Unpopular opinion: Ronaldo will be a huge miss

[bond19821982]

Well, the problem isn't just Ronaldo though. With Pogba, Bruno and others we should be dominating games. Why exactly aren't we doing it?

 

[the_cliff]

I think that's re-writing history a little bit. By elite team standards, we were still very poor last season. We got the minimum requirement of a top 4 finish, and we didn't get out of our CL group, why the fans got so excited about the progress we were making is bizarre, it's almost like they don't watch the games.. The performance metrics show we were absolutely miles off being a team that could challenge for the title.
xPTS of 66
xG of 63
xGA of 42

I mean, these numbers are barely top 4 finish numbers, we were bad in attack and defence (again, judging by genuine top team standards). The only thing we did well was our finishing as we overperformed given how bad the general play was.

We certainly weren't some great pressing team, I'm not sure where that idea comes from. It's just we've gone from a team that is shit at pressing to a team that is even more shit at pressing.

Unfortunately people take results at face value and don't see the bigger picture after the West Ham and Wolves game the atmosphere was rosy and everyone was talking about a title challenge when if you in fact look back at the performances, we were extremely lucky against Wolves and a last minute missed penalty away from dropping points at West Ham. People watch us win games by the skin of our teeth and act surprised when results finally catch up with the performances.

Barring the second half against Newcastle and the first game against Leeds we've looked like complete shit this season. Both of those teams incidentally are 17th and 18th.

In the last 10 games Leicester have only won 2 against Norwich and Millwall that was before they came up against us. If we don't rectify the situation asap we could seriously miss out on top 4.

 

[ExoduS]

Ronaldo thus far feels like a mistake. Scored few goals thus far, most important against Vilareal but the rest of his performances are nothing spectacular. Not even on par with Ibra when he joined back in 2016.

So far Ronaldo amplified our weaknesses. Pogba became total sh1t. Cavani isn't playing but seems he deserves to. Started off promising, but that quickly ended.

 

[Sviken]

Unfortunately people take results at face value and don't see the bigger picture after the West Ham and Wolves game the atmosphere was rosy and everyone was talking about a title challenge when if you in fact look back at the performances, we were extremely lucky against Wolves and a last minute missed penalty away from dropping points at West Ham. People watch us win games by the skin of our teeth and act surprised when results finally catch up with the performances.

Barring the second half against Newcastle and the first game against Leeds we've looked like complete shit this season. Both of those teams incidentally are 17th and 18th.

In the last 10 games Leicester have only won 2 against Norwich and Millwall that was before they came up against us. If we don't rectify the situation asap we could seriously miss out on top 4.

We didn't play good against Newcastle either, I've said it in the post-match thread. The score was very flattering towards us and the late flurry of goals came from wonderstrikes, basically. On a different day we could have easily lost that game. They cut through our midfield with ease and they had a couple of really good goalscoring chances, but thankfully De Gea regained much of his form and didn't concede. Overall Leeds is the only game in which we looked even remotely decent.

 

[BlueHaze]

36 or not when people start labeling Cristiano fecking Ronaldo as a mistake you know you have serious managerial issues. Put him in this City side or replace Firmino with him in Liverpool, he'd be scoring damn near every single game even at this age.

The problem is not the manager whos side creates an average of 3 chances a game....

The problem is Ronaldo... Get a damn grip ffs.

 

[bond19821982]

Of course it worries me. I’m agreeing with the OP. I was delighted when we signed him. It was romantic, nostalgic and exciting. Plus we fecked over City. Perfect. From the very next morning the warm and fuzzy feeling wore off and the logical part of my brain kicked in. He‘s going to cause more problems than he solves and that’s going to be more and more of a headache for the manager (whoever he is) over the duration of Ronaldo’s contract.

That's not how I saw it though. He was supposed to be that missing jigsaw who will bring in a winner ,fighter mentality to the team. Who will just thrive in a pressure situation. Who will elevate the whole team to next level. Who will be an example on and off pitch.

And look what happened ? Do you think we would have done better without Ronaldo ? Absolutely no. Cavani wouldn't have started anyway and it will be Martial who will be starting.
The problem didn't start with Ronaldo. We always had this issue and teams had figured out how to play us, long back. Bruno was bloody brilliant last year that his individual brilliance actually papered the cracks quite a bit.

