Ronaldo Thread

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Ronaldo helped Milan win a CL and didn't even play a minute in it
Ask Maldini

 

[joyrider]

Sheva is a way of life.

 

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I was thinking.....who are the top ten defenders in world football today? Can someone post a list? Also of this list, how many would you consider world class?
Thanks

 

[Rickaka]

Lionel Messi is impossible.

Give this a read if you want to know why Messi is actually so ridiculous. It doesn't compare to earlier era's but I don't agree with the whole 'everything used to be better' anyways.

 

[Wet Ones]

I was thinking.....who are the top ten defenders in world football today? Can someone post a list? Also of this list, how many would you consider world class?
Thanks

Ur not gonna get any such list. Especially not from the Messi fans.

 

[Redman10]

I was thinking.....who are the top ten defenders in world football today? Can someone post a list? Also of this list, how many would you consider world class?
Thanks

In no Particular order, I would say these are the top 10.

Thiago Silva
Kompany
Benatia
Varane
Sergio Ramos
Chiellini
Jerome Boateng
Hummels
Godin
Miranda

TS, Kompany, Benatia and Ramos you can probably make a case for as World Class in today's game. The others are very good to excellent defenders.

 

[Soldier_of_god]

In no Particular order, I would say these are the top 10.

Thiago Silva
Kompany
Benatia
Varane
Sergio Ramos
Chiellini
Jerome Boateng
Hummels
Godin
Miranda

TS, Kompany, Benatia and Ramos you can probably make a case for as World Class in today's game. The others are very good to excellent defenders.

godin over ramos for me. agree with the rest.

 

[leaf]

Ur not gonna get any such list. Especially not from the Messi fans.

agreed

In no Particular order, I would say these are the top 10.

Thiago Silva
Kompany
Benatia
Varane
Sergio Ramos
Chiellini
Jerome Boateng
Hummels
Godin
Miranda

TS, Kompany, Benatia and Ramos you can probably make a case for as World Class in today's game. The others are very good to excellent defenders.

Honestly the only ones that I'd call World Class are TS, Kompany and Benatia

Ramos is very good....I'd even add David Luiz (who gets an unnecessarily bad rap because he simply wants to do too much. When he focuses on defending he is a monster even though he is a positional nightmare in general)


But in reality....when you compare the previous era(s) of defenders these guys aren't as good.

Look at what we had before:

Maldini
Nesta
Baresi
Costacurta
Puyol
Thuram
Cannavaro
Hierro
Stam
Sol Campbell
Desailly


Not to mention very good defenders like
Samuel
Ferdinand
Montero
Vidic
Neville
Adams

then there's the fullbacks of yesteryear:
Roberto Carlos
Cafu
Maicon
Serginho
Evra


etc etc. It is striking the gulf in class really. Look at all the top clubs and ask yourself honestly if any of these guys compare favorably with their predecessors?

I mean, seriously, it's all very logical. As the game becomes more commercialized, the more the attacking element is emphasized and defenses get overlooked. The strategy to increase the mass appeal to the casual fan is to have more goals scored. Everything has been geared to more goals being scored, the ball, the rules, the number of free-kicks and penalties awarded etc.

Teams simply try to ourscore each other. Games with 7/8 goal margins are getting more commonplace. The better defenders are becoming so rare that guys like Luiz costs 50 million.

I simply cannot think of Messi's and CR7's stats - as impressive as they are- as simply inflated.......Fucking Messi got a penalty vs Milan from the corner flag ffs We have utterly mediocre guys like Nocerino etc scoring goals in the double digits....back a generation or two ago, outrageously skilled guys like Bergkamp, Overmars and even Zola struggled to cross 10.

 

[Rickaka]

Dru,

You ask for WC defenders anno 2014. One year. You then post a list with defenders aged 30 - 60 .
Don't bother listing wc defenders in one particular year. Thing is, the game is more attacking orientated, 100 % true. Teams tend to have more drive forward, pressure high etc. It's the way football has evolved. Fact that Messi and Ronaldo's stats are so superior compared to all other players (not like there aren't more crazy good attackers) in this already attacking orientated era, just further confirms how good they are.

Maybe these defenders have a less impressive image cause they have all been skinned at least once. You want to put that all on 'defence was better in the past', because you romanticize the past. And Brazil.

One more thing. It's easier for defenders to stand out and shine when they play in a more defensive minded team. Modern defenders who play in super dominant teams play with 50m space in their back.

 

[jammin]

 

[leaf]

We're talking about defenders

 

[Senatore_M84]

it's incredibly easy to romanticize the past because over time you forget all bad games, and remember good ones.

As time goes on, more and more so

 

[Congo Powers]

ronaldo's knees couldn't handle ye olde tacklers of golden age of yore

 

[leaf]

it's incredibly easy to romanticize the past because over time you forget all bad games, and remember good ones.

As time goes on, more and more so

Ummm no.

Actually I think it's because of R9's many shite games, and the fact that Messi/CR rarely ever go a match (let alone two) without scoring or having a masterclass performance.

