Unpopular opinion: Ronaldo will be a huge miss

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This is one of the point I argued few years ago, when people talk about player's strengths and weakness, they don't highlight how Ronaldo makes average cross into very dangerous one and also at his peak how he was such a great outlet to create chances with his off the ball movement.

Yeah that's genuinely one of the things I'd say Cavani is exceptional at, just brilliant runs in behind and in the box, and yet Ronaldo is clearly better on that front. They're things we know Martial, Rashford and Greenwood aren't that good at, we obviously miss them, but because the movements are so subtle you kind of forget how valuable that one extra step is. Cavani reminded us of that in the game against Southampton and Ronaldo's just going to ram it home this year. Likewise for corners. Ronaldo makes it look easy so it's easy to take for granted!
 
Tackles: 25-9
Pressures: 341-253
Interceptions: 14-10
Blocks: 10-18

All in Cavani's favour, except blocks. These are obviously absolute numbers; the difference is more stark if you divide them by minutes played.

But then you don't really need numbers to know that Cavani's workrate is higher than Ronaldo's. The hope is that Ronaldo 1) can play more games than Cavani due to his superior overall fitness, 2) his goalscoring prowess was actually held back by Juve in some way so he'll do better here.

So Cavani works much harder, brings more to the team overall and scores more frequently (in the Premier League, where it counts) when you exclude Ronaldo’s penalties (that Bruno has a higher conversion rate anyway)

Plus he is two years younger.

It’s definitely good to have more than just one elite aging goalscorer in our squad but hard to see any justification for benching Cavani for Ronaldo when both are available. Of course, we both know that will never happen.
 
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You do know we have both Cavani and Ronaldo?

I do and I want the signing to work out and I think it will to an extent but part of me also thinks he’s too influential a signing at the wrong time in his career and in the wrong position for us. He’ll get goals and be a focal point but signing him doesn’t guarantee anything beyond that.

Some shite in this thread. He will score goals. They will win trophies. Really that simple.

Like Juve and Portugal in the last few years? If it was that foolproof why didn’t we just buy him off Real 3 years ago and win these trophies? The real and main reason we went for him is because we couldn’t let him go to city as it would make us look weak. If he was signing for PSG I’m fairly sure we would have let him off.
 
I think Ronaldo will be a big plus if the manager and the rest of the team are strong enough not to defer to him at every opportunity.

Good players demand the ball all the time, and other good players make the right choices regardless.

The issues folks have highlighted with Juventus and particularly Portugal is that it seemed everything had to go through (or to) Ronaldo. Really annoys me when watching Portugal. I'm not sure whether it's due to a management decision or just a case of star struck teammates. However, if other forward players are allowed to express themselves, there's absolutely no reason why the wealth of goals he brings won't elevate us considerably
See I don’t see this at all when I’m watching Portugal Bruno and Jota take on their fair share of chances only they mess them up more times than not. Even watching last night Ronaldo was invisible in the first half but no other Portugal player could step up, wasn’t until the second half Ronaldo livened up and Portugal looked a threat again with Silva and others having chances but being terrible in front of goal.
 
I do and I want the signing to work out and I think it will to an extent but part of me also thinks he’s too influential a signing at the wrong time in his career and in the wrong position for us. He’ll get goals and be a focal point but signing him doesn’t guarantee anything beyond that.



Like Juve and Portugal in the last few years? If it was that foolproof why didn’t we just buy him off Real 3 years ago and win these trophies? The real and main reason we went for him is because we couldn’t let him go to city as it would make us look weak. If he was signing for PSG I’m fairly sure we would have let him off.

You're having a mare here. Seriously. What trophies are Portugal expected to win? Ronaldo was the golden boot winner a few months ago at the Euros. And Juve, they haven't won anything whilst he's been at the club?
 
