C Ronaldo the best player in the world?

You've thought of this a long time, haven't you?

sheva7 wrote:

Nummer 14 wrote:

sheva7 wrote:

Nummer 14 wrote:

sheva7 wrote:You don't believe in the FIFA Award, but maybe you believe in the Ballon d'Or. Guess who won it in 1999...

That is the REAL award. This is one reason why C Ronaldo should stay in England, he could easily go to Spain or Italy and win this award but it will be better achievement if he did in playing in England.

I'm assuming Dave Beckham finished 2nd?

Beckham finished 2nd in both awards.

What do Brazilian journalist think of C Ronaldo, does he get the column inches in Brazil? I know Anderson is now playing in Manchester thought if they were keeping tabs on him they may accidentally see Cristiano Ronaldo (or something )

Every Man Utd match is shown live on TV. Pundits just can't stop praising him. And he deserves it. Some of them say that he is the best player in the world. Former football players praise him as well. He is really popular here. If they read something like "CR has limited technique and dribbling skills" they would certainly disagree.

Good to hear.

Do they show Sevilla fc's reserve games in Brazil? If so how do they rate Chevanton?

"Players currently as good or better than Ronaldo:

Adebayor, Drogba, Kenwyne Jones*, Ibrahimovic, Kaka, Seedorf, Pirlo, Ribery, Robinho."

*why not just "Jones"? At this level, everyone would know who you're talking about, no?



I really don't know whether to laugh or cry, to be inspired or to despair, when I see people who know a lot more about football than me (and I'm pretty fanatical by the standards of most people I know) making assertions like this.

I mean, it's good to be polemical and counter-intuitive (I voted no), but if you're going to go this far out on a limb you have to back yourself up with detailed arguments.

He's definitely the best on form player right now...but to be honest I agree with some of the puro-esque statements about EPL teams outside of the big 4 being $h!t compared to the other big leagues in Europe. And so I believe he would have it a lot more difficult on italian or spanish ground than he has now on England

Oh Rivaldo best player in the world back in 99.

supermadrid wrote:I think Ronaldo has surprised me because i said that he would surely have a dip this season allthough i havent seen enough matches to see if he is actually performing or he is just scoring more. anyway i cant see him as the best player in the world until i see him shine against the big teams more. both against Liverpool and Arsenal i barely saw him allthough i didnt see him against chelsea. i said last season that he has alot of time and we shouldnt judge him too hard because he is still young but when some claim he is best then it has be back with great performances against the big teams aswell. so far i have though rooney has been more impressive in the big games.

Guess who scored against those teams...that's right...Carlitos Tevez...The Apache has only to look up and stare at the defenders and they will run away in horror...have Cristiano(Little Aurora) Ronaldo try something like that...



I don't think so...

Barrilete_Cosmico wrote:

supermadrid wrote:I think Ronaldo has surprised me because i said that he would surely have a dip this season allthough i havent seen enough matches to see if he is actually performing or he is just scoring more. anyway i cant see him as the best player in the world until i see him shine against the big teams more. both against Liverpool and Arsenal i barely saw him allthough i didnt see him against chelsea. i said last season that he has alot of time and we shouldnt judge him too hard because he is still young but when some claim he is best then it has be back with great performances against the big teams aswell. so far i have though rooney has been more impressive in the big games.

Guess who scored against those teams...that's right...Carlitos Tevez...The Apache has only to look up and stare at the defenders and they will run away in horror...have Cristiano(Little Aurora) Ronaldo try something like that...



I don't think so...

ronaldo and tevez were equally shite against us

ronaldo is essentially a one man team. He doesn't really need anyone else to do what he does. He gets the ball, he beats a few players, he shoots. His teammeates do not particularly matter to him. He is only to happy to accept all the glory. This he why he pretty much always struggles against teams who know how to defend properly

Barrilete_Cosmico wrote:He's definitely the best on form player right now...but to be honest I agree with some of the puro-esque statements about EPL teams outside of the big 4 being $h!t compared to the other big leagues in Europe. And so I believe he would have it a lot more difficult on italian or spanish ground than he has now on England

Oh Rivaldo best player in the world back in 99.

I simply have no idea where this idea reared its head.

