[Anustart89]

References to him being our only option up front ignore that this is only the case since masons suspension. If we didn't have Ronaldo pretty sure we would have looked to get another striker in.

If we hadn’t signed Ronaldo on deadline day we wouldn’t have signed another striker in that transfer window. It’s not like it was a planned transfer but rather an impulsive signing because the opportunity came up, don’t you agree?

Realistically speaking, with us having an interim manager and the permanent manager not being decided yet, and the greenwood thing happening during the last few days of the January window, who do you reckon we would’ve been able to sign that would put us in a good situation for the next year or two? The only type of signing we would’ve been able to make in the middle of the season with two days to go of the window would’ve been an Ighalo type signing or someone where we’d grossly overpay in wages and/or transfer fee which was never going to happen in a window where we weren’t even willing to make the most obvious signing for this club, ie a defensive midfielder. Not exactly the type of signings that would put us in a better position than we’re in now.

The only thing I can see changing with us not having Ronaldo is that we would not have let Martial go on loan, and him leading the line would’ve hardly made us a shoe-in for fourth from January onwards.

 

[TenonTen]

Which position suits current Ronaldo?

He could probably work in a variation of 442 alongside a traditional striker.

Fitting him in seems like a bit of a dilemma currently

Cristiano likely wouldn't won 4 UCLs without Benzema either. It goes both ways.

And yes, Benzema was absolutely held back due to Cristiano. Just look how Benzema instantly became a top 5 player in the world by scoring around 30 goals every season once Cristiano left Real Madrid. Benzema is even talked about as better than Robert Lewandowski & now recently Erling Haaland. There's no period during CR7-era where Benzema made 20 league goals or more in consecutive seasons. Benzema is 1 goal away from doing it for 4 straight seasons.

Benzema would 100% be viewed as a meme player if CR7 still played for RM.

Anyone who thinks Benzema is better than Lewandowski needs a reality check.

Benzema is comparable to Aguero probably but not Lewandowski or Suarez. The numbers and individual accolades don't lie

 

[Pearl.Jam]

Which position suits current Ronaldo?

Left Back in the changing room? old but gold put down that ain’t too far from the truth with current Ronaldo

 

[jm99]

Which position suits current Ronaldo?

He could probably work in a variation of 442 alongside a traditional striker.

Fitting him in seems like a bit of a dilemma currently

Well I mean probably the best position is the one he's played his entire career, as left winger with a bit of a free role. Despite his great goalscoring, he's not really been a centre forward during his career, but the biggest problem we have is that there's no one else who's fit and can play centre forward for us really

 

[Plant0x84]

Well I mean probably the best position is the one he's played his entire career, as left winger with a bit of a free role. Despite his great goalscoring, he's not really been a centre forward during his career, but the biggest problem we have is that there's no one else who's fit and can play centre forward for us really

Have you seen him play since he left Utd in 2008? He transitioned to a number 9 at Madrid, played there for Juventus and is the striker for Portugal NT and has been for some time. And I’m pretty sure he played on the right previously not the left unless my memory is failing me. We always had Giggsy on the left.
As for his best position, absolutely a ST preferably with another one to play off. I’d love to see a diamond 442. You could have Matic/McDauce at 6, Pogba and Fred at 8 and Bruno as the 10. The problem is who to put alongside Ronaldo - assuming Cavani is not fit. Rashford? Elanga?
You would also be losing out on Sancho in his preferred position/full stop so it’s a question of do you compromise Ronaldo to maximise the team or do you compromise the team to maximise Ronaldo.

 

[BorisManUtd]

He may start tomorrow, get benched against Tottenham, then start vs Atletico. Or even start all 3, though that would probably be a big mistake.

 

[MUFC OK]

He may start tomorrow, get benched against Tottenham, then start vs Atletico. Or even start all 3, though that would probably be a big mistake.

Nope, my source who doesn’t get this stuff wrong tells me he’s dropped for tomorrow.

 

[ManchesterManchester]

It might be over for Ronaldo in the PL -- might be, that is -- but Ronaldo is several levels superior to Chicharito today and would tear it up in MLS.

That’s very debatable. I wouldn’t say current Ronaldo is levels above Chicharito. Ronaldo has scored one goal in 2022 despite playing every game and we’re in April.

