So disrespected, his name his misspelled in the title 
Why is Ruud van Nistelrooy so disrespected?
- Thread starter adexkola
- Start date
Fantastic as he was, no denying it, he was a massive arrogant prick. I remember reading a Forlan interview in Spanish a while ago where he spoke about Van Nistleroy's dominance and demand for the ball all the time, and how he would throw massive strops if it wasn't him him him. Even demanding Forlan not play. Forlan was saying it in a prudent, diplomatic way, but you could see he thought he was a fooking asshole. It's no wonder Forlan showed how good he really was after getting out from under RVN´s negative weight. Also no wonder we got back to winning the league on a regular basis once he was gone. Was also giant cnut to the blossoming Ronaldo, and everyone knows about the pissy fit after getting left out for Saha in the cup final, which was the last straw. We were a much better side after he'd gone, and within two years were the champions of Europe.
I mean there will always be some strange opinions but from what I hear most United fans still love him. No doubt he would also get a brilliant reception if he returns to OT.
Plus stating that it may indeed have been the right time to leave doesn’t mean you didn’t rate the player.
I believe for example it was the right time to leave for all Ruud, Keane and Becks when they did, and still I always rated all three players very highly.
Plus stating that it may indeed have been the right time to leave doesn’t mean you didn’t rate the player.
I believe for example it was the right time to leave for all Ruud, Keane and Becks when they did, and still I always rated all three players very highly.
I think this is fair. Clearly Sir Alex made the right call in terms of keeping Saha. I remember the scepticism of the sale of RvN of the time. But this was also when the Glazers were penny pinching to the extreme and we basically had near enough net zero transfer spend.
The purchase of Carrick was offset by the money from Real and the compensation from Chelsea for Obi Mikel, if I remember correctly?
I just get the feeling Van Nistelroory was fundamentally not the kind of center forward who would have gotten the best out of Ronaldo, or even allowed Ronaldo to develop into the player he became. There were lots of reports that his problem with Ronaldo throughout 2005/06 (which is when Ronaldo was first developing into a more goal-oriented forward) was that he wanted to receive more service into the box, just as an example.
Ronaldo became one of the greatest players in history as a goalscorer from a nominal wide role. For that to work, he's pretty much always needed a center forward who plays a supporting role and defers to him in terms of getting into scoring positions - his best seasons for us came with Saha and Tevez/Rooney floating all around the pitch and pulling out wide to make space for him (I don't think it's a coincidence his goalscoring dropped off in 08/09 with the comparatively more static Berbatov up front). Just like he was at his best for Madrid with Benzema playing a support role - Higuain was a much better goalscorer than Benzema in their early 20s, but Madrid dropped him pretty quickly when they realized who was better for the team.
Ruud was an incredible goalscorer. Ronaldo was just a better one, and I don't think you can play both of them to the best of their abilities in the same attack.
He scored a sack full of great goals and picked up a few half decent ones in his time at Utd. Hope you are saying this tongue in cheek.
So disrespected, his name his misspelled in the title
Which part?
He's still very popular at Old Trafford, people singing his name.
I wasn't his biggest fan, we played much better football without him in the team apart from 02-03.
I wasn't his biggest fan, we played much better football without him in the team apart from 02-03.
He's loved by those who saw him play. An absolute beast of a striker.
And these are the answers...
Ruud had more to his game than Haaland. Didn't need service, just a quarter chance and not half then bang, goal. He got everyone involved much better, but during prime Ruud at United, the team was not as good (yet).
Fergie saw this or believed in himself, as he was stubborn as we know and mostly love, and when the flowers started to bloom, he didn't look back and neither did the club. Saha was tremendous and ushered in the next wave. His (Saha) impact was not long, but it was blunt and showed what was to come in a different era.
That was most a disappointing period for United, I remember clearly us buying both him and veron to finally translate our league successfully to Europe but instead what followed was disappointment in Europe and us losing ground to arsenal and subsequently Chelsea domestically.
It was just so unfortunate, a single cl win would have elevated his status so much but alas that damned semi final against leverkusen.
Put that rudd in our current team and we'd be the favorites for the league.
It was just so unfortunate, a single cl win would have elevated his status so much but alas that damned semi final against leverkusen.
Put that rudd in our current team and we'd be the favorites for the league.
I think a lot of it stems from his former colleagues not saying the best things about him. He wasn’t a well liked figure in the dressing room.
Absolutely. This thread made me look up his ridiculous finish against Basle (I think it was) in the CL. Scored from a silly angle.
One of the best finishers ever, if you can isolate one skill. Love to rewatch his goals for that.
I think part of it is the fact that for much of the Premier League era, United, perhaps more so than any other top club, have never really relied on an out-and-out striker for their goals, so fans have grown accustomed to the idea of forwards contributing more than just poacher-type goals - and rightly or wrongly, that is the image that RVN has.
