Shouldn't have dithered on Nunez then
Ronaldo: Stay or go?
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Shouldn't have dithered on Nunez then
The idea that Ronaldo leaves and suddenly we go back to having a functioning attack is laughable. Greenwood won't be absolved by Boris and the Pope, Rashford didn't fall off a cliff because Ronaldo stole his cocoa pops, Cavani won't magically re-sign and stay fit all year, and we still won't have full backs who can cross. It might lead to some improvement in Bruno's game, but that isn't enough to say the team as a whole would be improved by losing one of the deadliest goalscorers in the world.
Last year was all the failings of the board and management from the last several years coming home to roost, simple as that. Starting to look like those failings are ongoing given the lack of transfer activity.
Last year was all the failings of the board and management from the last several years coming home to roost, simple as that. Starting to look like those failings are ongoing given the lack of transfer activity.
This is the most annoying logic on the caf nowadays. And it’s fecking everywhere. Let’s ignore Problem A because we also need to fix Problems B, C, D and E.
This thread is about Ronaldo. Not the many other players we also need to replace. The fact we have a shit load of other issues holding us back shouldn’t mean we can’t discuss the possibility that maybe, just maybe, going into next season with a 37/38 year old first choice striker is not going to end well at all.
Yes but getting rid of him doesn't solve that problem. Signing a better player solves that problem and good luck with that right now. Signing a better player and keeping Ronaldo is what we should be trying to do because we need more quality not less.
We're just kinda stuffed imo. Ronaldo has to stay, because we can't afford to get a new CF with all the other positions we have problems. And that means ETH will have to work with at least one player that doesn't fit what he'd typically build. That's obviously nothing to do with ETH and all to do with our ridiculous board/big Ed, but I do worry Ronnie is going to be damaging to ETH's hopes of success. You simply can't play 'modern' football with a striker like Ronaldo. So ETH will have to sacrifice something, whether that's pressing from the front, or even breaking with pace, or bouncing it off a target man.
Clearly he should stay, we have no strikers. He may not be the managers ideal striker but he's already talked about getting the best out of players. That is management at its core. You don't get to have everything perfectly lined up when you join a club. I don't think there's any serious possibility he's leaving.
However I am an advocate for supplementing him with another forward. I am surprised so many are content to go into a season with a 38 year old on his own, that could start to decline or suffer injuries at any time. It's as if we think that because it's Ronaldo he's invincible. He's not and it's a risk too far. Even if he stays fit and on form we need to get the best out of him and that isn't running him into the ground.
If we think Rashford and Martial are backups then that is cuckoo land. It's something that seriously needs looking at in the market. There isn't an easy solution because it isn't clear who the next candidate striker is for us. It might have to be a short term solution, but I think we absolutely do need someone.
However I am an advocate for supplementing him with another forward. I am surprised so many are content to go into a season with a 38 year old on his own, that could start to decline or suffer injuries at any time. It's as if we think that because it's Ronaldo he's invincible. He's not and it's a risk too far. Even if he stays fit and on form we need to get the best out of him and that isn't running him into the ground.
If we think Rashford and Martial are backups then that is cuckoo land. It's something that seriously needs looking at in the market. There isn't an easy solution because it isn't clear who the next candidate striker is for us. It might have to be a short term solution, but I think we absolutely do need someone.
Yeah, exactly. It’s a real pity the new manager is being hamstrung like this. Can only go badly. And as others are fond of saying, this isn’t even his biggest problem to solve!
Well we won against them without him.
Not sure we would have if he was there.
Not sure we would have if he was there.
Seriously, what a time to be a fan!
To be honest I don't see the point in mentioning his age again and again, he clearly doesn't play like a 37-year old.
It would be like trying to point and laugh at Madrid for having a 36-year old and 34-year old still in the team (Modric and Benzema). We don't talk about those 2 in that way because clearly their age doesn't hold them back for the moment.
Yeah he's slower than we'd like and there may be a case for him crowding out other players in attack. I'm not belittling that. But he's also got an actual pre-season with us now with an awesome new coach who can help him be better for the team.