Ole isn't to his 3rd year and by now we should be dominating games . Instead we are still waiting for an individual brilliance every single game. We got one today too but our defense was too shit to let it go that easily.

If you want Ronaldo to thrive, dominate games and create chances. Let's forget the pressing for now and tell me how many chances are we creating now ? We are woeful in every single part of the game.

 

[the_cliff]

We didn't play good against Newcastle either, I've said it in the post-match thread. The score was very flattering towards us and the late flurry of goals came from wonderstrikes, basically. On a different day we could have easily lost that game. They cut through our midfield with ease and they had a couple of really good goalscoring chances, but thankfully De Gea regained much of his form and didn't concede. Overall Leeds is the only game in which we looked even remotely decent.

Agreed, which is why I said the second half at Newcastle, the first half was terrible iirc.
Exactly and that's worrying since Leeds have been completely crap this season and sit one point above the relegation zone.

 

[Sandikan]

What do you think? He’s been good in the holdup or buildup? It’s turning out exactly like I said I would the day this thread came up.

He's scored 5 goals already, in a team that barely create chances.

 

[tenpoless]

Unpopular opinion : OIe had been a miss before Bruno came.

 

[Resch]

Every team with ambitions needs to press in modern football. But not every pressing style needs the same amount of energy. All of the styles want to win the ball back, but how is something different. The way of using the ball after winning it back are different.
Some teams press in the final third, build up pressure every time the ball is played short. They try to dictate the direction of the ball, the players involved. Other teams build up pressure just in certain situation or areas. It is a mixture between pressing and defending. Sometime teams just want to force a long ball, some teams build traps and try an interception. Some teams just waste their energy, like United under Ole most of the time. Good teams build up enough pressure to panic their opponents, they win back the ball quickly. That's happened to United yesterday. After winning the ball back a team could go for the goal within seconds, which leads to controlled chaos. Losing the ball and winning it back is part of the idea.

To use Ronaldo properly, Ole should not waste his energy. Find ways to get the ball back quickly and take control of the ball. In possession the team should not play high tempo all the time, change the speed of play, sometimes take your time, give Ronaldo a rest. The next moment move the ball quickly, move fast as a team to break the defense down. Under Ole Untied cannot control the ball, the speed, nothing. The attack is based on errors and individual brilliance combined with a waste of energy. Ronaldo will be wasted with such non-tactics.

 

[rron10]

We create 3 chances per game and that's because of the player's creativity, opposition mistakes or some total flukes. We do not create enough for Cristiano to score more, easy as that.

 

[Gehrman]

It the Juventus situation all over again only that's he's older. He's a great player to have in the squad, but when his abiliity doesn't match his wages and statue anymore I'm not convinced that he makes us a better team. It's still early season but he's just not a complete forward anymore. It's been a long since we had a world class complete striker and it's not Ronaldo any more due to his age. If he's okay with not an automatic starter he's great to have in the team. The team shouldn't have to carry Ronaldo because he's Ronaldo. He's almost 37.

 

[Amar__]

Defending Ronaldo is such an easy path. Even when he is 40 we will be scoring goals while walking on the pitch and people will use the goals argument in his favour.

 

[Kamau77]

Ronaldo nearly signed for wenger before and pep. Managers that he's never had. Straight out tacticians who magnify small talents and build teams around.perhaps he thinks at 36, a pep,kloop,arsene type, could have helped cover side of his game derailed by age and maybe add a balon d'or

 

[sugar_kane]

Characteristic mistake from this club post-Fergie signing him after trying to get back on track the last couple of years.

I would love to know if Ole wanted this signing or not, I actually think it’s going to cost him his job.

He has gone on for years about this team needed to outwork others, we’ve now got at least two guaranteed starters (Ronaldo and Pogba) for whom the opposite is the case, either Ole is selling out his principles or his hands are tied.

 

[Redlyn]

We create 3 chances per game and that's because of the player's creativity, opposition mistakes or some total flukes. We do not create enough for Cristiano to score more, easy as that.

Do you remember that moment when on cavani's rare appearance he chased down a ball near the cnr flag that Ronaldo had completely given up on - It created a chance. We may not create much, but the problem is compounded by Ronaldo not helping to create either. He is not only suffering from a problem but also part of the problem.