How are the likes of Spurs, Everton, Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Man City for example any inferior to a Lazio, or a Osasuna? More then hold their own in the UEFA cup- infact English clubs out perform Serie A Uefa clubs massively in Europe. And even if it were true that they don't care for the competition: if you are going to measure successes of leagues in depth it is the only way to justifiably do so, rather than base it on some hypothetical biased hogwash, which makes up 99percent of puro-esque commentary on these boards

COTR wrote:

Barrilete_Cosmico wrote:

supermadrid wrote:I think Ronaldo has surprised me because i said that he would surely have a dip this season allthough i havent seen enough matches to see if he is actually performing or he is just scoring more. anyway i cant see him as the best player in the world until i see him shine against the big teams more. both against Liverpool and Arsenal i barely saw him allthough i didnt see him against chelsea. i said last season that he has alot of time and we shouldnt judge him too hard because he is still young but when some claim he is best then it has be back with great performances against the big teams aswell. so far i have though rooney has been more impressive in the big games.

Guess who scored against those teams...that's right...Carlitos Tevez...The Apache has only to look up and stare at the defenders and they will run away in horror...have Cristiano(Little Aurora) Ronaldo try something like that...



I don't think so...

ronaldo and tevez were equally shite against us

ronaldo is essentially a one man team. He doesn't really need anyone else to do what he does. He gets the ball, he beats a few players, he shoots. His teammeates do not particularly matter to him. He is only to happy to accept all the glory. This he why he pretty much always struggles against teams who know how to defend properly

Does Ronaldo really beat players as much now though? I've only seem him play a couple of times this season, but on both occasions he never really beat him marker. He seemed to cut in a lot and shoot however.

His interplay has definitely improved as has his vision.

Barrilete_Cosmico wrote:He's definitely the best on form player right now...but to be honest I agree with some of the puro-esque statements about EPL teams outside of the big 4 being $h!t compared to the other big leagues in Europe.

What?

What leagues?

I'm sorry but that's complete bullshit.

Maybe a few seasons ago but a lot of EPL teams now have a lot of quality - for instance teams like Boro being able to bring in someone lke Alves (do you think teams like Empoli could pull off something like that?)

Its not as though the 'crappy' EPL clubs have done too badly in the UEFA cup either.

well it seems to me that top teams in the other major leagues in europe have a more rough time playing the rest of the teams from the league than the EPL top ones. I mean I always hear about these "big four" in EPL(and rightly so since they always finish in the top places). I'm not saying that this doesn't happen in the other leagues but it seems to me that if it does it's in a lesser degree. Maybe what I perceive is just prejudgement and isn't really that way...don't know but that's how it seems to me

Or maybe the EPL big four are just better than their euro counterparts

ohh and $h!t might have been a bit too exagerated...I meant a bit worse

Barrilete_Cosmico wrote:well it seems to me that top teams in the other major leagues in europe have a more rough time playing the rest of the teams from the league than the EPL top ones. I mean I always hear about these "big four" in EPL(and rightly so since they always finish in the top places). I'm not saying that this doesn't happen in the other leagues but it seems to me that if it does it's in a lesser degree. Maybe what I perceive is just prejudgement and isn't really that way...don't know but that's how it seems to me

Or maybe the EPL big four are just better than their euro counterparts

ohh and $h!t might have been a bit too exagerated...I meant a bit worse

Liverpool don't seem to be finding it to easy right now. If we look at Inter in Italy for this season and the last you cant tell me it hasnt been easy for them? Real Madrid this season i think they havent won only 2-3 games or something crazy like that. epl has the money and boro reached the uefa cup final few seasons back, everton doing great in europe, tottenham also, even bolton drew against bayern away. So the standard is pretty good definitly on a par with the other two i would say.

Its funny because again people change completly from what they said not long ago. Ronaldo would be more suited to la liga, he would find it easier there, he would get more protection and he would turn into a world class player there, England is to rough for a player like him. But now England is to easy for a player like him! tis confounding.

Just because the EPL has a 'big 4' doesn't mean that the others teams simply aren't as good.

The top four teams in the EPL all have very well established finances and have a massive pulling power.

In Spain there are effectively a 'big 3' and in Italy, there is sort of a 'big 4', although Juve have been signifcantly weakened.

There are plenty of teams that are tough to beat though. I've watched lots of Serie A this season and the mid table EPL teams are a hell of a lot stronger than the mid table Serie A teams.

The teams at the bottom are $h!t in both, although the Italian teams maybe have more technical ability.

I'd still say that EPL>>>>Serie A in terms of depth.

