Cristiano Ronaldo - v1

[blaugrana1987]

Ronaldo really should have had more assist by now. Problem is that Bale hasnt really turned up this season yet, and Benzema likes better to score in the CL than in the league against low tier teams. Had a good all round game today, not just goals.

Yea, I noticed Bale was really wasteful. Today was the best game I watched Ronaldo in quite some time...Although he scored two easy goals, he should have had more assists on top of it. He was generally looking very dangerous.

 

[Morten]

I think he'll probably win but the European player of the year award isn't really a precursor. European journalists (read hipsters) basically got tired of him winning everything and had been trying since 2012 for any of Schweinsteiger Ribery Iniesta Cristiano etc to end the hegemony. We know that without the reopened vote and hattrick against the Swedes Messi would have walked Bd'or last year. Even after all of that it was still close. If Messi Passes Raul first against Ajax, then passes Zarra against RM with another hattrick (2 in league clasico's is already historic), you can bet it will be too close to call and I favor Messi with those top scorer in two elite competition records at 27.

Messi being all time top scorer in la liga doesnt count for much against Ronaldo though, Ronaldo has been in several leagues, you cant expect him to contend with Messi as la ligas all time top scorer.

 

[blaugrana1987]

He's been like a machine. Ballon d'Or of 2013 was rightfully awarded to him, but people have to remember that Messi's injury also played a part.

I have a question for you guys. Don't you think it's weird that they moved the deadline date for votes to right after the WC play-offs? Also, Blatter made some rather insulting comment about Ronaldo one or two months earlier. As for the voting results, Ronaldo only won by around 3% while Messi won most of his Ballon d'Ors with a landslide. Considering all this makes me think Messi will win it.

Messi would need to start outscoring Ronald, which is possibility but it depends on alot of factors. He should also be great at El Classico and beat Zarras record as soon as possible. That way he COULD win it, but I doubt it now. Had he scored 3-4-5 goals yesterday (and he should have) then he would be in much better position.

 

[Morten]

I should correct my post, Benzema likes to score in la liga as well, the problem is that he always run in offside. Everytime Benzema recieves a through ball i expect a call.

 

[blaugrana1987]

I should correct my post, Benzema likes to score in la liga as well, the problem is that he always run in offside. Everytime Benzema recieves a through ball i expect a call.

Benzema looked great today. I thought he was one of your best players. His ability to get the ball in center, with his back turned to opponents goal and then passing it to spread the play is integral part of your counter attack.

 

[Luftstalag14]

Messi is not likely to outscore Ronaldo at this pace that Ronaldo is at. Ronaldo scores for more than 50% of all their goals these days, Messi is far less.

At the end of the day, as long as we prevail, it is what matters most.

 

[CuleLife4Life]

Did you guys notice when Benzema scored his 2nd, CR had a chance to take the shot himself since he was one on one with the GK but gave Benzema the assist instead? He has gotten to be a little less selfish these past games I've seen from him. Bale has actually gotten more selfish.

 

[Morten]

Benzema looked great today. I thought he was one of your best players. His ability to get the ball in center, with his back turned to opponents goal and then passing it to spread the play is integral part of your counter attack.

I like Benzema, and he really is the perfect striker for us when he is in form. We dont need a classical striker who bangs in 30 and dont do much else, as we have Ronaldo and to some extent, Bale to get our goals. His understanding with Ronaldo and Bale, back to the goal play is briliant. But he really doesnt seems to know how to time a run at all, and i wish he was more deadly in the box sometimes.

 

[Morten]

Anyway, i hope Ronaldo takes the ballon dor. But i really wish they did something with that system. The worlds best player is a good concept, but i mean, how do you compare Messi and Ronaldo with let us say Neuer, Lahm etc? Completely different positions and roles in the team. What i saw from Neuer with Bayern and Germany this year was for me very impressive stuff, consistant too. If he walked off with the ballon dor i wouldnt complain.

 

[NotInHere]

Damn 2 goals? 13 goals in 6 games? I think Messi can still win the award, if he scores a lot of goals on these upcoming gsmes and gets the best of Ronaldo in the Clasico, but its Ronaldos award to lose if Leo doesn't pick it up at least in scoring.

Rightfully so, Ronaldo has had a fire start of the season

 

[evilhita666]

Damn 2 goals? 13 goals in 6 games? I think Messi can still win the award, if he scores a lot of goals on these upcoming gsmes and gets the best of Ronaldo in the Clasico, but its Ronaldos award to lose if Leo doesn't pick it up at least in scoring.

Rightfully so, Ronaldo has had a fire start of the season

That's all the award has come down to: goals scored... This is not a case for Messi nor against Ronaldo, but the Ballon d'Or is devalued right now as I don't think it represents the real essence of the best player of the season, so many players get shunned and overlooked just because they are not the ones padding stats...

