Is CR the new John Barnes?

Great against rubbish disappears against quality opposition?

Yes.

Though he's still young - fact of the matter is, he's an impact player so if a team doubles up and sits deep, his effect is severely diminished - Henry is similar, though obviously now and again he can create a bit of magic to unlock the defence.

No - he's been outstanding for Portugal (and Figo's are big shoes to fill).

He's had a couple of nondescript games at the end of a long season. To my mind it's shown more how important he's been for Man U up till now than that he's limited.

Fact is people are double-teaming him, but his teammates aren't making use of the additional space elsewhere on the pitch.

He's much less of a flat track bully than Giggs was at his age.

Fey wrote:Bollocks, unlike TH14, he played his best matches on the highest level! EC and WC anyone??

Have you had your eyes closed?

Henry has done far more internationally than Ronaldo FFS - he was one of the players of the tournament at euro 2000 and at the WC 98 and WC 06 he scored 3 goals in each

It's more of an intelligence issue, which will come in time. He still makes a lot of wrong decisions. Which is why this whole best player in the world has always confused me. Not even close to the football intelligence of a Kaka or Ronaldinho.

In terms of football intelligence I'd always felt that Riquelme was a step ahead of anyone else - even Kaka and Dinho - he just has no pace whatsoever and the work rate of a sloth.

Sidetracking a bit but has anyone seen the 'Zidane' film? watched it at the weekend and though it was great

Tweedle wrote:

Fey wrote:Bollocks, unlike TH14, he played his best matches on the highest level! EC and WC anyone??

Have you had your eyes closed?

Henry has done far more internationally than Ronaldo FFS - he was one of the players of the tournament at euro 2000 and at the WC 98 and WC 06 he scored 3 goals in each

Ye you are right! He was amazing...

Fey wrote:

Tweedle wrote:

Fey wrote:Bollocks, unlike TH14, he played his best matches on the highest level! EC and WC anyone??

Have you had your eyes closed?

Henry has done far more internationally than Ronaldo FFS - he was one of the players of the tournament at euro 2000 and at the WC 98 and WC 06 he scored 3 goals in each

Ye you are right! He was amazing...

At Euro 2000 he was

3 goals at the last WC wasn't too bad to be fair, especially as noe was verses the supposed pre-tourney favourite

Oh joy another Henry debate, haven't seen these in a while...

robert wrote:Oh joy another Henry debate, haven't seen these in a while...

I can promise you there's been far more Ronaldo debates than there have Henry debates on this board.

this isn´t a henry debate. simply when imho utd have needed some CR inspiration this season it hasn´t been forthcoming against the real class opposition. in some of the ECL group stage away matches, v Milan, v Arsenal in PL, v Chelsea in PL and FAC. WHen it counts most he has disappeared, he is young and this may change but we waited for the change with Barnes and it never really came.

It's funny how in the big games that United don't win, the blame lies at the feet of Ronaldo, for not performing in the big games, yet this season United have won most of their big games, and more often than not, due to Ronaldo's excellent performances.
He has also performed consistantly well for Portugal, and at that level, all competitive games are big for a small nation like Portugal. I go so far as to say that since the summer of 2004, I haven't seen a better, more consistant performer in international football than Cristiano Ronaldo.

@ johninho

I think its more to do with the fac tthat he made a few bad decisions in the game - ie holding onto the ball far too long.

I also remember one moment where he cut inside and could have put in a wonderful cross but instead decided to cut back out to the wing and try and run it to the byline (and lost it)

it is the build them up to knock them down philosophy that we have on here. it's no better than the tabloids we all criticise for doing the same thing

by the time we are finished there will be no great footballers left in the world

If you are refering to Chelsea game the team wasnt playing well , he isnt a grafter a DMC who plays well when the team doesnt , when Rooney plays upfront we only have 2 attack points Rooney and Ronaldo as Giggs has shown age catching.
Its difficult to play against Chelsea specially when you are a winger/flair player because they suffocate the play of their opposition.

He was the outlet of Portugal against the Dutch and the French and England in previous yr , if you dont count them as big games then ok.

Tweedle wrote:@ johninho

I think its more to do with the fac tthat he made a few bad decisions in the game - ie holding onto the ball far too long.

I also remember one moment where he cut inside and could have put in a wonderful cross but instead decided to cut back out to the wing and try and run it to the byline (and lost it)

Yes, but they are bad decissions when he looses the ball, when he doesn't loose the ball, they are good decissions.
I disagree with this criticism of his decission making. He gets the ball, runs with pace at his opponents, to create space for him and his teammates. Then he has three choices open to him, pass, shoot or continue to run. If the ball is lost, it's a bad decission, if not, it's a good decission.
Much like Maradona or Messi, when they scored their great individual goals, as they ran with the ball, they both made several bad decissions to not pass the ball?
Players like these don't improve their decission making, they get criticised for loosing the ball, or praised for scoring and setting up oppotunities.

Why is playing against Arsenal a big game anymore?

parky still 2 games you lost

we lost both games to Hammers as well.

Parks lives wrote:Why is playing against Arsenal a big game anymore?

But you have to agree with it, especially without RvP, Arsenal just aint a big team anymore.

Perhaps the question should be, are there actually any good players left in this world, because if you read this forum, you certainly wouldn't think so.

Fey wrote:

Parks lives wrote:Why is playing against Arsenal a big game anymore?

But you have to agree with it, especially without RvP, Arsenal just aint a big team anymore.

So finishing level behind liverpool ON GOAL DIFFERENCE now means that we're not a big team, forgetting that we got to a CL final last year of course

The-Frank-Tavern wrote:Great against rubbish disappears against quality opposition?

Who are ye calling rubbish old un?

I should state that The Red Wiz is the NEW Maradonna...! Blasted John Barnes(!!!)

Anyway, how did our future Redbloods El Red Nino perform this weekend? Is he packing his bags for OT yet??

Green Arrow wrote:

The-Frank-Tavern wrote:Great against rubbish disappears against quality opposition?

Who are ye calling rubbish old un?

I should state that The Red Wiz is the NEW Maradonna...! Blasted John Barnes(!!!)

Anyway, how did our future Redbloods El Red Nino perform this weekend? Is he packing his bags for OT yet??

I dont know whether you are being sarcastic or not?! But A Madrid got trounced 6-0 by Barca, I think its a game that Torres and Frank, will want to forget.

Oh nutters, Torres has never scored more than 16 league goals in a season, despite playing in a side built around him, not sure he is the right player for us, especially at £25-30m. However if they were willing to accept Smith and Richardson as part of the deal, I would bite their hand off.

smith, richarson lets say 32m quid plus torres they are both a fucking liability. as for the weekend did it happen seem to have a memory blank

Rest assured the BEST of Torres is yet to come - and the injection of Redblood will see him set the footballing world on fire!

Need i remind you of a certain young Portugese player???

Torres has nice thighs. thats all that matters to Dick

The-Frank-Tavern wrote:smith, richarson lets say 32m quid plus torres they are both a fucking liability. as for the weekend did it happen seem to have a memory blank

I rather wished id watched the barca/AM game now - after saturday HORROR show - i could watch any footy!

How was Torres tho' Frank? The only shiing light in a doomed AM side?

Green Arrow wrote:Rest assured the BEST of Torres is yet to come - and the injection of Redblood will see him set the footballing world on fire!

Need i remind you of a certain young Portugese player???

Vaz Te?