Yet almost no one in this thread mentions him as Europe's best ever player.He seems to get under-rated in this thread because he arguably isn't as good as Messi.
He's the best player Europe has ever produced.
Yet almost no one in this thread mentions him as Europe's best ever player.He seems to get under-rated in this thread because he arguably isn't as good as Messi.
He's the best player Europe has ever produced.
He seems to get under-rated in this thread because he arguably isn't as good as Messi.
He's the best player Europe has ever produced.
No when he was younger he was already better than Quaresma or any other player at the academy.Thats what you really have to respect about Ronaldo. There is just absolutely no way he should have been able to achieve what he has. He is no different than someone like Quresma in terms of ability especially at a young age and look what he has acomplished. As you said it's different for messi he already looked like he could become this good from the moment he stepped on the pitch for the first time. Ronaldo is the model for any young player growing up, I know people hate him but he deserves what he has got never seen a player with soo much determination.
No when he was younger he was already better than Quaresma or any other player at the academy.
Seems like only yesterday he was coming on as a sub and showing the world what we had coming. Can't believe he's 30 already! Fantastic player and for me the best player to ever play the game.
Thats what you really have to respect about Ronaldo. There is just absolutely no way he should have been able to achieve what he has. He is no different than someone like Quresma in terms of ability especially at a young age and look what he has acomplished. As you said it's different for messi he already looked like he could become this good from the moment he stepped on the pitch for the first time. Ronaldo is the model for any young player growing up, I know people hate him but he deserves what he has got never seen a player with soo much determination.
Come on there were constant debates about who was better but the truth is they were around the same ability wise and the same age. My point stands that Ronaldo shouldn't have been able to achieve what he has at his base footballing ability but he has got there through shire determination and will to be the best.
Bollocks. Quresma's a flashy clown, who's just easy on the eye.
What base ability are you talking about? Ronaldo was probably the most athletically gifted athlete in football at his best- quick, strong, light on his feet with body of a brute (by footballing standards). His fundamentals are almost impeccable (first touch, control), he was a pretty impressive finisher from pretty much the start (he was scoring unusually high amount headers for a winger even as a teenager) and he strikes the ball as well as anyone.
If you have that combination of such elite athleticism combined with his basics, he was always going to be at least a very good/great player unless something massively went wrong.
As a comparison;
By the end of 2004 Ronaldo had 18 caps and 7 goals for Portugal at the age of 19. By the same time Quaresma had 2 caps and 0 goals at the age of 20. And that was well before Ronaldo became a 40+ goal a season machine.
I think the difference between Ronaldo and RQ (make this most players) is that Ronaldo is consumed by a burning desire to be the greatest and will do whatever he can to achieve that. Wasn't it Jese who said that on his first day training with the seniors he turned up two hours early to impress the coaches and as he drove in he saw that Ronaldo was already on the training pitch.
I think the difference between Ronaldo and RQ (make this most players) is that Ronaldo is consumed by a burning desire to be the greatest and will do whatever he can to achieve that. Wasn't it Jese who said that on his first day training with the seniors he turned up two hours early to impress the coaches and as he drove in he saw that Ronaldo was already on the training pitch.
Absolutely. There's also a story from his Sporting days that someone from the club saw that the lights were on at the club training centre late at night and they sent down security to see what was going on - it was Ronaldo going at it![]()
My only wish is he kept the dribbling of his earlier days. That 06/07 Ronaldo mixed with the current goal hungry Ronaldo would have been something else.
Bollocks. Quresma's a flashy clown, who's just easy on the eye.
What base ability are you talking about? Ronaldo was probably the most athletically gifted athlete in football at his best- quick, strong, light on his feet with body of a brute (by footballing standards). His fundamentals are almost impeccable (first touch, control), he was a pretty impressive finisher from pretty much the start (he was scoring unusually high amount headers for a winger even as a teenager) and he strikes the ball as well as anyone.
If you have that combination of such elite athleticism combined with his basics, he was always going to be at least a very good/great player unless something massively went wrong.
As a comparison;
By the end of 2004 Ronaldo had 18 caps and 7 goals for Portugal at the age of 19. By the same time Quaresma had 2 caps and 0 goals at the age of 20. And that was well before Ronaldo became a 40+ goal a season machine.
Apart from when he did what no one had done for 6 months - score the winning goal against Barcelona (and in Camp Nou for good measure).
Exactly.My enduring memory of him in a United shirt (aside from all those utterly ridiculous goals) was the rare feeling of knowing that I was watching someone who could do whatever he wanted. He seemed to play without limits. Everything was possible. He was - and continues to be - an absolute force of nature.
All I'll say is that in 3 of the last 8 years, people who know a whole lot more about football than I do have voted him the best player in the World. (Messi won the other 5). Messi might be better a lot of the time but according to the pros it's only about 60:40. Almost the toss of a coin.
It's not really the award itself that's important. It's the opinion of the experts (who as I said previously hopefully know way more about football than I do) who chose to give him that award. In their opinion for three years out of eight, Ronaldo was the best player in the world.Well luckily an entire players worth isn't defined by awards. There's no shame in being second to Messi.
There is a actually a big gulf between the two when it comes to what you described. It's not even close.If there is 1 thing that Ronaldo has over Messi, is that sheer desire and the fire to win.
It's time to consolidate next year's golden ball...
Although Portugal inevitably flopping out of the euros might ruin it anyway.
No that isn't considered flopping out. What has euro '12 got to do with my prediction for a horrendous Portugal team to flop in euro '16?Well last time reaching the semi's and narrowly losing to Spain is considered flopping out?
No that isn't considered flopping out. What has euro '12 got to do with my prediction for a horrendous Portugal team to flop in euro '16?
Let's hope you are right and that Ronaldo can have his success on this stage as well.Why is our team horrendous? It's actually better than the Euro2012 team bar the usual lack of strikers. We qualified without needing the usual playoff and we beat teams such as Argentina and Italy in friendly matches. The 2016 team has better full backs, better center backs and more options in the midfield than we ever had in recent past. I'm actually more confident than in 2016
Let's hope you are right and that Ronaldo can have his success on this stage as well.
Why is our team horrendous? It's actually better than the Euro2012 team bar the usual lack of strikers. We qualified without needing the usual playoff and we beat teams such as Argentina and Italy in friendly matches. The 2016 team has better full backs, better center backs and more options in the midfield than we ever had in recent past. I'm actually more confident than in 2012
Things are setting up nicely for him to win the next ballon d'Or.
There is a actually a big gulf between the two when it comes to what you described. It's not even close.
God I will love Ronaldo and Portugal to win a major trophy. Can't believe Portugal haven't won one.
Hard to judge cos Messi has won a lot more so its kinda easier for him to lose desire. Ronaldo for all his goals in the last 6/7 years, he has won very little.
Yeah Greece happened unfortunately. We have ourselves and Scolari to blame though. Greece deserved it. We have been close with 1 euro final, 2 semi's and 1 world cup semi final but the lack of a decent striker always kills our chances. This next Euro and World Cup are probably Ronaldo last chances. Thankfully we have alot of interesting players coming up. A positive phase in portuguese football (bar strikers as usual since Eusébio)