Ronaldo vs Man Utd Season 2002/03

Danger Zone

Just the tip...
Wee trip down memory lane, I always loved this game. Ronaldo bags a hat-trick against United at Old Trafford and leaves the pitch to a standing ovation from the home support.

This was after his horrific knee injuries, this was the Ronaldo who was already noticeably heavier and who some were already speculating might be done and on his way out.

He might have been heavier but look at him tear away from Ferdinand at that first goal, and Ferdinand was quick! Barthez took grief for the first goal, which I understand ,but in truth I thought Ronaldo caught him out by taking the shot early and drilling it low and hard at the near post - most players would take another touch and go across the keeper. Always loved the commentary at the hat-trick goal which sort of says ‘well there’s feck all anyone can do about that’.

P.S the vid is worth it for the Cantona intro alone

 
Just phenomenal.

This was him at 70% on one good knee and one of the best teams in the world had no answer. The pace was noticeably diminished but he was was still rapid and mostly everything else was still there: skill, power, balance, two footed...

The best I've ever seen, even with one functioning knee.
 
Literally watched this straight after I messaged you about him. The best number 9, that’s him half a knee out of the two. What a player, what a player.

I’m slightly annoyed he didn’t achieve more, even with his injury he should have done more. Without stereotyping, countless examples exist of Brazilians, Adriano and Ronaldinho.
 
The best I’ve ever seen. Basically had to mould himself into a completely different striker after his injuries and he was still world class. Had he stayed fit there would be no debate about the best player of all time.
 
Mental he never won a Champions League medal.

A boyhood hero of mine. Just the best striker of his generation, despite his injury troubles.
 
Wee trip down memory lane, I always loved this game. Ronaldo bags a hat-trick against United at Old Trafford and leaves the pitch to a standing ovation from the home support.

This was after his horrific knee injuries, this was the Ronaldo who was already noticeably heavier and who some were already speculating might be done and on his way out.

He might have been heavier but look at him tear away from Ferdinand at that first goal, and Ferdinand was quick! Barthez took grief for the first goal, which I understand ,but in truth I thought Ronaldo caught him out by taking the shot early and drilling it low and hard at the near post - most players would take another touch and go across the keeper. Always loved the commentary at the hat-trick goal which sort of says ‘well there’s feck all anyone can do about that’.

P.S the vid is worth it for the Cantona intro alone

I loved R9!! Probably a generation thing but he is my pick for GOAT!! The way he played was a joy to watch.
 
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The best I’ve ever seen. Basically had to mould himself into a completely different striker after his injuries and he was still world class. Had he stayed fit there would be no debate about the best player of all time.

Too many games too young.

A common problem
 
One of my favourite ever players he was the ultimate number 9.
I don’t think anyone would argue, if you said he would be the best player of all time if he never done his knee’s (not even saying knee).

I was lecturing a pal on him a few months back and he seems to have been forgotten about.


My favourite non-rangers player ever, and I seen him at the end. Totally jealous of older bears.


When I got bored talking I just made them read that thread.
 
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The closest I’ve seen to R9 is Mbappe (not even as good). That shows how good he was, his football greatest is by far the best of the series.
 
I don’t think anyone would argue, if you said he would be the best player of all time if he never done his knee’s (not even saying knee).

I was lecturing a pal on him a few months back and he seems to have been forgotten about.


My favourite non-Rangers player ever, and I seen him at the end. Totally jealous of older bears.


When I got bored talking I just made them read that thread.
Some thread that mate. He was a joy to watch in his pomp.
 
Yet we are reduced to wee Messi winks if anyone challenges your views on a player. God help anyone not lined up with your views :))
 
Ridiculous player.

Would be worth more than the current top two in the world as it stands. It’s hard to imagine him in the modern game as there’s simply not one player like him.

You think of the current stand out centre backs - De Ligt, Van Dijk, Kimpembe, Konate etc - he’d turn every single one of them to dust.
 
Ridiculous player.

Would be worth more than the current top two in the world as it stands. It’s hard to imagine him in the modern game as there’s simply not one player like him.

You think of the current stand out centre backs - De Ligt, Van Dijk, Kimpembe, Konate etc - he’d turn every single one of them to dust.
That’s something we can agree on :)
 
I would urge everyone, take 23 minutes of your life and watch his footballs greatest on YouTube. It is by far the best in the series .
 
