Real Madrid’s desperation to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United just doesn’t show any signs of abating. The Los Merengues are ready to pay a whopping £70 Million as transfer fee and also ready to offer a contract worth £20 Million a year to bring the Portuguese whiz to the Bernabeu. But does the Real Madrid hierarchy understand how Cristiano Ronaldo can actually integrate into the current system and deliver at the Los Merengues?
Cristiano Ronaldo was a fairly unknown quantity until the 2006 World Cup in Germany. The Portuguese started his goal scoring exploits in the 2006/07 season and this exactly coincided with the departure of Ruud Van Nistelrooy to Madrid. Manchester United boasted of a top quality centre forward in the form of Nistelrooy who was their main target man in the opposition box.
The Red Devils hugely relied on him to get the goals but with his departure United lacked a clear target man with Rooney playing the role of deep lying attacker. This situation allowed Ronaldo to drift from the midfield and play the role of a target man and he ended up scoring 23 goals in the 2006/07 season. The following season saw Ronaldo converted into a complete second striker on paper and on the field he was the main target man with Rooney and Tevez playing supportive roles. It was no surprise that Ronaldo ended up scoring a phenomenal 42 goals that season.
Real Madrid currently have two of the greatest goal poachers in their line up in the form of Raul and Nistelrooy and if Ronaldo does happen to join the Los Merengues it will be difficult for him to repeat his goal scoring exploits at the Bernabeu. If the Madrid faithful are looking for Ronaldo to be the goal provider rather than the goal scorer bad news, Ronaldo provides less than he scores and if they are looking for creativity in the midfield then Madrid have plenty of options in the form of Robinho, Robben and Sneijder. Ronaldo is just surplus requirement.
The Red Devils hugely relied on him to get the goals but with his departure United lacked a clear target man with Rooney playing the role of deep lying attacker. This situation allowed Ronaldo to drift from the midfield and play the role of a target man and he ended up scoring 23 goals in the 2006/07 season. The following season saw Ronaldo converted into a complete second striker on paper and on the field he was the main target man with Rooney and Tevez playing supportive roles. It was no surprise that Ronaldo ended up scoring a phenomenal 42 goals that season.
Real Madrid currently have two of the greatest goal poachers in their line up in the form of Raul and Nistelrooy and if Ronaldo does happen to join the Los Merengues it will be difficult for him to repeat his goal scoring exploits at the Bernabeu. If the Madrid faithful are looking for Ronaldo to be the goal provider rather than the goal scorer bad news, