The guy is a good player there is no doubting that. He is heralded by many as one of the greats. He is still young and his form is scintillating. At no time does he seem predictable, and this is true even when he disappoints.
He was the stand out player in the EPL this season, and there is no denying that. He was a major disappointment for many at the European Championships, and there is no denying that.
Some would say his inability to carry his team to the final and win the trophy is proof that he is not the genius he is touted to be. Is it the mark of true genius to be able to carry a team?
Some would say yes, but I would have to disagree. Great players in past competitions have indeed inspired their teams to great things, but at the same time these teams were not Portugal.
The player of the tournament when Italy won the last World Cup was Fabio Cannavaro, who kept his team in the tournament through a masterful display of defending. He was surrounded by a very high caliber of players though.
The same can be said of players in the last two World Cups before this, when Ronaldo in Japan was backed up by a team of great players and Zinedine Zidane, in 1998, had a team at its peak team playing with him. Cristiano Ronaldo did not have this support.
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For this reason I think I can safely say that we have not seen the best of Ronaldo. He may never even win a World Cup, which has happened to a great many great players over the years.
He already has a Champions League medal and a goal in the final to boot. He also has something that is absolutely priceless; his youth and a chance to hone his skills to new levels.
All the talk and derisive comments coming out of Manchester United's fan base is really just evidence to me of his importance to the club. They are afraid of losing him and their admiration is turning into hatred as they realize he is going to leave them.
Like a women who scorns the love that was once unquestioned, these fans have developed a scathing hatred for their once beloved Ronaldo.
Does he have anything more to achieve in the English game? I don't think so unless he has a hidden ambition to contest the Johnstones Paint Trophy.
He will have more to achieve if he leaves England already having won all the major honours. All the debate about him staying with United, because they are the best and they are building a legacy, will be lost on him for this reason: He is moving on to new things. New leagues and new targets.
All the moaning and whining of United fans and the sheer bitchiness of the comments that they have resorted to just underlines the effect that he has had on the team, and its standing in the world today.
The hype machine has been out of control regarding him. Yet, in a way, this is because people already see his potential for greatness, and wish to be able to say I told you so when, and if, he becomes one of the greatest ever.
He is not there yet, and still has a way to go before he can eclipse the great Ronaldo of Brazil. If anyone knows this, it will be him. It is the mark of a great player to always strive to outdo himself, and Cristiano definitely has this attitude.
Alex Ferguson has remarked on Cristiano's desire to improve. As I mentioned he is young—a mere 23-years-old—and this can only work in his favour.
It is sad to see the amount of derision he is being subjected to over his desire to go somewhere where he hasn't won everything. Fortune favours the brave.
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5 months ago
I beg to differ.
Kaka with that very same Portuguese team could have won the tournament. Same would go for Messi or even Ronaldinho (if he were hyped up).
Pepe could play for Brazil right now if he wanted to. Deco was fantastic as were many others who I can`t name but I remember.
When the going got tough the so called `super player` faded.
Romario carried a bunch of nobodies to a world cup victory and so did Maradona...twice! (second time denied by a diving German).
France wins in 1998 with Zidane...knocked out in first round in 2002 without Zidane...to the finals in 2006 with Zidane... Do you see a pattern there?
You had to have known I wouldn`t let this slip by without a rant.
from 5 months ago
in WC 94 the Brazilians did not really face any stiff competition besides the dutch who they managed to beat with significant contribution from Bebeto and Branco. they played Italy in the final who were carried by Baggio who went on to miss his penalty. I think with Zidane he was also at a different stage of his career (three years older 1998 and so on) in the two world cups where he figured it was later on and he had learnt alot. I wouldnt have compared C,Ronaldo to Maradona( again maradona was three years older when he won in 86), at least not yet anyway.
I think he is overhyped but as I said in the article he is young he has time.
what happened to Messi and Barca this season then. perhaps he should have carried the team to something.
I do agree with you that he is not yet the super player he is said to be but i am of the thinking it is a matter of time.
from 5 months ago
Are you a fucking idiot? How would you feel if your wife/boyfriend went public about her desire to quit?
5 months ago
Portugal has ballers, there is no doubt about that; Simao, Deco, Carvalho, Pepe, Nuno Gomes. Portugal was almost the same squad that finished 4th at WC 06. C.Ronaldo is a great individual talent. He has yet to really elevate his teams when they flounder. Man U didn't flounder, Portugal Did.
from 5 months ago
i think it will come with time.
from 5 months ago
I agree. I think it`s even a bit of an insult to Man U somehow crediting the Champs league final solely on Cristiano who we must remember missed a penalty and put the cup in the hands of Terry who in turn slipped and dropped the cup.
Let`s put it this way.....in that match Man U could have gotten to penalties against Chelsea without Cristiano.
Also certainly would have won the penalties without Cristiano. He misses anyway.
0-0 will get you to penalties if that`s how you want to win titles.
5 months ago
I'm an angry manchester united fan and although he is a great player I am not angry with him because he is leaving and we can't manage without him,I have seen far too many great players leave to think that,I am angry because he obviously sees real madrid as a bigger better club.He has the right to his opinion but I find his opinion very disloyal to the people who,during his first two seasons, were patient and loyal to him when he was playing terrible losing possesion every time he got the ball and was written off off in all corners of the press.Ronaldo thinks he deserves to leave because he has won trophys for manchester united I believe he owes manchester united loyalty because they have won trophys for him.Would real madrid have been so patient?
from 5 months ago
perhaps they would ave he is a good player after all. yes, i think they would have.
from 5 months ago
Hey they didn't even have the patience or confidence to buy him when he was 18 nevermind play him in the 1st team regardless of form.
