A summer of drama in the Cristiano Ronaldo affair may have left many football fans in trembling transfer limbo. The ‘will he won’t he’ scenarios will have been especially agonising for those in Manchester who wanted to see their favourite star stay at Old Trafford.
£70 million for Ronaldo seems to be enough for United and as the two European heavyweights slug out the small details for the Portuguese prize fighter we take a look at what Madrid should expect and whether Ronaldo will be missed by those at United.
Do Madrid know what they are buying?
Bernd Shuster said recently that the acquisition of Ronaldo would help his side push for a Champions League trophy next season. He obviously didn’t watch either of the two semi final games against Barcelona. Ronaldo was a non factor, with his only memorable moment being a missed penalty in Camp Nou.
Ronaldo is not a big game player in the way Lionel Messi is and, apart from his towering header in a good first half performance against Chelsea in the Champions League final, he has been posted in missing in the other important match ups. If Schuster was serious about tapping Manchester United for their magic of last season European triumph surely Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic or even Rio Ferdinand would be on the top of his list. But Europe might not be the only problem for Ronaldo.
King Henry’s curse
United were in danger of becoming a one man team. Not in the sense that Ronaldo was the one man that could win the game, United have far too much talent for that. It was in their style of play. United’s key is their balance but at the end of the season Ronaldo was being passed too more often than necessary and therefore unsettled the rhythm of those around him.
In the same way Thierry Henry stunted the play of Arsenal in his last few years in London the United side were at risk of becoming predictable in their over use of fleet footed winger. Next season United may actually benefit from Ronaldo’s sale as his presence was beginning to plug the flow of football throughout the side.
Moving to Spain
Again like Henry it seems Ronaldo has not considered his transition to the Spanish League. Possibly dazzled by the bright lights and the big names in Madrid he may have not have realized the impact that the pace of the English league has had on his success. He is after all moving to a league that is practiced in the art of defending speedy wingers. If Henry’s example at Barcelona is anything to go by Ronaldo might struggle in a division where defenders back off and an emphasis is placed more on the tempo of his passing game and his ability to think off the ball.
Still, he is sure to be given a license to roam at Madrid and any responsibility of defensive duties will be waived by German coach Schuster allowing the winger to focus on the attacking game he excels in. With out a doubt Ronaldo will have to alter his game the only question is, will he be so good once he does adapt?
Not a Real leader
Ronaldo, for all his wizardry and goals, often under performs when his team is backed up against a wall. If things aren’t going his way it shows immediately as he either spreads his arms in disbelief or shakes his head in disgust. Ronaldo has never been
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