How was his potential perceived? Did anybody genuinely expect him to turn out the way he did ?
Cristiano Ronaldo pre-06/07
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
''I have to thank my old friend Albert Fantrau for my succes. We played together for the same team in the U-18 championship. When a scout came to see us he said that : “Who score’s more goals will come in our academy”.
We won that match 3-0. I scored the first goal then Albert scored the second with a great header. But the third goal was impressive for all of us. Albert was 1 on 1 against the goalkeeper , he rounded the goalkeeper and i was running in front of him. All he had to do was to score that goal but he passed it to me and i scored the third goal , so i got that spot and went to the academy. After the match i went to him and asked him why ? .. he said that “Because you are better than me” Journalists then went to Albert’s house and asked him if it was a true story. He said yes. He also said that his career as a player after the match ended and now is unemployed. But how did you build this house so great, you have a car? You seem like a rich man. You also able keep your family .. From where did this come from? ‘
Albert more proudly replied: “It is from Ronaldo!
Apparently somebody in his team did!
Is that quote actually true?
I once read it's a myth.Apparently the man Ronaldo singled out of the crowd during the celebration of the CL trophy was this friend of the alleged quote.Is that quote actually true?
I think most people thought he'd turn out to be around a 25-30 goals/assists winger. Back then I remember thinking 20 goals a season was a pretty elite striker. Nowadays those kinda numbers look fairly unimpressive.
I said he'd be the best player in the world, remember arguing in the 05/06 season (school days my god) with an Arsenal fan who said Cesc was better and had more potential.
I remember not understanding why Rooney was sooooo over-appreciated and why Ronaldo was so (comparatively) under-appreciated.
Remember how Rooney would yell at Ronaldo on the field? (I don't remember what year that was.) Similar to how Rooney treated Nani, iirc.
10 years from now: Memphis Pre-2016/17 
He was annoying in terms of diving. He made bad choices a lot of the time, what with his insistence on dribbling almost no matter the circumstance, but clearly he was ridiculously talented and bound to be one of the big players in the game. And right from the start, he got us off our seats.
He didn't really surprise anybody in 06-07, I think. But 07-08 and since... Rarely do you see a talent reach his potential like that.
He didn't really surprise anybody in 06-07, I think. But 07-08 and since... Rarely do you see a talent reach his potential like that.
I watched too the friendly, the commentators were heaping so much praise on him and saying he couldn't be sold because I don't remember who (the president of the Portuguese club?) said "over my dead body" or something like that.
I remember it was a terrible match to watch at that moment because United wasn't good at all, then C. Ronaldo signed and I was so glad that he was my favorite player (and it also became my fave friendly, that's probably the only match I completely changed my mind about)... so yes, I liked watching him play exciting football though many here said it was just glittering and not useful. But it was great fun seeing all these tricks. And I mostly watched football to be entertained so...
I remember it was a terrible match to watch at that moment because United wasn't good at all, then C. Ronaldo signed and I was so glad that he was my favorite player (and it also became my fave friendly, that's probably the only match I completely changed my mind about)... so yes, I liked watching him play exciting football though many here said it was just glittering and not useful. But it was great fun seeing all these tricks. And I mostly watched football to be entertained so...
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out of topic but sir alex to ronaldo is what memphis needs at this moment. not saying memphis will go on and become as good as ronaldo but he certainly got bags of potential. i thought van gaal would be the perfect man to handle memphis but things does not look that way at this moment of time.
Still waiting to see a player produce a more beautiful season of football. Orgasmic how he cuts through defenders so easily.
Ronaldo drove a lot of emotions back then. Some like him and some don't regardless of the situation. When he turned good, they ones that don't like him find it difficult to swallow humble pie. Most that don't like him tend to be Rooney fans and the rest spill to Messi camp. It was strenuous and stressful having to defend Ronaldo among United fans.
I thought he was an amazing talent and was worried we were going to sell him to Madrid after the world cup. I did not expect him to be such a goal scoring monster though.
I tended to rate any player who ran with the ball when I was younger though. I thought Aaron Lennon was brilliant.
I tended to rate any player who ran with the ball when I was younger though. I thought Aaron Lennon was brilliant.
Benfica 2005 many were raging at Ronaldo.
He came of age like so many in our team after January 2006 and we didn't look back for 3 and a half years.
He came of age like so many in our team after January 2006 and we didn't look back for 3 and a half years.
This. You could literally see everything falling into place for him.
Inconsistent. I remember watching him and Rooney tearing Arsenal apart in the FA Cup Final. I also remember him making Ruud tear his hair out, or him being marked out of the game by a dominant Milan team in 2005 at the San Siro (we wore white that night, and looked nowhere near scoring). Amazing how he and Rooney went 3 years without scoring in the CL during those years. Had no idea he would become world class.