5 months ago
Ronaldo will only become a true great when he stops believing his own hype!
from 5 months ago
I love you Sarah.
from 5 months ago
I have no choice but to agree with you on this. The kid is so caught up in his own hype that's what pisses me off the most about this transfer saga. Saying things like he don't mind getting Fergie upset just goes to show how disloyal he is to United and it's fans. Fergie & the fans of United are the one's who stuck by him through his bad times as mentioned before where he kept losing possesion and the press touted him as a failure, Fergie was there when the English media wanted his head for making Rooney get sent off in the World Cup.
He owe the fans more than this i'm staying i'm goin' bullshit that he's put us through the past months. So to Illya you have to be a fucking idiot!
5 months ago
Great Article.
and a great view of the stubborness of the Manchester United fans.
He is leaving, get over it.
Real Madrid will soon have their time in Europe, with or without Ronaldo.
His choice if he wants to be a part of that winning team..
5 months ago
I agree that Ronaldo is being hyped up beyond all belief. He is not Maradona, in the history of international football one player has carried a team only a couple of times. Even in 1998 Zidane was suspended for 2 games and relied on his team-mates to put his team in the quarter finals.
Ronaldo only played 3 games, scored one and set up two against Czech Republic, and then another against Germany. So 3 games, 1 goal, 3 assists. I wouldn’t say that was a bad tournament – would you?
At the end of the day, if the defence (although I know you obviously defend as a team..) had not conceded 3 goals against Germany then maybe they would have had a chance. For all this talk of Maradona winning the World Cup alone in 1986 – if you actually look at the matches he won with his goals, ie vs England and Belgium, they only conceded one goal in the two games. It is much easier to be a match winner if the defence isn’t conceding 3 goals. I don’t think even Maradona would have been able to score 4 by himself if he hadn’t been backed up by a half decent team/defence.
5 months ago
Many great players hv grace the revered grass at the Theatre of Dreams. We hv the Busby Babes in the 50s, the Holy Trinity of Best, Charlton & Law in the 60s, the Joe Jordans & Mickey Thomases in the 70s, Captain Marvel & Courages Sparky who truimph in the UEFA cup in the 80s, Le King Eric Cantona in the 90s, Fergie's Fledglings that went on to win the Dream Treble & now the 2nd comin of the Holy Trinity of Rooney, Tevez & Ronaldo!.
Many hv tasted success in Man Utd colours & hv opted to remain while in their peaks. So, why in the world wud a player who still has yet to fulfil his potentials after achieving so much wud want to play somewhere else!. Is it bcoz of money?. If so, can someone remind him of his days when he was earning peanuts before SAF took him under his chrg!. If it's his dream of playin for RM, then surely he wl know better tt not everyone gets to fulfill all their dreams & even so, not all dreams turn out right!. He shud hv known tt it was SAF tt gave him an opportunity to be in the big league. It was his teammates tt gave him the motivation & many many chances to execute his play. It's the fans tt gave him the support when he was bashed by everyone after the world cup debacle. Lastly, it was the Theatre of Dreams tt provided him the platform to dare to dream more!.
Sadly, if he's to leave for RM to realise his dream, I wonder if he wud get to live the dream or nightmare of his life!. The Spanish press wl not be as accommdating to foreigners, even more so to someone tt comes wz a big reputation & loads of money!. Only then wl he realise tt perhaps THE Theatre of Dreams is where he had lived his dream!.
from 5 months ago
get over it he has won all the honours why would he stay. go to another country win something else like a lot of other good players do.
5 months ago
I agree with Anthony and I also believe that many manchester united fans will find it easier to deal with Ronaldo's departure if it was not for Real Madrid's arrogance. Maybe manchester united was a smaller club than Real once upon a time, but I believe that we are and will continue to be a bigger and better club than Real is and will be. We are the CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE and why should SAF sell Ronaldo simply because Real said so? Manchester united is the best club in the world at the moment and with SAF we have a continuity that Real will never have. With their policy of getting over the hill "best players in the world" and changing managers every season I find it hard to believe that they will ever be the force they used to be.
As much as I do not want Ronaldo to leave, I don't think the club can accomodate a player who believes that he is bigger than the club. Squeeze madrid dry, sell him and leave him to regret his decision for the rest of his career. Statistically speaking, it is impossible for Ronaldo to emulate his once in a lifetime 42 goals season and from here on forth, anything else will simply be a dissappointment.
5 months ago
to "s" - what a moronic comment. how on earth can you say with messi portugal would have won that tournament? BArcelona had messi and they couldnt win the european champions leahue right? argentina had messi and they couldnt win the world cup right? didnt even get to the semis! i didnt see kaka steer brazil to world cup glory 2 years ago and they had a much better team. yes kaka steered them to the champions league last year, but the so did roanldo for man utd this year. get a brain you idiot. talk some sense before you make idiotic remarks backed up with incorrect facts.
from 5 months ago
Not two years ago...but Kaka IS an international tourney winner:
UEFA Champions League: 2006-07
UEFA Super Cup: 2003, 2007
FIFA Club World Cup: 2007
FIFA World Cup: 2002 *
FIFA Confederations Cup: 2005
Do you expect him to win EVERY time??