Yeah that's genuinely one of the things I'd say Cavani is exceptional at, just brilliant runs in behind and in the box, and yet Ronaldo is clearly better on that front. They're things we know Martial, Rashford and Greenwood aren't that good at, we obviously miss them, but because the movements are so subtle you kind of forget how valuable that one extra step is. Cavani reminded us of that in the game against Southampton and Ronaldo's just going to ram it home this year. Likewise for corners. Ronaldo makes it look easy so it's easy to take for granted!

Yeah, I would have highlighted the Southampton game. Rashford's cross was decent but Cavani made it look like very good pick up. Even yesterday's game, for the winner Ronaldo was offside, when he player delayed, he came back onside, read the cross to get infront of defender. If it was one of our young players, defender would have cleared that all day long.

Both Cavani and Ronaldo read the aerial passes/crosses very well which gives them the split second advantage. Wish our young players pick one or two things from them.
 
Its PL bench man. Cmon. Big up Ronaldo, he’s great but this is the poorest Irish team from a PL perspective in our lifetime.

You're just being negative for being negative at this point. They have hundreds of premier league caps. He's not going to be facing Virgil Van Dyk every week in the premier league and not like he has suffered against them either. Neymar and Messi bully defenders who wouldn't make it to premier league all week but I don't see anyone posting about that?

Just a weak argument all around.
 
You're having a mare here. Seriously. What trophies are Portugal expected to win? Ronaldo was the golden boot winner a few months ago at the Euros. And Juve, they haven't won anything whilst he's been at the club?

Like I said earlier, now some of the negative nelly's are doubling down. Weird arguments like "poor quality defense" ffs.
 
See I don’t see this at all when I’m watching Portugal Bruno and Jota take on their fair share of chances only they mess them up more times than not. Even watching last night Ronaldo was invisible in the first half but no other Portugal player could step up, wasn’t until the second half Ronaldo livened up and Portugal looked a threat again with Silva and others having chances but being terrible in front of goal.

Agreed. Jota for Portugal is a different player to the lad who plays for Liverpool. Must be his twin brother. He's awful in front of goal for Portugal. Its bizarre. Maybe its a mental thing?

Portugal made a lot of chances last night. That one where Bernardo is on the edge of the six yard box, cuts inside and skies it over the bar was a criminal miss. Fortunately they have Ronaldo to dig them out.

People acting like its Ronaldo's fault that Portugal and Juve depended on him have got it ar$e backwards. Ronaldo carried Juve because, besides Dybala, nobody else was pulling their weight. Same with Portugal.

Ronaldo will elevate any team. He will make an average team good, he will make a good team very good, he will make a very good team great.

You're just being negative for being negative at this point. They have hundreds of premier league caps. He's not going to be facing Virgil Van Dyk every week in the premier league and not like he has suffered against them either. Neymar and Messi bully defenders who wouldn't make it to premier league all week but I don't see anyone posting about that?

Just a weak argument all around.

Exactly. People act like, because Premier League defenders are physical, Ronaldo won't eat these guys for lunch.

The standard of Premier League defending is actually nothing to write home about. Its one of the reasons why its taken United so long to recruit a top central defender: There are not that many.

I challenge anyone doubting Ronaldo to give me half a dozen centre back pairings in the Premier League that they think he will struggle with.
 
Like Juve and Portugal in the last few years? If it was that foolproof why didn’t we just buy him off Real 3 years ago and win these trophies? The real and main reason we went for him is because we couldn’t let him go to city as it would make us look weak. If he was signing for PSG I’m fairly sure we would have let him off.
they have won some trophies?

reason is price I’d guess. Juve paid £105m I think and £500k/week wages… that’s an expensive three years. £180m+?

we pay £13m (maybe some add ones) and £385k/week. c£53m
 
You're having a mare here. Seriously. What trophies are Portugal expected to win? Ronaldo was the golden boot winner a few months ago at the Euros. And Juve, they haven't won anything whilst he's been at the club?

He’s been the main focal point in traditionally dominant teams. We aren’t a dominant team these days. They bought him for 100 million (or whatever it was) to win the CL and made it to the quarters isn’t it? They were winning seria A without him every year anyway. He’s won 2, I thought it was only one. The fans weren’t happy with the football. I also don’t think he guarantees you trophies like he used to. That’s all I’m trying to put across.
 
