20 Feb 2016 09:51:04
Hi Ed001, I would like your opinion on the brazilian Ronaldo. Seeing clips of him the other day stirred memories. This guy was pure class and just seemed to glide past players. What are your thoughts of him as a footballer and why did Barcelona get rid of him after just one year?

I can put on the european sire if you like as its not liverpool related. I just love your opinions on players.

Regarde

Crooky.

{Ed001's Note - he was incredible, absolutely unplayable on his day, but he suffered with injuries and other fitness issues. One of the best players ever to play the game. He had skill allied to unreal acceleration that could leave anyone trying to keep up looking like they were running in treacle.

Strong as an ox as well, kind of like Sturridge with brute strength really. Though Sturridge is not quite at his level, obviously, but that strength was so useful it is a shame Studger doesn't possess it. He was almost the ideal modern day footballer, strong, quick, technically gifted, just needed to grow an inch or two so he could dominate in the air too.

He is the only non-Liverpool player I wore a shirt of, as I got given one of the World Cup 98 Brazil shipment before they went out to France from there. I think it was 98? The one when he played the final due to Nike pressure, even though not fit. My parents' friend worked for Nike in the offices where it was being shipped from (Sunderland if I remember correctly), and basically grabbed one out of the shipment and I got lucky. Sometimes wish I had just put it away and kept it rather than wore it though!}

1.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 10:16:13
Absolutely unstoppable. Power, Speed, Skill and the finishing of Robbie Fowler.
And just to add that Brazil team really was something special on its day ed.

2.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 11:19:48
Absolutely agree with Ed001 on this. The best brazilian player of his time (and i place him above Romario, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho) . Blistering speed coupled with Brazilian technique. That transfer to Inter Milan and the subsequent injuries killed the potential of an even greater career.

3.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 12:12:28
My favourite non Liverpool player.

4.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 13:57:07
Remember the latter part of his career, incredible what he could do.

5.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 14:24:57
How do people click dislike about a player so talented. He was wonderful to watch. It's one thing I miss is seeing a footballer so happy to play only person who smiles that much in this time of football or kolo to bad kolo isn't Ronaldo quality haha.

6.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 14:36:07
Just silly person's looking for a reaction mate.

7.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 14:47:10
With you Ed, 100%. I can talk about Ronaldo for days because he was the one footballer I followed from beginning to end of his career. In my thirty five years of watching football, Ronaldo is the best player I have ever seen, hands down. The stars of today will never measure up to his talent and more so, his will to be the best in the world in spite of all his injuries. Dominated the WC in Asia while playing with one shaky knee. Unparalleled! The great Clarence Seedorf who played with and against some of the best in the game, said he was the best he had ever seen. Yuri Djorkaeff, Zidane, Buffon the list goes on, said the exact same thing. Nuff said!

8.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 15:05:26
Alongside Zidane, my favourite non Liverpool player of all time. Just incredible to watch, up there with the best players of all time.

{Ed001's Note - Zidane? I don't get the love for Zidane. Too much show and not enough go for my liking. He was all about the tricks, doing a trick for the sake of it, rather than doing a trick with the intent of it creating something. Fantastic ability, like, but that show pony aspect just annoyed me.}

9.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 15:07:14
shame he had that nonscence to put up before the 1998 world cup final when he was clearly not fit, at least he made up for it in the 2002 final.

10.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 15:11:05
Personally he would be my striker in my all time 11 over pele and a few others. Ronaldo usually was the best striker to ever exist, as in not just on his day. Technically he was a better all round footballer to pele and was capable of much more. Could have been a top striker in any generation. If, as Ed 1 says he didn't have fitness issues he would have cemented his place indefenitly as the all time greatest striker. For me he still is.

11.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 15:38:56
Zidane was a brilliant player, the ball stuck to his foot, he was amazing.

{Ed002's Note - That was because of the Velcro which was eventually banned.}

12.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 16:27:19
I loved Romario and Bebeto for Brazil. I remember watching them in the world cup in a beach bar on a greek island (cant remember which one) . Brazil could certainly do with a few of the old players now. Good times.

13.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 16:42:49
Hey buttercup (EDS 001) You don't get the 'love for Zidane'? What are you smoking over there in Dubai? One of the best players ever to kick a football. Would get into most people's all time world 11. The stress of running the site must be playing havoc with your judgement. Don't worry we still love you long time though buddy. Maybe you need a day off?!

{Ed001's Note - yes he is a very good player, but he should have been far better. He could have won so much more, particularly in his club career, but he spent far too much time admiring his own skills. He might get in most people's all time 11, but that just shows they are spending too much time watching highlight reels and not enough time watching the actual match. He is the ultimate Youtube player, fantastic skills but not the killer instinct to just win games first and foremost. White Men Can't Jump comes to mind, he is the Wesley Snipes who would rather look good than win games.}

14.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 17:12:51
Tbf think messi has more in common with Wesley Snipes.