 

[Gehrman]

Do you remember that moment when on cavani's rare appearance he chased down a ball near the cnr flag that Ronaldo had completely given up on - It created a chance. We may not create much, but the problem is compounded by Ronaldo not helping to create either. He is not only suffering from a problem but also part of the problem.

Yeah, he's still deadly in the box, but doesn't press, doesn't create himself, is quite static, lost his dribbling ability and hold up play. He's good player to have in the team, but I don't think he should be our first choice nr. 9.

 

[King Azaz the Unabridged]

Knees jerking in the other direction as soon as the guy goes a couple of games without scoring, now.

All the problems in this team pre-date Ronaldo. We didn't create enough chances without him, we didn't press effectively without him, and we conceded shite goals without him. Let's not act like he's somehow come in and ruined a well-oiled gegenpressing machine or something.

What he has already done and will continue to do over the season, assuming we keep playing like we are (i.e. crap), is score goals to paper over the cracks in the entire team's performances. The hyperbole about "creating more problems than he'll solve" is no less bizarre now than it was when this thread was made.

 

[Gehrman]

Knees jerking in the other direction as soon as the guy goes a couple of games without scoring, now.

All the problems in this team pre-date Ronaldo. We didn't create enough chances without him, we didn't press effectively without him, and we conceded shite goals without him. Let's not act like he's somehow come in and ruined a well-oiled gegenpressing machine or something.

What he has already done and will continue to do over the season, assuming we keep playing like we are (i.e. crap), is score goals to paper over the cracks in the entire team's performances. The hyperbole about "creating more problems than he'll solve" is no less bizarre now than it was when this thread was made.

I'm personally not blaming Ronaldo for the team's performance or giving a Ole a pass(who's the biggest problem). It's just that Ronaldo at this age is a double egded sword. Having a nr. 9 who offers nothing if he doesn't score is not ideal.

 

[Leftback99]

Characteristic mistake from this club post-Fergie signing him after trying to get back on track the last couple of years.

I would love to know if Ole wanted this signing or not, I actually think it’s going to cost him his job.

He has gone on for years about this team needed to outwork others, we’ve now got at least two guaranteed starters (Ronaldo and Pogba) for whom the opposite is the case, either Ole is selling out his principles or his hands are tied.

I could see it coming a mile off that we'd made a mistake in the summer that would cost him.

For all the praise the 'new' recruitment team (Murtough and Co) got on here in the summer it never sat right with me. How did Ole and them sign off that it was good idea to go into the season with such an unbalanced squad?

It's not necessarily Ronaldo in particular it was Ronaldo AND Sancho over a centre midfielder and/or a right back. We didn't need both and had bigger issues elsewhere than either.

 

[KeanoMagicHat]

One of the worst things that happened to Ole was that Ferguson video on Ronaldo about "you always start your best players". That was the first time I felt Fergie cast an unfair shadow over the manager since he retired. It's put big pressure on Ole to play Ronaldo in every single big game, when Ronaldo should be used in moments and not undroppable. He offers absolutely nothing from general play, and that builds up over a season when it's like playing with 10 men outside the box.

Ronaldo has use in the squad, but not starting every game at almost 37. And do you think it's going to get any better when he's 38?

Another indulgent, marketing-focused signing when we were on the right track. It's set us back 5 years. We badly needed a midfielder and then we somehow found the money for this after being second top scorers in the league last season - scoring wasn't an issue.

Buying someone so another club can't have them is not the way to do transfer strategy, it's desperation.

 

[united_99]

It is a tricky one.
I doubt we would have been interested if City didn’t get involved.
And I am glad he is not at City.
However with us he will cause problems for the next manager, too.

A manager like Pep who has proven himself at City (and before) can drop a player like Ronaldo without almost the entire world complaining about it and being in shock.
City fans won’t mind it at all, I mean they don’t even love Pep, let alone Ronaldo.

Whereas our fan base argues he has to play as he just scored a hat trick including two penalties against the mighty Lux.

An unproven manager won’t be allowed to do it, especially when you will have SAF and our ex players demanding that he always has to play.

 

[Bebestation]

• Shows what happens because Ronaldo does not press and when Bruno does want to press. It causes an imbalance and an easy way through to our midfield
• Shows that before Ronaldo joined Bruno used to be a player that played in CF/false 9 positions being our main goalscorer. Now he gets in to these positions but when space is created he drops deep and wider to instantly cross to Ronaldo because Ronaldo has become our main goalscorer. He has to create from Ronaldo from deep and starts whipping crosses in. This is our main creative aspect to our main goalscorer.
• They are just not that good together.