I agree with those who mark the second half of 05/06 as the start of his consistency, and the making of that excellent streak. Bar the 3-0 loss against Chelsea. Park and Saha integrated well with the team, Evra and Vidic were finding their feet... Good times.
Don't take our word here for it. Dig through the forum archives and get real time commentary on how he was back then.
I agree with those who mark the second half of 05/06 as the start of his consistency, and the making of that excellent streak. Bar the 3-0 loss against Chelsea. Park and Saha integrated well with the team, Evra and Vidic were finding their feet... Good times.
Don't take our word here for it. Dig through the forum archives and get real time commentary on how he was back then.
while Memphis may be up with him physically now, he doesn't have the footwork or pace Ronaldo had in those early years.10 years from now: Memphis Pre-2016/17
Don't get me wrong I think Memphis can become a great player for us and i'd love it if he became as good as Ronaldo, but you could tell Ronaldo was something special because the only thing he needed to become a more effective player was to do less. He would frequently overcomplicate things and make the wrong decision even if he already had 2 men beat.
At that time, I thought he would turn out to be another Quaresma. One trick pony that loves to showboat. One that would have plenty of flashy skills but lacking in substance. Like everyone else, I was surprised by his development, added by United's impressive first game of the season win vs Fulham. One sign that he matured was I think for the second goal(?) where the old Ronaldo would overdo his stepovers before mispass to the fullback. Instead he didnt do that plus he gave the perfect outside of foot pass to Wes Brown.
On another note, I think Wes was also in beast mode that season too, in FB position.
On another note, I think Wes was also in beast mode that season too, in FB position.
There have to be more than a few of us here who knew Ronaldo was destined for greatness the first time we saw him.
Sure, he had an annoying tendency to produce too many stepovers and his crossing was wild, but anyone with open eyes could see that Ronaldo was well beyond a special talent.
Sure, he had an annoying tendency to produce too many stepovers and his crossing was wild, but anyone with open eyes could see that Ronaldo was well beyond a special talent.
Someone on reddit said he was signed to some clubs top youth academy and was amazing but would turn up drunk and party etcIs that quote actually true?
I haven't followed a whole season of Messi so I wont comment on that. Suarez was very close... what a beautiful player he is but Ronaldo 06/07 is still the best for me (maybe because I'm biased)
This was me for a long time. I thought he was a cnut - immature and just annoying. Then after that 2006 season I just couldn't hold it in anymore. Fast forward ten years and I'm a Ronaldo fan boi.
Though I have turned into 'fanboi' of CR now, I used to be very frustrated by him pre 2006 and after the Rooney incident when there were reports of Ronaldo not returning to Manchester etc, I thought, "good riddance."
That is one thing which still gives me hope with Memphis that someone with that kind of talent might frustrate initially, but it can payoff with right kind of coaching and mentoring. Even if Memphis becomes half of what CR become, it will be awesome. But then there is also Nani who never realized his full potential with us, so Memphis can easily go that way or worse...
That is one thing which still gives me hope with Memphis that someone with that kind of talent might frustrate initially, but it can payoff with right kind of coaching and mentoring. Even if Memphis becomes half of what CR become, it will be awesome. But then there is also Nani who never realized his full potential with us, so Memphis can easily go that way or worse...
I backed him to be one of the best in the world from day one. He had that something about him. Consistency was the only thing holding him back. He addressed it.
Was I the only person who didn't rate him at all early on? Distinctly remember my friends and I disliking all the party tricks and not thinking he would progress very far.
I've no idea what happened during that world cup/summer, but he went away on the back of a decent season, as a player we still needed to be patient with and still showing potential and he came back the best winger in the world. His transformation over basically 8 weeks was incredible. I'll always prefer that 2006-2007 season Ronaldo, one of the most exciting played over ever seen.
It was the semi final against France that convinced me he was on the verge of being the best player in the world. He outshone Zidane, who won the golden ball, Henry and Figo that night in one of the biggest occasions in world football. Not bad for a 21 year old.
I remember his debut against Bolton so clearly. I was in the crowd and excited about our new signing and I think it was the most fun I've had at a footy match. What a player.
I still remember his debut, knew he'd become one of the best in the world and would become better than Rooney.
I absolutely loved him from game 1. Obviously he was inconsistent and sometimes you would hear criticism of his end product... but I just absolutely loved this young kid coming into the team, doing tricks and getting me on the edge of my seat every time he got the ball.
Obviously I couldn't have predicted quite how amazing and prolific he would become... but even in his early days, he was fantastic entertainment for the fans and I just loved to watch him sit defenders down left, right and centre.
Obviously I couldn't have predicted quite how amazing and prolific he would become... but even in his early days, he was fantastic entertainment for the fans and I just loved to watch him sit defenders down left, right and centre.
When the OP says 'older fans', I'm assuming being 27 doesn't really count but anyway...