Compare the above to your `ONE international title on penalties` boy Cristiano`wanna be a Ronaldo`.
As for Messi well.......Barcelona had internal problems, industrial action, work to rule, disagreements...that`s why they are now firing the lot.
from 5 months ago
Messi is a good three years younger than Cronaldo- what was HE at age 20? Being touted as one of the worlds best? Hardly! Winning a world cup is a pretty big Burden to place on an 18 year old's shoulder wouldn't you say?!
The same can be said for Fabregas- At merely 21 he is young player of the season, runner-up to player of the season and Top Assist-maker to boot!
Where do u see these players-WHO HAVE BEEN IMPROVING CONSTANTLY FOR THE PAST 5 YEARS- losing the 'ball', so to speak...
When Messi and Ronaldo were on the same pitch, theres no questioning who the better player was!
5 months ago
manu are a selfish club and are acting like children. i mean keeping him in the stands is ridiculas thing to do when u could be making 50 million for him. i understand you are sad to be losing your best player who single handed draged u throgh last season and won the title and champions league for u but its time to let go and cash in on him. and last but not least mr r and mr s stop argueing kaka and messi are all about skill and getting selfish goals the player u need to be watching is fabregas god not only did he score goals last season but he set players up he is the true master of the euro winners spain and he is a loyal arsenal player u should'nt be argueing about the shoulder coulders of the football world u should be getting scarred of the red army rolling over u with fabregas at the helm.
from 5 months ago
No disrespect to Fabregas, as is one of the best players around, but he too is overhyped in my opinion. Xavi and Iniesta have been doing what Fabregas has been doing for years now and Id consider them better players than Fab. (Not that Fab cant reach that level because he is only 20)......
I wouldnt be too scared of Arsenal, with them leaking players with quality such as Hleb and Flamini, the rebuilding has been put back yet again....either way, with or without Ronaldo, United are still the team to beat next season in both the league and Europe, simple as that.
I dont go with the whole "If Ronaldo wasnt there, United would have won nothing" kind of comments either, best defence in league and europe, that down to Ronaldo too?
5 months ago
I 95% sure he won't be going to real madrid but don't think manchester united fans will be relieved or even happy.There is no fear of losing him only the realisation that he is a mercenary.A very rare thing at Manchester united but probably inevitable the way football is today.
5 months ago
Now who lacks a brain here!!! i guess 'r" an emotional freak who doesnt not have the balls to idulge in a brainy arguement but goes on displaying his disgraceful emotion bare and dry!!!. Grow up "r"!!
As for you Benjamin,I agree, Fab rocks, He is Mr. Arsenal right and at some stage gave Spain the glitter to stroll over Russia. But he is NO mr.CR7 and will never be. CR7 is a football genuis whose attributes are not a product of the boring "Arsene wenger lessons". So never ever at any time compare the 3" daft Fab (with all due respect)to CR7, Even if Madrid eventually do snatch him, i can bet my head that no player is ever going to have a season as memorable as his in our generation. If you boys at the Emirates learn to keep the likes of Flamini and Hleb contented, you would never have to play in the qualifying round of the CL like you about to do. Get a life!!!
from 5 months ago
ok you live in somekind of ronaldo world were he is your god well i live in the real world and Arsenal have already proceded ronaldo before him was Henry not only the premurships best player of all time but the worlds best. ronaldo is nothing compared to him in his prime. ronaldo is a spoialt little kid and if u manu idiots had a brain beetween the lot of u. youd sell him to madrid for 50 million and by the way ronaldo won u the champpions league last year and the premuirship, without him united will struggle to get in the top four. Arsenal are about finish the rebuiling stage and will show how the premuship how it should be won buetiffle football played by a team not the ronaldo show like manu.
Arsenal are the best don't forget that.
5 months ago
as a manchester united fan i am resigned to ... him still being there next season
5 months ago
good article iha... and it has obviously ruffled a few feathers. There is no doubt a great deal of man utds success this year and last can be attributed to the rising talent of one c ronaldo. period.
Is he the star he believes himself to be? Is he the star Alex Ferguson and many other believe he ia or will become? In my humble opinion, YES. His sheer athleticism, creativity, and desire for personal perfection and recognition mean he will leave a permanent and profound stamp on the modern game.
Man Utd fans.... where does one start with man utd fans? Being one myself it difficult to write impartially on this subject. However, Ronaldo has achieved virtually all that there is to achieve in the English game. Particularly if the collection of trophies is the agreed upon yardstick. However a player who was able to demonstrate the qualities of loyalty and commitment, with ongoing form, in the worlds most prestigious league, would surely grow as a player and in reputation.
In my heart of hearts I feel Ronaldo is abandoning a father figure and a club that has made him the player he is today. Am I bitter? A little.
Ronaldo still has alot to learn (in football and in life). Maybe soon he will learn he is not bigger than any team. Not bigger than any club. Not bigger than the game.
5 months ago
He was a major disappointment in the EC? It seems to me he was always involved whenever Portugal scored a goal. Must he score goals in every game to receive credit? I think his real value is his passes, setting up players, drawing two and three defenders everytime he looks like he is going to get the ball.
5 months ago
I think those arguing that Ronaldo was not disappointing in the Euro's are missing the point.
