Cristiano Ronaldo

He is already pushing very close to being the best player in the World. Against a poor to decent team, there is nobody better in punishing them.

What he needs to do now to achieve the undisputed lable of Best Player in the World is improve his performances against top teams.

I think he needs to approach these games slightly differently. His inability to exploit weaknesses in the top teams, while still trying all his tricks means that invariably he gives the ball away. Against a top team, they will punish you if you can't retain possession.

What Ronaldo needs to do is accept that he won't be able to destroy top players playing at top teams, so what he needs to do is tone down his trickery and try to retain possession and keep the ball moving, while trying to run into good positions without the ball. Then, combining his immense pace, and the vision of Scholes, Anderson, Giggs, and especially Rooney and Tevez, he should be able to have more of an impact in top games.

Every season at United he has improved certain aspects of his game. Performing against the top teams is what he needs to do now.

Is this the season?

D

Originally posted by Ragnorak
He is already pushing very close to being the best player in the World. Against a poor to decent team, there is nobody better in punishing them.

What he needs to do now to achieve the undisputed lable of Best Player in the World is improve his performances against top teams.

I think he needs to approach these games slightly differently. His inabilit ...[text shortened]... ame. Performing against the top teams is what he needs to do now.

Is this the season?

D

You are exactly right.

Ronaldo has consistently developed his all round game over the last 2 years.
He has it all:-
- Amazing pace
- Excellent with both feet
- All the tricks in the world
- Fantastic crosser of the ball
- Great at linking up play with short passes
- Fantastic header of the ball
- Can play on both wings or as a support striker
- Truely amazing goals to games ratio, he's a midfield player producing world class striker goals stats
- Superb assist statistics
- Fantastic free kick and penalty taker
- A full 90 minutes player, limitless stamina

On his own he is now consistently destroying poor to good sides.
Also the linkup play he is developing with Rooney and Tevez is truely great.

BUT.....

Like you say he has rarely produced against the truely great teams and defenses.
He needs to play differently against world class teams.
He needs to become more of a team player and realize that his skills alone are not enough to breakdown and beat teams like Chelsea, Arsenal, AC Milan as recent examples.
Ronaldo needs to forget about scoing goals against the top teams and develop an understanding of possesion football, making and exploiting space.
The goals and oppotunities will come but he has to wait for them rather than trying to create them.

There is every chance he will develop this ability because he has developed so much of the rest of his game to exceptional levels.

There are lots of football fans and the press now starting to call Manchester United a 1 man team.

Obviously this is not true, look at the performances of these payers this season:-
- Tevez, Rooney, Vidic, Ferdinand, Anderson, Evra and of course Ronaldo
Also these players have been producing consistent performances:-
- Hargreaves, Giggs, Nani, Brown, Van Der Sar

If Manchester United are a 1 man side that man is Rooney.
The two games United lost recently (Bolton and West Ham), Rooney was out but Ronaldo played!

Against AC Milan it was Rooney that raised his game and scored the winner at Old Trafford to steal a late 3-2 victory.

Against Villa in the FA Cup last week, United and Ronaldo were poor (by our standards), Rooney came on with 15 minutes left and completely changed the way United played.

Could Manchester United win the league without Ronaldo?
- Maybe
Could Manchester United win the league without Rooney?
- No chance
Could Manchester United win he Champions League without Ronaldo?
- Maybe
Could Manchester United win the Champions League without Rooney?
- Absolutely no chance, unless we played with 8 defenders and hold out for penalty kicks like the bin dippers

Ronaldo needs to learn to cross the ball at pace. He can cross superbly when he's not running too fast. Ryan Giggs was the same when he was younger. In three years time I think it highly likely that he will be the best player in the world.
I hate saying that, I'm a Chelsea fan

there is no dought that Ronaldo has been the most outstanding playing in the prem league over the last two seasons.

But guys he has not done the business in the champs. league. He has not had te same effect against european oppositions as he has had aginst english teams.

also to be 'world class' you still have to do the business in the international matches, again he does not domenate international games.