 

[Ballache]

36 or not when people start labeling Cristiano fecking Ronaldo as a mistake you know you have serious managerial issues. Put him in this City side or replace Firmino with him in Liverpool, he'd be scoring damn near every single game even at this age.

The problem is not the manager whos side creates an average of 3 chances a game....

The problem is Ronaldo... Get a damn grip ffs.

People will really go out if their way to defend Ole.
Create chances and Ronaldo will score 30 goals this season. We can't string 3 passes together, literally everyone bar Greenwood and De Gea have look trash this season. The problem is the manager, not the players.

 

[Garethw]

People will really go out if their way to defend Ole.
Create chances and Ronaldo will score 30 goals this season. We can't string 3 passes together, literally everyone bar Greenwood and De Gea have look trash this season. The problem is the manager, not the players.

Exactly!

 

[gerdm07]

Ronaldo looked like a 36-year old yesterday. He seemed a step slower than all of the defenders and he looked fatigued the last 20 minutes making some bad touches and passes.

 

[MS4]

People will really go out if their way to defend Ole.
Create chances and Ronaldo will score 30 goals this season. We can't string 3 passes together, literally everyone bar Greenwood and De Gea have look trash this season. The problem is the manager, not the players.

If players make so many individual errors, you can't blame the manager either

 

[HerbT]

36 or not when people start labeling Cristiano fecking Ronaldo as a mistake you know you have serious managerial issues. Put him in this City side or replace Firmino with him in Liverpool, he'd be scoring damn near every single game even at this age.

The problem is not the manager whos side creates an average of 3 chances a game....

The problem is Ronaldo... Get a damn grip ffs.

He wouldn’t get in a City side because he doesn’t even jog, never mind run, and there’s no room for players who don’t work hard in a team that uses a high press as a general strategy.

I’m not knocking him, I’m not saying that he isn’t a great player for a 36yo or anything like that, I’m just saying that he was never going to be bought by City because he can’t and / or won’t do what Pep demands of his players.
However, as Utd don’t play a high press, due to not having a keeper who can push up to play behind a high press or distribute, I do think he could look much better for United if he had nothing but hard working players around him running their socks off to compensate for his strolling about.
A class act but one that needs a players around him in a system that fully supports the things he does excellently and compensates for the things he can’t do / won’t do.
In the right system I think he’d be knocking in 25+ goals a season himself and opening up 2nd ball goal opportunities when his shots from distance are blocked or punched out by the keeper.
Stick with the current system and his returns will be the most underwhelming ever in his career.

 

[King Azaz the Unabridged]

It's just that Ronaldo at this age is a double egded sword. Having a nr. 9 who offers nothing if he doesn't score is not ideal.

That's fair, though I think it applies for pretty much all our other number 9 options (Cavani's work rate is lovely but it's wasted, just like Fernandes's, in this setup when they're just running around aimlessly by themselves) and he's a better goalscorer than them.

We're probably all agreed at this point that the problem is way deeper than just swapping players in and out, but I'd still like to re-jig the front three a little and play Sancho on the right, Greenwood in the middle and Ronaldo on the left - give him a little more freedom to drift around.

 

[Lee565]

If there was a striker in his mid 30's that was worth getting it was vardy, been saying it for about 3 seasons now and many fans said he was too old and yet he would be a better fit and more prolific than lukaku, Ibrahimovic, ronaldo, cavani or ighalo.

As great as Ronaldo is he has to have the right set up around him and for us to do that we would have screw up the vision we have been trying to build up to over the past few seasons.

I swear we are man city's fairy god mother, we basically gifted them Tevez, we saved them from signing sanchez, and Maguire who I don't believe can play in a side that plays a attacking high pressing game and we did the same with ronaldo who can't imagine would have suited pep's philosophy of football that requires everyone to work their socks off.

 

[Bebestation]

If Ronaldo as a LW in his prime was a wonderful player that benefited from a team mate like Benzema's hold up play and setting him up- then why are people are so confident he will be as good as the central player in a 433 with wingers like Rashford and Greenwood and no set up striker?

 

[Gehrman]

That's fair, though I think it applies for pretty much all our other number 9 options (Cavani's work rate is lovely but it's wasted, just like Fernandes's, in this setup when they're just running around aimlessly by themselves) and he's a better goalscorer than them.

