Think Kane was their number one target at that point & Ronaldo now fits the bill in terms of timing (Kane has confirmed he’s staying) & also “prestige” - Qatar signed Messi and now Abu Dhabi following suit.
Tactical analysis of Ronaldo leading Man City forward line....
- Thread starter FootballHQ
- Start date
-
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?
Thank you for confirming.
One that can run and press, one of the biggest things of Ronaldo's recent season with Juve is lack of mobility, now I know there have been flashes of it but it's not been consistently there for a while I just don't see how this works at City
I was the complete opposite. I think there is no striker in the modern game that would fit into a Guardiola system better than Kane, apart from Messi of course.
He will score plenty of tap ins and give them an aerial threat they don't currently have. I'm not even worried about him making them better as I don't think he will - it's more a PR thing.
It feels like we took Sancho so now they're trying to 1 up us.
It feels like we took Sancho so now they're trying to 1 up us.
Don't see this happening. What is it 4 days left for the window to close?
Messi was close to signing for City twice previously, we then signed grealish and the open offer was withdrawn. That said, if he'd really wanted to play for pep again he could have so it was his choice, there was no offer by the time he declared he had left Barca.
For Ronaldo, I don't want him at city because he doesn't seem to be the team player that pep insists on, he's selfish and all that preening doesn't sit well with me. He'll score a lot of goals but I've no idea how he'll fit in the team and adapt, I guess that's why football is the greatest, who knows what happens next?
Messi would have been a better fit, agreed. But as you say, you guys create a lot of chances, so Ronaldo will score bucket loads and then who knows.
You are comparing him to some really mediocre players who play for much inferior teams compared to Juve.
He was tops scorer only once in serie A. And so many goals were penalties.
This. Plus his hold up play will be better than anything they've had in the no9 position. He will absolutely relish the sort of service they provide in and around the penalty box.
For me the biggest risk isn't the tactical fit, but if he declines sharply at some point.
I don't really agree that Cristiano is not a typical Guardiola player. The young CR7 definitely would have been with his dribbling prowess and technique. He's not that player anymore but still has world class runs and world class finishing on top of a tidy technique, good strength and decent pace. It's not as if Guardiola only played Messis, Xavis and Iniestas. He was also very successful with Pedro, Lewandowski or Müller. Runs and spatial awareness are very important to him and Ronaldo delivers both at a world class level. And even if Ronaldo pales at most attacking disciplines compared to Messi, his link up play, ball control is still elite for a center forward (or at least was not too long ago). I know he's often described as some sort of Inzaghi these days but that's a consequence of being compared to Messi all the time, IMO. Very few can come off looking good in that comparison, let alone at 36.
Moreover, Guardiola has opened up to other tactical approaches at City. They cross and take shots from a difference quite a lot compared to Pep's Barca, especially de Bruyne. And with Sterling fallen out of favor, they definitely could use somebody to make great runs. Most of their players like to have the ball at their feet.
Moreover, Guardiola has opened up to other tactical approaches at City. They cross and take shots from a difference quite a lot compared to Pep's Barca, especially de Bruyne. And with Sterling fallen out of favor, they definitely could use somebody to make great runs. Most of their players like to have the ball at their feet.
Totally agree, Kane is the complete striker who dropping off and goal scoring threat would have been transformative even for City.
That's why the deal is perfect for them, pretty much regardless of how he does on the pitch. A bit like Messi with PSG, All the young kids playing FIFA etc. will all pick City now and that spawns a new generation of fans across the World. We laugh about how empty the Etihad is at the moment, but in 5 or 10 years they will constantly fill it, unfortunately.
He isn't that good anymore and will flop badly.
I watched lots of Serie A games of him and Juventus actively avoid passing to him in the build up. His first touch is worst than Lukaku these days. He can't dribble past one player, can't pass with any real quality, barely moves outside of the box and his free kicks are abysmal.
