He wasn't getting any service before the goal, Real sat too deep and were giving ball away too easily. But he had enough composure to finish what was his only real chance and that's only thing that counts, well deserved for both him and Real!
Cristiano Ronaldo - Performances (wums will be thread banned)
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
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I actually think it is something that Ronaldo benefits from season after season in a way that very few other players do/have done. However as opposed to that being a stick to beat him with I'd say that's confirmation he's one of the best players in the history of the game. Only the truly elite players are so good that no matter what team they go to they're the one the team is built around. If he went to PSG in his 30s it'd be exactly the same.
It didn't happen for Ibrahimovic, Villa or Henry at Barca, Eto'o or Figo at Inter, van Nistelrooy, Ronaldo or Kaka at Madrid, Ronaldinho at Milan, Shevchenko at Chelsea etc. The same is true of some of the greatest players in 90s with Baggio at Milan or Rivaldo at Barcelona. There's actually very few players that were so good that every team they played for built their team around them year after year. Part of that is down to fitness and consistency, and also to some degree circumstances, but for the most part it's down to quality.
The players it typically is true of are playmakers, but Ronaldo bucks that trend through sheer individual brilliance. Without ever being a playmaker he is always the central point of attack and as such defines a team's playing style in much the same way. The only difference is that a playmaker not only defines a team's playing style but also their (bottom) level.
The reason I rate Xavi above someone like Ronaldo is his ability to dictate his teams bottom level, and over that 4 year period that bottom level was relentlessly high - particularly in games like this. What happened to Barcelona last night wouldn't have happened with Xavi there. They lost big games but they never ceded control and took their foot of the gas in that way. Neither Ronaldo nor Messi can do anything about that.
Showed real composure and great technique to pull that off. People were amazed at how Aguero pulled off that chest move against us, but Ronaldo's were in a different league from a much harder angle, and still he managed to score. But yeah, some people argue that he isn't that great a finisher either - he just gets amazing service. Anyone would score in that team.
He's an all-time great for me. People are too nostalgic about the older generations, Ronaldo is right up there. Not the best, but he belongs in that tier.
Arguably one of the best. Nostalgia tends to cloud people's judgments.
Yeah. It's when he is gone and forwards have normal goalscoring records that people will realise just what an unreal player he was.
He's the greatest goalscorer in the history of the game, it's not even a question.
If they didn't have a Puskas award it'd be called the Ronaldo award.
Real Madrid fan: He’s bled us white, the bastard. He’s taken everything we had, not just from us the fans, but from our fathers and from our fathers' fathers.
United fan: And from our fathers' fathers' fathers.
Real Madrid fan: Yes.
United fan: And from our fathers' fathers' fathers' fathers.
Real Madrid fan: All right, don't labour the point. And what has he ever given us in return?
Barca fan: La liga.
Real Madrid fan: Oh yeah, yeah he gave us that. Yeah. That's true.
Barca fan: And the Champions League!
United fan: Yeah, you lot hadn’t won the Champions League since 2002 and had been bitching about La Decima for years.
Real Madrid fan: All right, I'll grant you La Liga and the Champions League are two things that Ronaldo has helped us win.
Barca fan: And the Copa del Rey. You’ve won two of those.
Real Madrid fan: (sharply) Well yes obviously the Cup... the Copa goes without saying. But apart from La Liga, the Champions League and a couple of Cups.
Another Real Madrid fan: The FIFA World Club Cup
Other fans: Numerous Pichichis and Ballon d’Ors, and the Super Cup
Real Madrid fan: Yes... all right, fair enough...
Fan Near Front: …and all the excitement he brings.
United fan: Oh yes! True! He was really exciting here too.
Other Real Madrid fan: Yeah. That's something we'd really miss if Ronaldo left.
Fan at Back: This year he’s still our top scorer
Other Real Madrid fan: Yeah, and he’s up there in assists too.
Barca fan: Yeah, and isn’t he now the all time top scorer in the Champions League – the bastard.
Other Real Madrid fan: Yeah and he’s Real Madrid’s all time scorer as well. Can you believe he did it twice as fast as Raul?
Real Madrid fan: All right... all right... but apart from La Liga and the Champions League and the Copa del Reys, and The FIFA World Club Cup and numerous Pichichis and Ballon d’Ors, and the Super Cup, and all the goals and assists and all the excitement in general that he brings. What has Cristiano Ronaldo ever done for us?
With acknowledgement to Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Michael Palin.
United fan: And from our fathers' fathers' fathers.
Real Madrid fan: Yes.
United fan: And from our fathers' fathers' fathers' fathers.
Real Madrid fan: All right, don't labour the point. And what has he ever given us in return?
Barca fan: La liga.
Real Madrid fan: Oh yeah, yeah he gave us that. Yeah. That's true.
Barca fan: And the Champions League!
United fan: Yeah, you lot hadn’t won the Champions League since 2002 and had been bitching about La Decima for years.