He's clutch. He got better as the season went on this year. He looks after himself so well. The only thing we can do, really, is wait and see. Nobody knows when he's going to finally drop.
It would be like trying to point and laugh at Madrid for having a 36-year old and 34-year old still in the team (Modric and Benzema). We don't talk about those 2 in that way because clearly their age doesn't hold them back for the moment.
Yeah he's slower than we'd like and there may be a case for him crowding out other players in attack. I'm not belittling that. But he's also got an actual pre-season with us now with an awesome new coach who can help him be better for the team.
He's clutch. He got better as the season went on this year. He looks after himself so well. The only thing we can do, really, is wait and see. Nobody knows when he's going to finally drop.
But we don't have other attackers that can really do much at all, part of the reason we ran Ronaldo into the ground last year because we literally had no replacement. If Ronaldo goes our attacking options are sancho, Rushford and martial and Bruno if you're considering him as attacking rather than midfield. None of them are really good enough to be relied on as a main attacker.
Ronaldo probably brings in a decent amount in sponsorship that cancels out a lot of his wages
No, but you do have to make a decision about which areas to prioritise with a transfer budget. Even if we have £200m to spend which is far above what most estimates have us at, we need someone who can play right wing, since virtually every attacker we have functions better on the left, we need at least one midfielder, though more likely 2, we need a right back, since neither of our right backs are anywhere near the standard required. To bring in a first choice striker like we would need is going to be 60-70m at least. In this summer with this budget, we're far better getting a backup striker for 20m or something and then properly replacing Ronaldo next year, rather than blowing a third of our budget on a position that is far from the biggest issue we have.
And thats assuming we had 200m. If its more like 150m then after one midfielder a first choice striker would take the rest of our budget, and we'd have no new right winger or right back
He is right though. Too many people are "fixing" a problem for the sake of fixing a problem. What's the point of selling Ronaldo if that is going to create a bigger problem?
Imagine this season we had no Ronaldo, who would have taken the goal burden? Rashford, Martial, Bruno? It's not like Martial or Rashford were pressing machines and Ronaldo snuffed it out of them either.
Let's be real here, there are no players on the market right now we can afford to replace Ronaldo with. And if Pep wanted him and was minutes away from signing him last season, I'm fairly certain that ETH will be able to fit him in his system as well.
Yeah, that's the thing. We can only sign one big signing at a time in an area for every window. I am not even sure if we can find a backup striker anywhere with a decent price which is worrying for the team. You hope Martial finds his form. Or leave with a good price which won't happen.
I guess people talk about Ronaldo here because this is his thread. We can't sell him anyway.
But as you said the CFW position is a problem for us. Not Ronaldo in that way. Who knows if Rashford or Martial (less likely) might surprise us this season?
If you can’t find a place in and around your team for one of the best players of all time, who got 24 goals in an absolutely rancid team last season, then you aren’t a manager.
His “weaknesses” are way too overblown when we had so many other players having terrible seasons that can’t be blamed on whatever bizarre excuse people like to give them (he gets in the way!!)
He is clutch and the only reason we weren’t embarrassed in the CL last season. We need winners in the squad to lead by example and he is just about the biggest one in world football.
We are extremely thin on real quality as it is, and people want to descrease that even further.
He will end up getting 30 goals next season with a proper manager and a real midfield in place, and he will end up making people eat their words for about the 17th time.
His “weaknesses” are way too overblown when we had so many other players having terrible seasons that can’t be blamed on whatever bizarre excuse people like to give them (he gets in the way!!)
He is clutch and the only reason we weren’t embarrassed in the CL last season. We need winners in the squad to lead by example and he is just about the biggest one in world football.
We are extremely thin on real quality as it is, and people want to descrease that even further.
He will end up getting 30 goals next season with a proper manager and a real midfield in place, and he will end up making people eat their words for about the 17th time.
They might, but they have the exact same deficiencies as Ronaldo: lack of work rate up front. But unlike those 2 Ronaldo is the perfect forward in pretty much all the key metrics. Here are his FBref stats vs Martial and Rashford:
Nah you are just blaming him first for the squad’s problem, which is totally unfound, and you are just trying to shield yourself away from backfire by adding those GOAT comments.
