The comprehensive Ronaldo thread
- Thread starter Red the Bear
- Start date
Sad to see this happening towards the end of his career.
MLS or Saudi might really be his only options.
So this is the sort of behavior that's supposed to attract CL suitors??
Coming off the public embarrassment that was last summer and how it ended with United, you would've thought he'd be on his best behavior and actually try to be a leader and team player for a change at the world cup to show clubs what he can still bring.
That's too much to ask apparently though.
Most 38 year olds would absolutely relish the mentor and super sub role in a very strong team actually capable of winning the most prestigious trophy in world sport. They wouldn't be sour simply because they aren't relied as a top contributor anymore, as every single other 38 year old player hasn't ever been.
Coming off the public embarrassment that was last summer and how it ended with United, you would've thought he'd be on his best behavior and actually try to be a leader and team player for a change at the world cup to show clubs what he can still bring.
That's too much to ask apparently though.
Most 38 year olds would absolutely relish the mentor and super sub role in a very strong team actually capable of winning the most prestigious trophy in world sport. They wouldn't be sour simply because they aren't relied as a top contributor anymore, as every single other 38 year old player hasn't ever been.
In the last couple years stripping his entire game of everything but scoring was just absolutely brutal for any team carrying him. Even with that he would still be twice the player if he wasn't a detriment blatantly capping attacks to be the one on the finish. The worse he becomes the more desperate he's becoming. This season has been some of the worse all time level me-first play from a striker.
* Some would say that Cruyff's absolute prime was his last couple of seasons at Ajax, and that he actually regressed in some aspects after he left.
* Moving from Ajax to Barcelona was not - then - what it may look like now. In fact, it was decidedly a step down in terms of the strength/quality of the football teams in question. The Ajax team he left was superior to Barcelona, easily so. The Dutch league was also very strong at the top, with Feyenoord being another (historically) great team in the same era.
* So, if the idea is that he was just lording it in Holland and found things harder once he went to Spain, that's completely unfounded (it would be a ridiculous idea anyway, since his reputation was obviously not built on what he did in the Dutch domestic league anyway).
* You could also add that his game was never about being a finisher, as such. That he became less of a goal scorer with the years is perfectly natural.
Problem with bolded part is that he really thinks he's still best player in the world.
Delusion is strong with this one.
United were big in Asia before Ronaldo. Remember that South East Asia tour when Barthez played outfield in Singapore? That was way before Ronaldo. The idea that Ronaldo made the club well known worldwide is absurd.
United were arguably (only arguably due to Wengers Arsenal) the most popular club in Africa as well before he joined.
You could literally find United themed bars on the side of the road in places like Nigeria, Tanzania and Kenya 20 years ago.
Pay no mind to ahistorical and deluded fanboy rants.
Not meaning to sound rude, but how old are you?
The fact that Ajax was so superior is precisely my point.
Of course he found it much harder in Spain, clearly. His best ever goalscoring league season was 33 goals in 30 games. In La Liga he scored 48 in 143.
Then we look at the 33 goals season and it tells a story, here are some of their results:
Home: 5-3, 5-0, 8-0, 5-0, 8-3, 6-0, 5-0, 6-1, 4-1, 4-1, 4-0, 4-1
Away: 0-7, 3-8, 0-4, 0-4, 0-4
That’s 91 goals in 17 games. Safe to say he “found it easier” in the Dutch league with such a dominant Ajax side
If you think Laudrup wouldn’t have filled his boots there you’re off your rocker, so your point about replacing Messi is a little off to say the least. He’d have been firmly in Messi’s shadow, just as Iniesta was, as Neymar was, or how Laudrup or Cruijff would’ve been.
Who wouldn’t have been? Ronaldo (both), Pele,
Maradona, Michael Owen.
Special mention to Ronaldinho here who wasn’t in Messi’s shadow either, but ultimately got replaced by him regardless.
