Not sure it's the hate for CR7 or you just don't know much about football.
I'm always with you on the Martial/Mourinho discussions but there are posts of me dating back to 2003-2005 (just before his breakout season) when I've defended him vs the masses that had their new English golden boy and analysed his amazing talent. There were a few with me, although many on the caf had jumped on the Rewnnnaayyy bandwagon already and we had a few summers (esp after the euros) with huge threads of the caf doing a Martial (ie, "get the lazy showpony outta here!").
I wasn't around on these boards obviously around that time, but I believe it. I don't know that I'd ever call CR7 lazy, but a showpony certainly. However, yours would not be a popular opinion, especially the golden ball idea as there was no indication he would become that kind of talent yet. It's akin to the people claiming Martial will win one someday. I love the kid, he's got plenty of talent himself, but it's just as unlikely as it was for CR7 to win one (despite having similar stats to CR7 in their first three years at the club). Rooney was both English and more precocious in his output than CR7 was at first so it was always going to be a losing battle on these boards, but you turned out to be right. What I'm saying is that all of the people who claim they knew all along, like yourself, were just hopeful. It was not a clear case for him as it would be for a R9 for example. That is an example for me of an outstanding talent, where it just jumps right at you and this is someone that even with his flaws (which he didn't have much of from the age of 19-20 onwards) was unstoppable. That is not what CR7 was coming into England. Which is why I'm disputing the 'freak talent' people mentioned. He was no more special than Quaresma coming out of Portugal who many thought (right or wrong) was more talented.
Yes, it's either I hate CR7 or I don't know football.
Still disagree. Cristiano always seemed head and shoulders above Rooney to me and also to most football fans I spoke to back then, too. Everyone talked about Ronaldo and the player he'll become back then. Really can't say the same about Rooney honestly. I never rated him personally and when I started reading this board I was totally suprised about the reputation he had in Britain back then. I wouldn't even have conaidered it a possibility that anybody at any point throughout their careers had geniunely thought Rooney was the greater talent.
If there is one thing that he has it's fire.
For now yeah. But to sustain this level for a whole decade? Would be great for us football fans obviously, because I do enjoy watching him play.
Your question is on the present tense, it leads to think that you are questioning is current fire not if he will keep it. No one can really tell if he will keep it or if he is going to sustain an injury or become addict to substances.
Didn't I imply that when I said "fire in him to keep going strong for another decade" ?
Not really. If you told anyone in 2001 that Owen would be washed up before the age of 27 and playing for Newcastle, you would have been laughed out of the room. I think there are two different conversations going on here.
I guess we should of established what you meant by "flame out". I assumed you thought we could fade out like Quaresma or someone
What is this based on? Did he say or do something to indicate this?
Sorry but did you watch football from 2004-2006? Rooney was known to non footy fans as well. The hype was incredible and he was thought as the next massive thing.
I agree with this post fully but just to defend Rooney let's also consider he started ripping it up when he was 16. His career top was longer than what of usually seen
Again, this may be true for England respectively Englisg speaking countries in general but here you had a hard time finding anyone who thought Rooney was the greater prospect after Euro 2004. He may have scored more goals than Cristiano but in every other aspect of the game it was obvious who was the better player. And as I said, you didn't measure talent or performances in scorers as much as you do today.
I can accept if it was your opinion but I wont buy the thing about "only in England" because for one, I wasnt in England back then and second, I had a very international mix of friends who I watched the euro with. For a fact in France, Greece heck even India Rooney was talked about a lot. I remember Ronaldo would be referred to as that "up and coming Portuguese kid" or "he has to be gay" by the idiotic haters.
If you've seen both Messi and Ronaldo play and seen what they've achieved dont even get how this is said.
Speak for yourself mate. I'm from a french country and in my country many people watched La Liga more than PL, and I can tell you very well that back in 2004 Rooney was seen as the better players, not the most skillfull but basically the perfect young player and many people were running to buy his jersey. And he was a star that even my sister who wasn't a pure fan of football completely loved Rooney back then. That Euro 2003 he drove peopke crazy and the consensus was that England have got the next Ronaldo.
He can only speak for himself. Almost everyone in Germany thinks Schweinsteiger > Kroos
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No, "its" not easy. At 23 or older Messi was better (Ronaldo missed almost the whole year he was 23 and wasn't the same afterwards). I'm talking about the ages 19-22. Ronaldo was better.
But (very unpopular opinion coming)... What did Messi really achieved oustide of Liga since 2011? One CL with a dream attack with top notch Suarez and Neymar, and that's pretty much it. Yes he scores, but he has a tendancy to disapear when it really matters, with Barcelona and with Argentina, for a long while now. He's a phenomenal player there's no doubt about that but at one point you need to look at the results in big games.
He was. I havent seen a player since Maradona as far above everyone else as he was for that handful of years.
All the players you mentioned are great players.
Messi won balon dor at 21
The one that won it at 20
Bet you enjoyed that one...
It was served on a platterBet you enjoyed that one...
You’re talking to someone who first got into Ronaldo when he was at PSV. I know all about him, what he’s capable of and in my opinion it wasn’t quite as good as Messi age 21-23. He was more a number 9 than anything else, I know because I watched full games involving him and not his YouTube highlights like you clearly have based on your comments here. You’ll find videos of every attacker dropping deep and passing the ball in midfield but for most of every game he played in, Ronaldo was the furthest man forward.
Ahhh my mistake i thought the chap was on about Cristiano.
