Cristiano Ronaldo : The Juventus Chapter | Fin

[CaptainAvengers]

Let's be honest, Juventus season is a failure. Winning the league they would've done without Ronaldo anyway so that's no accomplishment in a one-team league.. to not EVEN get in the semi-final WITH Ronaldo (when they did it without) is a total write-off. It is like PSG.. the CL defines their seasons no matter how the league goes.

Ronaldo and his fanboys might try to paint this season as a success for him but it is a bad season by HIS standards for sure. And that's OK he can have a bad season every now and then.. there seems a desperation from his fanboys to overrate everything he does simply because he's becoming an old man and he will shine less and less each season now.

No Ballon d'Or for Ronaldo this year, maybe not even in the top 3.. as you'd assume Messi is def in the top 3 having gone further than Ronaldo in the CL and scored more goals this season, if Liverpool or Spurs make the final you can see one of their players on the podium, and maybe will squeak into the top 3 by default..

Either way, Ronaldo's days of winning Ballon d'Ors are over.. I can't see him winning another Ballon d'Or at his age..

 

[Seij]

He's not happy about this but he did what he could, 5 goals in 4 games in the knockout stages, he scored all the 5 goals Juventus scored in this stage.
Juventus has been pretty poor this year, even in Serie A Juventus has been winning games it should have lost.
If they want the CL they have to invest more in midfield (pretty poor for their ambition) and new CBs.

Ronaldo has done well but I do think Juventus simplified their attack pattern this year to "cross the ball to Ronaldo's head", which I don't think is doing them good in long term.

 

[Mettaur]

Let's be honest, Juventus season is a failure. Winning the league they would've done without Ronaldo anyway so that's no accomplishment in a one-team league.. to not EVEN get in the semi-final WITH Ronaldo (when they did it without) is a total write-off. It is like PSG.. the CL defines their seasons no matter how the league goes.

Ronaldo and his fanboys might try to paint this season as a success for him but it is a bad season by HIS standards for sure. And that's OK he can have a bad season every now and then.. there seems a desperation from his fanboys to overrate everything he does simply because he's becoming an old man and he will shine less and less each season now.

No Ballon d'Or for Ronaldo this year, maybe not even in the top 3.. as you'd assume Messi is def in the top 3 having gone further than Ronaldo in the CL and scored more goals this season, if Liverpool or Spurs make the final you can see one of their players on the podium, and maybe will squeak into the top 3 by default..

Either way, Ronaldo's days of winning Ballon d'Ors are over.. I can't see him winning another Ballon d'Or at his age..

If he doesn't win the CL, it's not 100% decided that he will be there. Balon d'Or is normally given to the best player in the winning team.
There's also no chance that the garbage Argentina team can win Copa America to sway the votes to his favour.

 

[De Portago]

If he doesn't win the CL, it's not 100% decided that he will be there. Balon d'Or is normally given to the best player in the winning team.
There's also no chance that the garbage Argentina team can win Copa America to sway the votes to his favour.

In 2010, 2012, and 2013 Messi didn't win the CL, and yet all three golden balls went to him quite comfortably. Maybe at a stretch Salah if Liverpool win the double, but I doubt it.

 

[SportingCP96]

450 goals in 438 games. That record will not be touched in a long long time and if only he had stayed there he would make it unreachable by anyone ever.

Was on YouTube and saw this video and was blown away by this genius.

 

[Sterling Archer]

450 goals in 438 games. That record will not be touched in a long long time and if only he had stayed there he would make it unreachable by anyone ever.

Was on YouTube and saw this video and was blown away by this genius.

Bloody ell, what we gave away for 80mil...

 

[VanKenny]

Bloody ell, what we gave away for 80mil...

Crazy to think that Real Madrid even made profit from selling him. Has to be by far the best transfer of all time, wonder if anybody even comes close. Dani Alves to Barcelona?

Hard to think of one.

 

[U99ted]

In 2010, 2012, and 2013 Messi didn't win the CL, and yet all three golden balls went to him quite comfortably. Maybe at a stretch Salah if Liverpool win the double, but I doubt it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_FIFA_Ballon_d'Or#FIFA_Ballon_d'Or

 

[Kinsella]

450 goals in 438 games. That record will not be touched in a long long time and if only he had stayed there he would make it unreachable by anyone ever.