{Ed001's Note - and Neymar, and Mash....}

15.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 17:34:26
Why did Barcelona move him on after just one season? He was unreal that year like many others just don't know why he left. It would have been scary to see ronaldinho play with ronaldo as he was electric too until the party started

Crooky.

{Ed001's Note - I don't know to be honest.}

16.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 18:42:48
Based on a documentary on Ronaldo (you can YouTube it), he himself said he left for Inter because they really wanted him and offered him more money. Also at the time (I was 21 hence, old enough to remember) Barcelona were really poor and a true one man team. Ronaldo was the only reason they won games. They did win the European Winner's Cup and that didn't save Sir Bobby Robson from the sack, they were that dreadful. Ronaldo was just too big for them, in hindsight.

17.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 18:54:07
Btw, I love your movie allusion to Zidane. Like you, I never thought he was as great as they made him out to be. Was he very good? Yes. All time great? Not me. He may have scored twice in a WC final but people fail to remember he had a poor tournament prior to the game, even getting sent off for violent conduct vs Saudi Arabia in the group games. He's had great moments in his career like scoring in the CL final but also getting sent off in a CL game that cost him the Ballon D'Or to Figo or getting sent off in the WC final vs Italy. A player that talented with such little consistency can not be an all time great. As an anecdote, Djorkaeff was asked who the best player he'd ever seen was. The French moderator preempted him and mentioned Zidane. Djorkaeff replied that at no time had he ever said that. He then responded and said it was Ronaldo. Afterall, he played with both of them with France and at Inter so he would know.

18.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 19:07:09
that headbutt tainted his legacy imo. The best thing since sliced bread now he is real Madrid manager as well, I bet the president's not bugging him 24/ 7 like he apparently did with rafa.

19.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 19:11:23
Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't he play for both Barcelona and real as well inter and ac Milan?

20.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 19:28:13
im pretty sure he never played for ac milan.

21.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 20:23:34
KingKenny7, Ronaldo did play for AC Milan, it was towards the end of his career, when he was considered "fat" in the 07/ 08 season.
The worst of it is, when he retired, he'd not even played 400 club games (342 to be exact) but had scored 247 goals. Imagine if he'd made 600 apps or more, he'd have well over 400 goals.

On the point about the 98 World cup final, didn't he have a seizure a few hours before kick off?

22.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 21:23:45
Yes, he did, hfs. Roberto Carlos said afterwards that he thought he saw Ronaldo die and brought back to life. That's how scary it prolly was.

23.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 21:38:01
So many people get my posting name wrong, how difficult can it be to put 3 letters in a specific order? :D Lol.

24.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 21:57:16
I must have missed that hsf I stand corrected mate, in that case not many players can say they played for barca, real Madrid and both milan clubs. In regard to his seizure how disgusting was it that he was forced to play by his sponsers when he could barely stand during the national anthem. do any of the eds or fellow readers have any more info in regards to this bizzare incident. while were on the subject of great players cut down in there prime, marco van basten having to retire at 29 was a footballing tragedy.

25.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 18:27:29
It's blasphemous to suggest that zidane was a show pony. In my humble opinion the majority of his flicks and tricks were to make space, evade tackles, set up a chance or keep the attack going. I have a massive man crush on Zizou and will fight anyone to the death if they bismurch his character.

Of course he wouldn't be the player he was had he not had David's and makelele doing his grafting for him but all great attacking midfielders had water boys. Also all majestic attacking midfielders had party tricks. He won titles wherever he went because of his talent he carried Juve and Madrid at times and also he put in a lot of hard graft, tackling pressing etc.

{Ed033's Note - But what would you do if they besmirch his character?

26.) 20 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 20:52:42
He was overweight due to a condition called Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. In order to stabilise this condition he needed a thyroxine medication which was on the UEFA/ FIFA banned list. So retirement was his only option. Sad circumstance for a marvellous player who to this day is humble, graceful and appreciative of his career. He owns a football club here in South Florida and everyone that comes into contact with him says the he is a delight and a super guy.

27.) 21 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 23:00:51
KK7, in the documentary I mentioned on this thread, Zagalo the coach, said Ronaldo forced himself on him and he buckled under pressure. The story was that they had already decided that Ronaldo wouldn't play ask he was receiving treatment in hospital. Edmundo and Bebeto were picked to start.

Zagalo said that the team were going through the tactics and systems before the game and next thing you know, Ronaldo showed up and said he was ready to play. Zagalo said no but he said Ronaldo pressured him and he caved. Nobody believes that. The sponsor (Nike) applying pressure is a rumour that dates since 1998. There was a congressional investigation in Brazil about this issue after the tournament but nothing but baloney came out of it. I hope this helps, KK7.

