Ronaldo on "The Premiership"

jamesozzie

Was there anyone watching the premiership alst night?

The reason im asking is because unfortunately because of my hectic social life i missed it and i love watching it just to see Liam Brady, John Giles, Eamon Dunphy or whoever else slating Ronaldo no matter how well he plays.

Now im not a Manchester United fan, in fact I can stand Man U but i do admit I think Ronaldo is a class act. i think he's the reason they're doing so well this seson.

Have you ever heard the Irish commentators going on about him? I love watching "the premiership" on RTE 2 just so I can see the man utd hightlights and watch Ronaldo play a stomer just to hear the irish analyst's negative opinion of him at the end!

What was the story last night? Were they at it again or did they give him SOME credit for scoring the winner?

thanks in advance! - An eager Ronaldo (but not man u) fan!

wheres me jumpa

While he deserves credit for scoring such a vital goal he was awful for the remainder of the game.

Im of the same opinion as the RTE guys. If you listen to them lately they are stressing that their gripe is with the media in England building Ronaldo up as one of the great players in this world.

Giles made the point, when you think of great players, you think of Maradonna, Pele, Moore, Keane, to put Ronaldo in the same bracket as these guys is a disgrace to their names. I agree with him.

He may well one day be in the same bracket but for the moment, imo, hes not even close.

bucks73

It was on late last night because of the rugby so Dunphy and Brady werent there to give out their usual ronaldo-bashing.

Mr. Presentable

jamesozzie wrote:

Was there anyone watching the premiership alst night?

The reason im asking is because unfortunately because of my hectic social life i missed it and i love watching it just to see Liam Brady, John Giles, Eamon Dunphy or whoever else slating Ronaldo no matter how well he plays.

Now im not a Manchester United fan, in fact I can stand Man U but i do admit I think Ronaldo is a class act. i think he's the reason they're doing so well this seson.

Have you ever heard the Irish commentators going on about him? I love watching "the premiership" on RTE 2 just so I can see the man utd hightlights and watch Ronaldo play a stomer just to hear the irish analyst's negative opinion of him at the end!

What was the story last night? Were they at it again or did they give him SOME credit for scoring the winner?

thanks in advance! - An eager Ronaldo (but not man u) fan!

I'm only reading this because I was misled. I thought Ronaldo was on the show

PHB

While he deserves credit for scoring such a vital goal he was awful for the remainder of the game.

That's actually just crap. He was not awful for the remainder of the game. He made two really good runs, in the first half, one of which was just inchs wide, the other which was passed to Rooney when he was offside. Also, he made an incredible sprint to keep the ball in play in the 2nd half.
He wasn't great, but to suggest he was awful is just plain bull****.

Ghost Train

Yeah no dunphy etc on the show last night. Did enjoy the discussions during the european matches earlier in the week, thought dunphy sounded a bit like george bush stumbling over his words here talking about ronaldinho

Lemlin

PHB wrote:

That's actually just crap. He was not awful for the remainder of the game. He made two really good runs, in the first half, one of which was just inchs wide, the other which was passed to Rooney when he was offside. Also, he made an incredible sprint to keep the ball in play in the 2nd half.
He wasn't great, but to suggest he was awful is just plain bull****.

Wow, three noticeable touches in ninety minutes, four including the goal - he must of been amazing

That said, a sprint to keep the ball in play, one shot off target and one pass to an offside player are hardly noticeable. So I guess we're back to one....

The fact that you can name his entire positive array of actions for ninety minutes of play doesn't say much to me TBH.

I'd keep Bentley and Pedersen over him any day. They know how to track back, tackle and work for the rest of the team.

PHB

The fact that you can name his entire positive array of actions for ninety minutes of play doesn't say much to me TBH.

Actually those were his moments of quality. I never said he was amazing, you did. Does it make you feel more justified to just completely ignore what I said and assume I said something I didn't?

I'd keep Bentley and Pedersen over him any day. They know how to track back, tackle and work for the rest of the team.

Well you can have them, I'll keep my 16 goal 8 assist so far this season winger, you can have your two players who between them have 9 goals 10 asssists. To criticise Ronaldo for not tracking back and not tackling is just laughable. Fergie has told him to focus on attack. He is United's main attacker on the pitch. It's not his job to defend, and if it was, and he wasn't doing it, Fergie would have dropped him, but he hasn't.

jamesozzie

PHB wrote:

Well you can have them, I'll keep my 16 goal 8 assist so far this season winger, you can have your two players who between them have 9 goals 10 asssists. To criticise Ronaldo for not tracking back and not tackling is just laughable. Fergie has told him to focus on attack. He is United's main attacker on the pitch. It's not his job to defend, and if it was, and he wasn't doing it, Fergie would have dropped him, but he hasn't.

I agree, I cant imagine how much less points Man Utd would have this season if it were not for him. Does Ryan Giggs track back and defend?.....not more than Ronaldo.

As for having Bentley or Pedersen before Ronaldo, now that is a joke! They arn't even guaranteed starters for Blackburn, nevermind making the United team.

