Can Ronaldo perform against the big boys?

Cristiano Ronaldo has been voted Player of Year by football writers after a superb season for Manchester United, however there are still question marks over him being able to perform on the biggest stage against the best teams in Europe. Does Ronaldo still have everything to prove when facing strong opposition? Is he really the best player in the world?

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There can be no question marks over him performing on the biggest stage. In the world cup he really impressed, despite being booed heavily. Against France he was one of the best players on the field, and they certainly qualify as a top team.

And what about Euro 2004? He was one of Portugal's outstanding players of the tournament, and they reached the final. That says it all.

The world cup and the euros are biggest stages in football.

As are the Champions League and top Premiership games where he has rarely performed. Im tired of going on about him at this stage but one more time..

Obviously he has had a great season and at the moment is one of the top players in the world, despite that, until he starts to really influence big games then he cant be classed amongst the best. Time and time again he's built up before big games but once it comes to an end his name is rarely mentioned Instead its people like Rooney, Ferdinand, Scholes etc that turn in the big performances in these games. Scholes over the years has had some great games, he doesnt score like he used to but you rarely see a bad performance from the man and he always steps up to the big occasion.

Ronaldo, so far in his career, has usually been anonymous when faces with real quality defenders. They know how to get the better of him, get him frustrated early in the game then he starts playing for himself instead of the team. The Barcelona game in the first leg was a recent example of it, things didnt go his way early on so he just totally lost his head and really was pathetic for the rest of the game. Scholes and Ferdinand on the other hand were probably the two best players on the pitch along with Messi.

Im not doubting his ability but if he really wants to be considered amongst the best then he does need some serious improvement in big games. Hes been arguably United's best player this season - unarguably if you go by the media - but unless he does do it in big games I'll never be totally convinced by him.

Well he hasn't bagged a single goal against Chelsea in 2 or 3 seasons now, and you just have to wonder "if Ronaldo doesn't win the CL for Manchester United, will he win the Ballon d 'or ? I doubt that he deserves it if he doesn't perform though.

I agree with Conaldinho that yes he does need to perform against world class defences to be classed as number 1 in the world. Anyone who really watched United throughout the season knew that Ronaldo was not going to really threaten Barcelona. As said in earlier topics, Rio Ferdinand in my opinion has been United's best player. They would never dream of giving it to a defender when Ronaldo has had the season of his career, however Ferdinand really hasn't put a foot wrong. He has performed against world class teams throughout the season, but rarely gets the plaudits in the media.

Ronaldo is hugely important to United's future, and without him, we would clearly be a weaker side. Regarding the Barcelona games, he had a decent 2nd leg in my opinion - mainly because he wasn't as selfish as he usually is, and actually seemed to play for the team. He cannot bully great defences like he does week in week out against mid table opposition.

You look at the difference between Messi and Ronaldo in those 2 legs against Barcelona....Messi looked extremely dangerous, cutting through Uniteds defence like a hot knife through butter. He for me is the best attacking player in the world. So dangerous defences just do not know how to deal with him! Very rarely have I seen defenders get the better of him - whereas with Ronaldo there have been numorous occasions where defenders have won the battle - even that idiot Ashley Cole.

So in conclusion, Ronaldo is a fantastic player, who has had a superb season. He is one of the best players in the premier league and we need him, however he still needs to prove he is the best against the Elite teams out there. He needs to show he can do it against teams like Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona, AC Milan etc...

The good news is that there is still plenty of time. He has shown great improvement with each year that has gone by, and he can get even better.

The proof is there for everyone to see the WC and euros are a long time ago,people know him now and they have adjusted but he has not.Next season will be a defining time for him as he will have to convince anyone with an ounce of sense that he is top shelf.

For an example look at Messi. Everyone knows what he does and without Ronaldinho playing it's easier for teams to concentrate on him.Messi still was the best man on the field that day and tormented United's defense as long as his lungs could carry him.What makes it even more impressive is the fact that messi is a very limited striker ,but still was difficult to stop.When Ronaldo is not doing what he does against the weaker teams he is not a factor in games whatsoever.I must say that is a generalization and i know that he was shut down the whole game against Arsenal but was still able to score.ditto 10 man Liverpool.

I don't think you can class him along side the likes of Henry ,which may at this point in Henry's career might sound ridiculous.But people tend to have a very short memory in the UK with the constant hype machine churning out meaningless garbage. Henry for 3 season was the top scorer and top assist man in the Premiership. That means more assists than any bonafide midfielder in the league.He got those numbers against every team from the top down. Against Man U he was trouble,against Spurs he was trouble ,Liverpool etc etc the same thing. My beef with Henry is his International play.

Drogba ,another man who performs in the biggest games consistently. If he's not scoring he's still man handling defenses and laying the ball off for teammates.He's back In the Chelsea defense winning headers he's been a consistent team player and very unselfish,ask Schevchenko. Drogba should have won the players title last year ,and if everyone had woke up to Ronaldo's inability to be consistent in big games last year he would have.

Ronaldo has all the tools to be one of the greatest players of all time without question , but he needs to be consistent against the big teams ,not every single game but the majority.