Age has suddenly hit him hard, there isn’t any coming back from that. I just couldn’t see him tearing any league up.

 

[BorisManUtd]

Nope, my source who doesn’t get this stuff wrong tells me he’s dropped for tomorrow.

Read that few minutes ago somewhere. Playing v Atletico should be his main goal. League games not as important.

 

[MUFC OK]

Read that few minutes ago somewhere. Playing v Atletico should be his main goal. League games not as important.

All well any good but that’s 10 days away.. is it mad that I don’t want us to do anything to help the scousers win the league though?

 

[Wolf1992]

Which position suits current Ronaldo?

He could probably work in a variation of 442 alongside a traditional striker.

Fitting him in seems like a bit of a dilemma currently



Anyone who thinks Benzema is better than Lewandowski needs a reality check.

Benzema is comparable to Aguero probably but not Lewandowski or Suarez. The numbers and individual accolades don't lie

To me, Benzema is a better player than Lewandowski.
Lewandowski is a better striker, considering his goal ratio is superior than Benzema, but as a whole player I'd take Benzema, better passer/playmaker offers more outside of the small area.

I watch football, i don't just read statistics on Wikipedia or SofaScore to see who's overall the better player.

I can say "numbers don't lie" : Harry Kane is as good as Van Basten and Thierry Henry, as he has very similar numbers to them.
I don't think even Spurs fan would say that.

I like statistics, i just don't rely on them to qualify a player.

 

[Dan_F]

That’s very debatable. I wouldn’t say current Ronaldo is levels above Chicharito. Ronaldo has scored one goal in 2022 despite playing every game and we’re in April.

Age has suddenly hit him hard, there isn’t any coming back from that. I just couldn’t see him tearing any league up.

fecking hell, March flew past.

 

[lex talionis]

That’s very debatable. I wouldn’t say current Ronaldo is levels above Chicharito. Ronaldo has scored one goal in 2022 despite playing every game and we’re in April.

Age has suddenly hit him hard, there isn’t any coming back from that. I just couldn’t see him tearing any league up.

My calendar says it’s March 5, not April. You are right to note that it’s been a barren two months for Ronaldo, but I’m pretty sure I could easily find a barren two months for Chicharito in the last few seasons. Don’t get me wrong: my dad was from Guadalajara and when we heard Chicharito was coming to United we were both in tears with joy.

But there’s just no comparison between Chicharito and Ronaldo. I watch them both closely and in all seriousness Chicharito just isn’t anywhere close to the footballer Ronaldo is right now. Next year we’ll see, but now, not even close.

 

[JB7]

Have you seen him play since he left Utd in 2008? He transitioned to a number 9 at Madrid, played there for Juventus and is the striker for Portugal NT and has been for some time. And I’m pretty sure he played on the right previously not the left unless my memory is failing me. We always had Giggsy on the left.
As for his best position, absolutely a ST preferably with another one to play off. I’d love to see a diamond 442. You could have Matic/McDauce at 6, Pogba and Fred at 8 and Bruno as the 10. The problem is who to put alongside Ronaldo - assuming Cavani is not fit. Rashford? Elanga?
You would also be losing out on Sancho in his preferred position/full stop so it’s a question of do you compromise Ronaldo to maximise the team or do you compromise the team to maximise Ronaldo.

I don't get the impression you watched a lot of him at Juventus to be honest so while you make reasonable points I'm not sure the sarcasm was necessary. It was only last season he played the majority of the season as a striker, and that was down to them going 3-5-2. Prior to that he had mainly played off the left as he did for almost the entirety of his Real Madrid career, with the exception of certain games where they played two up front. Even at Real he played the vast majority of his games from the left, with his games as a centre forward coming when Ancelotti and Zidane played variations of 4-4-2. You're correct he played almost exclusively from the right when he was here previously but that was getting on for 15 years ago now so is hardly a metric worth looking at. You're also correct that he's mostly played through the middle for Portugal over the past 5 years or so but we all know international football is a considerably lower standard so again, I'm not sure it's the right metric to use. My point is that this is the first season of his career he's been consistently played as a lone striker and it's clear to see. People can say what they like about him being finished but he comes alive when we get players in and around him and that's exactly how he's been throughout his career.

