How often did he take his opposition player on yesterday and beat them? Yesterday he was on the wing but didn't take his man on once (now that may be because they were structurally good). He didn't power past any of them and he was bundled off the ball quite frequently. He's not slow by any means and he's still good athletically but he used to be able to breeze past players when i used to watch him play. I haven't seen him do that anymore recently
So you're basing it on yesterday? Not having a dig, just asking. His percentage of successful take ons hasn't dipped, maybe the number has, I can never find Bri when I need him...
Just from the little i've seen off him (champions league and euros). Would be good to know the number of take on he does now and how successful he is.
I haven't noticed a dip in his performance, in fact he seems to be scoring more than ever, but it will happen sooner rather than later (relatively) because he's such a physical player. He looks to keep himself in formidable shape though so I imagine he's got a good few years left at the very top, and when his pace is no longer much of a weapon his other attributes will carry him on. I'm sure he'd make a class CF for a top side in his late thirties.
Arnold Schwarzenegger said he's one of the fittest athletes he's ever seen, bearing in mind he must have seen some phenomenally fit athletes back in day I can't see Ronny slowing down aged 31.
If you watch him for Madrid now there is little question his game has changed. He's not changing positions as much, coming deep for the ball. Stats are one thing, if it's stats alone then Suarez is the best footballer in the world. There's no suggestion that he doesn't remain top class.
I don't buy this "hasn't done it on a world stage" 2004 - Finals of Euros (having scored in the semi-finals) 2006 - Semi-Final WC (losing 1-0 to France in a tight game) 2008 - QF (losing 3-2 Germany in great game) 2010 - 2nd Round (losing 1-0 to Spain) 2012 - Semi-Final (losing to Spain on penalties) 2014 - an actual failure in the 'group of death' (Germany, USA, Portugal, Ghana) They went out on goal difference. 20 years ago England made a semi-final and we hail the players for it (and rightly so!). Ronaldo makes a QF, 2 semi-finals and a final and "he hasn't done it for Portugal"? They have never failed to qualify for a tournament with him and in all of the above tournaments they were knocked out by finalists, and 4 of them by the eventual winners. None of this "Romania outplayed us because we couldn't be arsed to turn up" ****e.
Portugal would probably have done just about the same without him, he doesn't seem to add a lot to the side compared to how good he is for his clubs. It's not like Bale who almost singlehandedly drags Wales to victory, Ronaldo is there and plays ok but he hardly stars for them. I've yet to see him play well in a cup final either, not that I can remember. It's the most important game of the tournament and it's when he's at his worst. Scoring a penalty in a shoot out takes balls but it doesn't mean he played well.
He scored in Moscow vs Chelsea for us in the CL final. Also a quick googly search says he's got 11 goals in 17 finals... Not bad.
That is a lot of goals, more than I would have thought. Maybe I'm too harsh on him, from my observation he doesn't play well in finals but those stats suggest otherwise. It depends on the final I suppose, he might have scored six in the Spanish cup final against Las Palmas or some poor sod.
Often after the game is won though mate. I know you love him and I've always been a fan but it's fact that he simply doesn't impact the big games.
So he got a hat trick against Sweden, big deal. Doesn't negate any of my points, I didn't say he never scores for them. If he's the best player in the world he should get a few more of them should he not.
In the play off qualifiers for the world cup, in the away leg when Ibrahimovic had Sweden on the verge of preventing Portugal from qualifying for the tournament. It's not exactly a minor friendly, its a high pressure game when his country needed him and he scored a hat-trick. It was a big deal. He has scored more goals for Portugal than anyone has ever scored for England. Portugal punch above their weight in football and he's their captain, he hasn't 'retired from international football' like others may do at his age to prolong his career and i suspect he has no plans to do so. Genuinely think people who think he hasn't produced for his country are barking up the wrong tree. How well do people expect Portugal to do? Similar population to Hungary, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Sweden but do as well as countries with 3 or 4 times the number of people.
is that the same as Beckham who did it in the qualifier ala ronaldo but never in the big time and wayne fatboy rooney?. Ronaldo just doesn't do it in the big matches and finals. Still a phenomenal player and better to have a flat track bully in your team than someone who only turns up in a big game. To be fair, he's finals record isn't bad, but its no where near that of a great player or even decent imo.
