Your point changed along the discussion and while I saw where you were going I am kind of lost.
Raul's statistics are not as prolific as his team mates that is a given but it was never celebrated to begin with. His antics of the field were questionable and the fans were furious with him for a long period of time during the latter period of the galactico era which is also given. His popularity diminished as the seasons passed. The polls used to score over 70 and 80 percent in favor of him staying but reached a mere 40-50%. Pretty low for a Madrid legend towards the end of his career, however, that was purely on a footballing basis.
You say he is over rated but was he actually? I mean when did he ever win the player of the year award? His only individual awards were given in the Champions League for being top scorer and being the top forward. Decent awards, pretty deserved for being the first player to ever score in two finals, only matched by Eto'o.
You are looking at Raul from the wrong point of view mate. Name one informed Madridista who would call Raul our number 9. No one. He simply never was, and the times he did play as a lone striker he was gobshite and never succeeded. Unfortunately, we have had coaches who did play him there and for long periods of time.
It was Valdano who brought him into the first team as a 17 year old to play behind the strikers and Capello who used him as an LWF. His link up and his ability to score crucial goals (vs loads of goals) is what illuminated his career. He was known for that and he is celebrated for that.
Not a single person ever boasted about Raul's career statistics because they meant nothing for the best of career, although for a second striker they were pretty good. A near fifty percent for a second striker is excellent. Players like Del Pierro have an average of around .42, and he played a similar role to Raul. Ronaldinho's career best is around .48 with a high scoring Barcelona (a season where he was the only goal scorer boosted his average too), Totti is around .42 too, perhaps only Tevez has a high ratio at City, Droga has a poor record before he turned a real number 9, what about Anelka? Claudio Lopez, Luis Garcia, Aguero, Mista, etc...FREAKIN BUTRAGUENO did not have a better record for god's sake! Tell me he is not a legend.
The only two players who are better than him in terms of statistics for a certain period of time are Roberto Baggio and Bebeto.
In short, his statistics are not worse than other legends in the game, nor are they better. He was involved heavily in club success and his trophy cabinet is matched by only very few elites. He is a Madrid legend and he served the club and his duty as a team player since he was 17 through 26. Hardly four years as you mention. His capabilities as a player were limited and for that he never won a Ballon d'or and rightfully so. He was known for being intelligent on the field and that is not something you can take away from him and you will never be able to. Not with statistics not with any fancy schmancy powerpoint or videos from some shady Madridista. Raul's behavior off the field since the age of 26 were shady as fuck but sorry, we are not Barcelona, we do not turn our backs on our club legends!
