If you take away his stats (which longevity plays a big part of), he is not even at the level of Ronaldimho, nevermind R9 or Zidane. The reason why he is in the top 10 is mainly down to his stats and that 4 seasons of magic (around the time of his transfer to RM from United)
The comprehensive Ronaldo thread
- Thread starter Red the Bear
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I saw him play for Ajax and Barca. He is unbelievable. He drops deep and he can pass, dribble, shoot and head. His passing is very underrated.
That's the Ronaldo I love and I don't think that this version ends up as high in all time rankings. Ronaldo greatness is tightly linked to the more cynical, number driven version, the one that expects to be fed more than feeding others or making the difference for teammates.
Team was stacked and while Ronaldos goals were huge that season (including latter stages of CL), he wasn’t the sole reason we won it by a long way. Didnt score his penalty for a start… counter argument was we almost lost it because of him.
The bold bit is just ridiculous. Busby Babes, Munich, first English winners of European Cup, Best, Charlton, Law, doubles, first (only) English Treble winner, a myriad of top players known around the world… huge before him, huge after him.
Although a great player, he's just (and always has been) such a supremely unlikable person. To me it's baffling how he's managed to gather this enormous amount of fanbois.
Yup, he was a normal kid who just liked to play football back then.
I agree with most of this. However it’s hardly Ronaldo’s fault that he was signed as a teenager and I would very strongly state that actually the very essence of Manchester United is developing young players rather than buying the finished article....except where it suits apparently.
As for it being a popularity contest. Exactly my point. Cantona strutted in, absolutely adored him but he wrecked one season for us and underperformed on the biggest stage. But if you have the ‘charisma’ it’s fine. But this is life.
That’s the problem that people keep pushing him as GOAT, it puts that part of his game under more scrutiny, Ronaldo was obviously much better at a lot of these skills than the average player but when you’re talking about the best that’s played football in 100 years you have to point out where he’s got 7/10s in parts of the game others have 9 or 10s.
I know its all people point too. Games/goals and they forget or dont know that Barca hadnt won the league for 14 years when they bought him.
or a poor mans Michael Laudrup. @Regulus Arcturus Black - why make such statements when you are clearly out of your depth on football history?
WTF is this moronic post? It’s got to be one of the most ridiculously poor responses I’ve read. And there’s been plenty of crybabies in plenty of threads that couldn’t handle facts presented and as a result decided to throw toys out of the peak when they had nothing to come back with....
On the bolded:-
1.I haven’t moved the goalposts once, even when others have tried to take me down a different agenda.
2.That was never my argument...at any point.
3.You’re full of shit.
Unless Mbappe races a Concorde and beats it, there's no way he's as fast as Ronaldo.
For your own sake calm down and maybe ignore this thread.
Thank you. Christ this is hard work. Some cry babies on these boards that just want to believe that because they like a player more that makes them better. In no objective appraisal can Eric Cantona be considered more successful or influential than Ronaldo in terms of their entire career at United. Subjectively yes but that’s not my problem.
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Cheers for the update
The real question is whether he will start against morocco.
portugal have what is now looking like the easiest path to the semi finals.
A real shot at winning the whole thing.
portugal have what is now looking like the easiest path to the semi finals.
A real shot at winning the whole thing.
He was great. Great charisma. Unbelievable player. You just need to differentiate between objective and subjective. But yes. What a player he was.
Play nice people. I know religion is a touchy subject but we have to respect all the different versions of insanity in the thread.
Aha, you are the one to lecture people Ronaldo is more influential than Cantona for United! I saw this thread’s posts growing exponentially, found people are debating such a ridiculous topic, and felt pretty frustrated really. Eric stimulated and pushed us over the line that we had not been able to overcome for so so many years. The rest is the consequence and the continuation of it. Get it?!
You need to understand what’s leadership and why it’s important to team sports. Ronaldo has zero leadership really. You can only say he had been a great player, one of many bests. Influential? No, not at all.
People might get upset but the only thing he was truly elite at is scoring.
If you make his scoring that of an average elite striker players like Zidane, Ronaldinho, Iniesta, R9 and maybe one or 2 others in the modern game are above him for me no question, his scoring marks him above these players 100%
He headed it with his horn.
Was a bit harsh. But, he really was more than a player or just stats. Just a perfect player (or better to say person) at the right time.
