Is Cristiano Ronaldo a United Legend?

Grylte

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I mean I don't think he's a United legend but this comparison is busted. Ronaldo gave United 100 times more than whatever Pogba gave the club, which is almost close to zero.
How much is 100 times (almost) zero then?
 

dove

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Absolutely nowhere near. We just never had him here when he was at his best level and to me, 2-3 great seasons doesn't make you a legend. He is a way bigger legend at RM than he is here. Many of our fans are just obsessed with him and it clouds the judgement.
 

AndySmith1990

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Yes he is. Came to manchester at 18 years old after being brought up on a Portuguese island in the middle of the Atlantic and won the lot. Moved to real madrid after 6 unbelievable years with us and became their highest goalscorer within 9 years.

He does love our club in my opinion. He's spent a fair portion of his life in the North West of England. He is well respected by anyone close to united and is adored by our greatest ever manager.

He's the second greatest footballer of all time and I have no problem with him moving to a team that can actually send him out on a high. He deserves it.
What relevance does that have to him being a United legend?
 

Random Task

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Yes he is. Came to manchester at 18 years old after being brought up on a Portuguese island in the middle of the Atlantic and won the lot. Moved to real madrid after 6 unbelievable years with us and became their highest goalscorer within 9 years.

He does love our club in my opinion. He's spent a fair portion of his life in the North West of England. He is well respected by anyone close to united and is adored by our greatest ever manager.

He's the second greatest footballer of all time and I have no problem with him moving to a team that can actually send him out on a high. He deserves it.
The guy literally forced a move to Madrid, giving them his prime years, and he's now trying to do it again because EL football is beneath him.

You said it yourself, he's a Real Madrid legend, not a United one.
 

Madridista2000

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Ronaldo is not your typical club legend.
Club legends always in some way put the club above themselves.

For Ronaldo it's Ronaldo first and then everything else. He will do whatever is best for Ronaldo and nothing else. He would go to Barcelona or Liverpool if he can be the center of attention and win CL or Balon D'or again. It's just how he is. Stop expecting Ronaldo to be something he is not. He is not Schools, Ferdinand, Raul, Marcelo kind of club man.
 

predator

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The guy literally forced a move to Madrid, giving them his prime years, and he's now trying to do it again because EL football is beneath him.

You said it yourself, he's a Real Madrid legend, not a United one.
Forced a move? It's not that deep.
He always wanted to play in Spain which is very understandable due to his Portuguese upbringing.

He actually stayed one more year with us than he intended. Why begrudge a player for that?


He's a united and madrid legend. OT still sung his name whilst he was at madrid. Deal with it.
 

predator

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What relevance does that have to him being a United legend?
Because it shows what a monster of a player we developed him into. He spent 6 great years with us and won everything aswell as becoming the first player to win the balon dor for us since George Best 50 years prior.

He got his move to one of the big Spanish clubs which he always wanted and I find it weird how people still can't understand this. We got 80 million which was alot at the time and he left. Viva Ronaldo was sung home and away in the decade after.
 

Galactico

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To settle this debate, would you support a statue of him outside Old Trafford? If not, he’s not a legend. Let’s be honest - he’s a great player, one of the best but you can’t say he’s a legend of THIS club.
 

Jim Beam

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It's obviously all subjective.
Think it isn't. You can use a pretty simple metric, if there is a big debate about whether someone is a legend or not, he just isn't. You won't have this kind of threads for Cantona, Robson, Keane, etc.

That said, not sure what some are smoking as Ronaldo 2008 season is probably the best most of us witnessed. Absolutely sublime with everything coming together for him. That Aston Villa goal I will never forget, everything he touched turned into gol(d).


No way RVP season was better.

Shame he is such a cnut.
 

captaincantona

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Aside from that one season…what was legendary about his time with us? One amazing season doesn’t make a legend.

A legend is more than stats…there must be a mixture of achievement, commitment, relationship with the fans, representation of the fans passion on the pitch and most basically, loyalty.