Was on YouTube and saw this video and was blown away by this genius.

This isn't a knock against Ronaldo, but I don't think he'll supplant Di Stefano as the 'Greatest Real Madrid Player Ever'.

What say the Real fans?

 

[SportingCP96]

This isn't a knock against Ronaldo, but I don't think he'll supplant Di Stefano as the 'Greatest Real Madrid Player Ever'.

What say the Real fans?

I think he does but I know my opinion wont matter because I am 'Portuguese and a Sporting fan"

What he did at Madrid is unprecedented. Shattered record in 9 years imagine if he was there longer. Quite remarkable really.

 

[SportingCP96]

Bloody ell, what we gave away for 80mil...

Looking back at it now it looks like it was basically free.

What was the general consensus amongst United fans at the time the deal went through?

 

[VanKenny]

This isn't a knock against Ronaldo, but I don't think he'll supplant Di Stefano as the 'Greatest Real Madrid Player Ever'.

What say the Real fans?

Genius vs machine, i think the machine wins thits time even if the genius did win the 5 european cups. However i dont think that machine can take on the other 3 geniuses.

 

[SCP]

I think he does but I know my opinion wont matter because I am 'Portuguese and a Sporting fan"

What he did at Madrid is unprecedented. Shattered record in 9 years imagine if he was there longer. Quite remarkable really.

No he doesn’t. Di Stefano is the most important player on Real Madrid history. No one is above him on that club. Just ask any Madrid fan.

 

[SportingCP96]

No he doesn’t. Di Stefano is the most important player on Real Madrid history. No one is above him on that club. Just ask any Madrid fan.

I never said most important player. I said the best player to ever wear the jersey. Big difference.

 

[SCP]

I never said most important player. I said the best player to ever wear the jersey. Big difference.

Even on that we can have a discussion but different eras. Anyway I am not a fanboy I respect his achievements but I don’t like the cult around him or Messi.

 

[SportingCP96]

Even on that we can have a discussion but different eras. Anyway I am not a fanboy I respect his achievements but I don’t like the cult around him or Messi.

Neither am I. I personally have Messi and CR7 ranked in my top 3 together. I don't hate Messi like some make it seem I respect greatness. Obviously I have an opinion on which is better but everyone is entitled to one.

Also even though different eras if I am making a team and had to pick Ronnie or Di Stefano I know who I would take.

 

[Sterling Archer]

Looking back at it now it looks like it was basically free.

What was the general consensus amongst United fans at the time the deal went through?

Heartbroken. But he gave us a great extra year and you let the kid go soar without any misgivings.

 

[SportingCP96]

Heartbroken. But he gave us a great extra year and you let the kid go soar without any misgivings.

Thanks bud I was not on the CAF then so was curious how the fans felt.

 

[Sterling Archer]

Thanks bud I was not on the CAF then so was curious how the fans felt.

I was a lurker back then myself. So that's at least how I remember feeling .

 

[Invictus]

Looking back at it now it looks like it was basically free.

What was the general consensus amongst United fans at the time the deal went through?

Most of us weren't pleased, obviously — there was a sense that while we had an exceptional team with a rock-solid defense and a high-level central midfield pairing and Rooney as a great spearhead, Ronaldo gave us a distinct edge over “the rest” in continental football (like Messi with Barcelona or Kaká with Milan in that time frame when they had other accomplished players).

But since he desperately wanted to join Madrid, we begrudgingly accepted the transfer, though €96 million wasn't enough even back then considering Figo went for €62 million in 2000 — football revenues had grown massively in 9 years with Madrid in particular going from ~€125 million per year to ~€400 million, so by proportion Cristiano's transfer fee should have been close to the €150 million mark at the very least.

The sentiments regarding the transfer were also contingent on adequately filling the void left by Cristiano to cushion the blow (losing him might not have been that bad if we went from strength to strength), and in hindsight, we didn't do that very well over the long haul...mostly because of the debt crisis which had a crippling effect on our dealings in the market for the next 2-3 years (and the effects are felt to this day because we missed out on certain elite talents that could have formed the backbone of the team in the post-Fergie era).

