Ronaldo

[Guest firetotheworks]

"Unpopular opinion alert*

 

Cristiano Ronaldo is GOAT and better than Messi. Pele played in weak leagues in a much easier era. Maradonna was like Gazza, supremely gifted but too mental to make it count.

 

Shearer was better than Ronaldo too. Not that Ronaldo wasn't one of the greatest strikers of all time...

Literally all of that is wrong

Embarrassing opinion alert, more like.

[Odear]

"Unpopular opinion alert*

 

Cristiano Ronaldo is GOAT and better than Messi. Pele played in weak leagues in a much easier era. Maradonna was like Gazza, supremely gifted but too mental to make it count.

 

Shearer was better than Ronaldo too. Not that Ronaldo wasn't one of the greatest strikers of all time...

Literally all of that is wrong

 

Shearer was more professional than fat Ronaldo. But Ronaldo was a far more gifted player. One of the best ever. His Barcelona days are probably the most devastating I’ve ever seen from one player. (Not unlike what Jonah Lomu did in the mid 90’s with Rugby)

 

Cristiano Ronaldo I see as more of an athlete than a footballer. He’s so fit he can make it work at 33 years old. His pace gets him in the right places and his style of kicking the ball is different from most other footballers (sort of toe pokes shots)

 

Messi is better at most things as a player and is still so skilful that he can pull it off when he’s clearly lost a bit of pace.

 

Gazza is an enigma because if he’d taken care of his health a bit better and made better choices, who knows how good he could have been. Easily the best talent England have ever had.

 

Can compare Messi, Maradona and Gazza and then Cristiano, Shearer and Ronaldo.

 

It’s easy to pick out Messi and fat Ronaldo from that bunch.

[Guest neesy111]

I don't think todays era is particularly difficult for attacking players due to the lack of contact. Football peaked in the 90s to mid 2000s, the perfect mix of physicality and tactical awareness.

 

I reckon defending is much better than what it used to be.  Defenders used to get away with butchering players in the past tbh.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Shearer for me was and always will remain one of the most comple centre-forwards ever. The Brazilian Ronaldo was a more gifted player of course and as such a better footballer. But not as complete as a centre-forward. I think the current Ronaldo is even more complete as a centre-forward than Shearer was and many others who rank which is remarkable given he started out as a winger. The Brazilian though, again, was much more gifted and a better footballer as is Messi in comparison to the current Ronaldo.

 

If it’s down to natural football ability though, it’s hard to look past players like Messi, Maradona, Zidane, Ronaldo, Gazza,  Cruyff, Best, Ronaldinho, Colback et al.

 

The most complete footballer who could probably play anywhere, at any level, in any era, for any team, in any or most positions and excell is Pele IMO and always will be. N-one will be as complete. They may win more stuff, score more goals and play at a greater level, but as footballers, none will ever be as good as Pele.

[Guest firetotheworks]

Depends on what you're bothered about. Completeness or 'bestness'

[Guest chopey]

Off

[triggs]

Off

Wrong Ronaldo

[Mikky]

Ronaldo was a complete phenomenon when he first played, there hadn't been anyone like him. Him, Messi, Ronaldinho top 3 oat

 

I always think with Ronaldinho that for 3 years he was incredible but after that seemed to lose all motivation

[Tooj]

Not sure how you can say the Ronaldo at Barca/Inter wasn't a complete player like.

[Mikky]

Ronaldo was a complete phenomenon when he first played, there hadn't been anyone like him. Him, Messi, Ronaldinho top 3 oat

 

I always think with Ronaldinho that for 3 years he was incredible but after that seemed to lose all motivation

 

Aye, definitely. But in terms of what he could do, he has to be there for me. The game against Madrid where he got clapped off after destroying them is one of the best individual performances ever imo

 

Oh yeah don’t get me wrong, the level he hit was insane; just a shame how downhill it went for him; maybe he was enjoying life away from football too much

[ToonArmy1892]

R9 was incredible, i remember when Shearer was at his best, then i saw Ronaldo play and he was even better than Shearer!

[mrmojorisin75]

"Unpopular opinion alert*

 

Cristiano Ronaldo is GOAT and better than Messi. Pele played in weak leagues in a much easier era. Maradonna was like Gazza, supremely gifted but too mental to make it count.

 

Shearer was better than Ronaldo too. Not that Ronaldo wasn't one of the greatest strikers of all time...