People do go in extreme now. Ronaldo was brilliant for us 2006 - 2009. His peak is probably matched only by Best. But, the way he acted all together just leaves a sour taste atm. Mind you, history in 5 or 10 years will be kinder to him. But, he was no Cantona, especially because of his actions. One said his greatest United moment is an assist to a teammate, the other probably thinks every teammate should thank God they played with him.
I think it's less who was better but who had more influence on the club as a whole. When Cantona came to the club the whole dynamic changed and I think it's hard to argue against he was the catalyst that put us on the road to decades of success. When Ronaldo came to the club we were already a juggernaut and although he definitely improved us as a team the chances are quite high that if he didn't join we still would of had the same levels of success.
To put it another way. If I was given the choice that only one of Cantona or Ronaldo could join the club I'd be picking Cantona every single time with absolutely no doubts. United made Ronaldo not the other way around as some seem to think.
If you go by longevity absolutely. I'd take Ronaldo 1996-1999 over peak Cristiano though.
Sure it wasn't, unless we're misreading one another's interpretations of what makes talismanic/standout moments and iconic similar. Anyway it's kind of a mute point now anyway because the conversation has run its course.
Fun to watch, but I don't think anyone would take the "6 goals and 8 assists a season Ronaldo with stepovers" over the "50+ goals/15+ assists Ronaldo without the stepovers" he became at Real Madrid.
For me he's definitely a top 5 of all times player. His 07-19 seasons were simply phenomenal, and (for me) I don't think you need to be a complete footballer to be considered among the best of the best. If you're dominant enough as a specialist you deserve to be there.
That said. He's become impossible to like or root for, and he'll make any eventual top team he signs for worse. He doesn't have the workrate, pace or intensity needed for the top level anymore and needs to be carried by his teammates to put up numbers, while being a whiny, needy and narcissistic, super ego. A horrible combination.
I think he had an elite mindset (which has predictably tripped over into narcissism with age) and elite physicality. He was very good at a lot of things but elite in those areas. Like you said, he was incredible in the air and could outleap anyone. Often in the biggest games.
Love this meme.Fun fact, Ronaldos 17 assists in La Liga is only 3 off KDB and Henry best ever return
Yup all fair, if you gave Ronaldinho his mindset and R9 his physicality(injury resistance etc) they would both have far stronger claims to be in upper echelons of top players.
"We've suffered enough".
Jesus christ. What about all the subs he has been looking at sitting on the bench all down the years? Was he advising them to go home as well?
Him and his family are completely deluded
Plus the whole “CR7” thing only exists ‘cos we gave him our most famous shirt (he wanted 28) previously vacated by that notoriously unmarketable shrinking wallflower…. David Beckham
If it was such an unimportant part of his global brand, he could’ve easily kept the No9 he was initially given at Madrid?
Naturally he used that platform to amazing effect, but it’s daft to pretend that didn’t immediately catapult him to much greater level of fame… even to the point he insisted on the No17 for Portugal when Figo still occupied the 7..
This is ridiculous.
What does what he's achieved have to do with it?
Giflord?
"We've suffered enough"
Was benched for not even a full game.
Was benched for not even a full game.
Well yeah that kind of backs up the whole "Ronaldo fans also use statistics to justify his position with the GOATS" point that I was agreeing with initially.
As you said yourself he's 3 off KDB and Henrys stats record and nobody (as far as I can tell) makes a case for them being in the top 15 of all time? Maybe Henry?
That's exactly my point. The better version is not the most enjoyable nor is it the one that used all the skills that the player actually had. The better version is the one that piled up statistical records, was self centered and generally cynical.
Impressed with Santos decision though. Although, I wonder if Portugal get to the final would he still bench him. Not just because he would have a biggest meltdown known to the world if he doesn't play. Imagine Argentina - Portugal final with Cristiano on the bench. No way he doesn't go absolutely nuts if he is not in first 11.
He still is the winner and out all historic players the one you would pick for a deciding penalty, header or a deciding goal in a one off game.
Saying all that, hope he gets benched in that scenario. Yes, am being petty.
He still is the winner and out all historic players the one you would pick for a deciding penalty, header or a deciding goal in a one off game.
Saying all that, hope he gets benched in that scenario. Yes, am being petty.