28.) 21 Feb 2016
21 Feb 2016 00:25:59
thanks redohio that helps a lot. its still going on to this day with who gets capped for brazil. i'm glad it all worked out for him in the end. brilliant footballer. appreciate the info mate.

{Ed007's Note - The coach they had at the time Luxemburgo was taking bungs and giving caps to players to help boost their value and aid them in gaining work permits. Kenny Dalglish and John Barnes were stung for £5 million while managing Celtic for a defender called Rafael Scheidt - his second name was a perfect description. Here's some info about what was going on back then if you're interested:

http://goo.gl/of3JTT

29.) 21 Feb 2016
21 Feb 2016 01:13:01
Loved Ronaldo. I think he won the golden boot in every major league he played in France, Holland, Spain and Italy plus top scorer at numerous world cups. Legend.
As for Zidane he was also another great for me, he just made things look so simple and effortless unbelievable technique.

30.) 21 Feb 2016
21 Feb 2016 01:18:00
thanks ed007 I will check it out, probably explains why some very "average" brazillians have been capped, it certaintly explains why fred keeps getting capped!

{Ed007's Note - Things like that are probably a lot more common than the little people like you and me know but every now and then we get a glimpse into their murky world.}

31.) 21 Feb 2016
21 Feb 2016 02:56:30
I heard a story once ed007 that the real Madrid sponsors and money men wouldn't let the club buy players that could perceived to be "ugly" as they didn't think it suited the clubs image hence the fact they wouldn't sign Ronaldinho do you know anything about this? I know it sounds far fetched but think of the players they have signed from beckham onwards, it could also explain why they didn't sign suarez!

{Ed001's Note - it is the president at Madrid that chooses targets. For instance Bale was signed because he saw him on a billboard while in the US. They are signed for their marketability though, that is correct, though not entirely true about Ronnie, it was his off field antics that put clubs off him.}

32.) 21 Feb 2016
20 Feb 2016 21:19:54
I really like how you describe and assess a player ed01. Can you share with me your take on Henry? He's one of my favourites. Thanks.

{Ed001's Note - he is a tough one as it is like assessing two players. First off, before Wenger turned him into a striker, he was a bit of an overly laid back winger, who offered blistering pace and great skill, but very little end product. He was always on the periphery of games. Never really affected them nor added much for the team he was playing for. Frustrating is the word that comes to mind, as there was clearly talent there, but it was just not being applied.

Then Wenger decided to play him up front, whether through desperation or insight matters little, it was still a stroke of geius. While still laidback, it was no longer a weakness as it just saw him shrug off disappointments and misses and keep going. That blistering pace and acceleration became utterly devastating when he was up against the last line of defence centrally, as defences either had to give up space to Arsenal or hope to get lucky with an offside trap for 90 minutes.

That skill was no longer on the periphery of games, even though he still drifted constantly out to the left wing, as he was able to use it to get him right into goalscoring positions and his finishing turned out to be deadly. His excellent first touch and quick feet meant he was able to get a lot of chances that most strikers would have ended up seeing run through to the keeper.

Like every striker, he did need service to get the most out of him, which he got from Bergkamp, but it was not just down to having the right service. His pace and skill gave him space as no defender could get tight, they had to give him a few yards or a flick would put him past them and they could not catch him. It really was that laidback attitude that made him quite so special though, as he was composed once he got into position to shoot.

Some players look like rabbits caught in the headlines when bearing down on goal with time to think, Henry was like Fowler, he was just setting himself to put it away and had the ability to just curl it round the keeper, rather than whacking it in the general direction of the goal in a blind panic. What he did lack was the raw power of Ronaldo, he could be outmuscled and bullied at times, not very often though.

His main weakness was probably aerially, he was decent enough in the air, good leap, but his slight frame meant he was often just edged away from a heading position by a defender. That didn't really matter with the way Arsenal and, later, Barcelona played, as they were not whipping balls into the box often.}

33.) 21 Feb 2016
21 Feb 2016 11:50:08
Thanks ed01.

{Ed001's Note - you are very welcome mate.}

34.) 21 Feb 2016
21 Feb 2016 14:00:43
Spot on Ed and KK7. Perez was like that and he signed players based on their marketability which is the ONLY reason Becks was signed as he was a cash cow at the time. They would give up their image rights in order to get better wages that the club would recoup via shirt sales. This tactic infuriated some in the dressing room as Ivan Helguerra (loved him as a player) once quoted, "We are human beings, not merchandise". It was due to this pathetic policy that Del Bosque was sacked after amassing two Liga titles and one CL in four years. The rumour was that Perez wanted Wenger to replace him because he was more "tailored " to the elitist image he wanted for RM, not because he was better than Del Bosque because clearly, he was not and still isn't.