Ronaldo....over?

**superfrank** · 14/02/2008, 4:08 PM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/foot...pe/7244079.stm

Always tragic to happen to any player but it's especially poignant when he's suffered this injury before and lost over two years of his career.

He's 31 and I certainly think this kind of injury could easily end his career considering he's had it before and he's struggled for full fitness ever since.

Sad to see after he hauled himself back to break the World Cup goals record.

I remember watching him for Inter in the late 90's and thinking he was the best forward of my time. Even though he went off the boil in recent years, he's still played for Real and AC, two of the biggest clubs in the world.

**eirebhoy** · 14/02/2008, 4:24 PM

I doubt there was a better striker to play the game. Taking everything into consideration I'd say he has the best goal/game ratio of all time at the top level. What I mean by that is it's getting harder and harder for teams to score every year with improves tactics, fitness, etc. AFAIK Puskas never played in a 0-0 draw. You'd be expecting todays strikers to be scoring a couple every game back then.

Moving away from the stats though he was just so much more than goals. An amazing talent.

**bellavistaman** · 14/02/2008, 5:05 PM

what a pity, world class player, it was on sky today that he was saying for weeks his knee was at him, but was forced to play on, and he was extremely unhappy about this, if true alot more hassle will lie in the future.

Agree with eirebhoy very much so.

**Rovers fan** · 14/02/2008, 9:21 PM

Originally Posted by bellavistaman

what a pity, world class player, it was on sky today that he was saying for weeks his knee was at him, but was forced to play on,

story of his career, two or three terrible injuries caused by playing with an injury. Who knows what he could have achieved if he remained injury free.

**Roadend** · 15/02/2008, 8:51 AM

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

I doubt there was a better striker to play the game. Taking everything into consideration I'd say he has the best goal/game ratio of all time at the top level. What I mean by that is it's getting harder and harder for teams to score every year with improves tactics, fitness, etc. AFAIK Puskas never played in a 0-0 draw. You'd be expecting todays strikers to be scoring a couple every game back then.

Moving away from the stats though he was just so much more than goals. An amazing talent.

I think Romario might have better, but I guess his career was winding down as Ronaldo was on top of his game if that's what you're getting at.

**tetsujin1979** · 15/02/2008, 11:18 AM

Think I read before that Ronaldo wanted Romario as his partner at France '98, but the coach claimed Romario wasn't fit, so he brought Bebeto instead.
Romario scored a hat trick in Brazil a week before the World Cup started.

**seand** · 15/02/2008, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

I doubt there was a better striker to play the game. Taking everything into consideration I'd say he has the best goal/game ratio of all time at the top level. What I mean by that is it's getting harder and harder for teams to score every year with improves tactics, fitness, etc. AFAIK Puskas never played in a 0-0 draw. You'd be expecting todays strikers to be scoring a couple every game back then.

Moving away from the stats though he was just so much more than goals. An amazing talent.

Muller, Puskas and Pele are just a few of the players who stats blow Ronaldo out of the water. Kocsis and DiStefano also spring to mind.

That said, the best player of his generation, and I'd put him ahead of Zidane in that. Hard to see him coming back from this at 31, sadly.

**jebus** · 15/02/2008, 1:06 PM

Shame to see him go, even if he did show a distinct lack of principles with Inter Milan. When he was at Barcelona he was head and shoulders above everyone else in the game, shame he ended up getting hacked down in Italy because he could have gone on to be hailed alongside Maradona and Pele in all time great lists. As it is I think Zidane took over from him and became the best player of that generation

**eirebhoy** · 15/02/2008, 1:42 PM

Originally Posted by seand

Muller, Puskas and Pele are just a few of the players who stats blow Ronaldo out of the water. Kocsis and DiStefano also spring to mind.

The best thing to do would be to get the average goal per game in the league the seasons those guys were scoring. Do the same for Ronaldo. Then you'll get a value of what a goal is worth now compared to then. A bit like an exchange rate. Is there any sport that can be measured (like snooker, athletics, etc) that hasn't been improving every single year? Footballers are a lot better now than they were 30 or 40 years ago.

5-2
7-2
2-3
2-0
7-2
5-2
2-3
3-2
3-4
3-0
7-4
2-3
2-1
9-0
5-1
0-1
2-5
6-1
1-1
2-2
8-2
4-3
5-0
5-0
5-0
3-5
5-2
12-0
4-3
1-1
6-0
2-1
8-0
5-0
1-1
1-2
5-1
6-1
2-1
3-0
7-1
6-0
2-0
4-2
5-0
1-1
3-0
4-2
5-1
3-2
2-2
6-3
3-0
1-0
7-1
9-0
8-3
2-3
5-1
1-1
3-0
4-1
4-2
2-2
5-0
7-3
6-0
9-1
3-1
5-4
1-1
3-1
6-1
4-2
2-0
1-3
4-1
2-2
4-5
2-2
4-1
3-1
1-0
2-1
2-0

The above the results from all the matches Puskas played for Hungary. Taken from:
http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/puskas-intlg.html

I've watched loads of old matches on ESPN classic and the standard now is so much higher than before. Take Pele as a 27 or 28 year old and put him into todays game and he would be nowhere near the best imo. Take him as a 13 year old and train him with todays facilities and he'd probably grow up to be the greatest striker currently. The fact is though that they didn't enjoy the improvements that the current players do so I'd be absolutely astonished if a player from 30, 40, 50 years ago was better standard than Ronaldo.

