Yeah

 

Cristiano Ronaldo: 2nd greatest ever player all time in the history of the sport and continuing to excell at top division.

 

Who's no1? And be careful what you say!

 

TSDR/TBDR (Too shit, did not read/ Too bollocks did not read)

 

The best defenders ever according to this TBDR Oxford Mathematiian:

1Cristiano (because of goals)
.
.
,
999999 Beckenbauer lol

 

double post

 

No defender could ever be considered the sport's greatest player. Beckenbauer as greatest defensive player, sure.

 

1. Pele
2. Messi

 

He's 40 something goals away from reaching 900 goals!

Van Basten who?

Romario was a better finisher inside the box, but that's about it.

 

Dawid, do not forget that CR7 plays for Portugal and playing for Portugal is not like playing for Brazil or Argentina. Or playing for Real Madrid. In fact CR7 scored goals to any club, even in knockout games, even in finals.

 

Good point, Toni.

I was tweeting a friend who's fave player was (perhaps is?) Figo. So I pimped my Figo video. He went on to say Figo was better than Zidane at euro 2000.

It got a bit heated until I brought in a third party to settle the debate.

My opinion is Zidane was levels above anyone at euro 2000. Still is -- but I watched a video of Figo's and Zidane's touches in the infamous game.

Zidane did glide across the pitch but the defending was poor and he had options. Everytime Figo got the ball the French were all over him and he had nobody to pass to. Figo tried so hard but it was him against one of the greatest defensive units in history.

I wonder what Figo could have achieved if he played instead of Zidane for France.

People forget Portugal is a small country. To get the goals he gets is still a fantastic achievement and shouldn't be mocked for scoring against minnows like Hungary and Estonia.

Ps, sorry for bringing up euro 2000.

 

Wait a second @Dagoods, didn't you say a while back that he was overrated?

 

He has 200 caps and 123 goals now, which is insane.

I wonder how long it will take until somebody betters this?

 

Maybe a GOAT contender will come along in Australia or something. Smash all records.

Or it'll just by that kid born ìn dirty Leeds. He already has 24 at 22 years old.

 

Maybe a GOAT contender will come along in Australia or something. Smash all records.

Or it'll just by that kid born ìn dirty Leeds. He already has 24 at 22 years old.

Yes I was thinking about him too but it is much harder to do it representing Norway, a middle of the pack NT which doesn't score as many goals as Portugal and other heavyweights of Europe.

 

Do you guys consider him a ST?
Will he be remembered as such?

He’s got no business being on the pitch as a midfielder (LAM/RAM) or as an orthodox winger.

in order to get the best out of CR7 he requires The following two things:

1) a False 9/or a wanker like Benzema (a ST) who’s willing to lay down for this princess; and
2) an attacking fullback who’s going to provide width, thus freeing CR7 to make his diagonal run into the box for an easy tap-in.

CR7 = The Inzaghi of the left…flank!

He’s better suited as a #9. A modern 9, a ST who doesn’t camp inside the box. Yes, he may lack the positional sense of a true # 9, but he‘s still very deadly, as evidenced by his scoring tally.

 

Do you guys consider him a ST?
Will he be remembered as such?

He is something bigger than simply pegging him into one role.

In my opinion the best all around footballer the world has ever seen.

(I know the onslaught is going to come)

But yes, I'd take him over Messi.

 

He played different roles throughout his career.

- under Bölöni at Sporting Lesbian he was a winger. Bölöni said he had the talent but not the strength.

- he was winger in a 4 man midfield at Utd until 07. Due to injuries to Saha, RVN, Smith, 2OLEGEND he played some games during this time as a winger in a attacking 3. Most Notably at Highbury. He scored 2 goals on a 2-4 win.

- 07/08 he was given a free role in midfield (as the song goes...he plays on left...he plays on the right....that boy Ronaldo..)

- in his last year at United he played on the right of a 4 midfield. He was nowhere near the striker line up with Berbatov, Rooney, Tevez and a young Wellbeck.

- At Real he was an attacking midfielder/wide attacker that made runs into the box until 30/31 years of age and then became a box player. Where he mastered creating space in the box. For me it is interesting Zlatan did the same thing. Makes me wonder how many goals both would have scored if they were #9 box players their entire career.

So no, I absolutely don't think he's a striker. He's an attacking midfielder. The level he reached in 07/08 scoring 45 goals from midfield was insane. It beat R9, Shevchenko, RVN,Del Piero etc best seasons. I was counting them down. Not only that he won the EPL and CL during that incredible season. Rightly winning the world player of the year.