Ronaldo ticks only the achievement box imo.

In more recent times Robson, Keane, Cantona are really the only true legends to me.

Giggs, Scholes , Beckham, Neville, Schmeichel, etc are all closer to legendary status than Ronaldo.

He is not even on par with Evra or Vidic or Carrick to be fair.
 

hellhunter

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Think it isn't. You can use a pretty simple metric, if there is a big debate about whether someone is a legend or not, he just isn't. You won't have this kind of threads for Cantona, Robson, Keane, etc.

That said, not sure what some are smoking as Ronaldo 2008 season is probably the best most of us witnessed. Absolutely sublime with everything coming together for him. That Aston Villa goal I will never forget, everything he touched turned into gol(d).


No way RVP season was better.

Shame he is such a cnut.
Simply incredible that season
 

EtH

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Aye? Been a United fan for 40 years , supported the team before Ronaldo was born. You crack on with your sweeping generalisations though, makes you look like a proper expert.
Your response to my post was more worthy of a 12 year old.
 

Big Andy

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Aside from that one season…what was legendary about his time with us? One amazing season doesn’t make a legend.

A legend is more than stats…there must be a mixture of achievement, commitment, relationship with the fans, representation of the fans passion on the pitch and most basically, loyalty.

Ronaldo ticks only the achievement box imo.

In more recent times Robson, Keane, Cantona are really the only true legends to me.

Giggs, Scholes , Beckham, Neville, Schmeichel, etc are all closer to legendary status than Ronaldo.

He is not even on par with Evra or Vidic or Carrick to be fair.
The thing with younger Ronaldo was that he was exciting to watch. He was pure box office even before his "one season". He should never have come back though.
 

EtH

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Think it isn't. You can use a pretty simple metric, if there is a big debate about whether someone is a legend or not, he just isn't. You won't have this kind of threads for Cantona, Robson, Keane, etc.

That said, not sure what some are smoking as Ronaldo 2008 season is probably the best most of us witnessed. Absolutely sublime with everything coming together for him. That Aston Villa goal I will never forget, everything he touched turned into gol(d).


No way RVP season was better.

Shame he is such a cnut.
I said RvP was more intergal to the 2012 title than Ronaldo was in 2008 and he absolutely was. Who was better is up for debate I suppose. But all of our good play went through Robin that season. His holdup play was immense. Never mind his goals and assists.
 

Nicolarra90

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Hehe.

Fairly sure the "CR7" bollox didn't start until he was at Madrid anyway.
I think it started in his last year here as I remember when he went to Madrid had the 9 and was called CR9 instead until he got his number back.
 

Isotope

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That pure excitement he put in week in week out for 6 years is enough to put him as United legend in my eyes. Excitement that only rivaled by Cantona, Scholes, Giggs, Ruud and Beckham, imho.

The good times is way worth more than handing out transfer request. I think majority of United fans still have this view, fortunately.

He left first time, by giving another excellent year. The Club got a world record fee, and his teammates are still in excellent relationship with him. So does his manager, an all time great. It doesn't sound like he burned bridges with his departure, does it?
 
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Ted Lasso

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That pure excitement he put in week in week out for 6 years is enough to put him as United legend in my eyes. Excitement that only rivaled by Cantona, Scholes, Giggs, Ruud and Beckham, imho.

The good times is way worth more than handing out transfer request. I think majority of United fans still have this view, fortunately.

He left first time, by giving another excellent year. The Club got a world record fee, and his teammates are still in excellent relationship with him. So does his manager, an all time great. It doesn't sound like he burned bridges with his departure, does it?
Feel the same way. Only thing to add is that it wasn't just excitement and good vibes. Trophies galore. FA Cup, Premier League and Champions League. Not to mention a rare Golden Ball for a United player.

If Ronaldo's time with United were at the tail end of his career - same exact stats and achievements - he would be a unanimous legend.