Illya did not say he had a bad tournament, he said he was a major disappointment to many, and he was, fact.
The reason he was is because he has been so overhyped. When you label someone as the best in the world, you reasonably expect them to play like the best in the world. Good, even excellent, is not good enough. They have to outstanding. The best of the best.
For Ronaldo to have not been a disappointment he had to be the best player in the Championship, not necessarily carrying Portugal to victory, but being the star player of the show, and he didn't even make the best 23, let alone number 1. In fact, he wasn't even Portugal most important player, as Deco ran their short-lived show.
That is a disappointment, however way you look at it.
from 5 months ago
True, a disappointment compared to the over-the-top, ritualistic hype machine run by the press. But if you're going to judge him against this then...
A fairer analysis would be to judge him for the player he actually is, not the one man team the press says he is. Unfortunately the article strays into the latter - pretty much like every one on here. A more interesting and fairer one would have examined his role as a great player in a great team at club level in contrast to being a great player in an good team at international level.
from 5 months ago
Its not just the media though Matt, many fans, even players, harp on about Ronaldo being the best in the world.
Also I wouldn't say the players Manchester United have are much better than the Portugal national side.
Carvalho and Pepe is a great defensive partnership. Bosingwa is a quality right back whom United were linked with themselves. Simao keeps Nani out of the side. Deco is as good as Scholes, Moutinho as good as Anderson, Veloso as good as Carrick etc etc.
However way you look at it, Ronaldo should be the best player in that team if he is the best, or even one of the best few, in the world, and the fact is that he was the best for Manchester United, but was not for Portugal.
That might me down to the manager, tactics, players or the individual, who knows. At the end of the day, the truly great players impose themselves on a team at International level when it matters in a way that Ronaldo has so far failed to do. But he is only 23, and it might yet come.
from 5 months ago
Well said Simon.
Same goes for Kaka and Ronaldinho and the lot.
I`m right now watching Flu vs LDU Libertadores final. Average salary between 4 and 20 thousand dollars.
Fine football....as good as it gets.
Hell with these big salaries. Tired of those big salary wankers. I want FOOTBALL.
5 months ago
guys guys guys .......................... Give the lad a break! when is this ever going to stop.
why should the emphasis be put on winning tournaments to label some one as great?
Stoichkov, Puskas, George best et al were great players yet they did not win the world cup or euro. a lad doesnt hav to win everything to be great.
after a scintillating season wit utd what more do u expect from the guy, he is human too. he also gets fatigued. he played well at the euro's but wasn't outstanding,thats understood. he's 23 thats an area he needs to improve on.
Ronaldinho flopped in Wc2006 and Ronaldo da lima flopped in WC 98 but they ar Great players no doubt. winning and dominating tournaments shd not be a yardstick 4 greatness. Theo zagorakis any body remember him?? was best player at euro 04 Is he great?
like it or not Messi, Cristiano, Pato, Aguero, Cesc will be the next generation of great players. Get over the Zidane's of this world, its a new dawn.
from 5 months ago
to dam right its important we look to the future or the the game will never improve. however ronaldo is only humen but he is a humen that gets paid more then i in 10 life times so he should be the best like u say we cant keep looking to the past but the new players such as ronaldo need to keep setting the bar higher and to be honest should be doing great in every tourniment he is in. however even henry, zidan and ronaldinio (the legends) failed at this.
from 5 months ago
Winning tourneys is what its all about Yahya ...this isn`t figure skating.
5 months ago
Man U won the Champions League in 99 with one Eric 'kung fu' Cantona and he was certainly the driving force behind a Man U team that without him would have been good but not won nearly as many trophy's as they did, is C Ronaldo the same player, based on what he did this year he is, scored vital goals when needed and gave the team the belief that they could not just compete with but beat the best in the world. I think the problem with Portugal is not the players, they certainly have the quality team required to win a major trophy, but it is the manager, Man U have been blessed for two decades with one of the greatest managers the game have ever seen, When Portugal sort this out trophy's will be won. Ronaldo will dominate on the world stage and the All Whites will be the opponents in the world cup final.
from 5 months ago
Cantona retired in 1997, so hardly inspired United in 1999. Get your facts right.
from 5 months ago
C Simon got u good plus eric was a great player but if he is stupid anothe to go around kicking fans in the head then no way is he roll modle to be one of the best players in the Premurship history. Plus the guy says stupid things like "When the segals come to shore" OK then WIERDO
5 months ago
Fans need to "let go" ? We're just waiting to see what's going to happen. Enough with the speculation already; time will tell. Most fans at this point are sick of hearing about all this drama as well, and we're resigned to a decision in either direction. If he stays, great, because he's a good player. If he leaves, great, because he is not irreplaceable, and we'll get over it by signing someone else.
5 months ago
I'm sorry Benjamin, but Thierry Henry was a GREAT player for the Premiership, but there's no way, and this is by popular opinion on Soccernet Polls, that he is the best player in the history of the Premiership.
That accolade has to go to Eric "The King" Cantona, although, Zola and Henry come very close and are certainly in that brass of players.
5 months ago
I am a United fan, and i have no qualms in agreeing that Ronaldo is till not the best player in the world.a injury free season for Messi could have easily overshadowed the season that was for Ronaldo!
But as a professional isn't it the responsibility of the player to look well after himself.If Ronaldo gets injured less often, then credit has to be given to him for his fitness!