La liga is slightly different. I'd argue that this season the EPL is level with La liga in terms of depth though, where it had previously been behind it.

Im not going to take Tweedle's stance and try and describe which league has the best "depth",

I simply dont agree that the difference is as large as made out.

Why Ronaldo should find it easier to score against the lower EPL teams than he would against lower teams in Serie A or La Liga is just baseless hogwash. No foundation at all for such an argument in my opinion.

Chins to all

Allez les rouges wrote:"Players currently as good or better than Ronaldo:

Adebayor, Drogba, Kenwyne Jones*, Ibrahimovic, Kaka, Seedorf, Pirlo, Ribery, Robinho."

*why not just "Jones"? At this level, everyone would know who you're talking about, no?



I really don't know whether to laugh or cry, to be inspired or to despair, when I see people who know a lot more about football than me (and I'm pretty fanatical by the standards of most people I know) making assertions like this.

I mean, it's good to be polemical and counter-intuitive (I voted no), but if you're going to go this far out on a limb you have to back yourself up with detailed arguments.

Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight...

Ah, the silly my-league-is-better-than-yours arguement again!

I think the top 3 leagues are more or less at the same level, the difference is only where you are standing...

And C Ronaldo is certainly among the top 10 players in the world... Now whether he is better than Ibra/Kaka/etc is a matter of taste and bias. They are very different players, its not a like to like comparison... Personally, if I have to pick 1 "best player in the world", it would probably be Buffon!!! Is C Ronaldo better than Buffon?? How the hell can anyone answer that??

its not that the Mid-table teams in the Prem are below that of the other big 3, i think it comes down to the type of defending applied by those teams, they tend to over commit and with the pace of players like Ronaldo and Henry they will simply hit the ball beyond them and run in to yard of space.

while defenders in la liga tend to stand off you a bit and use a type of zonal defense and that makes it more difficult to get in behind the defense as henry him self had said.

bluenine wrote:Ah, the silly my-league-is-better-than-yours arguement again!

I think the top 3 leagues are more or less at the same level, the difference is only where you are standing...

And C Ronaldo is certainly among the top 10 players in the world... Now whether he is better than Ibra/Kaka/etc is a matter of taste and bias. They are very different players, its not a like to like comparison... Personally, if I have to pick 1 "best player in the world", it would probably be Buffon!!! Is C Ronaldo better than Buffon?? How the hell can anyone answer that??

How many of your top 10 players are Italian or play in the Serie A?

bluenine wrote:
And C Ronaldo is certainly among the top 10 players in the world...

I sure fucking hope so.

I don't think its taste or bias, this man is doing more than anybody else anywhere by quite a margin. I think we're possibly witnessing one of the best players to have played the game, but people's ideals and bizarre stances or refusal to accept another league having such a player prevents them from seeing this. He is just 22 hes lit up every competition he has been eligible to take part in. His game has everything.

You can say all of that for Buffon (except the age of course).

L r d wrote:

bluenine wrote:
And C Ronaldo is certainly among the top 10 players in the world...

I sure fucking hope so.

I don't think its taste or bias, this man is doing more than anybody else anywhere by quite a margin. I think we're possibly witnessing one of the best players to have played the game, but people's ideals and bizarre stances or refusal to accept another league having such a player prevents them from seeing this. He is just 22 hes lit up every competition he has been eligible to take part in. His game has everything.

I haven't thought about it, but I'm sure there will be a few...

sheva7 wrote:

bluenine wrote:Ah, the silly my-league-is-better-than-yours arguement again!

I think the top 3 leagues are more or less at the same level, the difference is only where you are standing...

And C Ronaldo is certainly among the top 10 players in the world... Now whether he is better than Ibra/Kaka/etc is a matter of taste and bias. They are very different players, its not a like to like comparison... Personally, if I have to pick 1 "best player in the world", it would probably be Buffon!!! Is C Ronaldo better than Buffon?? How the hell can anyone answer that??

How many of your top 10 players are Italian or play in the Serie A?

Michel Platini challenges Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo might still be basking in the glory of one of the great free-kicks in recent memory, but one of the finest dead-ball exponents in football history has challenged him to produce his best form on the grandest stages of all.

If there could be a criticism of Ronaldo, it is that he is yet to light up the final of the Champions League, the World Cup or the European Championship, and Uefa president Michel Platini is withholding judgement on the Manchester United winger until the beginning of next season.