"Huge miss"??? What does it mean? CR7 will score only 20 goals? CR7 will not bring back CL trophy - we will be only in the semi-final?

CR7 was signed because he brings more commercial power. Because he will score at least 20 goals (many headers which we miss). Because he is a leader. Because mood will be better in locker room. It's not incredible signing but it's very good and club will benefit.
 
I know but then Belgium pretty much neutralised him. I think when you play like Ronaldo and everything goes through you and you win matches singlehandedly you’re always going to get goals. As I said above though. Stop Ronaldo or he has an off day and you’ve most likely stopped his team from winning because there’s usually no plan B

He put a ball on a plate for Felix who missed it. That was no neutralization.

Portugal had 58 % posession.
Belgium had 6 shots on goal.
Portugal had 23

:lol: Naturalized
 
That's just so negative around half of the Irish team is premier league. He'll probably play against Duffy soon enough as well.

This wasn't Seychelles you know
By his logic, Dias, Cancelo couldn't keep cleen sheet against these farmers, Bernardo, Jota couldn't score etc :lol: :lol: .
 
He’s been the main focal point in traditionally dominant teams. We aren’t a dominant team these days. They bought him for 100 million (or whatever it was) to win the CL and made it to the quarters isn’t it? They were winning seria A without him every year anyway. He’s won 2, I thought it was only one. The fans weren’t happy with the football. I also don’t think he guarantees you trophies like he used to. That’s all I’m trying to put across.

Are there any examples of top players who are not the main focal point in a traditionally dominant team? Or should all top talents Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar sign for scunthorpe United to service Rory Delap? :wenger:
 
He’s been the main focal point in traditionally dominant teams. We aren’t a dominant team these days. They bought him for 100 million (or whatever it was) to win the CL and made it to the quarters isn’t it? They were winning seria A without him every year anyway. He’s won 2, I thought it was only one. The fans weren’t happy with the football. I also don’t think he guarantees you trophies like he used to. That’s all I’m trying to put across.
Since when have Portugal been a dominant team? Didn’t they absolutely shithouse their way to a trophy? And juve especially under Pirlo was hardly a dominating team.
 
By his logic, Dias, Cancelo couldn't keep cleen sheet against these farmers, Bernardo, Jota couldn't score etc :lol: :lol: .

I think his anti Ronaldo got the best of him now to say Belgium "neutralized" them by neutralizing Ronaldo when Portugal absolutely dominated that game.
 
He put a ball on a plate for Felix who missed it. That was no neutralization.

Portugal had 58 % posession.
Belgium had 6 shots on goal.
Portugal had 23

:lol: Naturalized

Who went though? Did Ronaldo score? Did Portugal have a plan B? As I said, frustrate Ronaldo and his team is most likely going home. I didn’t say he was a bad player anywhere.
 
Guys please let this thread die. I die a little inside eveytime i see it at the top of the forum.
I mean this is Ronaldo we are talking about here, lets give him 10 games before we start writing him off, he's earnt that.
 
Such an empty discussion, of course it will be a huge miss for some people, they expect him to be the close to his 2009, 2014 or even 2018 level, he won't be that, that's why Juve let him go for 15M, the price (plus the wages) put Ronaldo's value on it's right tier, and that's not a game changer player like Mbappe or Haaland in the current market.

But Ronaldo brings the individual level of the team up by a couple notches, yes, maybe if you put him on 50 games this season, those 50 games the team as a whole would look worse than without Ronaldo (playing wise, results depend on other things than your own performances). But at the same time, in games where United need a player that can score out of his ass or light up a defense with his threatening pressence what he offers is unrivaled.

Basically, there's a bunch of key games where you have the season on the line, 8 games? 12 games? 14? It's really hard to get 11 players motivated and playing good in those specific games to create a great team effort, it's much easier to have a player like Ronaldo that will look after himself and be 100% locked on for those select games, then you don't need to have 11 guys giving their 100%, you get Ronaldo at 100% and can go ahead with 4 or 5 guys at that level too while the rest just don't need to screw things up.
 