 

[RedRonaldo]

Don't think he has a great season for his usual high standard and as Ballon D'or contenders, at least he is not a superhuman anymore, but he did great as 34 years old finishing the season in a new club/league with 2 trophies, and end up as club top scorer in Serie A and CL, and the club lead assist too. Think about it, if he stays in Real, he could have end up trophy-less. So I still think he make a right decision to join Juventus to spend his late career retiring years.

 

[pensionator]

Without him we wouldn’t have won the league 100%. He’s the pillar of the whole team, he participates a lot in the build up and funnily enough he’s both our top scorer and top assist-man.

The issue is exactly this, both the coach and the rest of the team got lazy and just thought that the tactic “give the ball to Ronaldo and let him do the job” was enough.

The result is that we score just with headers or random individual plays, the second top scorer is Dybala with 11 goals (across all competitions...) and in 180 minutes against Ajax we had only one shot on target besides headers.

Add to that a ton of injuries (we constantly had at least 4/5 men out of squad), a terrible form throughout all the season and a coach (Allegri) who admittedly doesn’t have any tactics because he firmly believes that they are unnecessary (as good players can create chances and goals out of nowhere with their abilities alone) and you can clearly see how this season was a complete train wreck

 

[Amar__]

Without him we wouldn’t have won the league 100%.

Yeah, no doubt

 

[CaptainAvengers]

The move was to take Juventus further in the CL.. so in that sense the transfer has been a flop. That was the mandate, simple, but fair.. they already was dominating Italy, got far in the CL, they needed the last piece of the puzzle ala Cantona as the catalyst for all our success in the 90s as he is hailed.

 

[pensionator]

The move was to take Juventus further in the CL.. so in that sense the transfer has been a flop. That was the mandate, simple, but fair.. they already was dominating Italy, got far in the CL, they needed the last piece of the puzzle ala Cantona as the catalyst for all our success in the 90s as he is hailed.

5 goals in 4 games in the knockout stage, the only goals we scored.

He delivered, the rest of the team didn’t.
Actually it’s impressive that he was even able to score considering what we (didn’t) create.

 

[Jim Beam]

The result is that we score just with headers or random individual plays, the second top scorer is Dybala with 11 goals (across all competitions...) and in 180 minutes against Ajax we had only one shot on target besides headers.

You don't maybe think that has something to do with new tactics this season.

 

[gaucho_10]

This isn't a knock against Ronaldo, but I don't think he'll supplant Di Stefano as the 'Greatest Real Madrid Player Ever'.

What say the Real fans?

He won't. Even if his attitude was different, less self centered and more of a team player it wouldn't make a difference, but when the first thing he said after leaving the club that gave him everything and had a team full of world class players catering to him was "Juventus is a family, unlike Real Madrid", then it would be disrespectful to yourslef to put him in the same sentence with Di Stefano regardless of what he achieved with the club.

 

[giorno]

This isn't a knock against Ronaldo, but I don't think he'll supplant Di Stefano as the 'Greatest Real Madrid Player Ever'.

What say the Real fans?

He's up there. For me Di Stefano will always be the greatest, him and Bernabeu did more for this club than anyone else.

It's like how shankly will always be liverpool's greatest manager

 

[Jim Beam]

This isn't a knock against Ronaldo, but I don't think he'll supplant Di Stefano as the 'Greatest Real Madrid Player Ever'.

What say the Real fans?

I am not a Madrid fan, but Alfredo di Stefano is pretty much Real Madrid. No European Cup before he came, 5 after... He made the monster.

 

[Bobski]

The fee for Ronaldo was fair at the time, especially when you consider how the top transfers had plateaued since the Zidane deal with only Kaka(IIRC) at £56 million pushing the limit significantly. Still 8th top fee ever 10 years later.

 

[pensionator]

You don't maybe think that has something to do with new tactics this season.

It was simply a lack of attacking ideas, we just bomb the area with crosses because there is a complete absence of coordinated movements and/or tactics.

Plus this team has zero pace, we walk on the pitch and our passing is terribly slow with no verticality.

Allegri is Mourinho reincarnated from a lot of perspectives

 

[zkap]

Without him we wouldn’t have won the league 100%. He’s the pillar of the whole team, he participates a lot in the build up and funnily enough he’s both our top scorer and top assist-man.

I can't tell if there's a language barrier there somewhere or if I should just admire the work of Mendes and the rest of the PR team.

