Cristiano Ronaldo: Expert Claims That World’s Best Player Should Be Sold
Cristiano Ronaldo is widely thought to be the world’s best footballer. In the battle for the title as the world’s best, just about every pundit would come down to a choice between Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo or Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. Ronaldo is so good that a tally of four goals in his last eight games and three games without a goal is counted as a crisis for the Portuguese superstar.
According to Sky Sports, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 36 goals in 33 competitive games this season, but has not found the back of the net since notching twice against Getafe almost exactly a month ago. ESPN points out that “Ronaldo was in amazing form throughout the autumn months as Real Madrid scored 30 goals in 20 games to romp through the Champions League group stages and sailed clear at the top of La Liga, setting a new European club record of 22 consecutive wins in all competitions.”
For most players, a run of three matches without a goal would not be any kind of a big deal. In fact, prior to joining Real Madrid, Ronaldo scored 118 goals in 292 games, an average of one every 2.5 games and most of these were for a Manchester United Team who were the dominant force in European football.
In his 10 appearances since the start of December’s Club World Cup, Ronaldo has scored just four times, an average return of one goal every 2.5 games. He has also missed two more games through suspension after being sent off at Cordoba for kicking an opponent.
Whilst Ronaldo has maintained a scoring rate equal to his average before joining Real Madrid, his current form is seen as a crisis, at least in the Spanish media. The problem is that since moving to Madrid, Ronaldo’s form has been out of this world. He scored no less than 288 goals in just 279 appearances, obviously a return of better than one goal per game.
Ronaldo won the coveted Ballon d’Or in 2013 and 2014 after twice being runner up to Lionel Messi. Why then is his current for such a cause for concern?
Spanish football expert Terry Gibson believes that Cristiano Ronaldo’s “obsession” with individual achievements is having a negative effect on Real Madrid’s team performances. Gibson has controversially claimed, “I’ve looked at the performance of Real Madrid and I think they should sell Ronaldo at the end of the season.”
“I think his individual obsession with his own achievements is hindering the performance of the Real Madrid team.”
“They can’t find the system that suits all the players that they’ve got. We’re talking one star player and just below that we’re talking about other world class players such as Toni Kroos, Jamez Rodriguez and Gareth Bale.”
“This list goes on but he is above them, I just think Real would be better off taking the big money they would still get for Ronaldo and re-investing it in other world class players. I think they might be a better team for it.”
These comments will do little to quell the rumors that Cristiano Ronaldo could return to his former club, Manchester United, at the end of this season.
If Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo struggle against Schalke, a side they thrashed 9-2 on aggregate at the same stage last season en route to lifting the Champions League trophy, then the rumblings are likely to reach fever pitch.
What do Inquisitr readers think? Is Cristiano Ronaldo’s “dip” in form a cause for concern or a mere blip that will soon be rectified?
[Image via Autoronaldo/Forbes]