I watched Messi play tonight and Henry in the Real Madrid v Barcelona game. Messi and Henry were beaten out of sight 4-1 by one of the big teams. Where were they tonight ? No-where that's where. No player can consistently do it against the top sides because they are TOO good defensively. The real truth lays in a players performance throughout the season and Ronaldo has shown HE is currently the top player in the top league in the world.

This is not true, in the last 80 minuets Messi actually began trying to dribble and did very well only to be denied by Spiderman Iker. I don't think he was trying to dribble the whole match, considering he kept passing the ball around.

Thanks to Messi's vision he assisted Henry's goal. Hands up to Madrid though, they managed to keep him asleep for 80 minutes.

I disagree......neither were in the game.....Henry, in spite of his late consolation goal, was atrocious tonight and it's no wonder barca want shut of him. Messi wasn't much better.

In the last 10 minutes of the game Messi & Henry caused Madrid a lot of trouble, more than the all the chances Barca managed in the first 80 minutes. It could very well have ended 2-4 or 3-4 if Valdes was on the other side of the pitch.

Here are the ratings by the way from Goal.com:

Real Madrid

Casillas: 7 - Looked solid, made a fantastic save from Messi in the second half.

Ramos: 7 - Was imposing down the right hand side, affording Henry little joy and getting forward to great effect. His run won the free-kick for Madrid's second. Was caught out for Barcelona's consolation goal, or would have received 7.5 or 8.

Pepe: 7 - Didn't looked like being beaten by Barcelona's forwards, as he put in another strong Clasico performance. A couple of ragged tackles, but nothing over the edge.

Heinze: 6 - His physical performance helped keep Barcelona from breaching the Madrid backline, but his tackling was occasionally off the mark, and his mouth remains a problem.

Marcelo: 8.5 - His finest performance in a Madrid shirt. Deserved a goal or assist to show for his display. He was given license to go forward, which he took advantage of to great effect. A constant menace, full of confidence and not beaten very often by Lionel Messi, either.

Diarra: 9 - Another one who quite possibly had his best performance in a Madrid shirt. He did everything but score - he had an effort cleared off the line - was unbeatable in the middle of the park, and a powerful menace going forward as well. Did brilliantly to set up the third goal.

Gago: 8 - Put in a great performance linking defence with attack, winning balls back and setting off attacking moves with incisive passing.

Guti: 8 - Assisted the first two goals, and there is little more you can ask for from the man who has set up more goals than any other in La Liga this season. Didn't do his reputation for a lack of sportsmanship any favours with a few fouls and unsavoury words from time to time, but dictated play in the middle of the park to great effect. He went off, and Madrid suddenly looked a little less imposing and dominant - the most inconsistent player in the league had a good day, thankfully for his team-mates.

Sneijder: 9 - Full of energy and quite brilliant running. Linked up well with fellow forwards and made life very difficult for Barcelona defenders with his quick movement.

Robben: 8 - A menace down either flank. Took his goal very well, and with Lionel Messi on the pitch, he took the plaudits as best runner with the ball.

Raul: 7 - Took his goal very well and was involved in most of Real Madrid's attacks, particularly in the first half. Dropped deep and pushed forward in just the right amounts. A good showing.

Substitutes:

Higuain: 8 - He took just 57 seconds to score after taking the field. The super-sub rampages on; he took his goal quite brilliantly.

Robinho: 7.5 - Came on and brought his circus trickery with him. Had a couple of Barcelona players in a spin. His cross-cum-shot was handballed by Puyol for the penalty.

Van Nistelrooy: 7 - Converted said penalty; his 50th goal for Real Madrid, and his first since January. Has been out for a while with injury, and it showed, as he squandered a chance to add another soon after, following good work from Robinho.

Barcelona

Valdes: 6.5 - Had shaky moments, but also made some good saves that stopped it being worse for his side.

Zambrotta: 4 - Lost his man - Arjen Robben - who headed home the second goal. When the winger ran at him down the flank he looked almost powerless to stop him. Continues to alternate good displays with shocking ones.

Marquez: 3 - Was not his usual calm and composed self this evening. Too slow to react, and though he was tripped by Guti as the opener was scored, he was in no position to stop Raul anyway.

Puyol: 4 - Erratic, and quite often looked a step behind Madrid's forwards, never more apparent when he was left with two left feet as Higuain took a touch past him, composed himself, and then dinked the ball over Valdes. He had some spells where he contained Raul quite well, but putting his hands in front of his face as a Robinho cross flew at him instead of heading it away just about summed up his night.

Abidal: 6 - Fairly strong in defence, and kept the motor going. His athleticism saw him keep pace with Robben whenever the Dutchman drifted out to his side.

Xavi: 4 - With Barcelona unable to stamp their authority on the game, playmaker-in-chief Xavi Hernandez must accept some responsibility. The Blaugrana could not get into the game for love nor money, and he was bypassed for much of it. He aired his frustration late on, and received a second yellow card and his marching orders.