The issue is exactly this, both the coach and the rest of the team got lazy and just thought that the tactic “give the ball to Ronaldo and let him do the job” was enough.

Hmmm, what other player does this remind me of? I'm going to have to think about it, and in the meantime I'd ask the Ronaldo fans to contemplate exactly how this makes Ronaldo a tactical liability for Juventus.

 

[pensionator]

I can't tell if there's a language barrier there somewhere or if I should just admire the work of Mendes and the rest of the PR team.



Hmmm, what other player does this remind me of? I'm going to have to think about it, and in the meantime I'd ask the Ronaldo fans to contemplate exactly how this makes Ronaldo a tactical liability for Juventus.

I said “funnily enough” exactly because nobody expected him to be so involved in the build up all the time. By the end of the season he even started to go back defending a lot (for his standards).
I guess he was so desperate that he decided to drop deep otherwise he would have seen the ball once or twice.

I don’t care about comparisons with Messi, although here the thing is that he did even more than possible given the situation.

 

[zkap]

I said “funnily enough” exactly because nobody expected him to be so involved in the build up all the time. By the end of the season he even started to go back defending a lot (for his standards).
I guess he was so desperate that he decided to drop deep otherwise he would have seen the ball once or twice.

I don’t care about comparisons with Messi, although here the thing is that he did even more than possible given the situation.

I know he participates more, that's actually quite something for a player his age. I don't knock him for Juventus' season, from what I can tell he helped you a lot, played well and the lack of a CL trophy will not be his fault.

My post was aimed at the argument that you wouldn't have won the league without him. I don't know if the "100%" part meant that you definitely wouldn't have won the league without him, or that without him you wouldn't have been nailed on for the league title.

 

[SATA]

Looking back at it now it looks like it was basically free.

What was the general consensus amongst United fans at the time the deal went through?

Devastated, even though i was abit annoyed at his slave comments before that. He went for a world record fee at that time but 80m is nothing to a club like United. Fergie had to let him go because he wanted the boy to be happy. He could have leashed him for another couple of years and we probably would have another two league titles

 

[JPRouve]

Looking back at it now it looks like it was basically free.

What was the general consensus amongst United fans at the time the deal went through?

I'm still bitter and will most likely always be.

 

[pensionator]

I know he participates more, that's actually quite something for a player his age. I don't knock him for Juventus' season, from what I can tell he helped you a lot, played well and the lack of a CL trophy will not be his fault.

My post was aimed at the argument that you wouldn't have won the league without him. I don't know if the "100%" part meant that you definitely wouldn't have won the league without him, or that without him you wouldn't have been nailed on for the league title.

Without him I have my doubts that we would have won it. I am basing this on the performances from last season and on the difference between the Juve with and without Ronaldo this season.

If it weren't for the explosion of Kean (the only scorer in the league after Ronaldo's injury) we would have lost or tied all the last 5 games.

The fact that we won it by 20 points has more to do with a terrible year for Serie A as a whole

 

[Peyroteo]

He won't. Even if his attitude was different, less self centered and more of a team player it wouldn't make a difference, but when the first thing he said after leaving the club that gave him everything and had a team full of world class players catering to him was "Juventus is a family, unlike Real Madrid", then it would be disrespectful to yourslef to put him in the same sentence with Di Stefano regardless of what he achieved with the club.

'It's different than in Madrid, here it's more like a family'. That's what he said, it's not the same. Madrid media just put their usual spin on things.

Hardly anything revealing or insulting given even from the outside it's obvious the dressing rooms at a club like Madrid or at a club like Juventus work very differently. Clearly did not mean to have a dig at Madrid in any case, if you watch the interview.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

Looking back at it now it looks like it was basically free.

What was the general consensus amongst United fans at the time the deal went through?

We should have fleeced Real for far more.

Didn't use their interest in Ronaldo to get their cast offs in Robben and Sneijder. We botched that entire window and it signaled the end of us being up there with Europe's elite.

As for Ronaldo leaving himself, I obviously wish he stayed. However, I understood why he wanted to move. Players of his ilk always see Real/Barcelona as the dream and he did win everything he could at United. I was a bit annoyed with his body language to start the 2008-2009 season, but he buckled up and generally played well(albeit not as well as his prior 2 seasons).

 

[Adisa]

Allegri cost him Balon 6 by being a coward.