 |
| Cristiano |
Sometimes, I forget that I’m staring at the Most expensive footballer on planet earth.
From a young age, Cristiano Ronaldo’s driven and competitive nature was very apparent and made him standout.
It is said that while Ronaldo was at Sporting Lisbon’s Academy as a teenager, He would train in the gym using weights on either foot to dribble with the ball. He thought it would improve his technique because without weights he would be even faster.
It is that will to improve that has seen this talent rise to the Pinnacle of the world game.
Cristiano’s big break as a footballer arguably came in the summer of 2003 when Manchester Utd were the guests of Sporting Lisbon at the inauguration of the Estadio Jose Alvalade stadium.
45 minutes into that match and after the Manchester united defenders had gotten the hardest workout they probably faced that season as a whole, Gary Neville stepped up to Sir Alex Ferguson during the Half time Team talk and his words were “Please Sign him up boss”..
Cristiano had played like his life depended on it.
I don’t need to dabble into his history at Manchester united because I know everyone remembers that debut of his against Bolton Wanderers at Old Trafford. It was the liveliest and most spellbinding thirty minutes I’d seen from a footballer since Adrian Mutu’s cocaine fuelled days.
Any red devil will tell you if asked, that it took Cristiano some time to become a world beater…It took him precisely 3 frustrating seasons up until the 2006/2007 campaign where the signs became clear that a real gem had begun to emerge from the rough diamond.
The player had started to decide games all by himself.
He broke the 20 goal barrier for the first time and picked up his first league title with Manchester United. He then finished as the runner-up to Kaka for the 2007 Ballon d'Or, and was third in the running for the FIFA World Player of the Year award, behind Kaká and Lionel Messi.
The standout year in his time in England was surely the 2007/2008 season where Cristiano struck 42goals in the entirety of the campaign for Manchester United, which led them to Premier league and UEFA champions’ league glory.
On the 2nd of December 2008, Ronaldo became Manchester United's first Ballon d'Or recipient since George Best in 1968. He finished with 446 points,165 ahead of runner-up Lionel Messi and on January 12 2009, he became the first Premier League player ever to be named the FIFA World Player of the Year.
I remember this time so well as Ronaldo played like he was walking on water.
He was untouchable.
Fact is, Sir Alex Ferguson was asked about Cristiano and his rivals at the time which were Messi and Kaka and he replied, "I have nothing but praise for the boy. He is easily the best player in the world. He is better than Kaka and better than Messi. He is streets ahead of them all. His contribution as a goal threat is unbelievable. His stats are incredible. Strikes at goal, attempts on goal, raids into the penalty box, headers. It is all there. Absolutely astounding." “Ronaldo is streets ahead of these players”.
Truth is, he was…But maybe he knew this a little too well.
In one of Manchester United’s league games against Aston villa at Villa Park in 2009, Ronaldo had a rare bad game and was taken off, on his way to the tunnel , the villa fans close by decided to take the chance to jeer him, Cristiano responded by gesturing to the crowd that he was number 1 and he urged them to be quiet as he put his hands to his lips.
So in early 2009, it was Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Kaka in this order.
At the tail end of 2012, its now apparently Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, (700 other footballers) and then Kaka.
Where did it go wrong for Cristiano? Well,The move to Real Madrid comes to mind.
It is said that a King should never vacate his throne and turn up where he will be regarded as prince.. Yes, even for a new challenge.
Cristiano arrived in the 2009 La liga season, at the time when Lionel Messi was morphing into a monster footballer and as such, a direct comparison of the two was always going to be the case.
His first season was hamstrung by injuries and two red cards and when he exploded in the second season to total 40 la liga goals (Messi scored 34), Most of the football community branded the feat as empty since he couldn’t win the Spanish league nor the UEFA champions league..
In the 2011/2012 season, Real Madrid won the La liga with a record goal and points tally. Cristiano got 46 la liga goals while his main rival Lionel Messi scored 50goals in the campaign. This time, it was Messi’s goals that were lauded which leaves me to believe that sometimes, Cristiano Ronaldo is treated unfairly.
I’ve heard people say many a time that Lionel messi’s gift is natural, so doesn’t that make Cristiano all the more special?
Let’s face it, Nigel reo Coker can train for 24hours a day, but he’ll never be Ronaldinho, so the fact that Cristiano put himself to the profit of his game should be marvelled at in my opinion.
A perfectionist to the tee, He’s made himself a fierce competitor, doesn’t smoke nor drink, has no tattoos like the average footballer and ensures that he will have a picture next to “perfect physical specimen” when the dictionary is sought.
He has also created his own technique for taking free kicks, can score anywhere from 40yards upwards, can use both feet equally well and has a bullet header or two in his armoury when required.
He is one of the greatest dribblers I’ve ever had the chance of viewing at close quarters.
So why exactly is Cristiano always classed as second best? I’ll let you be the judge; all I did was make a case for the man.
Sometimes, I forget that I’m staring at the Most expensive footballer on planet earth.
No comments:
Post a Comment