Man's a penalty box poacher and that's it. He can't play football anymore
I watched lots of Serie A games of him and Juventus actively avoid passing to him in the build up. His first touch is worst than Lukaku these days. He can't dribble past one player, can't pass with any real quality, barely moves outside of the box and his free kicks are abysmal.
Man's a penalty box poacher and that's it. He can't play football anymore
He was also top scorer in Euro this summer, and he scored more goals than anyone in Italy in past 2-3 years. Other top scorers like Immobile also took a lot of penalties.
city got Grealish already, had the Messi stuff happened a week before it actually did I think city sign Messi
Judging from his juve days he's the antithesis of a pep player
he's been almost lethargic in the off the ball movement almost no press and can't help with the build up at all
Without a doubt he will poach a lot of goals especially those that sterling and Jesus can't seem to finish properly
though if it comes to pass i find it hard how any of the party's involved will benefit from this
he's been almost lethargic in the off the ball movement almost no press and can't help with the build up at all
Without a doubt he will poach a lot of goals especially those that sterling and Jesus can't seem to finish properly
though if it comes to pass i find it hard how any of the party's involved will benefit from this
He will do was Gabriel Jesus does but a million times better
I was thinking that but wondering if Sterling does more defensively/with pressures — and holy moly does Sterling’s defensive numbers according to fbref are really crap for an attacker. I expected a Pep forward to have much higher pressures!
He will score for fun and we all know it. 40+ 
Belgium and Germany both did fine completely nulifying him from open play.
Pretty telling that Same Lee says Pep doesn't have a plan for him but just wants a striker.
This could end in tears. Sounds very similar to the Ibrahimovic transfer.
This could end in tears. Sounds very similar to the Ibrahimovic transfer.
Off the ball, Ronaldo won't lead the press, it will be another. He will play centrally only when they have the ball.
Quite simply, putting the ball in the net consistently is the hardest job in football. Ronaldo fills that gap for City as they have no natural goalscorer. His movement to find open goalscoring space is as good as they come, as is his ability to get shots off. They benefit off the pitch immeasurably in that they get a huge one over United while also getting a massive reputation boost that is only possible with him or Messi, and on the pitch he fills a need for them. It's a nightmare signing.
I think he will do really well tbh. They have a team that is wildly creative so it's not important than Ronaldo is mainly a poacher these days because he's still one of the best in the world at it.
He won't get along with Guardiola.
Well what can I say, Bruno and the whole Portgual team was far worse in Euro in many of those games, at least Ronaldo was easily Portugal best player in Euro.
Calm down everyone redrobed has spoken
While I get where you're coming from city need a big game scorer as they have no problem constantly putting 5 past the Norwiches of the world and Ronaldo simply isn't what he used to be in big games
He cost them the porto game (in which they were given a life line by chiesa) and failed to impact the game either against ac milan ,inter or any of the big games juve had last season
Perhaps the most damning of it all was the the fact that juve simply refused to play him when they had to urgently win every game to get top 4
While you're point about city getting one over us is true as it would humiliate us considering all the fawning we did over him through the years and his massive commercial appeal it would far from a set in stone nightmare signing as you think it would be
Pep's no 9 is not just running behind defenders or just score poacher goal. He always demand his no 9 to run a lot pressing defenders, drop deep, and good passer. Not 36 years old Ronaldo's style. I don't know how Pep will fit him in to his system. I can't see 36 years old Ronaldo run a lot chasing defenders, drop deep a lot, and play one touch passing or playing like false 9.
Might be a controversial opinion but I don't think he'll even score a goal for City.
In before he scores an OG
Some of a utter bollocks in here.
He will be brilliant for them. Kdb can pass the ball, mahrez can cross, sterling can set up a tap in. Endless possibilities 
.
.I need to see Trevor Sinclair's take on CR on talksport. It's going to be Gold.
I'm delighted with that though!He's done you a kipper there @Withnail
