Cristiano Ronaldo - v1

Luftstalag14

Luftstalag14

Culé de Celestial Empire
footyfan said:
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?
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You always have a soft spot for Ronaldo despite what you claimed, footyfan, you know it, we know it, everyone knows it. ;)

The only game this season where I saw Ronaldo creating opportunities and genuinely playing like the best player in the world was the one against ATM, the first half to be more precise. The other games? He was scoring despite having average or subpar performances (kind of like Messi's performance against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iran during the WC), not to mention some of those goals were a result of dubious penalties given. Of course, one can argue that Ronaldo is paid to score goals and nothing else matters, fair enough. So I just wanted to say, for the most part, Ronaldo is better than Messi at the moment ONLY in terms of goals scored. I do want Messi to adopt Ronaldo's hunger and motivation, but do I want Messi to dive like Ronaldo did, or fall dramatically, twisting and turning like a ballet dancer when there is the slightest contact just to ask for a penalty in order to rack up his goal tally? Absolutely not.

Speaking of Ronaldo's killer instinct, sure I will have to give it to him. He is one of the best there. However, he has been like this all along, I don't see how he is better this season in terms of killer instinct compared to his past seasons.
 
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Kerrybai

Kerrybai

New member
footyfan said:
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?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say the high shot count is all about his positioning, while I agree his hunger and positioning are second to none, he takes a ridiculous amount of shots outside the box which have very little chance of going in. This really increases his shot count and decreases his conversion rate which has always been poor, or at least poor for a player of his ability.

For me Messi is slightly above him right now but of course I'm biased. Messi's second assist for Neymar vs Bilbao where he dribblibed past 2 opponents, his second goal vs Elche, the PSG goal etc. Those are the sort of moments that for me set him apart, the moments where I literally stand up and applaud and make me say wow.

Ronaldo's start to the season has been incredible though, at least on paper... but outside of his stats I havn't really thought wow this guy is better than Messi etc. Ronaldo will almost certainly get this years Ballon Dor but I wouldn't make that call this early on, still 2 months of football or so before voting.


I'll admit he's the goal king right now, he has mastered getting on the end of his teams attacks and producing insane results. But anywhere else on the pitch Messi is above and beyond this season imo.
 
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Gaudi

Gaudi

Senior Member
I will always consider Messi better talent wise, and I'm sure I'm right, but CR is brilliant athlete, he looks stronger than ever, ultra fit. That's main reason he scores a lot, he moves better. On the other hand Messi rarely has the ball not being surounded by 4 players. Partly he is moving less without the ball, partly we play the game that is not opnening spaces rather closing.
Hate to say it but I think Messi would score more if he would be playing for RM than current (las 2,3 years) Barca....or at least easier goals.
 
serghei

serghei

Senior Member
The clasico will decide who is better atm for me. Both are in good form at the moment, but Ronaldo's goal tally gives him the edge I think.
 
MagIX

MagIX

Senior Member
we must be realistic…CR will win his 3rd golden ball (and probably his 4th golden shoe).
Maybe if Messi had won the WC (dispite not having played at his level) could have a chance.
Briefly said, Messi is paying our mismanagement, our incapacity to renew the team.
 
Vilarrubi

Vilarrubi

New member
Most of our attacks seem to be created by or come through Messi.. Before we had Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets creating everything. Those 3 have obviously lost a bit of the edge. Xavi expected with age.. Possibly Iniesta but busquets disappoints me at the moment. He is young and although he is CDM his movement of the ball up the field is non existent, any opportunity we have to counter attack he passes sideways or slows the play down. That on top of Rakitic playing a deeper role than we expected gives us hardly any creativity in midfield. The burden on Messi is huge at the moment we are expecting him to create and score 2 or 3 goals per game. It's impossible in his role at the moment. Ronaldo and FIFA fanboys will tell you Ronaldo is a winger and Messi is a CF. But let's be realistic.. We've never seen Messi play so deep like this past year. Messi really has a free role CM/CAM position at the moment which he plays really well but his goalscoring won't be like before unless tactics change or the team takes some of the burden off him.
 
Luftstalag14

Luftstalag14

Culé de Celestial Empire
Gaudi said:
I will always consider Messi better talent wise, and I'm sure I'm right, but CR is brilliant athlete, he looks stronger than ever, ultra fit. That's main reason he scores a lot, he moves better. On the other hand Messi rarely has the ball not being surounded by 4 players. Partly he is moving less without the ball, partly we play the game that is not opnening spaces rather closing.
Click to expand...

This. I felt what Messi can and should really learn from Ronaldo is the latter's movement and positioning.
 
Luftstalag14

Luftstalag14

Culé de Celestial Empire
Vilarrubi said:
Most of our attacks seem to be created by or come through Messi.. Before we had Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets creating everything. Those 3 have obviously lost a bit of the edge. Xavi expected with age.. Possibly Iniesta but busquets disappoints me at the moment. He is young and although he is CDM his movement of the ball up the field is non existent, any opportunity we have to counter attack he passes sideways or slows the play down. That on top of Rakitic playing a deeper role than we expected gives us hardly any creativity in midfield. The burden on Messi is huge at the moment we are expecting him to create and score 2 or 3 goals per game. It's impossible in his role at the moment. Ronaldo and FIFA fanboys will tell you Ronaldo is a winger and Messi is a CF. But let's be realistic.. We've never seen Messi play so deep like this past year. Messi really has a free role CM/CAM position at the moment which he plays really well but his goalscoring won't be like before unless tactics change or the team takes some of the burden off him.
Click to expand...

:goodpost:

This is really the worrisome part, that our midfield is lacking creativity offensively and we are relying on Messi and Messi alone these days to create. :(
 
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