 

[footyfan]

That's all the award has come down to: goals scored... This is not a case for Messi nor against Ronaldo, but the Ballon d'Or is devalued right now as I don't think it represents the real essence of the best player of the season, so many players get shunned and overlooked just because they are not the ones padding stats...

I hear this all the time, but you have any examples of players who deserve(d) to win the Ballon D'Or besides Messi or Ronaldo? Make that the last 5 years even. The only one I can think of is Xavi in 2010 and it's not totally a disaster that Messi won for his phenomenal year.

You're watching two of the greatest players of all time (I've upgraded Ronaldo to my personal top 10) who are the two most crucial players on their team. I agree that media coverage matters a lot for the Ballon D'Or but if there are players who are dominating the headlines scoring THIS many insane amount of goals, they deserve to win. Without a doubt. Similarly, if there are players that are as consistent and crucial at the highest level for their teams as Messi/Ronaldo, then they deserve to win too. I don't see any goalkeepers goalkeeping as well as Messi/Ronaldo scoring, no defenders defending as well as Messi/Ronaldo scoring and no midfielders midfielding as well as Messi/Ronaldo scoring.

So maybe just accept that this entire era has been dominated by two goal-scoring superstar machines and the general criteria will obviously follow them the most. It's all relative. As one 'best player of the year' award, this is about as good as it can get. I wouldn't mind it being split into best goalie, defender, forward and midfielder

 

[Luftstalag14]

I hear this all the time, but you have any examples of players who deserve(d) to win the Ballon D'Or besides Messi or Ronaldo? Make that the last 5 years even. The only one I can think of is Xavi in 2010 and it's not totally a disaster that Messi won for his phenomenal year.

You're watching two of the greatest players of all time (I've upgraded Ronaldo to my personal top 10) who are the two most crucial players on their team. I agree that media coverage matters a lot for the Ballon D'Or but if there are players who are dominating the headlines scoring THIS many insane amount of goals, they deserve to win. Without a doubt. Similarly, if there are players that are as consistent and crucial at the highest level for their teams as Messi/Ronaldo, then they deserve to win too. I don't see any goalkeepers goalkeeping as well as Messi/Ronaldo scoring, no defenders defending as well as Messi/Ronaldo scoring and no midfielders midfielding as well as Messi/Ronaldo scoring.

So maybe just accept that this entire era has been dominated by two goal-scoring superstar machines and the general criteria will obviously follow them the most. It's all relative. As one 'best player of the year' award, this is about as good as it can get. I wouldn't mind it being split into best goalie, defender, forward and midfielder

What does that mean? What do you use to measure other players' ability to do what they do best compare to Messi and Ronaldo scoring?

 

[footyfan]

Messi imo has been the better player this season but goals count for everything in modern football. Messi with a better classico and a couple of hat tricks will make it a tight call.

I've watched Real and Barca games and Ronaldo has been better imo, although it's close. In addition to scoring at an insane rate, he has been creating quite a few opportunities for Bale and Benz to fuck up and just generally leading his team to victory, like Messi. His only loss was against Atletico Madrid and he had a decent claim to being the best player in that match (+ it's frikkin Atletico, so...). What sets him apart from Messi so far this season is his killer instinct. He looks hungrier and deadlier, by a distance. He has mastered the art of being at the right place at the right time, and his movement across the pitch is phenomenal. Those high shot counts you see are not even the result of him being selfish, but just his amazing positioning time and time again and the ability of his team-mates to find him.

I haven't considered Messi the outright best player in the world since his injury against PSG, but I never considered Ronaldo as the outright best player either. It was equal imo. This season, Ronaldo has been the best player but it's only early days. Overall Ronaldo has made up a huge amount of ground on Messi. They are I believe tied on (important) team trophies despite Messi being on a GOAT team for 4 years and Ronaldo is breaking records at Messi's pace from 2 years ago. Would be interesting to see if Ronaldo can get close to Messi's 21 consecutive game scoring record. He's on 6 right now. And would be very interesting to see how Suarez affects Barca's offensive dynamic and Messi's scoring.

Oh and on the last couple of pages I was reading about comparing Ronaldo to Diego Costa?! Really?

 

[footyfan]

What does that mean? What do you use to measure other players' ability to do what they do best compare to Messi and Ronaldo scoring?

You can't "measure" it. It's all subjective, and relative. Is Neuer really as much better than the second best goalie, as Messi/Ronaldo are from the third best goalscorer? Is Thiago Silva that much better than Benatia? Is Iniesta that much better than Modric/Pirlo?