Cristiano Ronaldo
Discussion
schmunk said:
One man's quest to make pineapples fashionable.
Although actually he wasn't a bad striker, Baddiel and Skinner ruined him.
Forest had a worse striker in Andrea Silenzi. Of whom Hansen once said, yes he played as a striker for Italy, but it was a game when the other 23 strikers were injured....
Thankyou4calling said:
You're 0-1 down in an international.
Added time.
What happens.
To most teams you lose.
But with Ronaldo?
92 minutes, 94 minutes Bang. Bang.
Portugal 2 Egypt 1
Done. No body better. ever.
Just watching the Real-Juve 1st leg, quarter final. Just past 20mins and have just seen his opening strike. Added time.
What happens.
To most teams you lose.
But with Ronaldo?
92 minutes, 94 minutes Bang. Bang.
Portugal 2 Egypt 1
Done. No body better. ever.
Outstanding. Marcelo does all the work, highlighting that at elite level the pivotal position these days is the full back, and how you recruit and strategise from this team selection pick sets the whole team stall out. Then Ronaldo just creates the space and......ding. Incredible spatial sense.
A lot has been written about how he’s adjusted his game over the last four of five years, and moved from being an electric winger - with in my mind, two tricks (the “quick step chop” and the endless foot-over dummy) - to a pure breed hitman.
There seems huge consensus that Messi is the better all-rounder currently, but there’s none better than Ronaldo when it’s “prime time”.
There’s a story I heard, as I’m sure others have too. Basically it’s a ‘Joe Namath’ moment. When the cocky QB just fronted up to the cameras and said he’d “....guarantee it [the Super Bowl win]”. Story is that when Paul Clement was assisting at Real a few years back, he was honestly in awe and a little daunted by the big events, Clasicos, semis etc. I think it’s fair to say that he’s since got significant credit in the bank as a technical coach but the jury is still out on whether he’ll be a top line man manager. Anyway, on one occasion, he’s standing there in the tunnel, waiting with the team as they start to manoeuvre out. Ronaldo looks around, sees him, can detect that Clement is a touch nervy, and just said, “....don’t worry. I got this.”
And he did.
I think Ronaldo, whether you like him as an individual or not, is the prime example of a guy who’s determined to ring out every last drop of talent he has. Endless practice sessions, body in premium shape, constantly watching and reviewing videos of all the games, dedication to his craft. And if that meant doing a mid career switch of sporting style/technique like a Faldo perhaps, to stay in the game and relevant, he’s devoted every last bead of energy into doing that. And it takes huge but specific intelligence and application to do that. I don’t know this for sure, but a friend who’s met and chatted to both Messi and Ronaldo, sort of indicated that the former away from the pitch is a fairly dull guy with fairly pedestrian thoughts and ideas on things. On life. A simple guy. Whereas CR7 in conversation comes across as a far more complex, aware, layered and subtly intelligent individual. Maybe an arse, maybe a very witty, rounded conversationalist - depending on situation, people, context. Interesting, perhaps.
Messi is obviously the local village phenom with the most worldly talent in his boots, and sees the game in 4d, and worked out the chess moves because his brain was just wired to be that way; Ronaldo, the slightly less talented kid (all relative!) who recognised certain shortcomings when faced with the white heat of being right at the elite, cutting edge end of a sport, but had another level of brainpower to work out how to solve different puzzles, and dedicate himself solely to a specific tranche of his craft.
Ronaldo: as a pure play goal-scoring winger, say ‘04-09, he might be top ten, twenty of all time. I mean, look at Robben’s best years and in this era doesn’t he stand comparison in this segment? And that’s before old timers feed you lines on Garrincha, or even in more modern times an Overmars (quicker) or a Stoichkov (more brutal, more variety in play, more decisive, more leadership). There are a few guys who have influenced the game from the tramlines.
Ronaldo: as the ultimate hitman, ‘12-present, I’d have him top five for sure. But here you’ll have people rooting for Gerd Muller or someone with utterly cosmic talent, a Van Basten perhaps. Romario is the greatest goal thief I ever saw play, but for the way he put defences to the sword, so coruscating and explosive, the tricks, the feints, the raw speed, strength and joy to watch, I personally find it hard to look beyond the original Ronaldo. The boy between ‘96-‘98 didn’t need the supporting act. He was the full offense. And for that I don’t just have original Ronaldo as the ultimate striker, but the finest player I’ve ever watched.
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