Generally, when R9 was trying to prove himself he was completely unstoppable.....and he had more in his way than do our superstars of today. He faced better defenders, was on worse teams and then there was the injuries. The majority of Ron's career, he didn't have the full service of his right foot and he still won the golden ball in this condition.

ronaldo's knees couldn't handle ye olde tacklers of golden age of yore

Van Basten's ankles couldn't either

 

[Madridista]

Ronaldo wasn't as ambitious as Messi/CR. You would never see Ronaldo running like a horse in extra time to get his fourth tap in goal in a 6-0 blowout to Almeria. He was still more talented then those two. Ronaldo on his best day is better than either CR or Messi on their best day IMO. There are elements where they are better, like passing (Messi) or heading+shot power (Cristiano), but overall Ronaldo was just the ultimate forward.

 

[leaf]

Ronaldo wasn't as ambitious as Messi/CR. You would never see Ronaldo running like a horse in extra time to get his fourth tap in goal in a 6-0 blowout to Almeria. He was still more talented then those two. Ronaldo on his best day is better than either CR or Messi on their best day IMO. There are elements where they are better, like passing (Messi) or heading+shot power (Cristiano), but overall Ronaldo was just the ultimate forward.

SAF used to have to chase CR7 away from the training ground.
Meanwhile Ronaldo used to get Vieri to cover for him on Saturday training sessions
I think he was always "sick" on weekends

 

[Madridista]

SAF used to have to chase CR7 away from the training ground.
Meanwhile Ronaldo used to get Vieri to cover for him on Saturday training sessions
I think he was always "sick" on weekends

Exactly.

I will always remembr on Ronaldo's farewell game for Brazil, he said 'I never wanted to be better than anyone. I just wanted to be good'. The guy enjoyed playing, for him it wasn't about racking up stats, but he did it any way because he was that good. He was just a natural.

 

[Rickaka]

wanting to be the best is natural

 

[joyrider]

In no Particular order, I would say these are the top 10.

Thiago Silva
Kompany
Benatia
Varane
Sergio Ramos
Chiellini
Jerome Boateng
Hummels
Godin
Miranda

TS, Kompany, Benatia and Ramos you can probably make a case for as World Class in today's game. The others are very good to excellent defenders.

boateng is awfull

isn't there a good english defender? i can't remember his name, he plays for regular in the NT

 

[leaf]

wanting to be the best is natural

As Madridsta said, it was a question of drive. R9 and R10 could have gone on to break many many records if they wanted. But these guys (esp Dinho) won it all and had nothing to prove. Stats and records matter to us -the fans. To these guys - not so much. CR7 keeps his body in peak physical condition -allegedly doesn't even drink alcohol. R9 and R10 drank heavily and ZZ smoked...etc etc

 

[unda]

boateng is awfull

isn't there a good english defender? i can't remember his name, he plays for regular in the NT

Cahill, underrated player.

Boateng improved greatly over the last year or so.

 

[Mario]

Jerome is great now

Mostly hate English players but Cahill is underrated. Terry should be there too, Chelseas CBs are very good

 

[bacon d'or]

As Madridsta said, it was a question of drive. R9 and R10 could have gone on to break many many records if they wanted. But these guys (esp Dinho) won it all and had nothing to prove. Stats and records matter to us -the fans. To these guys - not so much. CR7 keeps his body in peak physical condition -allegedly doesn't even drink alcohol. R9 and R10 drank heavily and ZZ smoked...etc etc

it's nice to see fellow ronaldo fan trying to slap some sense to haters
cheers for that brah

as for me, I see ronaldo as god
I don't defend my god, my god defend me

in your face haterss muahahaha

 

[Congo Powers]

me personally i'm certainly not a hater, i like him alot

i just prefer shevchenko..i consider shevchenko to be a superior striker to ronaldo

 

[Madridista]

Ronaldo>Kobe Bryant

eod.

 

[Congo Powers]

^lol so weak

 

[bacon d'or]

me personally i'm certainly not a hater, i like him alot

i just prefer shevchenko..i consider shevchenko to be a superior striker to ronaldo

fair enough, I won't argue if you think sheva is superior
cause in the end this 'greatest striker/player' thingy is personal preference
sheva is my fav striker, ronaldo most fav player

 

[jammin]

Ronaldo wasn't as ambitious as Messi/CR. You would never see Ronaldo running like a horse in extra time to get his fourth tap in goal in a 6-0 blowout to Almeria. He was still more talented then those two. Ronaldo on his best day is better than either CR or Messi on their best day IMO. There are elements where they are better, like passing (Messi) or heading+shot power (Cristiano), but overall Ronaldo was just the ultimate forward.

SAF used to have to chase CR7 away from the training ground.
Meanwhile Ronaldo used to get Vieri to cover for him on Saturday training sessions
I think he was always "sick" on weekends

Exactly.

I will always remembr on Ronaldo's farewell game for Brazil, he said 'I never wanted to be better than anyone. I just wanted to be good'. The guy enjoyed playing, for him it wasn't about racking up stats, but he did it any way because he was that good. He was just a natural.

 

[Madridista]

^lol so weak

Impressive.

Then again, Ronaldao is a 40 year old weighing 100+ kg with two busted knees. you do the math

 

[jammin]

40 year old weighing 100+ kg = fatass? Is this the math?