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The problem with your thinking is that, you assume past guarantee future, and ignore the fact that many of the players you’ve listed have their own issues with or without Ronaldo.
Cavani - unable to stay fit in most of the games this season
Martial - Been shite last season without Ronaldo, been shite this season from his loan move in Spain, without Ronaldo
Rashford - his shite form began since early 2021, way before Ronaldo joined us
Greenwood - let’s just say, his off-field problems has nothing to do with anyone but himself
Bruno - this one though could be partly due to Ronaldo presence on the pitch, but also partly due to loss of form/off-field/incompatibility issues from the likes of Rashford/Martial/Greenwood/Sancho, and his own poor form (keep losing possession cheaply). We all know he is good at penalties, shooting and playing final ball on counter attack move, and bad at everything else.
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Except that we are never a pressing team with Rashford, Martial and Greenwood though. And having witnessed Real Madrid (non-pressing team) beating the likes of Chelsea, City, Liverpool and winning the CL this season, I am convinced you don’t necessarily need to be pressing team to have a solid team and being successful. Let’s just say, midfielders and defenders have to do their job too.
True. Another problem is, even if we are willing to spend £50-60m, probably won’t get us 25 goal striker this summer. Liverpool is going to spend up to £85m on Nunez alone. With all the issues we’ve got, we simply don’t have that luxuries to spend that much on one player.
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I think its more about working on priorities under limited budget given. Ideally, with unlimited budget, maybe we could work on replacing everyone with someone younger/better. But this is simply not the case for us.
Don’t forget almost all our top targets doesn’t even want to join us, and we are only very limited budget this summer.
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And interestingly this is from best and most successful forward/player in the world this season:
https://fbref.com/en/players/70d74ece/Karim-Benzema
Almost as bad or even worst in terms of pressing/defensive work up front, but excellence in everything else, which proves that “lack of work rate up front” isn’t as big issues for other teams.
We can't afford to lose him, that would mean we would need to sign two strikers, and we already have enough troubles in other positions
Plus, he can still contribute a lot, no matter how old he is
Plus, he can still contribute a lot, no matter how old he is
Watch a different sport, football’s not for you.
I think and I hope he will stay. He guarantees goals and the whole excuse about him not being ideal for a pressing game from the front wouldn't be much of an issue if we could balance it with the rest of the players.
I've lost count of the number of times Ronaldo went and tried to press on his own without any help, it doesn't he isn't at fault of course but clearly there were issues of coordination as a whole team
I've lost count of the number of times Ronaldo went and tried to press on his own without any help, it doesn't he isn't at fault of course but clearly there were issues of coordination as a whole team
Exactly mate.
They pressed, the whole reason they won the CL is because Benzema pressed down the keeper in two key games, making the difference. Benzema pressed like he was 22 from the front, especially against PSG, like a man possessed. United don't score either of those goals with Ronaldo.
He is right though, it is perfect when you spread your goals over several players across team and don't depend on form of one star goalscorer, and it fits ETH playstyle, I always hated depending on one player for goals. So he is right, you don't need 25 goal striker if you have proper team structure where goal can come from any direction. That is my dream scenario, that is why I want Ronaldo out and ETH to have blank canvas and make us a fearsome team as a whole, not team where everything comes through one player.
He's obviously correct.
For example, Man City have just won back to back league titles without a 25 goal a season player. The amount the team scores is what's always mattered.
Tell me why you need a 25 goal a season striker?
Why is it preferable to spreading the goals around?
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Tell you what, Liverpool wins the champions league if Ronaldo was playing for them. He would have buried at least one of their many chances.
We already have the best striker in Ronaldo who will put out score Haaland and Nevez next season!