The problem is many people are bitter and unforgiving. They can't get past the fact that he left us for another club and likely that kind of resentment is clouding the judgment and wouldn't be an issue if he left us to retiire rather than going on to win 5 CLs and become one of two goat candidates.
 

antohan

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He is a legend of the game and an integral part of one of our best sides.

He is part of our history as much as we are part of his, but worthy of a picture here and there, not a statue or a stand.

A Ronaldo statue would be really fecking small time, it's obvious he is a Real legend and not a United one.

And no, I have no jilted lover ill feelings about him. Always knew what the deal was with him from the first round of "only god knows".
 

antohan

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Feel the same way. Only thing to add is that it wasn't just excitement and good vibes. Trophies galore. FA Cup, Premier League and Champions League. Not to mention a rare Golden Ball for a United player.

If Ronaldo's time with United were at the tail end of his career - same exact stats and achievements - he would be a unanimous legend.

The problem is many people are bitter and unforgiving. They can't get past the fact that he left us for another club and likely that kind of resentment is clouding the judgment and wouldn't be an issue if he left us to retiire rather than going on to win 5 CLs and become one of two goat candidates.
He would be a Real legend who retired here. You would have to wonder why Real let go of such a fine player, mind.
 

MattyB1986

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I'm sure that you do. Players thave have won everything, spend their prime at the club and didn't indirectly refer themselves as slaves when the club wasn't interested in selling him. One could think about Sir Bobby Charlton for example.
It was that slave remark why I never really wanted to see him back here, personally.
 

Eddy_JukeZ

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To settle this debate, would you support a statue of him outside Old Trafford? If not, he’s not a legend. Let’s be honest - he’s a great player, one of the best but you can’t say he’s a legend of THIS club.
That's a good way of defining it.

I don't think he deserves a statue.
 

Eddy_JukeZ

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He would be a Real legend who retired here. You would have to wonder why Real let go of such a fine player, mind.
He wanted another salary bump and Perez had enough and said no.

Then Ronaldo wanted to leave, because he felt like Perez wasn't making him feel special like in the past.

They would have kept him otherwise.
 

Bebestation

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I’d hate to admit that we are not exactly a club that has won a lot of CL’s to just bypass a player who was our most important in one.

Our last one at that.
 

Siorac

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He got his move to one of the big Spanish clubs which he always wanted and I find it weird how people still can't understand this.
We understand it just fine - we're just saying it disqualifies him from club legend status.
 

Ted Lasso

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He would be a Real legend who retired here. You would have to wonder why Real let go of such a fine player, mind.
Interesting way to think about the hypothetical. Quite a few players you could say the same about. Couple that come to mind immediately -

The Ajax legend that went to Barcelona and became a legend there as well. If you did the flip then:

Cruyuff, the Barcelona legend who retired in Ajax. Have to wonder why Barcelona let go of such a fine player.

It's actually a great comparison to the Ronaldo scenario since Cruyuff did go back to Ajax into his older years for a few seasons.


Nedved, the Juventus legend who retired in Lazio. Have to wonder why Juventus let go of such a fine player.



Ashley Cole, the Chelsea legend who retired in Arsenal. Have to wonder why Chelsea let go of such a fine player.



Buffon, the Juventus legend who retired in Parma. Have to wonder why Juventus let go of such a fine player.

I think ultimately it comes down to how petty the fans are. It's like how some people hold bitter resentment for an ex and can't just accept that it didn't work out long term, be happy for the good times and be glad that they're doing well in their new life.

With Ronaldo especially, unlike say Ashley Cole, he went to a different league and he got Sir Alex's blessing and even gave him an extra season of incredible output. All the nasty fuss came from Spain - you see it now w Mbappe and Barca's president - they're a bunch of self serving clowns. From Ronaldo's accomplishments and what it meant for the club at that time he is a legend. The only reason not to think so is that pettiness and personal dislike for his superstar/fame, most of which came from Madrid.
 

b82REZ

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Interesting way to think about the hypothetical. Quite a few players you could say the same about. Couple that come to mind immediately -

The Ajax legend that went to Barcelona and became a legend there as well. If you did the flip then:

Cruyuff, the Barcelona legend who retired in Ajax. Have to wonder why Barcelona let go of such a fine player.