Who went though? Did Ronaldo score? Did Portugal have a plan B? As I said, frustrate Ronaldo and his team is most likely going home. I didn’t say he was a bad player anywhere.
So what is your plan? Who do you want?
 
He’s been the main focal point in traditionally dominant teams. We aren’t a dominant team these days. They bought him for 100 million (or whatever it was) to win the CL and made it to the quarters isn’t it? They were winning seria A without him every year anyway. He’s won 2, I thought it was only one. The fans weren’t happy with the football. I also don’t think he guarantees you trophies like he used to. That’s all I’m trying to put across.

I don't understand the relevance or what point you're trying to make?

No player is a one man team. Don't think anyone has suggested that. Juve haven't been great under Pirlo and there's a number of different reasons for that. You could argue that without Ronaldo they'd have been even worse and won zero titles. That's far more believable given his contributions than the line you're peddling.
 
Depends what you’re expecting. 50 goals and winning matches on his own, yes, he’ll be a miss. 20 goals and taking the team to a higher level of collective performance…yeah I reckon he can do that
Yea this is fair.
 
I know but then Belgium pretty much neutralised him. I think when you play like Ronaldo and everything goes through you and you win matches singlehandedly you’re always going to get goals. As I said above though. Stop Ronaldo or he has an off day and you’ve most likely stopped his team from winning because there’s usually no plan B
We have plenty of other goal scorers.. rashford, Greenwood, Bruno.
 
Since leaving Madrid it should be said he's still won 2 Italian Titles an Italian Cup and the Nation's League with Portugal.

I mean it's not bad is it ?
 
Ali Dia going to the ignored list. You really are the Ali Dia of Redcafe members.
 
Ronaldo is not a good signing because the golden boot winner was very poor in Euro against Belgium. We should have signed Mbappe then :lol: :lol: .
 
Since leaving Madrid it should be said he's still won 2 Italian Titles an Italian Cup and the Nation's League with Portugal.

I mean it's not bad is it ?

It’s incredible but for a 36 year old you’re obviously going to pay more attention to achievements aged 34-36 than aged 32-34.

I say 36 but he’ll be 37 the next time he wins a trophy. If he wins a trophy.
 
I think he did alright to score 2 late goals, considering he’d only played 3 halves of football since August prior to the Ireland match..
 
He scored 3 goals in 2 games against France and Germany not long ago. Top scorer in Euro in just 4 games too. Of course he is not going to come up against a team as poor as France or Germany in PL.
2 were pens against those sides and these refs seem hell bent on not giving pens this season.
 
Good finishes but he is probably not going to come up against a team as poor or tired as Ireland were again for the rest of the season. Maybe in the group stages of the CL or early rounds of the cups. On paper our lads should have been losing that game 4-0 with Portugal in third gear but they struggled to feed Ronaldo.

I get what you’re saying about always needing to add better players but sometimes a more proactive overall approach is preferable to having star names or better players on paper who just provide more of the same thing. Cavani could have got us 20 league goals and pressed centre backs making extra space for Bruno and the wingers to come into play but now I’m sure Ronaldo will get those goals but beyond that I’m not sure how he will improve our overall play and what knock on it will have with the rest of the attack. I think it’s a genuine concern to have until things hopefully play out totally differently.

I think between Ronaldo and Cavani we will find enough goals. I honestly don’t honk Cavani gives as much to the team overall as Ronaldo does. With regards to the way we play, it’s an issue without Ronaldo. It’s a real concern but it already exists.
 
I don't need to read the 12 pages to ask the question why do we need threads like these on players who haven't played a single minute for us after transfer?

Doesn't mean what's their history is, it's ancient and we are complete different team now.
 
Some of us hate goal scorers. I have also seen posts like these about Bruno (can only score goals and assists). What happened to players being given a chance to shine at their position to the best of their abilities?

