They can take turns taking free kicks but after today I’m guessing ronaldo will be on pens. Was surprised he didn’t take it to be honest. Conversion rate aside, if you take pens for Madrid Juve and your national team but then give pens at your club to a guy who’s with you in the same NT then something isn’t right. Had to be a miss that settles so be it.
Will Bruno leave penalties and free kicks to Ronaldo now?
- Thread starter Andycoleno9
- Start date
If Ronaldo takes it and misses (like he did his last pen), would you be saying the same? The player with the better record was given penalty duties. I am fully okay with that. I was 100% certain that Ole would instantly give them to Ronaldo. I'm pleasantly surprised to see that he didn't. One miss doesn't change my mind.
We don't know Ronaldo would have missed it we do know Bruno did.
It was the wrong decision
I'd still keep Bruno on pens. It was an absolute howler, but still fancy more him consistently than Ronaldo.
I'm really pissed off Ronaldo didn't take the penalty.. 
it's not all about ratios and stats.. It's about keeping your best player, main striker, United legend and main-man happy and confident for the bigger picture.. and a player who has scored over 150 penalties in his career. If Fernandes took over 150 penalties I guarantee his ratio would be worse. Ronaldo has scored a penalty in high pressure games in CL finals for Real Madrid, Portugal and United in tight games. I don't think Fernandes has took the same amount of penalties in high pressure games
the same way Ruud Van Nistelrooy would take the penalties off Fernandes even though he has a worse ratio than Fernandes. He's the main striker and needs the confidence
I can imagine Ronny isn't happy. The media, opposition fans etc mocking him on social media as not being "United's main man" can't be nice for a man who rejected joining Manchester City to join us because he thought he'd be the main-man I feel sorry for him.. I guarantee he would've took penalties at Man City
Ronaldo only has a few years left in his career.. and he's going out not able to be the main-man at Manchester United? A whimper..
it's not all about ratios and stats.. It's about keeping your best player, main striker, United legend and main-man happy and confident for the bigger picture.. and a player who has scored over 150 penalties in his career. If Fernandes took over 150 penalties I guarantee his ratio would be worse. Ronaldo has scored a penalty in high pressure games in CL finals for Real Madrid, Portugal and United in tight games. I don't think Fernandes has took the same amount of penalties in high pressure gamesthe same way Ruud Van Nistelrooy would take the penalties off Fernandes even though he has a worse ratio than Fernandes. He's the main striker and needs the confidence
I can imagine Ronny isn't happy. The media, opposition fans etc mocking him on social media as not being "United's main man" can't be nice for a man who rejected joining Manchester City to join us because he thought he'd be the main-man I feel sorry for him.. I guarantee he would've took penalties at Man City
Ronaldo only has a few years left in his career.. and he's going out not able to be the main-man at Manchester United? A whimper..
Last edited:
Why the feck was Cavani clapping after Bruno's miss. What's that all about?
Bruno is probably a better penalty shooter than Ronaldo (probably, cause he has taken much fewer and also has never played in a team that is competing for trophies, so no pressure). However, Ronaldo feeds on goals, and would like to win another Ballon d’Or. Also, our only chance of winning something (with this manager) is if Ronaldo goes into some ridiculous form.
For this reason, it is Ronaldo who should take them, even if he is slightly worse. Same as how Messi took penalties for Barca despite that he is actually not good at them.
For this reason, it is Ronaldo who should take them, even if he is slightly worse. Same as how Messi took penalties for Barca despite that he is actually not good at them.
He actually got into Bruno's head alright. Managed to get him off his concentration and the way Bruno shot the pen was embarrassing, completely different from his usual pens. The keeper played a bet and won it. Bruno fecked up. For an experienced player though, Bruno should be ashamed of how he lost his temper under such provocation.
That was a bad miss today but I think the pressure of taking them over Ronaldo got to him.
He'll get used to it, and go on another run.. I'm hoping Ole sticks with him!
He'll get used to it, and go on another run.. I'm hoping Ole sticks with him!
Easy in hindsight
Said that to my son before he took it. He was under ridiculous pressure and likely to miss. The whole Ronaldo circus has massively increased the scrutiny on Bruno when it comes to penalties and set-pieces. Which is not good.
Easy in hindsight
When you have the best player in the world who has proven himself on the biggest stage then perhaps you give him the ball
Such a strange penalty. Anyone can miss a penalty but I wouldn't have Bruno down as someone that would stick it in row Z.
Depends on your outlook and your decision making process, based on Bruno's track record and success rate, it was the right decision in my view. I'd 100% have him on penalties and free kicks.
Has he ever smashed a pen like that? I don’t recall it for us, but I’m sure he took loads with Sporting.
Definitely agree with this. It was on my mind too as he was taking it, and I'm sure Bruno would have felt that as well. Impossible not too. Shame really as goals are a big part of his game/confidence and he's been our past player over the last 18 months and I'd argue still is.
fecking exactly. Clown move. Rolando is first choice for Portugal so why is he 2nd choice for us??
Rolando feeds off big pressure unlike bruno and would not boot it into row z, with 3 losses in our last 4 games and bizarre tactical decisions ole needs to turn things around fast because he can easily lose the dressing room
Amazing how it's so obvious, isn't it.