If Ronaldo feels unloved and unwanted he will go.. nobody wants to be somewhere they are not wanted.. Ronaldo just wants to enjoy the last few years of his career with the love he deserves/craves. It will be a sad day once he's retired so enjoy him while you can..
he gets enough hate from rival fans the media, he doesn't need it from his own teams fans. Some of the comments on this thread are borderline slander.. not what you expect from your own teams fans when you was one of the brightest shining lights of a poor season..
for example Ronaldo had a better season individually than Messi in the worst struggling Manchester United team in years and years..but I'm sure PSG fans are not debating if Messi should stay or not as it's a stupid question.. just like this is.. Ronaldo should and I hope he stays.
We already have the best striker in Ronaldo who will put out score Haaland and Nevez next season!
If Ronaldo feels unloved and unwanted he will go.. nobody wants to be somewhere they are not wanted.. Ronaldo just wants to enjoy the last few years of his career with the love he deserves/craves. It will be a sad day once he's retired so enjoy him while you can..
he gets enough hate from rival fans the media, he doesn't need it from his own teams fans. Some of the comments on this thread are borderline slander.. not what you expect from your own teams fans when you was one of the brightest shining lights of a poor season..
for example Ronaldo had a better season individually than Messi in the worst struggling Manchester United team in years and years..but I'm sure PSG fans are not debating if Messi should stay or not as it's a stupid question.. just like this is.. Ronaldo should and I hope he stays.
We already have the best striker in Ronaldo who will put out score Haaland and Nevez next season!
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Yeah, the same mancity who just signed…Erling Halaand?
And ya no shit its better to have the entire team scoring goals. That doesn’t mean you get rid of someone who scores 25 a year. The way to score more goals isn’t to get rid of your highest goal scorer, it is to get the others around him to start contributing more.
Every team needs someone who scores 20+ a year. Maybe City are the exception (though they just changed that) but all the other top teams have that (Benz, Salah, Lew etc etc etc).
City scored 150 goals this season with 7 players in double figures and Mahrez their top scorer with 24, 11 league goals. Do you think Haaland makes them score more this coming season or is it just scoring them at the right time.
I would not be at all surprised if they score fewer goals next season but Haaland scores heavily.
They should be, if they are serious about challenging for the CL. That front-line is a massive hindrance defensively against any serious threat, 3 guys walking on the half way line contributing nothing going back.
If they just want to win the French league and enjoy watching an all time great then crack on with it.
I don’t know. I guarantee if he doesn’t get hurt though they will be a better team for it. Also I already said, maybe they’re the exception. Not everyone has Pep coaching them. I listed all these other teams (One of whom just had a much better year than City and knocked them out of the CL) who all have a striker who scores the bulk of their goals.
How on earth this did we get here in football where I have to argue that having a 25+ goals a year is a good thing
Ideally you need another prolific scorer aside from Ronaldo, he can't carry the attack the whole season on his own. So I wouldn't get rid of Ronaldo either but you also want the rest of the team contributing with goals, like if Ronaldo is the focal point that means defenders are going to be more focused marking him and there are going to be spaces for other players that need to be taken advantage.
All in all, in the current state of Manchester United, it would be idiotic to think of getting rid of him.
I don’t know. I guarantee if he doesn’t get hurt though they will be a better team for it. Also I already said, maybe they’re the exception. Not everyone has Pep coaching them. I listed all these other teams (One of whom just had a much better year than City and knocked them out of the CL) who all have a striker who scores the bulk of their goals.
How on earth this did we get here in football where I have to argue that having a 25+ goals a year is a good thing
Don't get me wrong, ideally you want both, lots of people scoring heavily, but I think individual goal tallies are massively overrated and if you are not making the team better then the goals are worthless. Moving away from Ronaldo, did Lukaku not show that this season, if he had started every game he probably would have ended up with 25-30 goals and Chelsea would have been a worse and more predictable team for it, but you would also have had Chelsea fans wondering who else would score the goals.
Disagree here again mate. Lukaku showed that he wouldn’t be scoring at all if they kept playing him because his form was awful. You think Tuchel didn’t know what sort of player he was getting? He wanted those goals but Lukaku just didn’t hit form. In fact the fact they even bought shows to you that all these elite managers still fully understand the value of having someone who can bang them in for fun.
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