"If Ronaldo is the best player in the world or Europe he will have to prove it in the Euros because that will be the only way we can judge him, when all the best players will have had the chance to be recognised," said Platini, once renowned for his accuracy from the edge of the penalty area for France and Juventus. "It's difficult to compare players in competitions and teams. Is it more difficult to play right wing in Manchester than it is in Italy, where it doesn't exist?

"Ronaldo has a number of advantages to his game and, of course, the last matches in the finals of the European Championship this summer will be decisive."

Ronaldo's two goals against Portsmouth took his league tally for the season to 19 and the odds on him breaking the Premier League record shared by Andy Cole and Alan Shearer of 34 have been cut to 10-1. His free-kick on Wednesday night is also being compared to some of football's finest goals.

Ronaldo has scored 20 times in 53 appearances for Portugal.

All Time Goals for Portugal:

1. Pauleta - 88 games - 47 goals
2. Eusébio - 64 games - 41 goals
3. Figo - 127 games - 32 goals
4. Nuno Gomes - 67 games - 27 goals
5. Rui Costa - 94 games - 26 goals

8. C Ronaldo - 53 games - 20 goals


Really Impressive

King of the continent

Cristiano Ronaldo's scoring spree has not only shot him to the top of the Barclays Premier League's goals chart, he's also leading the way in the continent's top five leagues.

The United number 7's haul of 19 goals in 20 league games is unmatched in England, Italy, France, Spain or Germany. In Italy, the in-form striker is David Trezeguet of Juventus with 15 goals in Serie A, while Karim Benzema of Lyon ­- United's next Champions League opponents ­- is top scorer in France's Ligue 1, also with 15 goals.

Luis Fabiano of Seville and Real Zaragoza's Diego Milito are both in the running for Spain's Pichichi trophy, awarded to La Liga's top goalscorer, both with 14 goals.

In Germany's Bundesliga, four players are locked on nine goals - Bayern Munich's Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose, Diego of Werder Bremen and Rafael van der Vaart of Hamburg.

Ronaldo's main challenger for the European Golden Boot is Ajax's Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, top scorer in Holland with 20 goals. However, it's Ronaldo's goal haul that has got everyone talking across the continent. No wonder Sir Alex is convinced the Portuguese winger is about to rewrite the record books.

"His goals invite comparison with George Best who became United's highest-scoring winger when he hit 32 goals in the 1967/68 season on his way to being voted European Footballer of the Year," commented the United boss in his Portsmouth programme notes.

"Considering he is scoring at the rate of almost a goal a game, I certainly won't be betting against him joining Best in the record books!"

Now with 27 goals in all competitions, neither will anyone else.

Nummer 14 wrote:Michel Platini challenges Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo might still be basking in the glory of one of the great free-kicks in recent memory, but one of the finest dead-ball exponents in football history has challenged him to produce his best form on the grandest stages of all.

If there could be a criticism of Ronaldo, it is that he is yet to light up the final of the Champions League, the World Cup or the European Championship, and Uefa president Michel Platini is withholding judgement on the Manchester United winger until the beginning of next season.

"If Ronaldo is the best player in the world or Europe he will have to prove it in the Euros because that will be the only way we can judge him, when all the best players will have had the chance to be recognised," said Platini, once renowned for his accuracy from the edge of the penalty area for France and Juventus. "It's difficult to compare players in competitions and teams. Is it more difficult to play right wing in Manchester than it is in Italy, where it doesn't exist?

"Ronaldo has a number of advantages to his game and, of course, the last matches in the finals of the European Championship this summer will be decisive."

Ronaldo's two goals against Portsmouth took his league tally for the season to 19 and the odds on him breaking the Premier League record shared by Andy Cole and Alan Shearer of 34 have been cut to 10-1. His free-kick on Wednesday night is also being compared to some of football's finest goals.

Ronaldo has scored 20 times in 53 appearances for Portugal.

All Time Goals for Portugal:

1. Pauleta - 88 games - 47 goals
2. Eusébio - 64 games - 41 goals
3. Figo - 127 games - 32 goals
4. Nuno Gomes - 67 games - 27 goals
5. Rui Costa - 94 games - 26 goals

8. C Ronaldo - 53 games - 20 goals


Really Impressive

quite a mistake there...what about southamerican teams??or even african?