This is a different type of Ronaldo effect at the moment. The teams entire way of playing has changed. Everyone is trying random stuff in the attacking third. The cohesion and timing we saw in the Leeds game and in the Southampton game (where we were unlucky to get a draw) just seems to have evaporated.
Against Newcastle it was cross at every opportunity, then at young boys and West Ham it was pass to Ronaldo even if a pass is not on, and today it was shoot from wherever (and don't care about Ronaldo).
Looks like they are learning to integrate him but honestly, there is no excuse for players with the profile of Bruno and Pogba to be so naive.
Mason I can understand. Today he was shoot from anywhere when he had so many passing options!
Ronaldo should be taken the penalties, he's Bruno's senior and a much more acomplished and experienced player. Anyway it shouldn't come to a penalty for Manchester United to win against Aston Villa so there's something wrong with the team beyond who's taking the penalties.
You imagine Ole would have simply said we stay as we are pen wise, as we have a guy who had missed 1 in 20 odd.
Absolutely inevitable he'd miss the first one that came up, especially with 93rd min keep us in the game pressure.
Over to Ronaldo now I'd say. Switch it each time they miss.
Absolutely inevitable he'd miss the first one that came up, especially with 93rd min keep us in the game pressure.
Over to Ronaldo now I'd say. Switch it each time they miss.
Bad idea. Player with ego like Ronaldo, will want to take the next one, to put the miss one out of his mind. Not taking it is considered running away.
This is why I feel Bruno is in awkward situation now. He should have let Ronaldo take the penalty today. You can't just keep Ronaldo away from another penalty, but you need to take penalty to put this miss out of your system.
Bruno should take the freekicks and leave the pens to Ronaldo
Ronaldo shines when he’s the main man. Why are we letting him feel that he is not? He should take all freekicks and penalties regardless from now on.
I think Ronaldo will let him take the next one so he can reivindicate himself or something like that. It's like you said is an awkward situation as when someone misses you want to give him the chance to score the next one.
I think Bruno taking penalties and freekicks has more to do with Ole showing that he has the balls to make tough decisions which has been a criticism of him
Well done, you managed to post without making a childish remark.
You can think that if you want. Personally I don't think it would hurt giving him a go or mixing it up possibly.
Emi's shithousery pointing at Ronaldo got in Bruno's head.
Didn't expect him to fall for it.
Didn't expect him to fall for it.
Ronaldo would have done better against the mind games of Martinez
Why did Bruno not use his usual run up? Don't like short run up penalties. But he will be fine, he has exceptional record from spot kicks
Swaps to the other player once they miss.
It was the right decision to let Bruno take the pen - he's delivered in other high stakes situations as well. The part that surprised me was him falling for the mind games.
The tricky thing now is either deciding to keep him on pens or switch to Ronaldo.
The tricky thing now is either deciding to keep him on pens or switch to Ronaldo.
Last edited:
Exactly. It's not rocket science but of course we will want to complicate the obvious.I'm really pissed off Ronaldo didn't take the penalty..
the same way Ruud Van Nistelrooy would take the penalties off Fernandes even though he has a worse ratio than Fernandes. He's the main striker and needs the confidence
I can imagine Ronny isn't happy. The media, opposition fans etc mocking him on social media as not being "United's main man" can't be nice for a man who rejected joining Manchester City to join us because he thought he'd be the main-man I feel sorry for him.. I guarantee he would've took penalties at Man City
Ronaldo only has a few years left in his career.. and he's going out not able to be the main-man at Manchester United? A whimper..
Those saying Bruno has a better conversion rate then Ronaldo.. Do you think Bruno would had a higher conversion rate then Ronaldo if he took all the penalties Ronaldo has taken in his career? The guy scored a Penalty to win us the CL!!! Ronaldo has scored 145/175 penalties. That is a huge number.
It really does beggar belief why Ronaldo was not taking it.
You look at what Ronaldo has achieved in his career to Bruno and it is shocking that Bruno is stepping up there.
Had that been for Portugal and Bruno did that at one down final minute him and the manager would not have gotten out of Portugal alive.
We have Ronaldo we are supposed to be challenging for the top and that's just pathetic
Pogba for a time was our pk maestro. Perhaps it would be harsh on Bruno, but pk responsibility should given to Ronaldo.
Bruno has taken a lot of high pressure penalties for us before. Just not his day, and Ronaldo played a factor in it.
Very difficult decision who takes the next one. You dont want to dent Bruno's confidence, but also the Ronaldo factor is there.
Very difficult decision who takes the next one. You dont want to dent Bruno's confidence, but also the Ronaldo factor is there.
"We don't know if Ronaldo would have missed it. We do know Fernandes did miss it. Therefore, it was the wrong decision"
Honestly, the state of this forum today
.So many people in need of either a strong drink, some basic reasoning classes, or maybe both.
Honestly, the state of this forum today
.So many people in need of either a strong drink, some basic reasoning classes, or maybe both.Same people crying hysterically would be saying the exact same stuff but with the names reversed if Ronaldo had missed.
All this chat about mind games are just more excuses from Solskjaer. Most goalkeepers and opposition goad penalty takers to try and gain any sort of advantage they can.
I'd give the penalties to Ronaldo and the edge of the box freekicks to Bruno.
If the free kick is further out, then let Ronaldo smack it.
If the free kick is further out, then let Ronaldo smack it.