Look at United’s other top goalscorers over the last 20 years, and they’re mostly creators as well as finishers ie Rooney, Ronaldo, Giggs, Scholes, etc - players who had a reputation for being able to create something out of nothing, rather than waiting for a cross to head or a through ball to tap in.
Look at United’s other top goalscorers over the last 20 years, and they’re mostly creators as well as finishers ie Rooney, Ronaldo, Giggs, Scholes, etc - players who had a reputation for being able to create something out of nothing, rather than waiting for a cross to head or a through ball to tap in.
It's also worth saying that Saha was a great player, his fitness clouded that view but he was genuinely great. The crazy part for me was the influence that he had on the french team when he was miraculously fit, it was night and day compared to whoever was generally playing.
I dont think it would have been as effective as Saha though. Just different types of players. Not saying Saha was better obviously but he just fitted Rooney/Ronaldo better.
I don't know why you would disrespect Ruud. One of the best strikers of that era and criminally underrated on the ball. Just look at his legendary goal against Fulham where he ran past almost the whole team. I would love to have a striker like him in todays squad, who has that skill to finish everything the creative department throws in front of you.
Yes Saha was on riot in the first half of 06-07. Scored a fantastic goal against Chelsea at OT.
Then he checked into the physio room. Always 2 weeks away
But Ruud had a perfect relationship with Rooney, and liked him, so had no issue at all pinging balls back and forth with him. The greatest culmination being the Charlton goal, which is one of the best combination goals between forwards you'll see outside of the Yorke and Cole pairing.
The problem with Ruud at that time is he knew he was the best finisher and he expected everyone else to acknowledge that and pass the ball to him for the final shot; Saha never had that mentality and always played for the team over himself. Saha also had confidence issues, which meant he would happily pass the pressure/burden of finishing on to the eager beavers of Rooney and an emerging Ronaldo, who despite being a winger then, still had the balls to take shots on and sky them without it affecting his confidence or nerve to do it again the next go round.
Ruud curtailed Ronaldo's game because he didn't care less about Ronaldo expressing himself outside of passing the final ball to him, when he was in position and demanding it. What drove Ruud mad was Ronaldo not acknowledging Ruud's standing or ego and still doing what he wanted to do, be that shoot, pass to someone else, or cross as and when he wanted to (not when Ruud did). Comical as that was to see Ruud having to readjust his runs 589548 times, only to then be completely overlook anyway. That's just oil and water not mixing.
Rooney and Ruud could have gone on to be as brilliant a partnership as Yorke and Cole, but that leaves Ronaldo in the cold... there was only going to be one winner there given the age profiles and also friction Ruud's ego was causing in the dressing room.
Yes absolutely. We saw Fulham Saha when his confidence was up and the difference between the confident version of him and the one that lost his nerve after battling injury was astonishing.
I've never seen anyone disrespecting Ruud. He's always been considered up there with the best players to play for United.
He was absolutely and utterly lethal. Who has disrespected him?
One our best players ever.
Great striker but i still think v.Persie was better
I often forget he played for us. I know he was great but I don't have the same attachment to him I do for Cantona, Hughes, Cole, Yorke, ole, Teddy or Rooney.
He was certainly unlucky in that he played for us between the end of the treble team and the start of the 2008 team.
He was certainly unlucky in that he played for us between the end of the treble team and the start of the 2008 team.
Was good at scoring against the lesser teams and in the CL group stages, but ultimately went missing when we needed him.
More nonsense in the same strain
I don't think he is disrespected. Everyone knows he was a fantastic forward.
However the facts were we played better football without him and won more without him.
Doesn't takeaway what a great player he was. Perhaps in a different United team things would have been even better for him
However the facts were we played better football without him and won more without him.
Doesn't takeaway what a great player he was. Perhaps in a different United team things would have been even better for him
It annoys me a little bit that the media seem to only compliment Ruud's finishing despite the fact that his first touch and close control was elite. They'll wank themselves into oblivion over Henry's footwork though.
I don’t think he is. I think you’re reading too much into some posts, presumably mine included, because you want to moan about something
That's shocking. @adexkola
I vehemently deny such accusations
The idea of football forums is to discuss differing opinions.
If other people having different opinions to yours winds you up so much then I suggest taking a break from the Internet.
If you are using the Klopp manipulation technique, then it’s even worse.
Anyone disrespecting Rudd knows feck all about the guy!
Fantastic striker ….wish we had another anywhere near his quality.
Fantastic striker ….wish we had another anywhere near his quality.
I've spotted the same. It feels like even Saha is held in higher regard on here. Which is disrespectful.
Sorry if you reject stats I can't help you.
8 goals in 32 games against Arsenal, Liverpool & Chelsea.
31 group stage goals, 4 knockout goals in the CL.
You that's why the OP was created, your use of facts insinuates that his replacement was the difference. When in reality in 2006, we added Evra, Vidic and Carrick. The following season we added Hargreaves, Nani, Tevez and Rafael. If we ignore the fact that young Ronaldo and Rooney grew older and became more polished, the team was also significantly improved in multiple positions.