Secondly i disagree that he did not play well for Portugal.
Their exit was a collective failure!...Had the Portugal team made it to the finals....He easily would have been in the dream team and maybe also the best player.
Foot ball is about 11 players .U have more chance of winning with 11 good players rather than 10 OK and 1 exceptional player!
Secondly United fans crying over this transfer saga, shows the pain tht they face whn seeing a player they loved and supported so much, show such disregard to their club.
It is the manner in which this whole issue has been handled by Madrid and Ronaldo's advisers has been unethical...and tht is why i say, let the player stay here and teach him a lesson that United and not Madrid who care for him more!
If not Ronaldo Madrid may have any other player...If anyone's at loss, then it is Ronaldo by his stupid actions!
from 5 months ago
you are right in saying ronaldo talks odvious crap (when he talks) and makes actions of nerves hidding little boy. However you miss the point a tad u keep him on the bench for next season and he will refuse to play, and remmember they need him to play 10% of the season length or next season he will walk away free as part of fifa ruleing 52.a (something like that) and instead of getting 50 million you will get nothing. no matter which way you look at it manchester united are going to be with out ronaldo next season. and with out ronaldo u will struggle so if i were united i would take 50 mill and spend on players to bridge the gap. at the end of the day what would u rather manchester united with 50million (future players) or would u rather have him leave on a free get no money and possibley be trophey less for two seasons.
5 months ago
What a ridiculous comment Benjamin.Do you really think Ronaldo is going to refuse to play? Firstly he would be letting down his friends that he has known and probably been very close to for 5 years.Secondly he would be in breach of contract and he would get his arsed sued to death.Thirdly do you really believe Real Madrid would sign a player who would refuse to play or not play ass well as he could his reputation would be destroyed.
What makes you think United would struggle without Ronaldo.I seem to remember People saying united would struggle without 40 goal a season van nistelrooy oh yeah wasn't that just before ronaldo and rooney started scoring 50 goals last season and 60 this season.Please try to remember united have been the best team in england for about 20 years now and 99% of that has nothing to do with ronaldo.
5 months ago
You stupid idiot Benjamin.. DO u think a club like united will keep a player in the stands for a whole season? If hes on the bench for a month he'll realize he cant keep on fussing anymore & mend his own ways. The statement was made just to make Ronaldo realize how serious we are in keeping him here for a long time. I think he's just realized that & im pretty sure he's gonna stay for atleast another season. & yes we are a footballing club we'd rather keep ronaldo than get 50 million quid from madrid. I thnk that should teach clubs like Madrid they cant get who they want!
from 5 months ago
hey Vishwas don't take things too personal. calling guys stupid and idiot is a little bit harsh.
though your right, its not about the money, its about man utd making a statement that they are not a selling club
5 months ago
makes me chuccle ive upset some manchester united fans tipicle responce from united fans. you all need to realize that its his dream and he will do anything to make it come true. you all seem to think he wants to stay and some how you can change his mind falls. u are willing to have a player on the bench wasting a space and still getting more media attention then any other of your players. manchester united need to realize that this will make them look stupid. if you were true to yourselfs you would admitt he is going and stop winging about it get a grip losers ! !
5 months ago
I have read all the comments on this page...well most of them..Ronaldo this Ronaldo that..as much as i am a Man U fan i will very much like clarify the point that football is a game played by 11 players on each side and the irony of the sitiuation is that all 11 players must player as a unit to be able to achieve victory. now correct me if i am wrong great players have come and gone the list can go on and on but none of them achieved their great greatness by going onto the field and taking on a team of 11 players and wining by themselves, even Pele couldnt have done that. Great players are made by the teams they play with ask Michael Jordan.
In my opinion Man U won their EPL and the CL because they worked together as team each and every single player complimeting the other by focusing on the real goal and believing in each others ability.Ronaldo scores goals because he has a team that helps him do that without that team his talent will have meant nothing..WORD!
Man U was doing great before Ronaldo came to the team and we will continue to win trophies long after he is gone, if he wants to go lets let him go,let him go and fufill his dreams else where,whats the point of keeping a player whose desire is to play for the rival team...they will just kill the team spirit other tem members by becoming the weak link,think about that.
We will surely manage very well without him,our team is still young and we've still got a lot of talents in the team its just a matter of time, i believe we have one of the strongest if not the strongest team in the world at the moment..take it or leave it.
from 5 months ago
nice to see a manchester united fan with some sence. ronaldo is better of out of your club and i honestly think he will never be as good as he was with manu. Even though i dislike united i think they will probley still manage to win something but i don't think the premurship or the champions league strait away thats going to arsenal hahaha!!!
from 5 months ago
your right in every aspect, only that for United who are arguably the 2nd biggest club in the world behind real madrid, its not about the money,
its about making a statement to clubs and players that man utd are not a selling club.
They need to create the impression that they are a destination not an enroute club.
otherwise if ronaldo is sold what will happen after a few years when barca come calling for anderson. Big clubs dont sell players they still need, just go to milan and bid for kaka or to madrid and bid for casillas you'll get your answer.
the only option to ronaldo saga, is that if he really wants to go, then let manutd sell him, but to a different club,not real madrid. may be milan and at united's terms and perhaps at a lower fee.
from 5 months ago
couldnt agree more mate....
