fared if we had him, but rather how he would have developed differently under Fergie, and how him becoming a bit more complete footballer would have prolonged his stay at the top and benefited us. Take Ronaldo out of the equation.
 
Maybe perhaps possibly in 03/04, but only if Rio had also not been suspended.

04/05, 05/06 - no way, we were too poor defensively and in midfield.

06/07 - Undone by defensive injuries against a rampant Milan side. I doubt he would have made a difference.

07/08 - We won it, jokes on you bucky.

08/09 - The addition of an excellent attacking midfielder (assuming he hadn't fallen off the wagon, as he had at this point) may possibly have helped seeing as Barcelona did sit off us a fair bit. Well, relative to how they came to play later on.

09/10 - No.

10/11 - Definitely not.

11/12 - Defensive feckups and not taking the group seriously cost us.

12/13 - No.

You can't really compare it on a season-by-season basis! He was a bona fide world class player and only Messi surpasses him in the last decade IMO. To say he would've not improved us is ridiculous.
 
You can't really compare it on a season-by-season basis! He was a bona fide world class player and only Messi surpasses him in the last decade IMO. To say he would've not improved us is ridiculous.

I'm not saying he wouldn't have improved us, nor that we wouldn't have won more trophies with him in the side.

I'm saying that our weakness specifically in the Champions League has generally not been for a want of attacking talent, and has largely been down to defensive inadequacies both in the backline and in the middle of the park, not taking it seriously, or being pissed all over by one of the best club sides of all time (which I'm contending he wouldn't have been able to overcome if he was in the side).
 
Bit of a simplistic take on things, that. Ronaldhinio is the kind of talent that football has rarely ever seen. He doesn't simply give the team a lift in the attacking sense, he influences teams to greatness. All of the greats have that aura about them and he had the same. Also he was more of a playmaker than the likes of messi and Ronaldo are, so he'd be helping out with the midfield fluidity too. Of course , all of this is assuming he'd avoid getting fat and lazy.
 
I'm not saying he wouldn't have improved us, nor that we wouldn't have won more trophies with him in the side.

I'm saying that our weakness specifically in the Champions League has generally not been for a want of attacking talent, and has largely been down to defensive inadequacies both in the backline and in the middle of the park, not taking it seriously, or being pissed all over by one of the best club sides of all time (which I'm contending he wouldn't have been able to overcome if he was in the side).

It may have been down to defensive inadequacies and such, but he is the type of player score goals out of nothing and decide CL ties on his own. I think there is definitely merit in that argument.
 
I don't know if SAF could have kept him motivated but I know for sure that he wouldn't have given up on him after two medicore seasons.

In that regard I think it's right to mention Anderson considering how much time we have given him and how much patience SAF had with him, maybe he would have gotten Ronaldinho back on track but that is a big maybe tbh.
 
May favourite player of all time. Used to tune into all Barca matches when he played, worth it just to watch him take the piss time and again.

Messi is good, a lot more consistent but a lot more predictable as well. Ronaldinho's sheer unpredictability made him a joy to watch.
 
We would probably have made him less exciting to watch. Maybe even more efficient though. But less of the tricks.

I doubt it tbh, Ronaldinho isn't the type of player you can curb... he had a very natural feel for the game - almost uncoachable, unlike Ronaldo who needed to be coached and educated about certain aspects of the game (not that there is anything wrong with that).
 
May favourite player of all time. Used to tune into all Barca matches when he played, worth it just to watch him take the piss time and again.

Messi is good, a lot more consistent but a lot more predictable as well. Ronaldinho's sheer unpredictability made him a joy to watch.

How can a utd supporter have as a favourite player someone who never played for utd?
 
Think he could have become a legend at utd. Never before had I wanted a player so much.
 
Lacked the drive to be one of the all time greats. Had 5 years as one of the best players in the world then suddenly didn't seem bothered whilst still in his 20s.
 
I'd say he's probably the most talented player I've ever seen. Messi and Ronaldo are both incredible due to physical attributes, obviously different ones for each. Ronaldinho relied on pure football ability and just downright genius. He could do things that no one else could and tricks with an unreal success rate. He could literally skin anyone in a one on one time after time. Then he stopped giving a feck.
 
What a bizarre question:rolleyes:

I'm not criticising, I just don't get how a player who did feck all for the club you support can mean more to you than players that have given everything to utd.... Unless you are Brazilian of course.
 
Can't get enough of that goal. One of the top ten iconic goals in the history of football imo. A world class player at his absolute peak, marauding through defenders at will.
 
Lacked the drive to be one of the all time greats. Had 5 years as one of the best players in the world then suddenly didn't seem bothered whilst still in his 20s.

It really is bizarre how he took his foot off the pedal. Immense player at his peak
 
I thought we were in for him, only for Kenyon to feck it up with such a shite offer before fecking off to Chelsea

That's about te size off it. Allegedly we agreed a price with PSG then faxed a lower offer. PSG got fecked off then Barca came in for him. Kenyon then fecked off to Chelsea. (interesting that fergie didn't name Kenyon in his speech when gill said he was leaving)

On topic, would have stayed 3 seasons then fecked off to Spain anyway IMHO
 
I'd say he's probably the most talented player I've ever seen. Messi and Ronaldo are both incredible due to physical attributes, obviously different ones for each. Ronaldinho relied on pure football ability and just downright genius. He could do things that no one else could and tricks with an unreal success rate. He could literally skin anyone in a one on one time after time. Then he stopped giving a feck.

I agree with this. He was a complete genius who could do anything with a football. Most naturally talented player I think I've ever seen. Footballing genius.
 
I thought we were in for him, only for Kenyon to feck it up with such a shite offer before fecking off to Chelsea

Yeah, as far as I remember everything was done and dusted. Kenyon had verbally agreed a fee with the PSG chief ex. then he pissed him off by faxing in a lower bid than what they had agreed on. PSG got furious and offered Ronaldinho to Barcelona, proper amateur hour from us.

Edit: Didn't see that GB had posted the same story :lol:
 
I remember watching this LIVE wondering how the ball made it from his foot into the back of the net....

 
Would have been interesting had we signed him and how things may have turned out. Still reckon we would have signed Ronaldo. Rooney in 2004, not sure, if we did, Ruud may have left sooner or maybe no Saha? What about Giggs?

.....................RVN.............

Ronaldinho.... .Rooney....Ronaldo

............Keane.........Scholes

Feel bad for leaving out Giggs, maybe he would be in if he was called Riggs :D.

Thier peak/breakout seasons may have happened at different times, though still would have been amazing to see us line up as that.