So whilst I kind of agree with you about finding him a strike partner, in our current shape his best position is still from the left. The problem obviously is the centre forward given nobody seems to want to actually play there for us which is why Ronaldo was forced to play 4 games in 11 days leading up to Watford.

On your point about Sancho, the stats don't back that up. I looked into it the other day, he's incredibly effective from both sides and has been throughout his career. So there's nothing lost by playing Sancho to the right and Ronaldo to the left if Cavani for example decided he could be arsed to play.

 

[BorisManUtd]

All well any good but that’s 10 days away.. is it mad that I don’t want us to do anything to help the scousers win the league though?

Well I actually wanted City to beat us at OT back in 2019 so they would win the title and not Liverpool. Don't care as much now but can understand you

 

[Plant0x84]

I don't get the impression you watched a lot of him at Juventus to be honest so while you make reasonable points I'm not sure the sarcasm was necessary. It was only last season he played the majority of the season as a striker, and that was down to them going 3-5-2. Prior to that he had mainly played off the left as he did for almost the entirety of his Real Madrid career, with the exception of certain games where they played two up front. Even at Real he played the vast majority of his games from the left, with his games as a centre forward coming when Ancelotti and Zidane played variations of 4-4-2. You're correct he played almost exclusively from the right when he was here previously but that was getting on for 15 years ago now so is hardly a metric worth looking at. You're also correct that he's mostly played through the middle for Portugal over the past 5 years or so but we all know international football is a considerably lower standard so again, I'm not sure it's the right metric to use. My point is that this is the first season of his career he's been consistently played as a lone striker and it's clear to see. People can say what they like about him being finished but he comes alive when we get players in and around him and that's exactly how he's been throughout his career.

So whilst I kind of agree with you about finding him a strike partner, in our current shape his best position is still from the left. The problem obviously is the centre forward given nobody seems to want to actually play there for us which is why Ronaldo was forced to play 4 games in 11 days leading up to Watford.

On your point about Sancho, the stats don't back that up. I looked into it the other day, he's incredibly effective from both sides and has been throughout his career. So there's nothing lost by playing Sancho to the right and Ronaldo to the left if Cavani for example decided he could be arsed to play.

No sarcasm intended, was a genuine question. If it read that way I apologise. We agree about him needing players around him though, he simply isn’t going to do everything himself. That definitely doesn’t mean he’s finished however. Personally I’d still prefer him central, but then I’m not one for inverted wingers so I’d want Rashford left and Sancho right. I don’t think he has the pace to play wide any more, and his work in the box is head and shoulders above anyone else we have ( possibly Cavani when fit). Shockingly I suspect Martial may have been the best partner for Ronaldo but we might never know!

 

[TenonTen]

To me, Benzema is a better player than Lewandowski.
Lewandowski is a better striker, considering his goal ratio is superior than Benzema, but as a whole player I'd take Benzema, better passer/playmaker offers more outside of the small area.

I watch football, i don't just read statistics on Wikipedia or SofaScore to see who's overall the better player.

I can say "numbers don't lie" : Harry Kane is as good as Van Basten and Thierry Henry, as he has very similar numbers to them.
I don't think even Spurs fan would say that.

I like statistics, i just don't rely on them to qualify a player.

The Kane and van Basten comparison is a joke. For starters totally different eras. Lewandowski has done it at every level winning trophies. The guy has scored more than Benzema in CL knockouts despite playing lesser games too.

Didn't Benzema have 5 league goals one of the seasons at Madrid? Lewandowski has 7 seasons in a row with 40 goals in all competitions.

Benzema can only dream of such consistency at the top level. Laughable considering Lewandowski is also better than him with his back to goal(holdup play).


Also love how the Ronaldo excuse is given to protect Benzema for his years of sub par finishing and missing big chances.

Benzema was a slightly better version of Firmino for many years.

 

[genardk]

The Kane and van Basten comparison is a joke. For starters totally different eras. Lewandowski has done it at every level winning trophies. The guy has scored more than Benzema in CL knockouts despite playing lesser games too.

Didn't Benzema have 5 league goals one of the seasons at Madrid? Lewandowski has 7 seasons in a row with 40 goals in all competitions.

Benzema can only dream of such consistency at the top level. Laughable considering Lewandowski is also better than him with his back to goal(holdup play).