5 months ago
Wow, this is one of the best comment list on an article that I have seen in a long time. Let me begin by saying that Cristiano Ronaldo was the best player in the world THIS YEAR and past season. Will he continue to be the best will soon be determined. Manchester United would absolutely have NOT won the League or CL title without him... look back at the records for this past season and see how many goals of his were the game winners. Oh, and many of the other game winners, scored by the likes of Rooney and Tevez, were assisted by Cristiano.
The over hype that exists for him, and yes he is over hyped, is the product of the media. He himself does buy into it, but his confident character as a player, something that he has always possessed even before becoming the star that he is, is often misperceived as arrogance. The English media is to blame for the recent spectacle that surrounds him; all their criticism is simply rooted in the fact that Man United fans, and to a smaller extent fans of the English league, do not want him to leave... because he is the best, right now, period. Man United can and will continue to win trophies with or without him, so if they were smart they would get all the money they can and go out and spend wisely... there are several players, that together with Rooney and Tevez could provide an offense that would have Man United fans quickly forgetting about Ronaldo.
But PLEASE, stop hating on the guy... he is the best in the world, right now... and yes, there are a handful of others that come close, but until they prove to be as versatile and as much a threat as Cristiano, they cannot be considered a better player.
Someone mentioned him being over paid and valued... are you serious? There is no doubt that when valuing a player in financial terms his physical performance is a factor, obviously... but just as important is the amount of revenue he will generate. Todays great players are like prostitutes, and their teams are their pimps... Do you know how much money Man United generated because of their double win, which Ronaldo played a decisive role in as I mentioned earlier... does he not have the right to ask for more money if the team he plays continues to profit off him on an exponential scale? Why do you think Beckham, remember him, got the LA Galaxy contract that he did? Enough said...
Finally, Ronaldo should have not regrets in leaving Man United... all he has to do is remember that the same fans who cheered all season long are the same ones that booed him on his return to league play after the Rooney red card ordeal... now lets talk about loyalty Man United fans...
5 months ago
Manchester united fans have never ever booed Ronaldo.They have zero interest in England for the most part.
5 months ago
good comment. but is ronaldo over hyped?? may be, may be not. wait till rooney scores 42 goals in a season and see whether he wont be branded better than pele.
Ronaldo is brilliant without doubt, no body does what he has done for the past two seasons and isn't great.credit has to be given where its due,
though in terms of ability i think of players like ronaldinho and messi who are better than him. but right now he is the best and most complete footballer no doubt.
its hard to find a player who has almost all attributes that a good footballer needs from free kicks to headers and tap ins.
But i think hype is a thing for the British tabloids, just look at torres in the euro's just 2 goals scored with one in the final and he is already the world's best yet he struggled in the tourney. villa was the really class act.
just imagine if ronaldinho or zidane was English, wouldn't he be the greatest ever???
5 months ago
i think i was just trying to say he is good he will probably get better and untied(united) fans should stop bitching. he didnt carry his team to the euro but he is only 23 unlike maradona and zidane who were both three years older when they took their teams to the world cup. when i said united fans need to let go i was sort of saying stop worrying and bitching about it because in the end it is beyond your control. but dont start saying 'oh he wasnt that important we would have won without him' because that is absolute bollocks. and 'he will be easy to replace'. whatever, is david bentley going to replace him?hahahaha.
david bentley-'ronaldo thinks he is good because of all his tricks and goals'.
the main reason i wrote this was because there were so many poorly written and emotional articles going around about him. e.g. 'shut your trap rent boy' and so on. i would find it absolutely hilarious if he stays after all this and then all the united fans start singing his praises again. almost hysterical.
5 months ago
Put me down as a United fan who thinks it would be better for the club if he went. Cristiano is an incredibly gifted individual who's talents will only be second to his ego. The mark of true genius is to lead a team and make the players around you better,like the great Johan Cruyff. Cristiano will always be a wonderful exciting individual and never a team player. After the great season he just had his value will never be higher, so I say cash in! Let him go to the highest bidder and use the cash to improve on an already fantastic team.
5 months ago
First of all he is perfect in diving,secondly he is not perfect in taking penalties as seen in moscow and last but not least against Milan,Chelsea and Germany nothing to see fron him as ever when it really counts. He is only a little Ronaldo never ever as good as the real RONALDO.
5 months ago
There are two issues here - where Ronaldo will play next season and the talk and hype that surrounds him and his claims to greatness.
I don't really care who is reckoned to be the worlds best player; Messi has a remarkable ability to control a game with a striking maturity and craft, which given his age, is amazing. He has scored some fantastic goals (the chip and the Maradona style run to name just two) and has delightful subtely to his play.
Ronaldo is completely different; he is dramatic and dynamic and combines skill and speed with a supreme physicality that makes him a joy to watch.
Greatness is subjective, it's not a factual decision, it's about feeling and who you feel truly exemplifies how you think football should be played.
For the record I think Ronaldo deserves to win the FIFA accolades this year; his contribution to United's season in terms of goals and assists is the best in the world and he answered his critics by helping United to league and European glory.
I think criticisms of his performances for Portugal are a bit harsh; the Portugal team is built around Deco, and Ronaldo worked hard and contributed goals and assists. Portugal's failure to go all the way should be attributed more to cultural and football history rather than a single performer - Brazil have a long history of success and this is built on more than individual players. Can Cruijff really be denyed greatness because he 'failed' to lead the Dutch to glory?