Your analysis of Maradona is laughable, and I think Messi is the goat.

[mrmojorisin75]

Fwiw I've come to love Ronaldo.

[Guest firetotheworks]

Not sure how you can say the Ronaldo at Barca/Inter wasn't a complete player like.

I took it as meaning complete in the way Beckenbaur is often mentioned as being, but who knows.

[HaydnNUFC]

Ronaldo was a complete phenomenon when he first played, there hadn't been anyone like him. Him, Messi, Ronaldinho top 3 oat

 

I always think with Ronaldinho that for 3 years he was incredible but after that seemed to lose all motivation

 

Aye, definitely. But in terms of what he could do, he has to be there for me. The game against Madrid where he got clapped off after destroying them is one of the best individual performances ever imo

That was the 0-3 at the Bernabeu in 2005 wasn't it?

[Stottie]

Brazilian Ronaldo was the greatest I've ever seen at dribbling around goalkeepers in one on ones. He was the absolute master of it.

[Raconteur]

Just read this again.

 

https://thesefootballtimes.co/2018/09/18/the-heartbreak-of-ronaldo-at-internazionale/

 

You're still the one. [emoji7]

 

 

I've loved watching a lot of footballers over the years, but Ronaldo is always my one true love. His time at PSV, Barca and Inter (before it all went wrong) stands next to any footballer, ever. (I say that having started watching football when Maradona was a fat man waddling in a WC qualifier )

 

Messi has done it for longer, and I have some completely irrational disregard for Cristiano Ronaldo's achievements. I can't explain it. But the rest can go whistle after those three (again - since the nineties)

[Paully]

Brazilian Ronaldo was the greatest I've ever seen at dribbling around goalkeepers in one on ones. He was the absolute master of it.

 

Without doubt! Some great videos on youtube of him doing it!

[HawK]

Just read this again.

 

https://thesefootballtimes.co/2018/09/18/the-heartbreak-of-ronaldo-at-internazionale/

 

You're still the one. [emoji7]

 

 

I've loved watching a lot of footballers over the years, but Ronaldo is always my one true love. His time at PSV, Barca and Inter (before it all went wrong) stands next to any footballer, ever. (I say that having started watching football when Maradona was a fat man waddling in a WC qualifier )

 

Messi has done it for longer, and I have some completely irrational disregard for Cristiano Ronaldo's achievements. I can't explain it. But the rest can go whistle after those three (again - since the nineties)

 

I used to be firmly in the Messi camp, but I've swung completely the opposite way to CRonaldo in the past few years. To do what he does, at his age, in his position is unmatched. His CL goals record is absolutely insane. How he dragged Portugal to success in the Euros, he's pretty much carried his nation on his back whereas Messi always seems to cut a frustrated figure and can't seem to replicate what he does for Barca on the international stage. Certainly in purely measurable terms, on paper he's going to go down alongside Pele with the crazy goals per game. And, he's done it at 2 of the biggest clubs in the world.

 

I loved the anecdote, can't recall from which Man Utd player, that he would stay late from training sessions and practice step-overs for an hour with heavy sandbags on each of his feet so he could do them much faster in a game. To do that, at 18 or 19 years old in a foreign country with the rest of the senior squad, people like Roy Keane, ripping the absolute piss out of him - absurd dedication today, let alone 15 years ago.

 

It'll be interesting to see how he adopts to the rigidity of Juve over time as he's never had to play in a team like that before.

 

Don't get me wrong, Messi is arguably the most gifted player of all time, but CRonaldo, like the best players in the world before him, seems to be easily adapting his game to his age and still doing the business year in, year out.

 

Oh and to compare Shearer and Ronaldo is laughable. Shearer would be lucky to be in my top 10 of all time, let alone first (/tinhat).

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Nah, Messi is the best.

[Guest neesy111]

He didn't drag Portugal to success in the euros ffs.

[ohmelads]

Just read this again.