Your right Platini makes no sense the past 4 Euro's no one of the member of the winning team never really won the "FIFA Award". 2004 was Ronaldinho, 2000 was Figo, 1996 was Ronaldo and 1992 was Van Basten. But the FIFA Award is a farce to be fair. Ballon d'Or on the other hand .. Marco van Basten was the last winner of the Euro Championship + Ballon d'Or in 1988. Then again if Ronaldo helps Manchester United retain the Premiership, go one step better in the Champions League and help Portugal also go one step better than they did in 2004. He stands a good chance winning the Ballon d’Or .. unless Messi beats him to it.

Nummer 14 wrote:Your right Platini makes no sense the past 4 Euro's no one of the member of the winning team never really won the "FIFA Award". 2004 was Ronaldinho, 2000 was Figo, 1996 was Ronaldo and 1992 was Van Basten. But the FIFA Award is a farce to be fair. Ballon d'Or on the other hand .. Marco van Basten was the last winner of the Euro Championship + Ballon d'Or in 1988.

Mathias Sammer in 1996?

sheva7 wrote:

Nummer 14 wrote:Your right Platini makes no sense the past 4 Euro's no one of the member of the winning team never really won the "FIFA Award". 2004 was Ronaldinho, 2000 was Figo, 1996 was Ronaldo and 1992 was Van Basten. But the FIFA Award is a farce to be fair. Ballon d'Or on the other hand .. Marco van Basten was the last winner of the Euro Championship + Ballon d'Or in 1988.

Mathias Sammer in 1996?

Oh yeah Sammer how could I forget also won the Champions League the next year.

Didn't Zidane win the FIFA WPOTY in 2000??
And Sammer win the Ballon D'Or in 1996??

Seriously you were not expecting FIFA to give WPOTY to a greek in 2004!!! Winning Euro has a big advantage, but it is not everything!! If Ronaldo makes Portugal win the Euro, he will surely win all these awards... however, Platini is right.... this year there is a good chance that these awards will go to players who have done well in the Euro2008.

Nummer 14 wrote:Your right Platini makes no sense the past 4 Euro's no one of the member of the winning team never really won the "FIFA Award". 2004 was Ronaldinho, 2000 was Figo, 1996 was Ronaldo and 1992 was Van Basten. But the FIFA Award is a farce to be fair. Ballon d'Or on the other hand .. Marco van Basten was the last winner of the Euro Championship + Ballon d'Or in 1988. Then again if Ronaldo helps Manchester United retain the Premiership, go one step better in the Champions League and help Portugal also go one step better than they did in 2004. He stands a good chance winning the Ballon d’Or .. unless Messi beats him to it.

bluenine wrote:Didn't Zidane win the FIFA WPOTY in 2000??
And Sammer win the Ballon D'Or in 1996??

Seriously you were not expecting FIFA to give WPOTY to a greek in 2004!!! Winning Euro has a big advantage, but it is not everything!! If Ronaldo makes Portugal win the Euro, he will surely win all these awards... however, Platini is right.... this year there is a good chance that these awards will go to players who have done well in the Euro2008.

Nummer 14 wrote:Your right Platini makes no sense the past 4 Euro's no one of the member of the winning team never really won the "FIFA Award". 2004 was Ronaldinho, 2000 was Figo, 1996 was Ronaldo and 1992 was Van Basten. But the FIFA Award is a farce to be fair. Ballon d'Or on the other hand .. Marco van Basten was the last winner of the Euro Championship + Ballon d'Or in 1988. Then again if Ronaldo helps Manchester United retain the Premiership, go one step better in the Champions League and help Portugal also go one step better than they did in 2004. He stands a good chance winning the Ballon d’Or .. unless Messi beats him to it.

Don’t really rate the FIFA Award at all. Must have got confused with the Ballon d’Or. In which Figo won in 2000. Still 2000 seems to be the only exception for the "FIFA Award", but you maybe right about Euro 2008 most of the candidates for this years Ballon d'Or will be at the Euro’s, but Barrilete raises a good, IMO the Ballon d’Or should only recognise the achievements of European players.

I don't really like the Ballon d'or after seeing how they vote. Henry Winter one of the biggest idiots in English journalism got to pick England's choices for the Ballon d'or...wtf is that all about. And not only that he picked Maldini as num 1.

So its just a bunch of two bob journalists picking who they like...?

Ugh, somebody shoot Paltini, has UEFA ever had a more annoying president?