As for next season; if he wants to stay I'm happy, if he wants to play for the club he supported as a child then I don't begrudge him that (as long as we get our £70m!).
Obviously it's my opinion that United are the biggest and best team in the world, but as a United fan, I would leave an all conquering Barcelona team to play for United - Ronaldo should not be judged for wanting to do the same - even if it is bloody Real!
He gets a lot of praise for his performances last season, and rightly so - however I think that those who think he is the reason for United's success in the last few years are in for a shock!
SAF has created a style of play and an attitude amongst a group of 25 players and this is above any one individual.
Take Ronaldo out and other players will come to the party - it's widely publicised that Rooney's form suffers when he changes his game to accommodate Ronaldo's, and Tevez, Carrick, Saha et al will all blossom with more responsibility and involvement - think of Park's performances against Roma & Barcelona and Fletcher's performances against Arsenal.
United's best performance last season was the glorious destruction of Arsenal in the FA Cup which was done without Ronaldo and was a reflection on the way the team played and not the ability of one star.
United's defence has been sensational, the midfield increasingly strong and the forward line moves and flows with great freedom - Ronaldo or no Ronaldo, United will be in great shape next season.
5 months ago
I would have to say that this article is very wrong. Just because Portugal didn't get to the finals doesn't mean that it was Cristiano Ronaldo's fault. I would have to say that he is probably the greatest player in the world. But that doesn't mean that he should be the only one that has to do anything. A team is 11 players...Not 1! Ronaldo can do so many things that other people can only dream of doing. But he can't beat another team of 11 on his own! Figure that out! I mean, the fact that Portugal lost doesn't mean anything. On any other day, you never know...Portugal could've won 10-0! It really doesn't mean that it's his problem that they lost...It's the team's problem...
from 5 months ago
read it again i didn't say it was his fault i said his team was not as good as it should or could have been in order for him to do so. if you read it again you might understand that i am fully aware that football is about eleven players. Portugal would never win ten nil against anyone at the euro. yes i said it was the teams problem. did you read the article?
5 months ago
i now hate this article. all the reads and the comments are actually extremely annoying. i have written five or six articles on this site that were better than this. yes, i hate this article.
from 4 months ago
i love this article it pissed so many united fans off. brilliant. to think i went to old trafford as a boy all the way from new zealand, denis irwin scored a screamer from thirty yards in a 1-1 all draw with ipswich after Kiwomya had given ipswich the lead beating schmeichel at the near post after a throw in. united went on to win the league that season for the first time in 27 years. to think it was just because i graced their stadium with my presence during that draw....
4 months ago
you should hate this article, illya, because its a load of crock. I initially intended to be diplomatic, but since your excuse for insightful commentary left alot to be desired (objectivity being one important element), i figure i should just lay all my cards on the table. first, CR is overhyped. protugal revealed what type of player ronaldo is when every one else on the field has an ego and their own agenda and thus don't sacrifice glory or visibility to work hard for him like most man utd players clearly do. the dude is an attention whore, plain and simple. second, he signed a new contract. if he was so intent on leaving, he shouldn't have done so. third, many man utd don't care if he goes, so our vitrolic language as you frame it is not born of unwarrented anger. He is openly disrespecting the people who pay his wages, have supported him, loved him and provided the resources for him to manifest his outstanding talents. instead of being a man, he's being a complete bitch. CR is being influenced because he is impressionable and his that he grew up poor makes him a perfect candidate to succumb to arrogance and greed. there could have been otherways of leaving that would not have upset us utd fans. Queiroz's depature demonstrates this. Simply, theres a right way and wrong way to go about seeking a move away, and the manner in which he has conducted himself has been completely disgraceful, unprofessional, distasteful and disloyalty. 120,000 pounds a week and he's a slave?! piss off. its not his desire that upsets us, its his being so coy and disrespectul about his desire to leave and his utter lack of concern for our feelings and our intelligence as fans and scholars of the game. I WANT HIM TO LEAVE. so intead of indulging your flawed premise, how about you contribute something worth discussing, ILLYA
4 months ago
you should hate this article, illya, because its a load of crock. I initially intended to be diplomatic, but since your excuse for insightful commentary left alot to be desired (objectivity being one important element), i figure i should just lay all my cards on the table. first, CR is overhyped. protugal revealed what type of player ronaldo is when every one else on the field has an ego and their own agenda and thus don't sacrifice glory or visibility to work hard for him like most man utd players clearly do. the dude is an attention whore, plain and simple. second, he signed a new contract. if he was so intent on leaving, he shouldn't have done so. third, many man utd don't care if he goes, so our vitrolic language as you frame it is not born of unwarrented anger. He is openly disrespecting the people who pay his wages, have supported him, loved him and provided the resources for him to manifest his outstanding talents. instead of being a man, he's being a complete bitch. CR is being influenced because he is impressionable and his that he grew up poor makes him a perfect candidate to succumb to arrogance and greed. there could have been otherways of leaving that would not have upset us utd fans. Queiroz's depature demonstrates this. Simply, theres a right way and wrong way to go about seeking a move away, and the manner in which he has conducted himself has been completely disgraceful, unprofessional, distasteful and disloyalty. 120,000 pounds a week and he's a slave?! piss off. its not his desire that upsets us, its his being so coy and disrespectul about his desire to leave and his utter lack of concern for our feelings and our intelligence as fans and scholars of the game. I WANT HIM TO LEAVE. so intead of indulging your flawed premise, how about you contribute something worth discussing, ILLYA
from 4 months ago
typical response from a sore united fan, do you feel untied? whats flawed about my premise? you have just validated it. you are a untied fan who cant let go. as i said in the article maybe hes bored with the english game and the english for that matter. where was my failure to be objective demonstrated in particular i would be interested if you could point that out to me. write an article and then you to will get sick of the ridiculous amount of inane comments you receive, when i wrote i hated it i was tired and sick of the attention that this article had received as it was not one of my better outings. did i say he was a slave? are you telling me to piss off. your emotion betrays you. you are none other than one of the fans who I was talking about. i will chuckle when i see you united fans singing his praises in the stands again soon. how about you contribute something worth discussing? or are you restricted to attacks on other peoples attempts?
