The comprehensive Ronaldo thread

He's had a fantastic career and he's been the best player in a very good Portugal team, just like he was the best player in a fantastic Real Madrid and the last couple of years in his first stint with us. He deserves a lot of praise for what he's done on the pitch throughout his career, really extraordinary stuff. He wouldn't have the same lagacy without a lot of fantastic footballers around him along the way though. The ESPN poster with the championship stats for Portugal with and without him is extremely unbalanced, too simplistic and without context at best.
That said: He's become an intolerable character and the football he's been bringing the last few years has been a burden too heavy for the teams he's played for to lift. There's not a top club in the world he wouldn't make worse with his presence. He's like the definition of a charmless man, and it's becoming more embarressing to watch him by the minute, without him showing even the faintest glimps of selfawareness or humility. It's a bit sad to watch him implode into a laughing stock, but it is 100% his own doing.
That’s true though. Sometimes I feel top players should know when is the right time to retire, or move to lesser league, in order to protect their own legacy in honorable manner.

Cantona retired during his peak, and just before he is about to decline, people remember him as a legend forever. Even Zidane retired at about the right age, so people won’t remember his decline.

Ronaldo is really dragging it too long, and finding it hard to accept the reality and making a big scene out of his misery now. To save the ending bit of his career, he really should retire from national team after WC for his own good, and move to Saudi Arabia for more money.
 
He's had a fantastic career and he's been the best player in a very good Portugal team, just like he was the best player in a fantastic Real Madrid and the last couple of years in his first stint with us. He deserves a lot of praise for what he's done on the pitch throughout his career, really extraordinary stuff. He wouldn't have the same lagacy without a lot of fantastic footballers around him along the way though. The ESPN poster with the championship stats for Portugal with and without him is extremely unbalanced, too simplistic and without context at best.
That said: He's become an intolerable character and the football he's been bringing the last few years has been a burden too heavy for the teams he's played for to lift. There's not a top club in the world he wouldn't make worse with his presence. He's like the definition of a charmless man, and it's becoming more embarressing to watch him by the minute, without him showing even the faintest glimps of selfawareness or humility. It's a bit sad to watch him implode into a laughing stock, but it is 100% his own doing.

His attitude in the past few years is in direct correlation with his "on the pitch performances": as he became worst on the pitch, he became more undesirable outside it.
He was always a big ego and thought he deserved a statue everywhere he went but rightly so, when he was one of the best players in the history of football, who could argue ? Now, on the other hand he is just a liability for Portugal, us this season or any other top-level team he would go to. That's the reality and he can't accept it.
 
That’s true though. Sometimes I feel top players should know when is the right time to retire, or move to lesser league, in order to protect their own legacy in honorable manner.

Cantona retired during his peak, and just before he is about to decline, people remember him as a legend forever. Even Zidane retired at about the right age, so people won’t remember his decline.

Ronaldo is really dragging it too long, and finding it hard to accept the reality and making a big scene out of his misery now. To save the ending bit of his career, he really should retire from national team after WC for his own good, and move to Saudi Arabia for more money.

Yeah it’s like people say Messi would be wasting away in MLS, he’s 35 and played 1,000 professional games, what more do you want? Already struggled last season and mustered up just enough energy for a last hurrah this season. Better to go to MLS than watch him stink it up as a sub somewhere in Europe at 38 years old.

Ronaldo has done more damage to his legacy this season than if he’d just retired. People don’t really care about 800 vs 775 goals or whatever, it’s diminishing returns. Ronaldo has only fed the critics that said he was selfish and egotistical this season. If he’d actually played an over the top team role this season, mentored young players and gracefully accepted the bench, that would have actually done more to help his legacy.
 
Stop arguing with yourself, you dafty. I never argued one way or another about Cruyff. I would suggest that not everyone who commentated good or bad has your Cruyff dedication. I apologise I didn’t watch them before daring to comment and I’ll get started tomorrow. I’ll catch up with you again when I’m finished. Maybe about 6 months

I don't know why you quoted me here - but at any rate, I completely agree with @oneniltothearsenal and hope you have a great time watching Cruyff.

(Like he said, there's actually a lot of stuff available to watch - you do need to sign up at certain sites, but it's usually free to do so.)
 
Ozil defending Ronaldo (thread):


Poor Ronnie. I wonder why the media writes/ speaks negatively of him of late. Definitely not because he's been behaving like an utter tit especially diagracefully towards Manchester United one of the greatest and most significant football clubs on the planet. Nah thats a stretch, must be due to his insta following.
 
Surely Portugal play better without him, and will drop him today? Be weird if he started after their performance last game without him.

Their coach can survive the fallout with Ronaldo if they make it to the final. If prioritise that if I were him and just bench Ronaldo. Bring him on in the 70th minute or later if you need a goal.
 
Ronaldo said we wanted him out and he never wanted to leave no?

Also Ronaldo didn’t mention any 7 day request in his interview.

So has ETH completely made it up?
Maybe EtH is referring to Ronaldo who said in preseason that he’ll give an interview in 7 days and clear everything up - the rumors of him trying to force an exit and why he didn’t show up for preseason.
 
he’ll be happy about this and the chance to come in and save the day
Sadly for him, Leão will be the man to bring on to try to break through.

Have little faith CR7 is the man to beat this stout Moroccan defense
 
Sadly for him, Leão will be the man to bring on to try to break through.

Have little faith CR7 is the man to beat this stout Moroccan defense

can you imagine the meltdown of Portugal get knocked out and he doesn’t even come on?
 
can you imagine the meltdown of Portugal get knocked out and he doesn’t even come on?

He will come on and score a scissor kick into his own net and claim the own goal wasnt his.
 
He's come on and done absolutely nothing of note at all to nobodies surprise (watch him score the equalizer now :lol:)
 
Trying to figure out how a potential goat has never scored a World Cup knockout goal :lol:
 
Not been a fan of Ronaldos behaviour lately whatsoever but that was a hard watch seeing him leaving in tears, with career basically over
One of the highlights of the World Cup. Reaped everything he has sowed.
 
He's a disgrace, why not stay out for the fans and the younger players.

All about him isn't it.