Ronaldoff

[Janik]

Match of the Day and Sky Sports pundits, who were missing that Haaland is capable of being more involved, but that Manchester City are opting to use him like that. So when he doesn't track back, he is doing precisely what he was asked to do for tactical reasons. A less dominant team like Manchester United can't afford to have a player like that in their side - they need all 11 working hard at all times to compete at the level they want to be at.

[Janik]

CRonaldo could have done that job as well for Manchester City, and maybe at his peak even more effectively than Haaland currently is. But he isn't at his peak anymore and Manchester City are better off with who they have.

[Satchmo Distel]

How many times does Ronaldo leave the last defender standing? He's a poacher not a speed and power guy at this point.

[Janik]

You can leave a last defender standing well away from you by more than just speed and power, though - reading the game and anticipation can also achieve the spacing. He has always had that ability, and that bit hasn't gone from him.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Match of the Day and Sky Sports pundits, who were missing that Haaland is capable of being more involved, but that Manchester City are opting to use him like that. So when he doesn't track back, he is doing precisely what he was asked to do for tactical reasons. A less dominant team like Manchester United can't afford to have a player like that in their side - they need all 11 working hard at all times to compete at the level they want to be at.

This isn't how it works really though. Haaland stays in his pre-determined chunk of the pitch. His job is to stop the defence from pressing up the pitch to limit space by threatening to run in behind. His second job is to occupy two to three defenders when city have the ball, and to drag then around that area. And then when they get distracted, he peels off into space to make a burst from deep when he's lost them.

He may not touch the ball very often, but he has a specific job to do for the team and he does it diligently. That he scores an awful lot of goals does tend to mask this.

Ronaldo doesn't do any of this he may be in good nick for a 37 year old, but he's not faster than any defender, he's not mobile enough to get the drop on defenders like he used to, defenders can push the line right up without unduly fearing passes in behind, and no one feels the need to devote three defenders to mark him when they have the ball and push up the pitch.

The knock on effects of this are huge on the rest of the team. Sure he scored a bunch of goals, but no more than cavani and martial did playing that positiin the season before, or martial by himself the season before that, the problem was that the rest of the team stopped scoring because including a player who did so little, fundamentally broke the team's way of playing .

[Incandenza]

So, Saudi Arabia then?

I find Ronaldo to be completely ridiculous, but even this seems too far for him.

Still, I'm reminded of a line from a Hua Hsu article about Ronaldo on the New Yorker website: "Ronaldo is self-conscious but not self-aware."

[Nesta]

Well, i tipped him to take the saudi dollar, i just thought it'd be on tyneside

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

So, Saudi Arabia then?

I find Ronaldo to be completely ridiculous, but even this seems too far for him.

Still, I'm reminded of a line from a Hua Hsu article about Ronaldo on the New Yorker website: "Ronaldo is self-conscious but not self-aware."

Just look at the sub head they had to put on that article, "what will likely be his last world cup campaign." I mean, there's your problem right there. I mean they can't rule out that the record he has his eye on is Roger milla's

That writer has a good style.

[elguapo4]

He can want any record he likes. There's the problem for him of a) Portugal qualifying in four years time and b) whoever the Portuguese manager at the time is wanting a 42 year old egotistical pain in the arse in the squad.

[3 Colours Red]

a 42 41 year old egotistical pain in the arse in the squad.

Just to be fair, like.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Just to be fair, like.

Yeah, I'm talking about the 2030 world cup

[3 Colours Red]

Yeah, I'm talking about the 2030 world cup

That's why I corrected elguapo4 because I knew he wouldn't be old enough to break Milla's record in 2026.

[Satchmo Distel]

He'd be the first player to appear in six World Cups unless Guardado (who would be 39) were still playing for Mexico or Messi for Argentina (which seems less likely).

[ad hoc]

He'd actually be the 3rd player. After Formiga (who's played in 7) and Homare Sawa

[Janik]

What ad hoc said... though I didn't know Sawa had 6 to be fair. Or that Formiga was specifically on 7.

[Sam]

I have a sneaking suspicion that Messi might retire from international football after this World Cup. It's not based on anything at all and I hope he doesn't, mainly because when he overtook Pelé's international goal total to become the highest scoring man for a South American national team I thought he'd never stand a chance of reaching Marta's tally, but he's edging ever closer to it and might just get there if he decides he does fancy one more World Cup cycle. He's currently on 93. I've always had in my head that Marta scored 109, but according to Wikipedia I was misremembering and she actually got 115. I now note, having checked one last thing after typing the previous sentence, that this is not in fact because I misremembered her tally but because she's still playing for Brazil. And is about ten years younger than I thought she was (she's 36). I'm pretty sure that when Messi scored his 78th (overtaking Pelé) Marta was on 109, and if I've got that right then he's outscored her since then, 15–6.

Back on topic, I also note that the TV commentator who a week or two ago informed me (and everyone else watching in Argentina) that Cristano Ronaldo had become the first person to score in five World Cups was ignoring Marta's existence.

Anyway, to be fair to him on this latest rumour, I suppose that when he said he wanted to play in the Champions League he didn't specify which continent's Champions League he was talking about.

[seand]

At the risk of sounding like a misogynist dinosaur I think it's fair enough to just compare Messi's total to Pele / Ronaldo / Daie without tripping over ourselves to compare his total to a player playing at an entirely different level, tbh.

[Satchmo Distel]

Yes but we should follow the norms of the forum we're on and the OTF norm is not to treat the men's records as separate from the women's without at least specifying that we're doing so. I'm happy to have been pulled up on that.

[ad hoc]

Yes, I don't think it;s unreasonable to compare like with like, just be sure that we state that's what we're doing.

[Nesta]

Idly wondering whether Formiga's 7 world cups is a record for any quadrennial competition (in any sport??).

[elguapo4]

A quick search brought up Canadian equestrian rider Ian Miller , who appeared at 10 consecutive Olympics , from 1972 to 2012.

[Nesta]

Would have to be horse stuff I guess.

[Nesta]

But, er, good for him.

[Nesta]

Bowls is in the commonwealth games as well isn't it, plausible candidates there

[ursus arctos]

Sailing is another contender