Also love how the Ronaldo excuse is given to protect Benzema for his years of sub par finishing and missing big chances.

Benzema was a slightly better version of Firmino for many years.

Hard to imagine a team like Real putting up with a "slightly better version of Firmino" as a starter for 13 years under god knows how many different managers. They obviously know nothing.

 

[Drygon]

Which position suits current Ronaldo?

He could probably work in a variation of 442 alongside a traditional striker.

Fitting him in seems like a bit of a dilemma currently

Anyone who thinks Benzema is better than Lewandowski needs a reality check.

Benzema is comparable to Aguero probably but not Lewandowski or Suarez. The numbers and individual accolades don't lie

Benzema isn't better than Erling Haaland either, the Norweigan's BVB stats are unreal.

The likes of Harry Kane, Zlatan, Aguero, Cavani and Higuain are a tier above Benzema as well.

Hard to imagine a team like Real putting up with a "slightly better version of Firmino" as a starter for 13 years under god knows how many different managers. They obviously know nothing.

The revisionist history of Benzema is baffling for me.

Real Madrid consistently tried to replace Benzema with the likes of Falcao/Aguero/Suarez/Lewandowski etc. throughout many years, but couldn't get either of them for different reasons.

Benzema was actually the player Real Madrid initially wanted being sold to Arsenal, not Mesut Özil. Ancelotti prevented it from happening because he knew Benzema was a Firmino-type player alongside with Cristiano.

Now Real Madrid have an opportunity to get rid of Benzema in exchange for a generational talent like Erling Haaland.

 

[TenonTen]

Benzema went from being the most underrated player to possibly the most overrated one.

People now just come up with all sorts of excuses to cover his red marks in the past up. It is the sort of thing they do to appear as Football experts with an offbeat opinion who "watch games".

Utterly laughable conparing him to strikers of this calibre.

Victor Valdes survived in Prime Barca, didn't he? Hardly considered an all time great GK even though he worked well in that Barca team(fair play to him)

Hard to imagine a team like Real putting up with a "slightly better version of Firmino" as a starter for 13 years under god knows how many different managers. They obviously know nothing.

A slightly better version of peak Firmino will unironically be a great foil for prime Cristiano and Bale. Benzema fitted well in the team and no one's denying he is a class player but there's limits to overrating players and revisionism.....


Also its not like Real tried to sign numerous strikers in that time frame. Some of which Perez has publicly stated in interviews BTW.

Benzema isn't better than Erling Haaland either, the Norweigan's BVB stats are unreal.

The likes of Harry Kane, Zlatan, Aguero, Cavani and Higuain are a tier above Benzema as well.



The revisionist history of Benzema is baffling for me.

Real Madrid consistently tried to replace Benzema with the likes of Falcao/Aguero/Suarez/Lewandowski etc. throughout many years, but couldn't get either of them for different reasons.

Benzema was actually the player Real Madrid initially wanted being sold to Arsenal, not Mesut Özil. Ancelotti veoted it because he knew Benzema was a Firmino-type player alongside with Cristiano.

Now Real Madrid have an opportunity to get of Benzema in exchange for a generational talent in Erling Haaland.

Spot on. The ridiculous overrating of Benzema has become a joke on the CAF.

And I'm saying this as a person who rates him very highly as a player.

He has probably(arguably) had a better overall career than Cavani, Higuain, Kane, Falcao, Zlatan, etc but they all were better in their peak than Benzema honestly

 

[Son]

Don’t understand the Benzema hate. Last few years he has been so good for Real. Not quite Lewandowski but not too far off either.

Benzema would 100% fit into our side better than all of our current strikers too. Right now as it stands he’s a level above Ronaldo for sure and Cavani.

Who knows which striker we will sign. I just don’t see a budget to allow that to happen.

We will rely on Ronaldo for another year as the main man which is a big mistake but only due to the Glazers not wanting to overspend and him getting the bench treatment.

In an ideal world we need a CF, CDM, Playmaker, CB, RWB and maybe a new keeper… Never happening in one year,

 

[genardk]

Benzema isn't better than Erling Haaland either, the Norweigan's BVB stats are unreal.

The likes of Harry Kane, Zlatan, Aguero, Cavani and Higuain are a tier above Benzema as well.