 

https://thesefootballtimes.co/2018/09/18/the-heartbreak-of-ronaldo-at-internazionale/

 

You're still the one. [emoji7]

 

 

I've loved watching a lot of footballers over the years, but Ronaldo is always my one true love. His time at PSV, Barca and Inter (before it all went wrong) stands next to any footballer, ever. (I say that having started watching football when Maradona was a fat man waddling in a WC qualifier )

 

Messi has done it for longer, and I have some completely irrational disregard for Cristiano Ronaldo's achievements. I can't explain it. But the rest can go whistle after those three (again - since the nineties)

 

I used to be firmly in the Messi camp, but I've swung completely the opposite way to CRonaldo in the past few years. To do what he does, at his age, in his position is unmatched. His CL goals record is absolutely insane. How he dragged Portugal to success in the Euros, he's pretty much carried his nation on his back whereas Messi always seems to cut a frustrated figure and can't seem to replicate what he does for Barca on the international stage. Certainly in purely measurable terms, on paper he's going to go down alongside Pele with the crazy goals per game. And, he's done it at 2 of the biggest clubs in the world.

 

I loved the anecdote, can't recall from which Man Utd player, that he would stay late from training sessions and practice step-overs for an hour with heavy sandbags on each of his feet so he could do them much faster in a game. To do that, at 18 or 19 years old in a foreign country with the rest of the senior squad, people like Roy Keane, ripping the absolute piss out of him - absurd dedication today, let alone 15 years ago.

 

It'll be interesting to see how he adopts to the rigidity of Juve over time as he's never had to play in a team like that before.

 

Don't get me wrong, Messi is arguably the most gifted player of all time, but CRonaldo, like the best players in the world before him, seems to be easily adapting his game to his age and still doing the business year in, year out.

 

Oh and to compare Shearer and Ronaldo is laughable. Shearer would be lucky to be in my top 10 of all time, let alone first (/tinhat).

 

Wouldn't say he dragged Portugal to success. He basically missed the final. Came off after 25 mins, and they were better after he went off. They scraped through game after game that tournament. That Ronaldo narrative in British press came after he shined against Wales. Not saying he isn't a great player, but his record doesn't need embellishing.

[Guest firetotheworks]

Aye, still and will always be in the C.Ronaldo isn't even in the same league as Messi camp. For me there'll never ever be a comparison because of the things that I hold in much, much higher regard that Messi can do and does, that CR can't and doesn't (regularly taking on entire teams and scoring for example). Whereas the things CR does that Messi doesn't (being dominant in the air for example) isn't really impressive to me. It's one thing I absolutely fail to not be a fanboy over.

 

[triggs]

Just read this again.

 

https://thesefootballtimes.co/2018/09/18/the-heartbreak-of-ronaldo-at-internazionale/

 

You're still the one. [emoji7]

 

 

I've loved watching a lot of footballers over the years, but Ronaldo is always my one true love. His time at PSV, Barca and Inter (before it all went wrong) stands next to any footballer, ever. (I say that having started watching football when Maradona was a fat man waddling in a WC qualifier )

 

Messi has done it for longer, and I have some completely irrational disregard for Cristiano Ronaldo's achievements. I can't explain it. But the rest can go whistle after those three (again - since the nineties)

 

I used to be firmly in the Messi camp, but I've swung completely the opposite way to CRonaldo in the past few years. To do what he does, at his age, in his position is unmatched. His CL goals record is absolutely insane. How he dragged Portugal to success in the Euros, he's pretty much carried his nation on his back whereas Messi always seems to cut a frustrated figure and can't seem to replicate what he does for Barca on the international stage. Certainly in purely measurable terms, on paper he's going to go down alongside Pele with the crazy goals per game. And, he's done it at 2 of the biggest clubs in the world.

 

I loved the anecdote, can't recall from which Man Utd player, that he would stay late from training sessions and practice step-overs for an hour with heavy sandbags on each of his feet so he could do them much faster in a game. To do that, at 18 or 19 years old in a foreign country with the rest of the senior squad, people like Roy Keane, ripping the absolute piss out of him - absurd dedication today, let alone 15 years ago.

 

It'll be interesting to see how he adopts to the rigidity of Juve over time as he's never had to play in a team like that before.

 

Don't get me wrong, Messi is arguably the most gifted player of all time, but CRonaldo, like the best players in the world before him, seems to be easily adapting his game to his age and still doing the business year in, year out.

 

Oh and to compare Shearer and Ronaldo is laughable. Shearer would be lucky to be in my top 10 of all time, let alone first (/tinhat).

They won without him in the Euros and I would argue that they wouldn’t have won with him. They needed 11 men totally committed to defending that night

[Kimbo]

Calling C.Ronaldo the greatest and better than Messi can be statistically justified, and he probably is the greatest athlete i've seen in the sport, but beyond that it feels a bit dirty and wrong to me.