It's actually a great comparison to the Ronaldo scenario since Cruyuff did go back to Ajax into his older years for a few seasons.


Nedved, the Juventus legend who retired in Lazio. Have to wonder why Juventus let go of such a fine player.



Ashley Cole, the Chelsea legend who retired in Arsenal. Have to wonder why Chelsea let go of such a fine player.



Buffon, the Juventus legend who retired in Parma. Have to wonder why Juventus let go of such a fine player.


I think ultimately it comes down to how petty the fans are. It's like how some people hold bitter resentment for an ex and can't just accept that it didn't work out long term, be happy for the good times and be glad that they're doing well in their new life.

With Ronaldo especially, unlike say Ashley Cole, he went to a different league and he got Sir Alex's blessing and even gave him an extra season of incredible output. All the nasty fuss came from Spain - you see it now w Mbappe and Barca's president - they're a bunch of self serving clowns. From Ronaldo's accomplishments and what it meant for the club at that time he is a legend. The only reason not to think so is that pettiness and personal dislike for his superstar/fame, most of which came from Madrid.
Buffon started his career at Parma.

Cole left Arsenal for Chelsea and retired at neither.

There are huge degrees of separation in your examples and what Ronaldo has done and is doing. I don't recall Cruyff likening himself to a slave.

Legendary status isn't just about on the pitch output, but about the the respect the player gives the club and fans. Ronaldo is a fairweather player.
 

mitchmouse

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I want a venn diagram of those saying everything is going fine and Ronaldo has very little do with winning the title in his final season with us. I imagine a very large overlap - then can we see how many are in Boris Johnson's tory party :devil:
 

Ted Lasso

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Buffon started his career at Parma.

Cole left Arsenal for Chelsea and retired at neither.

There are huge degrees of separation in your examples and what Ronaldo has done and is doing. I don't recall Cruyff likening himself to a slave.

Legendary status isn't just about on the pitch output, but about the the respect the player gives the club and fans. Ronaldo is a fairweather player.
You have missed a crucial component of this hypothetical discussion I was having with another poster. Please go back and read through it. Would be interested to get your perspective once you're in sync.
 

Ted Lasso

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Ronaldo never said he was a slave

Goodness me some of you lot are easy to manipulate by the media. Sepp Blatter and clickbait have many of you very wound up. How many years have you held this grudge as pawns of the useless journos?
 

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Ronaldo never said he was a slave

Goodness me some of you lot are easy to manipulate by the media. Sepp Blatter and clickbait have many of you very wound up. How many years have you held this grudge as pawns of the useless journos?
Sepp said he was. Ronaldo said he agreed with the head of FIFA. He agreed with the statement of him as a slave.
 

b82REZ

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You have missed a crucial component of this hypothetical discussion I was having with another poster. Please go back and read through it. Would be interested to get your perspective once you're in sync.
But your hypothetical scenarios make no sense and add feck all to the discussion.

I've made my feelings known in this thread. He's a legend of the game, not of United. I have fond feelings towards him, but he never showed enough loyalty to reach that upper echelon.

Also while he didn't explicitly say he was a slave, he said he agreed fully with what Blatter said, which was us keeping him was akin to modern day slavery. He was using every possible avenue to force a move to Madrid.
 

Ladron de redcafe

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Ronaldo never said he was a slave

Goodness me some of you lot are easy to manipulate by the media. Sepp Blatter and clickbait have many of you very wound up. How many years have you held this grudge as pawns of the useless journos?
You realize that he agreed with Sepp's statement that he was a slave, which is effectively the same as saying he's a slave.