The revisionist history of Benzema is baffling for me.

Real Madrid consistently tried to replace Benzema with the likes of Falcao/Aguero/Suarez/Lewandowski etc. throughout many years, but couldn't get either of them for different reasons.

Benzema was actually the player Real Madrid initially wanted being sold to Arsenal, not Mesut Özil. Ancelotti prevented it from happening because he knew Benzema was a Firmino-type player alongside with Cristiano.

Now Real Madrid have an opportunity to get of Benzema in exchange for a generational talent in Erling Haaland.

Haaland is not on Benzema's level and is unproven at a major league. Check Jovic's Frankfurt stats vs his terrible Real stats. Even Ibrahimovic was a disappointment at Barca. Just because he did well at Borussia in a low pressure environment does not guarantee he could succeed at Real under intense pressure. Real could easily get another supposedly better striker in "13" years. Saying that the most attractive team on the planet, serial CL winner Real was unable to replace Benzema for 13 years and therefore had to start him every game is beyond absurd. Benzema is easily among the top 5 strikers in the last 10 years.

If Haaland arrives, he is likely to be a benchwarmer first year, not that easy to displace big Benz as a 21 year-old coming from an inferior league especially considering the great season Benzema is having this year (26 G + 11 A in 31 games)..

 

[AngliaRed]

Ronaldo and Cavani both didn’t make 21 man squad.

False 9 for Bruno perhaps.

 

[the_cliff]

Benzema isn't better than Erling Haaland either, the Norweigan's BVB stats are unreal.

The likes of Harry Kane, Zlatan, Aguero, Cavani and Higuain are a tier above Benzema as well.



The revisionist history of Benzema is baffling for me.

Real Madrid consistently tried to replace Benzema with the likes of Falcao/Aguero/Suarez/Lewandowski etc. throughout many years, but couldn't get either of them for different reasons.

Benzema was actually the player Real Madrid initially wanted being sold to Arsenal, not Mesut Özil. Ancelotti prevented it from happening because he knew Benzema was a Firmino-type player alongside with Cristiano.

Now Real Madrid have an opportunity to get rid of Benzema in exchange for a generational talent like Erling Haaland.

This is one of the worst takes I think I’ve ever seen. Just a lot of lies with no substance and no facts to back up what you’re saying.

The mighty Real Madrid tried to get rid of and replace Benzema for years but just couldn’t. The Bollocks.
Lewa, Aubameyang etc. Have come out countless times saying they’d love to play for Madrid, but Madrid couldn’t get them yh ? Benzema must have Perezs nudes.

 

[Wolf1992]

The Kane and van Basten comparison is a joke. For starters totally different eras. Lewandowski has done it at every level winning trophies. The guy has scored more than Benzema in CL knockouts despite playing lesser games too.

Didn't Benzema have 5 league goals one of the seasons at Madrid? Lewandowski has 7 seasons in a row with 40 goals in all competitions.

Benzema can only dream of such consistency at the top level. Laughable considering Lewandowski is also better than him with his back to goal(holdup play).


Also love how the Ronaldo excuse is given to protect Benzema for his years of sub par finishing and missing big chances.

Benzema was a slightly better version of Firmino for many years.

Yes Lewandowski is a better striker, not a better player.
And NO, Benzema is better outside of the small box.

Yes, the 4th top scorer of in the history of UCL is a slightly better than Firmino, that's why he has been at Real for 13 years.

Just, deal with the fact thar Lewandowski mever won a Balloon D'or cause he plays in Bundesliga for the strongest team that has won 9 titles in a row with zero challenge.

 

[Deery]

Ronaldo and Cavani both didn’t make 21 man squad.

False 9 for Bruno perhaps.

He’s only not been seen at the Lowry, let’s wait and see first.

 

[Carl]

Ronaldo and Cavani both didn’t make 21 man squad.

False 9 for Bruno perhaps.

Would be interesting to see Bruno there, but his finishing recently wouldn't inspire much confidence..

 

[Adisa]

Estimation of Rangnick will go up if Ronnie doesn't start.
This is a game we need every single player to count out of possession.

