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Does Ronaldo (the real one) get the recognition he deserves?

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Groucho said:
Hi mate.

The Van Basten one is new to me (I think) but I have heard the rumour that we could've signed Ruud Gullit but signed Ray Atteveld instead, potentially by mistake.

How true that is I don't know though.
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True story. I definitely read it a few years ago. He liked our style of play but wanted European football first n foremost.
 

He was simply amazing playing in a time of great CB that don't exist today.

Still think Ronaldinho is the most talented player I've ever seen though
 
Incredible player. A shame about that knee injury in 99. Even after it, his record was so good.

Him at World Cup 2002 was a wonderful experience.
 
Awesome performance from Cristiano tonight (I'm still sticking with the original Ronaldo).

Chunky Frankfurter said:
Incredible player. A shame about that knee injury in 99. Even after it, his record was so good.

Him at World Cup 2002 was a wonderful experience.
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It's arguably the greatest comeback ever. Over two years without kicking a ball before the tournament, World Cup top goalscorer and leads his country to the trophy. He was the best player in the world even when past his prime.
 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39788520

Cristiano Ronaldo: Real Madrid forward equal of Pele & George Best - Phil Neville

Phil Neville was at the Bernabeu for BBC Radio 5 live to witness Cristiano Ronaldo, his former Manchester United team-mate, scoring a hat-trick for Real Madrid in their 3-0 Champions League semi-final first-leg win over Atletico Madrid. Here are his thoughts:

I listened to my dad talk for 20 years about George Best and Pele and Cristiano Ronaldo is easily the equal of those.

What sets Ronaldo and Barcelona's Lionel Messi apart is that they deliver on the big occasion. We aren't talking about the two best players in the world, we are talking about the two best players who have ever lived. I think that's how good these two players are.

They take you to places no other player in the world can - and on Tuesday we saw a phenomenal performance from Ronaldo.

You are talking about someone who scores left foot, right foot and he is fantastic in the air. The way he can control the ball with both feet, the speed at which he runs - at 32 years of age he has just scored a hat-trick in a semi-final.

Ronaldo and Messi push each other on. Messi got all the plaudits after the recent match against Real Madrid, but Ronaldo has raised the bar again. Every time I see him I am amazed at his drive and determination to be the best in the world - and on Tuesday it was a 'wow' performance from him.

He has natural ability coupled with hard work. He is a tremendous example of where hard work can take you.

When we were at Manchester United he said he wanted to go on to be the best player in the world. He had the self-belief to get to the very top. I look at Chelsea's Eden Hazard sometimes and wonder if he has that.

United's Carrington training ground is maybe a mile, two miles around. Every single day he used to take a ball after training and run and do his tricks for a mile, two miles at a time. His drive and his ability to practise every single day is just phenomenal.

When he gets back to his house after the match against Atletico, he will have an ice bath, eat the right things at the right time to refuel his body, stretch - and he will have a masseur there. His professionalism, drive and desire are amazing.

I read an article before the second leg of the quarter-final against Bayern Munich and it was very scathing. It said he had lost speed and was not a team player - but he scored a hat-trick against Bayern. His form is not dwindling. If anything it looks like he is getting stronger because he is being managed well.

He has been rested well by Real boss Zinedine Zidane, and look at the sharpness and speed he still possesses. He is a physical specimen, a total athlete.

Real Madrid were far too good on the night - they could have been 3-0 up at half-time and the man of the moment got three goals on the biggest stage.

Atletico Madrid cannot play at the level Real did. They played like a team that did not believe they could go to the Bernabeu and win - they were cautious, poor with their passing and there was no belief in their body language.

I have watched Atletico boss Diego Simeone a lot this season and he looks like someone who is coming to an end at the club, that he cannot take the team any further. He has got a big decision to make at the end of the season and it would not surprise me if he left to go to the Premier League or to Inter Milan.

I talked before the match about what big occasions Champions League semi-finals are - but for Real it looked like a normal game of football.
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arminisgod said:
He was simply amazing playing in a time of great CB that don't exist today.

Still think Ronaldinho is the most talented player I've ever seen though
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Absolute genuious Ronaldinho from 2002-2005 is my absolute favourite player ever his skill and flamboyancy along with outrageously good goals and assists. If I could mould the perfect footballer that's my template
 
Ronaldo was far more important to Brazil than Ronaldinho. As great as Ronaldinho was (his skill levels are off the charts) he wasn't as decisive as Ronaldo in big games. Ronaldo carried the weight of a nation on his shoulders and delivered, whereas Ronaldinho's national career was a bit underwhelming tbh. He lacked the drive of Ronaldo which is why he faded so quickly..mentally he quit (Rijkaard touched on this, and spoke of his inability to motivate him in the end). He also spoke of Ronaldinho being very fragile mentally. His moment with Brazil came in 2006 and he didn't take on the responsibility of being the main man.

Skill wise, Ronaldo could exhibit skills as frequently as Ronaldinho if he wanted to, but he was more direct, more explosive in his running, and he had more of an eye for goal. Ronaldo was also far more business like, wheras Ronaldinho (while very productive) had more of an exhibitionist streak, bordering on circus-like perfomer. Reminds me of a Gab Marcotti story about Alan Shearer (any longtime Talksport listeners may remember hearing about this incident). Can't recall exactly who it was but someone questioned Shearers skill level at the Newcastle training ground. Shearer showed off what he could do (tricks/juggling the ball around, before vollying the ball toward goal) which surprised the fella who made the claim, with Shearer responding "if I needed to do all that I would".

As an all round striker...pace, skill, finishing, ability to drop deep and destroy defenders (and goalkeepers) one on one, Ronaldo in his prime is the best #9 I've seen. The best player in the Premier League era remains Thierry Henry (2002 to 2005), and he was awesome, yet Ronaldo was a level above in every single category. Henry when he speaks of him says it all. He tried to emulate him. If we are just talking best finisher in the modern era you're looking at Romario and Van Basten.
 

gonetomorrow said:
The greatest Brazilian fullback was Roberto Carlos with the bendy shot.
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Marcelo and Cafu are/were better players than Roberto Carlos. Different era but I'd imagine Carlos Alberto who captained arguably the best side in the games history to a WC win and scored a cracker in the final, and sadly died last year, would also rank higher on, or top, most people's greatest Brazilian fullback list.
 
Marcelo is fantastic but he operates up in the midfield much of the time and risks leaving his flank exposed. You don't wanna do that!
 
Cristiano Ronaldo gets two goals in the CL final and all of a sudden the hyperbole starts again (even his Wikipedia page has been altered to "seen by many as the best ever"). Utter bollocks. His general involvement in the game is very limited outside of finishing chances. In terms of productivity and stats you can't knock him, but he lacks the genius label which the very best have.

Case in point. Ronaldo from 9:50 on for the next two minutes exhibits technique that Cristiano does not possess.



The pictures don't lie.
 

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