Cruijff, Zidane, Laudrup, Iniesta, Ronaldinho, Socrates, Platini, Best, it goes on and on. The list of players behind the top 5 players is absolutely sensational, each and everyone in their prime would be best player in the World currently, so stop acting like it’s some massive slight to say he’s not in the discussion for top 5.
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He’s even convinced his Mrs that he’s still the best player in the world. The family is living in bubble of delusion. 
https://talksport.com/football/1269...o-ronaldo-fernando-santos-portugal-world-cup/
https://talksport.com/football/1269...o-ronaldo-fernando-santos-portugal-world-cup/
Yeah that post trying to represent 2bn people was somewhat amusing.
He's probably been talking to Qatari officials.
Make sure the whole world knows you're an asshole. The other assholes in the world will like this.
Might not be 100% the right strategy for him, though, as people who actually watch football games still (to some extent, at least) seem to influence the transfer policies of (big, CL) clubs.
In other words, your actual ability (as a football player, here and now) might be of some importance.
At least to more or less serious clubs.
So effing happy we got rid of him! The beginning of a new era!
As someone who has also travelled/lived in Asia for long periods, I can confirm that Manchester United are the biggest and most popular club by far. Its not even close, even to this day.
nah it’s not about age. This is probably the guy who went on sky sports to say if Ronaldo hoes there’s no reason to watch United
I also think the statement should be pinned and somehow included in the title.
Lets be honest back then everything became popular due to television. So thats the biggest helper for clubs to become known world wide.
If Portugal wins the WC without Cristiano, will his fans say that he is the Goat cause he is a WC winner? I know some are capable of that and even more.
Like I said before, if you actually think that Iniesta and Cruyff are comparable as players, in a historical context, we're too far apart in terms of assessing those players.
I would also repeat: have you watched Cruyff much?
There are many full games of his available.
They will say he is goat regardless of anything. He is their idol.
He will come in for 10 minutes in the final. Everything counts
Yes, I wouldn’t be discussing it otherwise.
I’ve also watched a tonne of George Best who could do everything he could and some, but shone for a little too short a time. I watched a lot of Laudrup, and I’ve never seen a player as good as Iniesta in his position.
Prime Ronaldinho is the greatest player I’ve ever seen, but another who’s spell at the top was too short. Doesn’t make the top 5 discussion either for that reason.
For Cruyff, he’s undoubtedly one of the best players ever, but his record from aged just 26 after leaving a frankly ridiculously dominant Ajax side is “meh” at best, and pales in comparison to a fair few others.
La Liga was just so much tougher a league & it showed. In 76-77 for example, the winners had 46 points, second bottom (17th) had 29 points.
I’ll say it again… Cruijff, Zidane, Laudrup, Iniesta, Ronaldinho, Socrates, Platini, Eusebio, Best, it goes on and on. The list of players behind the top 5 players is absolutely sensational, each and every one in their prime would be best player in the World currently, so stop acting like it’s some massive slight to say he’s not in the discussion for top 5.
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Yes it is sad.
But Ronaldo is still a very big draw wherever he plays.
But I understand he wants to carry on playing until he is 40.
That being the case, he really does need someone to help him understand what he is now capable of.
The only thing that’s sad is him. An embarrassment of a person.
I’ve been giving Ronaldo as big a kicking as anyone for his antics this season. We were well rid as the whole world is seeing now. However to say he is not in the conversation of GOAT is just embarrassing. He is the greatest goal scorer ever. Even if he had won nothing that deserves a mention but add his honours and trophies and of course he is up there with best ever. Whether you fancy Pele, cruyff, maradona or messi instead is ok but when you start comparing Cantona( my favourite Utd player) as better than him, then you haven’t a clue. No one bar Utd fans would have him top 50
If they can sell that after a 6-1 masterclass then I will literally give up with life
Fair enough - cool. Just asking. There are many posters on here who haven't done any due research. I'm glad that you're not one of them.
What do you mean by "ridiculously dominant"?
This suggests weak opposition, yes? That his numbers were accumulated in a suspect (in some way) context?
