Cr150
- Thread starter El Flaco
- Start date
Co0ter
Senior Member
Did you even watch R9 play back then? Like actually watch the games. His dribbling and control was other-worldly, just like Messi. Except he could do it with both feet. Same with his shooting and finishing.
Everyone has their opinion on what makes a player great. Titles, goals, personality. I look at Ronaldo as a taller, stronger Messi. As I mentioned, he dribbled at pace the same way Messi did, but with both feet. His finishing was clinical with both feet as well. He had the pace of Cristiano and the acceleration of Messi. Not to mention he had the same flair Dinho did, except he used it quickly and efficiently, and while Dinho did as well...a lot of it was showboating. He and Messi are the most entertaining players I've ever seen.
Messi is not a superior dribbler to Ronaldo. If you guys don't know that, I don't know why you're even talking about R9 in the first place because you clearly never watched him before. They are both best of the best regarding dribbling. Freekicks, sure, Messi is likely a lot better. Fast combination play and through balls factor into vision, which I already stated Messi was superior in, not just to R9 but to everyone. Finishing? Again. No way. Ronaldo was clinical with both feet- from range, dribbling around the goalie or shots from inside the box. He was the beast of beasts.
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Good for Allegri. For the past years CR has just walked on the pitch waiting for headers and tap-ins. Make the bastard run again.
JohnN
Senior Member
Dribbling can be quantified. Messi in numbers with successful take ons and dribbles completed in dangerous areqs per match is otherworldly. No player comes close.
Finishing has many aspects also. Messi over the years has achieved goals with.
Close range placement, long power shots, long curlers, chip shots, week foot lobs, free kicks over/under/beside the wall, headers, chest, dribbling the keeper. He broke the record for most goals scored in a calendar year. And his ratio goals/shots/game is once again unmatched.
Ronaldo didn't reach those numbers, so statistically he is not on the same level. As far as the "art of the game" it is subjective so I cannot comment.
You should look into actual data not your feelings. Nothing you've said is factual. Of course everyone can have their own preference.
Co0ter
Senior Member
Why would I look at career statistics when the point was comparing them and their traits while at their best. Ronaldo blew out his knee 3 times during his career and had thyroid disease during half of it. I physically watched them play while at their best. You dont need to dish out stats to accurately describe a players traits. We all know Messi's stats on paper are uncomparable.
te amo barca
Blaugrana al vent
CR had a much better career than Ronaldo.
As did Pedro and David Villa.
te amo barca
Blaugrana al vent
No, I did not mean in terms of trophies. CR's stats and decisive moments speak for themselves.
Then you can just compare the stat of their best year/season.
Stats? Well, Im sure Lewandowski has better stats than R9 had. Is he in any way in the same class as the original Ronaldo was?
te amo barca
Blaugrana al vent
I know that young Ronaldo was a force of nature but his peak was very short compared to CR/Lewa. A good chunk of R9's legacy is dictated by his WC win. Lewandowski is handicapped in this regard as he plays for a comparatively weak nation and has almost no chance of winning an international tournament. If he had been Brazilian/Spanish or something and bagged himself a WC or Euro win, he would have been held in a much higher regard.
Lewandowski is closer to R9 stats-wise than he is to CR. According to transfermarkt, CR has 672 goals and 229 assists (901 goal contributions) in 893 games. Lewa has 459 goals and 128 assists (587 goal contributions) in 630 games. R9 has 295 goals and 77 assists (372 goal contributions) in 452 games.
Moreover, R9 only has 14 goals in 40 CL appearances. The format was different before 1999, but still. Lewa has 73 goals in 96 games. After the nostalgia starts working in Lewa's favor as well when he retires, especially if he manages to bag another CL or two, he will be rightly regarded as one of the best forwards of all time.
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