What Cristiano Ronaldo Needs To Do To Be Truly Great
With the football season almost at its end, there is no doubt that the most outstanding player this year has been the Portuguese wing-wonder, Cristiano Ronaldo. With almost 40 goals in all competitions, few would argue that he is the player of the moment.Naturally, this has led some fans to wax lyrical about him.
Some say he is “the greatest player ever”; I have also heard others saying that he is better than Zidane, some have gone as far as to say he is superior to Pele and Maradona. I’m not going to debate on the validity of those statements. Everyone is entitled to their views and opinions, and this here is mine:
There is no doubt that Ronaldo has ability, but to call him “the greatest player ever” is pre-mature at best and absolutely absurd at worst. Surely I do not need to remind you that a player is judged by his career, not his performance in a single season. Pele, Maradona, Zidane, Maldini, Cantona, Baresi and Baggio, just to name a few, did not become great players because they had ONE great season. If that were the case, we would have to add players like Kevin Phillips and Javi Moreno to the list.
For Ronaldo to be truly great, he would have to perform like this at the highest level for at least the next few years, and along the way, win a few trophies. Although he has won all there is at the domestic level with Manchester United, he has yet to win the Champions League. He would also need to win trophies at the international level, something he has failed to do thus far. Therefore, tonight’s crunch tie against Barcelona, and the upcoming European Championships is absolutely important for him.
He also needs to cut down on his showboating. Entertaining football is one thing, senseless showboating is the another, let’s not confuse the two. Those who have watched the quarter-final match between United and Roma, and seen the incident between Pizarro and Ronaldo will know what I mean. Fast forward to the recent clash between United and Arsenal and again Ronaldo decides to show his stuff. This time, it was Hoyte who decides enough is enough and brings him down with a sharp jab to the feet.
Ferguson has claimed time and time again that Ronaldo is, and I quote, “courageous”. Rubbish. Anyone with any common sense knows he is a show-off, and there is no such thing as a “courageous” show-off or a “shy” or “timid’ show-off. A show-off is a show-off. Ever seen a guy behind the wheels of a Gallardo Spyder with the top down desperately trying to hide his face?
That is not to say it is wrong to be a show-off, but to show-off and whine and request protection from the referee is ridiculous and screams to me, “Mummy’s Little Boy”. But more importantly, I’m more miffed about the fact that he chooses to show-off his tricks at the wrong time. There is nothing wrong about pirouetting your way past five defenders or nutmegging John Terry three times consecutively before blasting the ball past Cech. I’m perfectly fine with that. What I am not fine with is when you run to the corner and show off your fancy tricks with only the intent to run down the clock. It is needless.
However, I am sure Ronaldo is not without respect or humility, Steve’s post about Ronaldo and his refusal to celebrate a goal he scored against his former club Sporting Lisbon shows that. Also, I have not forgotten that the way we play football is an expression of our “self”, but the way he goes about it rubs some people, like myself, the wrong way and I won’t be surprised if some day some psycho of a defender decides he’s had it and exacts terrible revenge on him.
That said, I’m sure Ronaldo will one day be regarded as a true great of the game, as of now, there is still some way to go and there are still some things for him to work on. In the meantime, I wish him the best of luck. Boa Sorte!
“What Cristiano Ronaldo Needs To Do To Be Truly Great”
About 1/4 of your article addresses this.
The rest is just utter whinning nonsense.
Do articles on this site get reviewed before going live? They should.
I see you are blinded by CR too.
Well Kenny…the second half of your posting is a bunch of festering tripe. You are clearly not a man U supporter (and if you are I suggest you go support the Citeh!).
The one thing I agree with is that it is over many seasons that you become a football legend. Great he is right now…legend will have to wait. But then you go into immature little boy mode. This notion that Ronaldo can’t show his tricks because he is way better than the “cloggers” who mark him is absurd. If they get frustrated and foul him, it is they who are juvenile, giving away a free kick in an advanced position and/or getting themselves booked.
Also, he doesn’t complain as you suggest, but the referees don’t do their job correctly, and more defenders should get their come-uppance. Oh, and by the way, don’t tell me that no other footballer from other clubs showboats, or dives or goes to ground. Football is about winning but with style, entertainment, tricks and goals at the fore-front. Lets put it this way…which match would non-supporters rather watch… Middlesborough v Chelsea, or Barcelona v United?
On the contrary I feel it is you, Mike, who are coming off as a bias whiner, quick to blindly defend your hero. What you describe as “whinning(sp) nonsense” is actually explaining a vital part of Rolando’s game that is holding him back. The author is by no means attempting to belittle the importance of Ronaldo’s tricks as it is a key part of what makes him so dangerous. However, great players do not do tricks needlessly, as Ronaldo often does.
I agree with Kenny that second meeting between Arsenal and United in the league this year is a perfect example of Ronaldo’s flaw. He had little impact in the game — he of course scored the penalty — but in live play he struggled to impose himself like he has in other fixtures this season. So, out of what seems to me a frustration at being kept relatively quiet, he resorts to needlessly showboating in the corner instead of simply holding it up and running out the clock.
It is this tendancy of Ronaldo’s more than anything else that portrays him as lacking a level of maturity that will be required for him to attain in order to be considered “truly great.”
I’d take it a step further and say it will take more than Ronaldo simply winning the CL, but he will have to be vital to United’s success in order to start to be considered great.
Tsk tsk. What a crappy way to miss a penalty. He bangs them in all season & then chooses to miss an important one like this! If this is a syndrome of Ronaldo then maybe he won’t be as great as Pele or Maradona…
Indeed, a great players rises to the occasion. Had a chance to grab an away goal at the Camp Nou — and he doesn’t even hit the target. Not great yet, son.
All great players have won the World Cup. Portugal is a long long way from doing that. In the Euros, teams who have battled Portugal already know how CR plays (with or without his teammates). This is one area he needs to refine his game in: international play. That Portuguese team is talented, but I admit, it needs more than showboating to defeat actors like Italy, humorless Germany, possession-crazed Spain or Fancy France.
Hi,
In the past, we have seen great players like MICHEL PLATINI, ROBERTO BAGGIO, etc… missed vital penalty that caused their country to lose the world cup final qualification or final. What Cristiano Ronaldo had done on Wednesday night is the sign that he is in the same rank like MICHEL PLATINI and OTHERS as WORLD TOP PROFESSIOANL PLAYERS. Nothing to bother about Renaldo’s performance. We are all human beings and with pressure, we can miss penalty. Try to see the positive side. Ronaldo was and is the best player of this century.
Thanks
The Gallardo thing is a bit dumb; he plays that way and it’s his most effective way of dribbling past people.
I think that very few people are complete unbiased with regards to Ronaldo, most of the people that don’t like him dislike him alot.
“actors like Italy…”
Judging by your username, it seems hypocritical when considering Germany has or had actors like Klinsmann, Klose, Podoslki etc. Poor form.
he is the best player i have ever saw
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