I would urge everyone, take 23 minutes of your life and watch his footballs greatest on YouTube. It is by far the best in the series .
I just watched it.
Hard to describe my feelings for this guy at his peak.
96-98, at the very top of the game, he was the greatest player there has ever been.
All the stuff that you’ve seen Ronaldinho and others do, he did it first, and better.
If he didn’t have the injuries and maintained that form, he’d have been the greatest ever. I don’t even think it would be a conversation.
I realise people will probably think of others, but it would be like Ali in boxing, or Jordan in basketball. Outsiders would just have associated football instantly with Ronaldo, because he was that good.
So so sad that we never got to see him become what he should have.
The only one that hurts me more, from a personal and Rangers point of view is Michael Mols.
 
I just watched it.
Hard to describe my feelings for this guy at his peak.
96-98, at the very top of the game, he was the greatest player there has ever been.
All the stuff that you’ve seen Ronaldinho and others do, he did it first, and better.
If he didn’t have the injuries and maintained that form, he’d have been the greatest ever. I don’t even think it would be a conversation.
I realise people will probably think of others, but it would be like Ali in boxing, or Jordan in basketball. Outsiders would just have associated football instantly with Ronaldo, because he was that good.
So so sad that we never got to see him become what he should have.
The only one that hurts me more, from a personal and Rangers point of view is Michael Mols.
He is the best number 9 in history IMO. Don’t care about the injuries, I’ve just watched him on the tele rip Nesta to shreds.

EDIT: he’s the only footballer I can remember to have 3673636273737 conspiracy theories as to why he didn’t play a game.
 
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He is the best number 9 in history IMO. Don’t care about the injuries, I’ve just watched him on the tele rip Nesta to shreds.

EDIT: he’s the only footballer I can remember to have 3673636273737 conspiracy theories as go why he didn’t play a game.
I still don’t know if we’ve ever really heard the full truth.
With regards the stuff about him training in that YouTube clip, were his knees not supposed to be so fucked that he couldn’t really train anyway? Hence the weight gain etc?
Sad that he couldn’t maintain a decent diet or lifestyle even if the training mightn’t have been an option.
We were undoubtedly robbed of the best of him through his injuries, but possibly a little disappointing that there may have been questions about his attitude latterly.
Still absolutely loved the guy though!
 
I still don’t know if we’ve ever really heard the full truth.
With regards the stuff about him training in that YouTube clip, were his knees not supposed to be so fucked that he couldn’t really train anyway? Hence the weight gain etc?
Sad that he couldn’t maintain a decent diet or lifestyle even if the training mightn’t have been an option.
We were undoubtedly robbed of the best of him through his injuries, but possibly a little disappointing that there may have been questions about his attitude latterly.
Still absolutely loved the guy though!
I mentioned earlier, him and his successor (Adriano) had appalling life styles.
 
I thought aliens put him on Earth to see him take the piss out of the world's best defenders when I was 8.

He was terrifying.
 
He is the best number 9 in history IMO. Don’t care about the injuries, I’ve just watched him on the tele rip Nesta to shreds.

EDIT: he’s the only footballer I can remember to have 3673636273737 conspiracy theories as go why he didn’t play a game.

Nike had that Brazilian National team’s testicles in their hands through the numerous long term (some were a decade long) sponsorship deals, and Nike must have started squeezing said testicles to get their poster boy Ronaldo on that pitch regardless of his mental state.

I thought it was massively unfair on such a young guy.
 
ronaldo.jpg


One of my favourite pictures in football. Shows what he was like at the time. A complete powerhouse and blur for defenders, with all the skills and range of finishing included.

His injuries were a travesty for football.
 
At a time when we had Figo, Zidane, Shevchenko, Maldini and countless other superstars of the game, Ronaldo was head and shoulders above them as the best player in the world. So far ahead it wasn’t up for discussion. No Messi v Cristiano Ronaldo conversion, it was clearly Ronaldo. For 2-3 years, it just wasn’t a debate.

Yet, looking back, it feels like he is more of a “what might have been” than a genuine contender for the greatest of all time IMO. He could have, should have, been in that debate with Pele, Maradona, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo; he deserves to be in that conversation. Yet because of his injuries, because he never quite hit the even greater heights we all knew he was capable of, he doesn’t quite get the credit he probably deserves.
 
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