So did anyone see the premiership, what were the pundits saying about Ronaldo?

ronbyrne2005

Ronaldos goals and assists don't make him a great player. He shoots so much he's bound to score and is playing in one of best teams in England so he's gonna get chances and find it easier to set up goals. Great players do hundeds of small things in a match that your average fan does'nt even see. Yes Ronaldo has loads of talent but he's not yet great . He has immense pace and is strong and has a powerfull shot but he has'nt really delivered against the big teams in Premiership and in Champions league in terms of goals and general play.

The Muppet

jamesozzie wrote:

So did anyone see the premiership, what were the pundits saying about Ronaldo?

Yep they were slating him as usual.

The time to judge great players is when their playing days are over, Ronaldo may or may not be one of the true greats over the coming years but I don't know of another player that I would rather see playing his united position at the moment.

Dunphy is just being contoversial as usual but Giles does make some valid points , Ronaldo is improving season on season, this being his best so far in a United shirt, If he continues to improve on his weaknesses it is probable that when he is finished playing soccer fans will look on him in the same catagory as Best Law etc etc.

LuckyLloyd

You can't simply dismiss Ronaldo's raw statistics this year out of hand - he has provided more in end product than in previous years. However, I don't believe that you can should be considered a "great" player by only producing the odd moment of class throughout 90 mins.

Think of great players like Keane, Platini, Maradonna, Zidane: they set the trend for their team when they played well - playing a central role in a game from start to finish. Ronaldo clearly isn't in that bracket yet.

Of course, most level headed fans don't think he is. I would agree that Fergie isn't too concerned about his lack of effort when United don't have the ball, and this season his contribution in attack justifies the luxury of having a non - contributer in defence. But, In my opinion, Ronaldo has yet to really do it in a big game in Europe or in crunch league games at the end of the season when the championship comes prominently into focus.

By this point, it is fair to say that he is clearly having his best season to date. But he has an awful lot more to do before he can be considered a world beater. And yes, IMO, the English media has a lot to answer for when you consider the hyperbole that shines through much of what they write on Ronaldo.

Mitch Connor

United were terrible on Saturday, and a heavey defeat would not have been undeserved.

Van Der Saar screwed up big time for the goal. Evra had his worst game for a while, as did Vidic. Scholes and Carrick couldn't get a foot hold in the game, Giggs played his usual crap, and as usual got a goal so I can't moan about him like i want to. Larsson and Rooney.....you'd barely know either had been on the pitch.

Given that, it was kinda hard for Ronaldo to be great - the passing to him was poor, and the movement up front was crap so he had little to aim at or work with. So, he was fairly poor too. However, I would also say he was our best player on the day. If we were to get anything out of the game, it was gonna be because of him - imo he was teh only player that showed any kind of threat or purpose.

He has a lot to learn, still, and there is more to come from him, but I really don't think he was as bad as some people made out. He has had a fantastic season for us.

People may say he should score, but thats is a tautology imo!

He is the top scorer for United this season, and for a winger, that is fairly impresive. Also, he beat lampards' record for most goals scored in the prem by a non-striker (with the aid of a deflection, how apt!) Without Ronaldo, we wouldn't be in the position we are right now, and there isn't another winger I would take over him in the world. (I would swap him for Ronaldinho, but he isn't really a winger, and would be even less use defensively - Messi is the same imo)

BaZmO*

The thing about being a "Celebrity" type player is that you get all the plaudits when the team wins and conversely, you get the blame when the team doesn't win.

Tbh, I think all this debate over whether Ronaldo is a great player, or a player with potential, or whether he's the finished article or world class has gotten very tiresome. IMO he's a fantastic with bags of talent that on certain occasions can be very fustrating to watch.

Nunu

BaZmO* wrote:

The thing about being a "Celebrity" type player is that you get all the plaudits when the team wins and conversely, you get the blame when the team doesn't win.

Tbh, I think all this debate over whether Ronaldo is a great player, or a player with potential, or whether he's the finished article or world class has gotten very tiresome. IMO he's a fantastic with bags of talent that on certain occasions can be very fustrating to watch.

Spot on.

Incidentally, Ronaldo was head and shoulders over every other Utd player against Fulham - without being great and the odd moan thrown in for non existant fouls. Anyone who says he was poor needs their head examined. In the first 20 mins he was the only utd player functioning at all! He remained brave throughout and kept persevering at what he's good at, committing opponents.
Also, Ronaldo doesn't do it in the 'big' games? Well what the hell was Saturdays game?! Utd had to get 3 points, their most vital 3 pts of the season so far, and who conjured up the winner all on his own - Ronaldo.

smemon

out of all utd's big guns, ronaldo is the most lethal when on form.

That's why Utd are where they are at the minute, because he's having a fantastic season in the league.

He 'just throws shapes' according to Dumphy, however those shapes turn matches and carve open defences.

Some match there, utd were defending a corner late on. Ball landed at ronaldo, sprinted up the line, took on a few players and ended up getting Utd a corner within 10 seconds of defending one.