He adapted into a striker in the twilight of his career. Simply so he can save energy and be fresh for the key moments. But he's not a natural striker.


...

 

Is CR7 a winger a la Garrincha? Il Wrongo!
He was considered a trick-pony, he would pull off several senseless step-overs but no end product.

CR7 the midfielder lacks substance and football skill. He looked pretty good on a fast-break/counter-attack, but what football did he generate as an attacking midfielder? MARCELO was a more naturally gifted dribbler than he was for crying out loud. It's an insult to call him an attacking midfielder when he lacks the vision/passing skills and dribbling skills necessary to perform as an attacking midfielder.

He was clearly a side-forward/inverted winger who requires 1) to play with a false 9/or a woman like benzema/sissy striker; and 2) an attacking fullback.

It's obvious that he lacks the positional sense of a true ST, but I still he makes a better ST than midfielder.

 

The step-overs crap followed him from his first few months at Utd. He was 17/18 years old!

In no times Giggs drilled it into him that he started the same and he has to be smarter. After Christmas after his first season he stopped it.

He briefly started doing them against Wigan in the 2005 league Cup with Utd 4-0 up. Gigs went and tackled him and passed the ball simple.

By the time he was 21 he had a season where he made 30 assists in all games! 20 assists in competitive games (including CL where United reach the semi-finals. The season he destroyed AS Roma and Utd won 7-1).

It's easy to say things about people when they're very young and learning or when a player is old.

My favourite memories in football is living through the Cantona era. You only understand Cantona if you lived it. The dude would play in midfield creating opportunities for others. When it got to 60 mins and United didn't score -- he'd go up and score a goal like it was easy. It was a special time -- the final piece of the jigsaw! But as Éric said "not more important than any other piece".

For years I lived off football scraps until I watched Bölöni play the young Ronaldo. I spoke to old man Frank Cunha and others in Portugese forums. They told me this guy is way better than Figo. The more I watched I believed. I prayed Man United would sign him. I was overjoyed when it was completed. It had been a long time before I could watch someone truly special play for my team. It was a glorious period. People mocked when I said he will become the best player in the world with only Messi for competition. Ironically, they still mock coz they pick on the popular guy. You know what that's like, don't you?!

 

Being the best at what I do? Most certainly!
Dags makes it look easy, bloody effortless.

Having CR7 start in any hypothetical All-Time XI CHEAPENS the end result of the selection process.
For instance France Football's Golden Team:

------CR7---------R9-----------MESSI
------------PELE------MARADONA----

CR7 has no business there.
In a 4-2-3-1, he'll be sent home.


----------------R9---------------
-----THE----THREE-----GENIUSES (Maradona-Pele-Messi)

In order to make CR7 Fit, either Pele/Messi/Cruyff would have to start as a F9.
R9 is gone and so is Maradona.

He wouldn't be able to play alongside a #9. Il Fenomeno and Romario would not lay down for him. Van Basten was able to create for other but you can rest assured, he wouldn't become a submissive wife a la Benzema.

 

I thought Dags was going to make the case for R9 by talking about his skills and then posting the Honors from his Wiki...that post took a left turn real quick, lmao.

 

Cristiano would score goals in any team in any style, you're both right.

But for many of his later years, he has made overall teams around him poorer overall.

And this is not being adaptable in the right way. It is putting yourself above the collective.

This is what sets the true geniuses of the sport apart for me - the likes of Pele, Maradona, Messi, Baggio, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cruyff and others. They effortlessly make other players around them better. Not pick up a team and drag it to a win by doing something themselves, but actually make the players around them appear to be much better than they were.

 

It was very clear Man Utd played for Ronaldo when he returned. But isn't that the fault of the coach? He decides that tactics and style of play.

I remember this argument went on and on about Shearer playing for England.


Let's not forget we're talking about an over 35 year old that has been playing non-stop since he was 17.

 

What a performance! Sorry, Jenna.
Dags doesn't regret it one bit.

 

The coach tried his best to integrate him and get him to change but he refused until he was released from his contract to go chase individual records. The coach endorsed getting rid of Cristiano and made his team much better off as a consequence.

Cristiano is great, but single-minded, and ultimately it largely defines his legacy.

 

This was a great match. CR7 has matured as a ST. The first goal reminded me of Kahn 2002 all over again. CR7 does a great job at being alert and following the play. The second goal was an awesome finish, great positioning.

CR7 at age 36 was still faster than prime Van Basten and just as fast as prime Romario. That's right, and don't you forget it!