Toure: 6 - Was relatively solid, but mostly overrun in midfield as Madrid continuously came forward in numbers. Can count himself unlucky when he and Sergio Ramos got in each other's way and the free-kick was given in the Madrid man's favour, from which the hosts added their second. Not a poor display, just received very little support from those around him. Madrid, with four midfielders, were far too strong. A player the Catalans should keep as they get rid of dead weight.

Gudjohnsen: 4 - Did not enjoy a good start to the first half and was substituted very early on - possibly with an injury, possibly as a tactical switch. Barely touched the ball anyway.

Messi: 6.5 - Could not get involved. Was well watched by Madrid's midfield and defence. It takes a collective effort to stop the star, and it worked tonight, with even Guti tracking back to give him a shove. As the game drew to a close, Madrid got a little lax, and he was ready to pounce. His running was a threat and he forced a beautiful save from Iker Casillas. The one player Barcelona must build around.

Bojan: 5 - Did not quite have the physical presence up front to cope or make any sort of impact. Was starved of service to boot.

Henry: 6 - Similarly to Bojan, he was lost up front and rarely even managed to run with the ball, which Messi managed on the odd occasion, at least. Showed his class, though, as when Ramos gave him just a yard to work with, he got in behind him and finished beautifully.

Substitutes

Giovani: 6 - Showed good work rate, but rarely managed to get involved in the game, as Madrid all over the park.

Sylvinho: 6 - Was barely on long enough to make too much of an impact, but injured himself preventing a goal.

Edmilson: 5 - Looked a little lost. Stumbled over a few times, and could do little to stop the rot.

Yeah ,but he's done it against the average teams ............consistently. haven't watched that game ,yet but it's on the dvr ready for my viewing pleasure.

Ronaldo's main problem with performing against the bigger sides is that he gets more attention, and gets less attention from his own team-mates. Counter-attacking is tougher and the wings aren't so open.

Ronaldo isn't really the type of player to come into the centre of the game and control things. He doesn't slow down the game to a normal pace in order to work possession and use the ball more dynamically. He is very much a flair, attacking player and his biggest strengths are pace & skill. It's very difficult to shine against top sides when your greatest attributes aren't usually that necessary and when they are compulsory, it's only for short spells in these big games as they're usually very tight & compact.

Somebody like Kaká is a good example of how to strut their stuff against the big boys - the reason Kaká can do well is because he is a more balanced player. He can step up or down to any type of pace and play a more modest and simpler game, rather than seeking to attack, attack, attack.

I think Ronaldo's eccentric style makes him the great player he is, and I do think he has improved as a team-player and has matured as a footballer. If he can be a little bit more modest with his game, he can bring more to a big-stage game. It'd be a good thing for him, as he'd be more involved.

BTW, my avatar is out of freaking date.

You annoy me a lot. You are so ignorantly biased and so infactuated with Ronaldo that you cannot even admit his most obvious flaws. And how was Messi atrocious? He may not have been anywhere near his best but he was still a lot better than Ronaldo was against Barcelona, Arsenal or Liverpool. Ronaldo may have scored in some of those games but that just hid the fact that he played so badly. Why can't you just admit that Ronaldo does not not play well in every game? Contrary to what you msy believe he is not perfect! So just admit that he generally performs poorly against top opposition because it's there for all to see!

I see. Well Paddy, my apologies for annoying you. I'm sure that you will find from my numerous posts that I do my best to avoid personal criticism of the other members that post their varying opinions on this forum, and I try to offer opposing arguments that promote further debate. I'm sure you will agree that football forums such as this are full of differing opinions that vary in their level of objectivity, and are influenced by matters such as the team the writer supports, level of expertise, personality and level of intellect. The conclusions that you draw about me personally are borne out of your frustration that I, apparently, can't see what is obvious to everyone else because my view is tainted by a blind bias towards the team I support. That conclusion is the obvious one to be drawn by those people who do not look further than their own point of view, in other words, a failure to see both sides of the argument and give credit to the opposing view. My stance is deliberate and is not borne out of ignorance, bias nor infatuation.

I am offering the opposing argument for further debate, and it does not necessarily reflect my beliefs. Perhaps a better description of my position might be 'devils advocate'. Of course Ronaldo is not perfect and he is capable of having a bad game, a bad week or month. I also believe that Messi is an absolute genius on the football pitch and with that talented left peg of his he reminds me a great deal of Maradona at his best. However, if we all carried the same opinions on here it would be one very boring football forum. Obviously my view point has stirred up something inside of you to make you feel annoyed and I think that is great.......long may it continue I say.

As a finishing note.......Carlos Queiroz has recently stated that Ronaldo is world class but needs to show more consistency against the top sides......now how can I argue with that

Roonanialdo - I like you!

That is all

And it is refreshing to see that Carlos has backed up what I have said. I know Carlos well, and know that he reads this forum quite a bit - he obviously read my comments on Ronaldo and felt the need to publicly back me. He is a good man

LOL

Ok I see what you're trying to do now but honeslty, in your opinion does Ronaldo dissapoint against big teams? I know you want to keep the topic going but I want your honest opinion, not just for the sake of argument.