So basically guys, I was too young to ever truely experience the masterpiece that was Ronaldo. Sure videos of him on youtube can show how well he shot the ball and Wiki can tell me that he scored a **** load of goals but that still doesn't explain what kind of footballer he was. I feel like a missed out on him, so as practice for when you have grandkids, do you guys mind filling me in on what you enjoyed about him as a footballer?
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96 Never Forgotten -
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He was good.Was muß, das muß.Comment
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Originally posted by foresterbloke View Post
He was a joy to watch, when he was in the zone. Sheer power, technical ability, electric pace, the desire to take on defenders and scare the life out of them - and of course, wonderful finishing ability.
Injuries took their toll on him towards the latter stages of his playing career and unfortunately so did his habit of letting himself go a little bit, fitness wise.
It might be because he's still relatively recent, that his name isnt often mentioned when people talk of the best strikers of all time, but in truth, it's hard to think of a weakness in his game. You name it, he had it. Obviously pace, trickery, power, finishing, strength, game intelligence, touch, goalscoring ability and a good sense of discipline too. He was physically superb but also didnt lack mentally either, in the sense of maturity and still doing the right thing for his team, despite his own individual ability. I think part of that side to his game could be owed to the late great Sir Bobby Robson, who was a mentor to Ronaldo in his Barcelona days, even for just one season.
Thinking about it now, i struggle to think of another striker as complete as he was. Put it this way - and no offence to Torres, but even he doesnt quite match upto how good Ronaldo was in his pomp.
He had everything Torres has, but with just a touch more 'spark' and flair about him. Maybe it's the Brazilian passport that did it
But think Torres, but with more flair, and perhaps just a little more of an ability to beat defenders, one after the other, and even more prolific in front of goal, and for me, you've got Ronaldo.
347 career goals in 501 appearances, including prolific spells in both Italy and Spain, as well as Holland, says it all. Without doubt one of the best and most consistent goalscorers ever.Last edited by Craig_H; 09-07-10, 02:44 PM.Comment
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I feel inspired to go watch some YouTube videos.Was muß, das muß.Comment
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Was he a hog? Also, I can never understand how he was so fast, every video I have seen he never really looks thin, he always looked like a bulkier player. Did he score much from outside the box or was he a predator mostly?96 Never ForgottenComment
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What do mean by hog? A pig?Originally posted by Fernandinho View Post
He was always capable of being dangerous from distance, and i do remember the odd freekick he put away, but he did most of his damage from the area between the edge of the area and the six yard box.
As much as he was a predator, much of what made him stand out from others was his ability to come deep, pick up the ball a long way out and just beat players all the way to goal, before finishing superbly.
He wasnt a 'twinkle toes' dribbler like Messi is, but he'd often be capable of making similar runs of similar distances and beating similar numbers of defenders - but more with pace and power, rather than the subtle finesse and 'the ball is glued to his boots' style of dribbling that Messi has.
That combination of being a deadly finisher, but also being that good as a sheer footballer, in that he could get the ball 50 yards from goal and run through all the way to score, was what made him so unique, in my book. Out and out strikers usually tend to be more outright finishers and do most of their work in the box, while flair midfielders/wingers did a lot of what Ronaldo could do in the sense of picking up the ball and going on long runs, beating players etc - but without his finishing and prolific ability to score goals. He had both.Last edited by Craig_H; 09-07-10, 02:50 PM.Comment
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You obviously don't use that term in England, in Australia being a "hog" means you don't pass the ball much, don't know why. Also, was he a creative player assists wise and vision wise?96 Never ForgottenComment
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The season he played for Barcelona is almost beyond superlatives. The move to Inter and the subsequent injuries ruined him.Comment
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How come he changed clubs so regularly? Was he a merchant?96 Never ForgottenComment
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Ah i see. We do use that term, but i dont think i've heard it mentioned much since the days of playground football "Pass to me, you hogger!"
Nah, i wouldnt say he was a hog - not to the detriment of the team. That's part of what i meant when i said he was intelligent and had a good mentality - he was selfish in the sense of being a striker, but he wasnt stupid or stupidly greedy, if someone was in a better position than him.
He'd often go on runs and take on what seemed like the whole team but he wasnt like a Cristiano Ronaldo type, whose ego is bigger than the stadium itself, and who often feels the need to do everything himself or try something flashy when it wasnt necessary, just to attract attention. Ronaldo (the real one) was more humble and more of a team player. He was brilliant, able to beat men for fun andf a genius, but he wasnt a show off.Comment
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He was OK.Oh I don't know.Comment
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Originally posted by Fernandinho View Post
a what!?! Now you're just taking the pish you daft aussie 
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Well he didnt change THAT many times. Cruzeiro to PSV, to Barcelona, to Inter, to Real Madrid, to Milan and then finally back to Brazil and Corinthians (who i think he actually may still be contracted to!)Originally posted by Fernandinho View Post
Cruziero to PSV was just the typical 'lad looks brilliant in brazil but untested in europe, so a slightly lesser club in a lesser league takes a chance on him' move.
THen he went to Barca and probably had the best season of his career there, before Inter came in with megabucks, as i recall it - Moratti was minted and they did what was necessary to prise him away from Barca, who werent the superpower of today, in that they were very much playing second fiddle to Madrid back then. When he went to Inter, if i recall, his injury troubles started to grow and i believe he only played about 70 games for them in the space of 4 or 5 seasons.
When he went to Madrid, his fitness improved and he played much more for them across about 5 seasons, before moving to Milan which turned out to be the beginning of his downward spiral. Madrid sold him at the right time, i think.
7 clubs across your whole career isnt that many really.Comment
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