That means not expecting Pogba to play in a midfield two without a hard working midfielder(s) beside him.
It also means not expecting Ronaldo, especially at his current age to be a flying winger with a horse like work rate.
Furthermore it also means not expecting any player to excel at everything. You can't have it all.

There's a reason why clubs are paying top money for proven goal scorers. Even someone like Lukaku who was a meme 2 years ago costed Chelsea loadsamoney. Ronaldo is better than most - or maybe all players in the world (he broke the record after all) at scoring goals. He scores goals against smaller clubs, mid table clubs, big clubs, in group stages, quarter finals, finals - you name it.

Some people keep going on and on about how Ronaldo is on a big wage, old and scoring goals the only thing he can do. Well, firstly, scoring goals is not the only thing he can do. If you compare his dribbling against James for example he's still better. If you compare his strength to Martial he's still better and he is definitely the best finisher at United right now. And he can score type of goals that other players cannot, that is why he costs lots of money. Don't forget that goals win you games and trophies. The only things that make him looks kinda bad are : age and work rate.

But if you play him at the role that he's best at. It should not be a problem because you are not asking him to do the things he's not really good at. There's a reason why Sir Alex played him to be a goal scoring winger (then up front later on) back then without too much responsibilities at helping the defence. In fact he's one of the few players who's being instructed to just go out and play. He's that good. It should be a problem if someone is lacking the work rate, can only score goals and ends the season with 5 goals. Now that is a limited player. A top international football goalscorer, even if he lacks the workrate, is worth the risk, worth the lack of workrate because he scores 30-50 a season.

Regarding not expecting players to excel at everything. You really can't have it all. Remember Rooney? was Rooney a world class CF? he was. But when Ronaldo was here he scored less than Ronaldo. Why? because he, unlike Ronaldo, was all over the pitch. A CF spending less time in the box and more time chasing players so he scored less goal SHOCKER.

The point is, shut up, enjoy the signings, enjoy the season and stop overanalyzing things. As long as we are paying top money for top players that actually want to be here (so Sanchez excluded), chances are they'd work well. Don't let a few signings cloud your judgement. Take a moment and look at your thread title and think about how ridiculous it is for not wanting one of the best goalscorers of all time because "he won't do other things than scoring goals" even when his other abilities are still better than most.

We're approaching Michael Owen level of stupid here and we need to stop.
This! OP needs to give his head a shake, clear out the cobwebs and get off the meds.
 
Anyway it’s not like I’m in here willing him to fail. I repeatedly said I want him to do great but i don’t think it’s as easy as just add Ronaldo and watch us win stuff. All I’ve tried to do is convey why i feel that way at this moment in time. He’ll more than likely come in and do a Cavani and that would be great. It’s cool to talk about what if though surely?
 
I know but then Belgium pretty much neutralised him. I think when you play like Ronaldo and everything goes through you and you win matches singlehandedly you’re always going to get goals. As I said above though. Stop Ronaldo or he has an off day and you’ve most likely stopped his team from winning because there’s usually no plan B
Even Messi couldn’t score and got neutralised by Uruguay, Paraguay, Columbia and Brazil in Copa, why expected Ronaldo should score and win every match?
 
20 - 25 in all comps if he stays a starter as i can see us diving head first into a Ronaldo vs Cavani debate.

Okay, so you think he wont be a flop, but not a huge success either. And you consider a 20-25 goal/season an average season, which you expect him to have.

Going by this logic, if he gets 30+, I would say he would be a "huge success". All this with the qualifier that he doesnt hamper our overall play too much. So lets see where he ends up at the end of the season. Considering he got 40 last season, I do see him getting 30+.

I wont get into a Cavani/Ronaldo debate, because its stupid. Cavani cant play 2 games in a week, is slightly injury prone, and has question marks over international duty. Even if Ronaldo was not here I would say he would get 25-30 starts max. So I think both Ronaldo and he would get a lot of games, and might even play together. When we have 3 games a week, it would be great to play Cavani in the mid week match w/o worrying about a huge dropoff.
 
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