**jebus** · 15/02/2008, 1:45 PM

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

The fact is though that they didn't enjoy the improvements that the current players do so I'd be absolutely astonished if a player from 30, 40, 50 years ago was better standard than Ronaldo.

What do you mean?! Didn't Georgie Best once <insert overhyped dribble here> against 10 <insert random team's defenders here> to <insert heroic goal to overlook the fact the man was a wife beating drunk here>

**gaisc�och** · 15/02/2008, 2:21 PM

Originally Posted by jebus

What do you mean?! Didn't Georgie Best once <insert overhyped dribble here> against 10 <insert random team's defenders here> to <insert heroic goal to overlook the fact the man was a wife beating drunk here>

Slagging off dead people you have reached a new low....

**jebus** · 15/02/2008, 2:44 PM

Originally Posted by Axe Man

Slagging off dead people you have reached a new low....

Yeah that really is worse than beating your wife, I apologise, I guess that's why I don't have an airport named after me though

And if you think this is a new low for me then you obviously didn't read my Maddie joke that was pulled from the Joke Thread, even I thought that was too far

**Armando** · 15/02/2008, 3:24 PM

Originally Posted by jebus

What do you mean?! Didn't Georgie Best once <insert overhyped dribble here> against 10 <insert random team's defenders here> to <insert heroic goal to overlook the fact the man was a wife beating drunk here>

Christ, you really are an attention seeking whore

...well, you got your daily fix, yet again.

**jebus** · 15/02/2008, 3:32 PM

Originally Posted by Armando

Christ, you really are an attention seeking whore

...well, you got your daily fix, yet again.

Jebus rides off into the sunset with a self-nflated sense of worth yet again!

I do honestly dislike the way people fawn over that wife beating drunk however

**danonion** · 19/02/2008, 1:33 AM

He'll be back.

**seand** · 19/02/2008, 11:44 AM

You make some interesting points Eirebhoy, but I don't think you can seriously suggest that "Footballers are a lot better now than they were 30 or 40 years ago." A lot fitter, healthier, faster, yes, but better? Do you really think if Pele had been born in 1978 he would not now be one of greats?

Regarding the average goals per game, I had a very, very quick look at the average number of goals per game for the perios when Ronaldo was at Real 02-07 compared to four seasons in the early 60s when Puskas was at Real. 02-7 there was an average of 2.57 goals per game, 59-63 there was an average of 2.55 goals per game- and Puskas averaged a goal a game.

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

The best thing to do would be to get the average goal per game in the league the seasons those guys were scoring. Do the same for Ronaldo. Then you'll get a value of what a goal is worth now compared to then. A bit like an exchange rate. Is there any sport that can be measured (like snooker, athletics, etc) that hasn't been improving every single year? Footballers are a lot better now than they were 30 or 40 years ago.

5-2
7-2
2-3
2-0
7-2
5-2
2-3
3-2
3-4
3-0
7-4
2-3
2-1
9-0
5-1
0-1
2-5
6-1
1-1
2-2
8-2
4-3
5-0
5-0
5-0
3-5
5-2
12-0
4-3
1-1
6-0
2-1
8-0
5-0
1-1
1-2
5-1
6-1
2-1
3-0
7-1
6-0
2-0
4-2
5-0
1-1
3-0
4-2
5-1
3-2
2-2
6-3
3-0
1-0
7-1
9-0
8-3
2-3
5-1
1-1
3-0
4-1
4-2
2-2
5-0
7-3
6-0
9-1
3-1
5-4
1-1
3-1
6-1
4-2
2-0
1-3
4-1
2-2
4-5
2-2
4-1
3-1
1-0
2-1
2-0

The above the results from all the matches Puskas played for Hungary. Taken from:
http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/puskas-intlg.html

I've watched loads of old matches on ESPN classic and the standard now is so much higher than before. Take Pele as a 27 or 28 year old and put him into todays game and he would be nowhere near the best imo. Take him as a 13 year old and train him with todays facilities and he'd probably grow up to be the greatest striker currently. The fact is though that they didn't enjoy the improvements that the current players do so I'd be absolutely astonished if a player from 30, 40, 50 years ago was better standard than Ronaldo.

**osarusan** · 19/02/2008, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by seand

You make some interesting points Eirebhoy, but I don't think you can seriously suggest that "Footballers are a lot better now than they were 30 or 40 years ago." A lot fitter, healthier, faster, yes, but better? Do you really think if Pele had been born in 1978 he would not now be one of greats?

I think you misunderstood eirebhoy.

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

Take Pele as a 27 or 28 year old and put him into todays game and he would be nowhere near the best imo. Take him as a 13 year old and train him with todays facilities and he'd probably grow up to be the greatest striker currently.

As in, take Pele in the physical condition he was in as a player, and he'd be lagging behind.

But combine his natural brilliance with today's standards of fitness, and he'd still be the best in the world.

**superfrank** · 19/11/2008, 5:53 PM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/foot...pe/7737527.stm

I think the longer it takes him to find a club, the more likely he'll just retire.

I really don't see any top clubs coming in for him at this stage.

**Pike B** · 20/11/2008, 9:37 AM

Without doubt the best finisher of all time. An incredible striker and a real legend. Only Romario comes close to his brilliance in one on ones.. I hope he plays on.
Would love to see him in one more World Cup.