4 months ago
Don't attempt petty psychological games with me or try to psychoanalyze me. my emotion can't betray me if im not upset for the reason you stated. i've never been a CR fan, ever, so it kinda hard to get over someone i never warmed to. I'm a Man utd fan and hate to see someone abuse the love and respect of my beloved institution. your premise is flawed because your insinuate that our derision of him is really and ONLY tied to a fear of losing him and OUR admiration is turning into hatred as we realize he is going to leave them. Thats such an ignorant blanket statement and youre trying to paint man utd fans a petty and idiotic and thus your condescending tone pisses me off. do some feel that way, yes? but there an equal, if not greater amount of people would prefer he leave now and aren't afraid of losing him. we've been through worse. what pisses me off is not his wanting to leave, but how morally and professional bankrupt he's been through the saga. the guy is supposed to be a professional, simply there's a right and wrong way to go about things. i appreciate his contributions to our success, but he;s being a dick plain and simple. so chuckle on lad, you write an article insulting people emotionally and intellectually then expect not to catch readers attention. i'm not an excellent author, but i identify empty rhetoric when i spot it. so i wasn't attacking you, i was correcting your flawed impression of utd fans perspective.
from 4 months ago
alot of united fans on the net portray themselves as petty idiots Roge. perhaps you are not part of this idiocy. i just wrote an article i thought would provoke some debate and it did. the statement i made about fans admiration turning to hatred was made out of analysis of comments and peices i had read at different times and in different forums, firstly of united fans praising him and then after he made his intentions clear berating him. i do not think my impression of united fans is flawed as I have seen evidence of a large number of united fans who are absolute bandwagon jumping twats. you must know this yourself. i think you may be surprised about the numbers of fans you think are level headed about this issue.
did all of united's fans never love CRonaldo like yourself? i think not.
i would have to disagree with you when you call my piece empty rhetoric because i am afraid it was not it was in fact full of informed and well thought out valid commentary on a newsworthy subject. i regret that it has caused you such anger as it was never meant to be about that. i also am disappointed that you would engage in such criticism of my writing as it is something i enjoy doing and even though i am not a serious sportswriter i have serious links to literature elsewhere in my life. sportswriting is a hobby and an enjoyable one at that i just wish that people would not get so upset at what is really just an attempt at sparking discussion and displaying an issue.
all this having been said i am confident in my ability as a writer and will enjoy the life i live doing it. I do not take sports writing seriously as i do not really take sport seriously, you would do well to read some other pieces i have written as you will not be so clouded with anger and may actually enjoy them. thanks for the feedback.
4 months ago
i apologize, my intention was not to insult your work or doubt your talent as a writer. i was out of line with some of the words i choose. so let me rephrase my point
structucally, stylistically, gramamtically, mechanically, etc. etc. this is a well done piece. my criticism, however, is that the content is unfair and bias. It completely negates CR of his obligations to the club contractually, of his responsibilities (even if unwanted) as a role model and of the respect he owes to the institution and most of all, his boss, teammates and to us the fans for HELPING him become the player he presently is.
i've been a utd fan since I was 7, and don't consider those "large number of united fans who are absolute bandwagon jumping twats," to be fans at all. they represent a market which is necessary for sports teams to thrive. Most of them are CR fans which does not always equate to being a Manchester United fan, so i would reject their perception as being representative of true fans views. the business minded side of me does not want to lose him, but as man utd is more than merely a business and is indeed a family to true fans, i needn't be upset should someone not want to be apart of it. separations, divorces and all other unpleasant schisms in relationships can be end amicably, even if only one party wants to end the affair. and that is my point. Utd fans aren't bitter that his want, they are upset at how he has pursued the move and by the disrespectful and completely untrue things he has been saying. he agrees, with blatter of all people, that he's a slave? come on, anyone who knows anyting about football would deride such a claim in the modern game. you didn't bring up that point, because the article paints Ronaldo as a victim, which he is not. you mention he is brave, but do not take into account the forces of greed, arrogance and self-centeredness that are equally at play. were there more balance to the article, i would have given it due merit. but i saw none.
from 4 months ago
fair enough, the article was written well before any of the ridiculous quotes about slavery etc. I was defending his position but now my defense of him seems silly because of the stance he has decided to take. i was trying to give light to the fact he has won every medal he could in england and would naturally wish to move into europe to pursue other goals. but as this issue has progressed i have seen more and more that he makes any sort of empathy with him very difficult to sustain.perhaps i was guilty of being biased as i was responding to other biased articles i had seen deriding him and his position. it would be interesting to find out how him and sir alex are getting along now. relations could be a little strained perhaps.
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