He was getting better from 2003 to 2006 but not everything from a statistical view was improving in a linear fashion. However it was obvious his physical development was coming along well and his stature in the Portugal national side was evident.
His incident with Rooney at the World Cup in 2006 reminded me so much at the time of Beckham in 1998. Not that the incident was directly comparable but the national outrage that followed (which quite frankly, was largely pathetic to anyone looking on who wasn't English). I really feared that he would look to push a move to Madrid/Barcelona at that point and we'd lose a fantastic young player.
Thankfully, Ferguson must have had his words with him and provided the right psychology to 1. make him stay and 2. light a fire inside him to prove everyone in England wrong.
2006/07 is my favourite season since I've watched United play from around 1996/97 - to hell if we came short in the FA Cup and CL. It was in my view the most stylish, relentless and dynamic football we've played before 1996 or since. Ronaldo was a major catalyst of that (alongside Rooney and Saha), even if he would go on to score a lot more goals in the 2007/08 and 2008/09 seasons. He was frightening to the opposition and those who weren't got what they deserved for underestimating him.
Could we predict he would become the monster he is/was at Madrid? I don't think so. I honestly don't think it's really possible to predict that with players.
He was getting better from 2003 to 2006 but not everything from a statistical view was improving in a linear fashion. However it was obvious his physical development was coming along well and his stature in the Portugal national side was evident.
His incident with Rooney at the World Cup in 2006 reminded me so much at the time of Beckham in 1998. Not that the incident was directly comparable but the national outrage that followed (which quite frankly, was largely pathetic to anyone looking on who wasn't English). I really feared that he would look to push a move to Madrid/Barcelona at that point and we'd lose a fantastic young player.
Thankfully, Ferguson must have had his words with him and provided the right psychology to 1. make him stay and 2. light a fire inside him to prove everyone in England wrong.
2006/07 is my favourite season since I've watched United play from around 1996/97 - to hell if we came short in the FA Cup and CL. It was in my view the most stylish, relentless and dynamic football we've played before 1996 or since. Ronaldo was a major catalyst of that (alongside Rooney and Saha), even if he would go on to score a lot more goals in the 2007/08 and 2008/09 seasons. He was frightening to the opposition and those who weren't got what they deserved for underestimating him.
Could we predict he would become the monster he is/was at Madrid? I don't think so. I honestly don't think it's really possible to predict that with players.
I Loved him. Still remember his debut against Bolton like it was yesterday. Came on and I was like WOW! People thought he was a cnut but he was our cnut.
His debut was magical. He was really something else.
But I have to admit that he was so frustrating to watch on many occasions. Mainly due to the fact that we all knew what he can actually do.
Come on Memphis! Learn something from this.
But I have to admit that he was so frustrating to watch on many occasions. Mainly due to the fact that we all knew what he can actually do.
Come on Memphis! Learn something from this.
I can remember in the 06/07 season either reading or noticing that he had hit the post or an inch wide of it a ridiculous amount of times that season and that if just half of them had gone in he'd be well into the 30s for the season and I remember thinking "it's probably a normal thing to happen for a lot of players. Not every shot goes in, I bet Henry or Van Nistelrooy go just as close even more often."
Then the following season they stopped hitting the post or going an inch wide and he just kept scoring. For the next 8 years.
I've mentioned it before but there was a thread on Soccerpulse asking if we'd accept £20m for him around 2006. It was around 50/50 I think.
Then the following season they stopped hitting the post or going an inch wide and he just kept scoring. For the next 8 years.
I've mentioned it before but there was a thread on Soccerpulse asking if we'd accept £20m for him around 2006. It was around 50/50 I think.
This thread sounds like school teachers being interviewed about a celebrity when he was a kid.
"I always knew he had it in him." Of course you did.
"I always knew he had it in him." Of course you did.
Remember seeing him roast O'Shea in THAT friendly. Only found out later we'd signed him.
Over the moon, but he rarely showed what he was capable of. He had some great performances prior to the World Cup but he really took off afterwards.
Over the moon, but he rarely showed what he was capable of. He had some great performances prior to the World Cup but he really took off afterwards.
Excatly this.
When we bought him I was so happy knowing what he's capable of, but those first years he wasted talent on meaningless stepovers and diving, used to frustrate me so much because of that!
But then he cut all that from his game he just went from strenght to strenght and never looked back.
I was frustrated because I thought he had the technical and physical talent to be one of the world's best players but was too thick to use it properly. Was still in favour or sticking with him but it was more in hope than expectation that he'd actually sort his game out.
Recall describing Nani (after his first few games for us) as something along the lines of "He's like if Cristiano Ronaldo traded a bit of pace for a brain".
Recall describing Nani (after his first few games for us) as something along the lines of "He's like if Cristiano Ronaldo traded a bit of pace for a brain".