17 Jun 2018 08:16:24
Just catching up but have to say that Ronaldo debate yesterday was a joke. couldn't hack the Prem? Unreal. We just had a 35 year old Zlatan bury 27 goals in a season. Ronaldo is a freak. He can't be measured with the same measuring stick. Top of my head the lad has never had more than 5 months out injured in his whole career.
People say his pace has gone. Has it? While he may not be lightning anymore he is still rapid. Look at his sprints next to some defenders. Its explosive speed over a short distance. He is saving himself for the right moments. He knows his body. If you watch Messi, he pretty much stands still without the ball.
Ronaldo would still do the business here. He would cause defenders nightmares the night before a game on reputation alone.
He won't come back though. he's done it all at United and Madrid. Ronaldo never strikes me as a guy who looks back. Always forward.
17 Jun 2018 09:21:20
He's been looking back plenty whenever he wants a new contract though.
17 Jun 2018 09:41:17
I've got no problem praising Ronaldo for his immense achievements and his brilliance over the years - he did well the other night, nothing more. But if a Mexican player scored 3 goals like that today, there would be 0.0001% amount of praise being dished out. I think people are being swayed by the tabloid headlines, he actually didn't do much.
Ronaldo's general performances have been getting worse as time goes on, you barely notice he is playing most games - you barely see him beat a man as well - he is just clinical now and how many chances do we create? Signing him would be a massive mistake, entirely the wrong type of player we need. We don't get many penalties and those DDG mistakes are once in a blue moon things, so is his scoring of freekicks. So based on that is he really that necessary?
If Oleg Salenko was about today and scored 5 in one game I can just imagine the fans wanting the chequebook out - it's just media overkill corrupting people.
BTW - All we ever hear from Ronaldo and his agent is how he wants/ wanted to come back to Utd, during contract negotiations time of course. I have never heard a player 'look back' with their comments as much as Ronaldo - has there ever been a bigger tease? So because he scored a hattrick on the big-stage we can just say whatever we like about him now, so long as it is over-the-top nice even if it contradicts facts about how he has carried on since he left us?
I literally can't believe the over reaction to a pretty poor hattrick aside from the freekick, which again was against his typical record, throw enough darts at the board! You can see freekicks like that scored walking the dog, it happens often - several others scored in the WC already! It was good, it was dramatic, but come on - that is the criteria of still being World Class?
We are also not as good as Madrid as well, or as bad as Portugal (we have other people that want the ball as well) - he would see the ball less, get far less chances and is physically declining. The fear-factor would wane within weeks, the media circus would be horrible, not too sure he would fit a style that we play either to be honest as he struggles to beat a man now and he would have little support. Seriously I'd rather keep Lukaku.
17 Jun 2018 10:07:03
Can see Real signing Ronaldo on again as if they let him go he could haunt them badly but if anywhere in Europe I can see a Ronaldo to PSG and Neymar to Real deal happening, maybe not a swap but the players going in those directions.
Ronaldo in the Prem, I dunno, if he was CF at City opening Liverpool then he prob would be just as devastating because he is so clinical and those teams create bucket loads of chances but he won’t join them and only United in the Prem but as Beast says how many chances do we actually create, RedRom would have to make way, his wages would be ridiculous, it just wouldn’t work for me.
Brilliant player for us and gone onto unbelievable heights, for me he is prob the best player of all time, maradona, Pele, Best up there, he’s outstripped Messi now for me, done it in La Liga, the Prem, International, 5 ballon dors, prob be a 6th, half way to a golden boot already, can’t say enough about how he looks after himself and what he achieved, but as crazy as it sounds after saying all that I wouldn’t want him back as it’s just not right now.
17 Jun 2018 10:37:47
Never heard a player being criticised for being ‘just clinical’ before. Said it before and I’ll say it again. Nobody at our club is anywhere near as good as him.
17 Jun 2018 10:58:39
Clinton N'Jie started the season with 6 shots, 5 goals, all 6 on target, that's somebody that was 'just clinical'. Sign him up!
Our old favourite Wazzer was the 3rd most clinical player in the league last season. 21.5% shot conversion apparently. Not sure how much else he brought to the table.
17 Jun 2018 11:54:27
The guy remains phenomenal. I'm sure he could contribute in the prem for a couple of years. I don't care how it happened but scoring 3 goals against Spain is extraordinary and something inconceivable for any English player (I hope to be proved wrong during the next month) . But the reality is his overall contribution will decline markedly every year, while the attention demands of his massive ego and the constant press attention will probably not. His massive salary will reduce funds needed for investments in new players and will block the natural progression of younger players and the team in general. A reunion between United and Ronaldo is just a piece of nostalgic twaddle. It won't and shouldn't happen. It can only end badly.
{Ed002's Note - I would not hold your breath about Ronaldo returning to MU.}