Originally posted by Granticus
Ronaldo needs to learn to cross the ball at pace. He can cross superbly when he's not running too fast. Ryan Giggs was the same when he was younger. In three years time I think it highly likely that he will be the best player in the world.
I hate saying that, I'm a Chelsea fan

You do bring up a very good point.
Crossing at pace is something that Ronaldo does not do often and when he does the end product is not consistent.

He probably will be the best player in the world within the next 3 years (Messi is good though).
You may be quite happy about that though.
If Ronaldo keeps on getting better Abramovich may think, fo@k it, here's 100m, give me his contract.

Originally posted by spurs73
there is no dought that Ronaldo has been the most outstanding playing in the prem league over the last two seasons.

But guys he has not done the business in the champs. league. He has not had te same effect against european oppositions as he has had aginst english teams.

also to be 'world class' you still have to do the business in the international matches, again he does not domenate international games.

I agree in the Champions league, he does not perform against the decent sides.

For Portugal he is playing well and scores lots of goals for them.
But he probable has the same problem and keeps on losing the ball against top class defenders.

Originally posted by spurs73

But guys he has not done the business in the champs. league. He has not had te same effect against european oppositions as he has had aginst english teams.

also to be 'world class' you still have to do the business in the international matches, again he does not domenate international games.

He scored 8 times in 2008 qualifying for Portugal. David Healy broke the record with 13 goals, surpassing Suker's 11 year old record of 12. Not bad, considering Ronaldo is a winger.

Last season, he scored 3 goals and got 5 assists in Europe. This season he has already gotten 5 goals and 1 assist in Europe.

European opposition isn't the problem. Very good opposition is the problem, which is the point that both ROAB and myself admitted, as well as giving our take on how he can improve in that area.

D

At times he is simply unplayable...

He is constantly delivering goals and assists...

Contrary to what has been written here, his international record stands up to most...

Left foot, right foot, heading ability, shooting, crossing...he has everything in his locker....he is also incredibly strong and consistent. He does give it away needlessly sometimes however, I think he has improved in this aspect.

If we are setting the highest standards possible well then I agree he needs to decide Champ league games similar to Kaka. However, he has contributed greatly to Man U cause in the group stages. On current form I wouldnt bet against him having a major say this year in the Champ League. FOR ME, the return of Paul Scholes will be key to our Champ League ambitions- for all the qualities Anderson, Carrick, Hargreaves, Fletch etc. bring to the table they dont run the show in midfield like Scholesy does.

Originally posted by Ragnorak
He scored 8 times in 2008 qualifying for Portugal. David Healy broke the record with 13 goals, surpassing Suker's 11 year old record of 12. Not bad, considering Ronaldo is a winger.

To expand a little, Ronaldo scored his 8 in 8, Healy scored his 13 in 12.

D

Originally posted by Ragnorak
He is already pushing very close to being the best player in the World. Against a poor to decent team, there is nobody better in punishing them.

What he needs to do now to achieve the undisputed lable of Best Player in the World is improve his performances against top teams.

I think he needs to approach these games slightly differently. His inabilit ame. Performing against the top teams is what he needs to do now.

Is this the season?

D

I agree and disagree as well. The main thing he needs to do against top teams is to draw attention to himself (eg get them to double mark him) and then lay the ball off to other people in space. If he can beat someone then great but it's the team that counts.

He doesn't have to punish anyone as long as someone else can.

Originally posted by knightmeister
then lay the ball off to other people in space. If he can beat someone then great but it's the team that counts.

I thought that was what I said.

Possession retention is everything against a top side. Instead of trying to beat a couple of players on his own, just pass and move.

D

However good he gets he'll always be a cheat!

Originally posted by mancityboy
However good he gets he'll always be a cheat!

yes.. there is that little matter of 'diving'😵

Originally posted by spurs73
yes.. there is that little matter of 'diving'😵

...and not forgetting pulling pretend 'cards' from his pocket?