I don't agree with that - at all. But it doesn't actually matter. Because nobody (I would think) that considers Cruyff a top 5 player (ever, historically) bases that on how many goals he scored.
What I said above was that Cruyff isn't comparable to Iniesta or Laudrup because he was a more complete player. Part of that completeness is that he - undoubtedly - was more of a direct goal threat than either of the other two.
Part of it - there are other aspects as well.
This was my overriding emotion from all the hoo-ha yesterday...
Thank feck we don't have to deal with this shit anymore.
No one is saying Cantona is better. But, frankly Ronaldo isn't fit to lace his boots the way he behaved.
I'm starting to pity Ronaldo. The end wasn't meant to be like this.
I'm guessing Ronaldo thought, if he became a free agent and had a stunning World Cup, he would get the Champions League team he feels he deserved.
Instead he's coming to realise that Ronaldo in 2022 is a lot easier to replace than Ronaldo in 2012. There are other players who can offer a 24 goal season, which is what he delivered last year, and more e.g., pressing.
Its sad to see how he burned down his relationship with Man Utd just be confronted by the truth he's been running from.
I'm guessing Ronaldo thought, if he became a free agent and had a stunning World Cup, he would get the Champions League team he feels he deserved.
Instead he's coming to realise that Ronaldo in 2022 is a lot easier to replace than Ronaldo in 2012. There are other players who can offer a 24 goal season, which is what he delivered last year, and more e.g., pressing.
Its sad to see how he burned down his relationship with Man Utd just be confronted by the truth he's been running from.
Weak opposition, abso-fecking-lutely. As I posted earlier…
His best ever goalscoring league season was 33 goals in 30 games. In La Liga he scored 48 in 143.
Then we look at the 33 goals season and it tells a story, here are some of their results:
Home: 5-3, 5-0, 8-0, 5-0, 8-3, 6-0, 5-0, 6-1, 4-1, 4-1, 4-0, 4-1
Away: 0-7, 3-8, 0-4, 0-4, 0-4
That’s 91 goals in 17 games. Safe to say he it was weaker opposition in the Dutch league, especially with such a dominant Ajax side
As for European Cups back then, they were ace, but you played what? 3 games to reach a final.
From 26 he left Ajax and his career from there was a bit shite really if we’re honest (in context for one of the best players in history).
So with the results above, in that ridiculous dominant league, you think Laudrup wouldn’t have posted silly numbers also?
Come on man, if you’ve watched Laudrup you know that aint true. And clearly, in a tougher league, Cryuff wasn’t more of a direct goal threat.
Well, if wiki says so.
I never saw Cruyff play at his peak and never saw him play for Holland and I’m 54 so I would suggest a lot of the cruyff comments are hearsay, nostalgia or they just watched the turn 1000 times. My dad did think he was a great player but was ever convinced he blew the 74 WC final by making it all about him and being a greedy B. Sound familiar
Wow, I came here to laugh at what an absolute a-hole Cristiano is during this World Cup. I never expected to see comments saying Michael Laudrup could do everything Cruyff did or that Cruyff would just be in Messi's shadow like Iniesta. Both Laudrup and Iniesta are great players mind but not at the level of Cruyff. I can only assume people haven't really watched Cruyff nor understood his, perhaps incomparable, influence on the modern game. We wouldn't have the Messi we know without the foundation that was built by Cruyff.
https://footballia.net/players/hendrick-johannes-johan-cruyff
You can 42 of his matches as a player, more than enough to see for yourself that it's not "hearsay" or watching a 15-second TikToks ffs.
https://footballia.net/players/hendrick-johannes-johan-cruyff
You can 42 of his matches as a player, more than enough to see for yourself that it's not "hearsay" or watching a 15-second TikToks ffs.
oVErRateD.
Yes, he is also quite clueless.
Ronaldo walking off was just exhibiting Peak Mamba Mentality (PMM).
You all just don't understand what it takes to win.
You all just don't understand what it takes to win.