People underestimate his contribution to Utd. There are 2 players in the premiership who can get past defenders (a) when running with the ball, (b) from a standing point.

Ronaldo is one along with Henry.

Nalz

someone needs to ask Eamon Dunphy what in his opinion would Uniteds league position and points be had Ronaldo not be playing this year.

Lemlin

PHB wrote:

Actually those were his moments of quality. I never said he was amazing, you did. Does it make you feel more justified to just completely ignore what I said and assume I said something I didn't?

Where exactly did I say you said he was amazing? Yes I sarcastically said he was amazing.

I didn't ignore what you said. I pointed out that you could name his entire positive array of actions in ninety minutes in a three line post. That doesn't bode well.

PHB wrote:

Well you can have them, I'll keep my 16 goal 8 assist so far this season winger, you can have your two players who between them have 9 goals 10 asssists. To criticise Ronaldo for not tracking back and not tackling is just laughable. Fergie has told him to focus on attack. He is United's main attacker on the pitch. It's not his job to defend, and if it was, and he wasn't doing it, Fergie would have dropped him, but he hasn't.

Is it laughable? Then why do so many people do it? Do you think Jose Mourinho would have him in his team? I don't think he would.

I will keep Bentley and Pedersen. They contribute alot more than goals and assists to the team's performance. They do something called working for the team, not for themselves. You can compare goals and assists all you like, as I said, the two players above work for the entire team, and don't just shoot every time they get the ball.

And where exactly did you get this information that Fergie told Ronaldo to focus on attack only? Were you there when he said this?

Ronaldo is grand for United in England where they're guaranteed to beat 80% of teams anyway. It's in Europe that he'll cost them.

BaZmO*

Lemlin wrote:

Ronaldo is grand for United in England where they're guaranteed to beat 80% of teams anyway. It's in Europe that he'll cost them.

Didn't Blackburn get knocked out of the UEFA Cup last week?

vorbis

even as an Arsenal fan, I admire Ronaldo. I also can't stand the inevitable "Oh I prefer players who track back" comments that accompany him. He's an ATTACKING WINGER, there are defenders, defensive midfielders available for handling the defensive side of things.

As someone else said, only Henry and Ronaldo are able to consistently beat their man one on one. That skill is invaluable, oh but he's no good at defending corners :rolleyes:

He's having a fantastic season, I wouldn't be surprised to see him being player of the year.

smemon

agree witrh vorbis...

if everyone played like chelsea's 'attackers', there would be no arsenal flair and fluidity, no Utd 1-2's and touchline hugging...

mourinho ruined Duff as a player imo... duff is an attacker player with bags of skill - or was. Nowadays he's a left sided midfielder. That's it. You can't call him an attacker any more.

Let's not forget we want to see attacking play, for the good of the game. If everyone tracks back (like at chelsea), we'd have very boring matches.

Also, may i add, Ronaldo does track back... anytime HE loses the ball, he'll sprint after it. Granted he can float about when the ball is in Utd's half, but he is always there and looking for the ball as an attacking outlet.

PHB

And where exactly did you get this information that Fergie told Ronaldo to focus on attack only? Were you there when he said this?

Because if he wasn't doing exactly what Fergie wanted him to be doing, he'd be dropped. Pretty simple easy.

Ronaldo is grand for United in England where they're guaranteed to beat 80% of teams anyway. It's in Europe that he'll cost them.

Maybe he'll cost them, that said, he's more proven on the international stage than all of the other top youngsters in the premiership, Rooney and Fabregas included.

GuanYin

Agree with many (opposing) views here.

Ronaldo is certainly one of the most exciting attacking players to watch in the premiership. He's certainly been United's most influential player this season. But he certaily isn't a world class player, at least yet.

I thin United's team has become fashioned to suit Ronaldo to a degree this season, so he's been doing exceptionally well in that set-up. I think Chelsea's set up suits Lampard in a similar (but obviously different) way.

I wouldn't for a second think of Lampard as a world class player, I don't think you get too many of these, maybe 4-5 in a generation, maybe 2-3 that are world class for the majority of their career. But ronaldo, like Lampard, has been hyped by the British media as a world beater. This is largely based on the fact that he's one of the best in the premiership, but on a world scale, I don't think that it measures up. For one thing, defending in the premiership is woeful.


Ronaldo, has alot of flaws as a player, not least his tendancy to lose composure and not get the simple things right. That is where people, rightly, criticise him. On the other hand, he can screw up the simple things for 85 minutes, spend 5 minutes doing the REALLY complicated and score two goals in a match. Any manager in the premiership would take him but it doesn't mean he's a "Great" in the sense that Van Basten, Bergkamp, Pele, Giles, Stiles, Best etc etc etc were.

Mitch Connor

While Ronaldo has not done well in the CL - he has been fantastic for Portugal since making his debut, and was one of their best players in 2004 and 2006. On the international scene, he certainly has shown his ability, scoring 15 goals in 40 odd games, which ain't bad.