 

[kouroux]

There is a point to saying Benzema is a better player than Lewandowski even if the Polish strike is more lethal in front of goal. For me, there are several ways of playing as a striker.
In terms of stats, there is no debate of course but I understand other football fans who appreciate various aspects of playing as a striker in which Benzema excels

 

[Lay]

Won’t be playing today

 

[Iker Quesadillas]

Didn't Benzema have 5 league goals one of the seasons at Madrid? Lewandowski has 7 seasons in a row with 40 goals in all competitions.

He did.

He won the CL that season, scoring in the final as well as two goals in the semi-finals against Bayern Munich (where Robert Lewandowski scored zero goals).

 

[TenonTen]

Its much easier to be the guy to celebrate with Ronaldo and collect some team trophies. Many good players have done that.

But there's a reason Benzema has zilch in the name of individual records and achievements. That's what the truly elite players do.

How ironic that most of the Benzema bragging here is down to Ronaldo annihilating the UCL in his prime.

He did.

He won the CL that season, scoring in the final as well as two goals in the semi-finals against Bayern Munich (where Robert Lewandowski scored zero goals).

And yet Lewandowski has more goals in CL knockouts and big games in lesser number of games.

Oh and if we're talking about semi final performaces then it doesn't get much better than scoring 4 goals against Real Madrid.

But sure, Benzema being the guy to high five peak Ronaldo in the CL makes him better. You probably rate Valdes higher than Neuer then.

Says it all when you have be this selectively pedantic to prove your point.

Just, deal with the fact thar Lewandowski mever won a Balloon D'or cause he plays in Bundesliga for the strongest team that has won 9 titles in a row with zero challenge.

Chill mate. Lewandowski still has numerous individual accolades even without the Ballon d or controversy.

You should worry about the fact that Benzema doesn't have a single big individual award in his entire career despite the clout Perez and Madrid have in these awards.

 

[OrcaFat]

Would be interesting to see Bruno there, but his finishing recently wouldn't inspire much confidence..

I can’t remember him ever playing there. I doubt today is the best time to try it.

 

[Carl]

I can’t remember him ever playing there. I doubt today is the best time to try it.

He practically played up front under Ole, but agreed its not somewhere we've really seen him. Given our lack or options, and his tendency to give the ball away in big games in midfield, it could be an interesting option. I'd certainly rather play Bruno there than Rashford.

 

[MrEleson]

Cristiano likely wouldn't won 4 UCLs without Benzema either. It goes both ways.

And yes, Benzema was absolutely held back due to Cristiano. Just look how Benzema instantly became a top 5 player in the world by scoring around 30 goals every season once Cristiano left Real Madrid. Benzema is even talked about as better than Robert Lewandowski & now recently Erling Haaland. There's no period during CR7-era where Benzema made 20 league goals or more in consecutive seasons. Benzema is 1 goal away from doing it for 4 straight seasons.

Benzema would 100% be viewed as a meme player if CR7 still played for RM.

Your first line is nonsense considering Benzema wasn’t that pivotal to their CL triumphs, relatively speaking Ofcourse. If they didn’t have him, they likely would have had another striker of similar quality considering its Real Madrid.
Your subsequent point makes no sense either. So Ronaldo is responsible for Benzema tripping over his own feet in seasons like 16/17 & 17/18? He’s responsible for him missing sitter upon sitter those years? Benzema scored 5 FECKING league goals in 17/18 playing for Real Madrid. 2 of those were penalties. Even Ramos had a better scoring record that season. There’s no way you can say that was because of Ronaldo. That’s just idiotic. The guy was genuinely struggling those years. It’s just by coincidence he’s come into his own now. And like I said, some of his best statistical seasons were with Ronaldo in the team so there’s that..

 

[bosnian_red]

If true that he's been dropped... Thank god. Good decision from Ralf and much needed.

 

[BootsyCollins]

Some non credible rumors that he refused to play today because he was placed on the bench?

Hope not as he would drop alot for me

 

[Garethw]

If true that he's been dropped... Thank god. Good decision from Ralf and much needed.

Dropped to the bench is a good decision. If he’s fit and not even in the squad then RR has lost the plot!

 

[Garethw]

Some non credible rumors that he refused to play today because he was placed on the bench?

Hope not as he would drop alot for me

He can feck off if that is true.

 

[Nero]

Not in the squad?

Oh no. Anyway.