We're probably all agreed at this point that the problem is way deeper than just swapping players in and out, but I'd still like to re-jig the front three a little and play Sancho on the right, Greenwood in the middle and Ronaldo on the left - give him a little more freedom to drift around.

Problem is we've not had world class striker in his prime since Rvp. All our forwards are lacking one way or another.

 

[GlasgowCeltic]

I'd play Ronaldo vs Atalanta and leave him out vs Liverpool, but PR wise that'd be like Gullit leaving Shearer out vs Sunderland, i.e the end for him.

 

[captaincantona]

He wouldn’t get in a City side because he doesn’t even jog, never mind run, and there’s no room for players who don’t work hard in a team that uses a high press as a general strategy.

I’m not knocking him, I’m not saying that he isn’t a great player for a 36yo or anything like that, I’m just saying that he was never going to be bought by City because he can’t and / or won’t do what Pep demands of his players.
However, as Utd don’t play a high press, due to not having a keeper who can push up to play behind a high press or distribute, I do think he could look much better for United if he had nothing but hard working players around him running their socks off to compensate for his strolling about.
A class act but one that needs a players around him in a system that fully supports the things he does excellently and compensates for the things he can’t do / won’t do.
In the right system I think he’d be knocking in 25+ goals a season himself and opening up 2nd ball goal opportunities when his shots from distance are blocked or punched out by the keeper.
Stick with the current system and his returns will be the most underwhelming ever in his career.

I think you’re wrong. I think that city are the only top side he could play up front for and still reach crazy numbers because city dominate teams and dominate possession so much that they could carry him out of possession.

He would be in that team for one reason and one reason only...to convert the many many chances city create.

Wouldn’t work at Pool either cause pressing high from the front is intrinsic in their game.

 

[Enigma_87]

Cristiano is actually a very good signing to implement some standards at this club as he’s a born winner. Seems like when it comes to fanbase, management and players the standards are lowered to Spurs/Arsenal level.

 

[Gehrman]

Cristiano is actually a very good signing to implement some standards at this club as he’s a born winner. Seems like when it comes to fanbase, management and players the standards are lowered to Spurs/Arsenal level.

For that he's good but it doesnt cover up his age. He's likely to get Ole the sack though which is good.

 

[OrcaFat]

If Ronaldo as a LW in his prime was a wonderful player that benefited from a team mate like Benzema's hold up play and setting him up- then why are people are so confident he will be as good as the central player in a 433 with wingers like Rashford and Greenwood and no set up striker?

It is worrying. He will score goals from time to time of course. He has a lot of shots. I don’t know if he’s still better than a fit Cavani in our team. Cavani really puts a shift in. Possibly they should be alternated, each coming on for the other after 60 mins as a matter of policy.

Ole has a policy of trying to keep potential goal scorers on the pitch. SAF was the same. So if he brought on Cavani he would leave Ronaldo on there as well. Trouble is that Travellers the balance of the team.

I’d probably prefer to see Ronaldo coming off the left but he won’t contribute as much as Rashford, say. It is debatable whether his overall performances will justify his selection in any position but if he keeps scoring it’s hard to leave him out. Another problem is that he isn’t getting the chances because of the imbalance he causes to the team.

 

[Enigma_87]

For that he's good but it doesnt cover up his age. He's likely to get Ole the sack though which is good.

As others said if he went to City they would make it work as top class manager can carry him out of possession and use his strengths. Also take him out of the team and most likely we would be sitting bottom half of the table and with 1 pt in CL.

 

[Ali Dia]

tactical headache

 

[Ollie Derbyshire]

Knees jerking in the other direction as soon as the guy goes a couple of games without scoring, now.

All the problems in this team pre-date Ronaldo. We didn't create enough chances without him, we didn't press effectively without him, and we conceded shite goals without him. Let's not act like he's somehow come in and ruined a well-oiled gegenpressing machine or something.

What he has already done and will continue to do over the season, assuming we keep playing like we are (i.e. crap), is score goals to paper over the cracks in the entire team's performances. The hyperbole about "creating more problems than he'll solve" is no less bizarre now than it was when this thread was made.

Totally agree we’ve been absolute rubbish for a lot longer than Ronaldo joining us. People need to see the root causes and fix those first.