Real Madrid fan: All right, I'll grant you La Liga and the Champions League are two things that Ronaldo has helped us win.
Barca fan: And the Copa del Rey. You’ve won two of those.
Real Madrid fan: (sharply) Well yes obviously the Cup... the Copa goes without saying. But apart from La Liga, the Champions League and a couple of Cups.
Another Real Madrid fan: The FIFA World Club Cup
Other fans: Numerous Pichichis and Ballon d’Ors, and the Super Cup
Real Madrid fan: Yes... all right, fair enough...
Fan Near Front: …and all the excitement he brings.
United fan: Oh yes! True! He was really exciting here too.
Other Real Madrid fan: Yeah. That's something we'd really miss if Ronaldo left.
Fan at Back: This year he’s still our top scorer
Other Real Madrid fan: Yeah, and he’s up there in assists too.
Barca fan: Yeah, and isn’t he now the all time top scorer in the Champions League – the bastard.
Other Real Madrid fan: Yeah and he’s Real Madrid’s all time scorer as well. Can you believe he did it twice as fast as Raul?
Real Madrid fan: All right... all right... but apart from La Liga and the Champions League and the Copa del Reys, and The FIFA World Club Cup and numerous Pichichis and Ballon d’Ors, and the Super Cup, and all the goals and assists and all the excitement in general that he brings. What has Cristiano Ronaldo ever done for us?
With acknowledgement to Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Michael Palin.
I think Barcelona have the exactly same problem as Ancelotti's Madrid, they are starting having fitness problems and people forget RM last year was playing great football but then they started declining.
I put it down to the International break, he could easily give Neymar, Suarez, Messi 2 days off training.
I've had similar thoughts. Barcelona may feel a bit tired. They will still win the double in Spain but will they be fresh enough to win the CL?
This is exactly what I was thinking. There is a reason that teams do not win the CL twice in a row. It is incredibly hard if not impossible to keep the same level for that long. Barcelona have been unstoppable since that infamous clear the air talks between Xavi, Enriqué and Messi. That's a run of more than a year, it would be truly exceptional if they can make it a year and a half of top form. And if you are not attacking well, the last team you want to be facing is Simeone's Atlético.
I'm sorry but that man is insane, he's posed in them underpants on purpose. He's actually getting worse.
Have you seen him stand on his tip toes to make himself look taller than everybody? He does it all the time in team photos, he's done it enough where it can't be just a coincidence, it's definitely on purpose.
We.made the best attempt in 09. Our levels didnt drop we just went up against the emergance of an all time great side.
We beat everybody we should have beaten.
Hard to argue with that. I think our record leading up to the 2008 final was not that impressive as one can argue that we have only beaten Roma and Lyon and struggled to beat the worse Barcelona side of the decade. But in 2009, we looked very strong indeed and brushed aside Mourinho's Inter as well as a strong Arsenal side in the semis very comprehensively.
Nothing wrong with a Walter White tribute.
Pretty much 1 every 3 games. Combined with his goalscoring feats that's quite incredible.
Madrid press reporting that he's for sale €60m.
I was poised to pounce when the whistle went
Would you take?
He would blitz the French league, has to keep his stats up.
No. Think he's still an awesome player though.
Going to PSG will allow him to prolong his career. Coming back to England could be a physical nightmare for him. People shouldn't forget he has chronic knee and ankle issues.
Neymar and CR7 partnering Zlatan next year will make a tasty attack!
Can't see PSG keeping Zlatan if they sign Ronaldo.
We've all read it before but for what it's worth - PSG offers him the following:
- A gargantuan sum of more money.
- A fashionable city to boost his fashion ventures and interests.
- Cosmopolitan lifestyle.
- A Central European location for any travel. Every major European trip will be within 1 or 2 hours of his private jet. Both business and pleasure.
- The chance to learn French fluently. English, Spanish, Portuguese and French. He could market 3/4 of the globe alone with those skills after his career.
- The chance to further embrace the Middle East and the Arabian countries ahead of a marquee World Cup. Doubtful he'll be playing still but not impossible.
- Goals, goals, goals. In a league where he can dominate at all times and against all teams until he's had enough.
- Retains himself as THE superstar at club level.
- Re-united with Di Maria, the best assist maker he's had.
- An almost free pass every year into the Champions League.
- The inevitable domination of French awards and due to PSG's limited history, another chance to be a club's top scorer and icon. This adds a further argument to the Ronaldo vs Messi of 3 countries where he won everything vs 1 - for whatever that's worth to whoever cares.
- If he can help deliver PSG a UCL then further cements his status amongst he best ever in football alongside Leo.
- A Life in Gay Paris
he would probably score 60 per season in france, heaven for Rony.
A move to PSG would be good for him, he can take easy and extend his playing career.
Hell obviously do great there, but for his own sake he shouldn't give up playing in a top league yet. Winning the league once with Madrid would be worth more than 5 pointless French League titles.
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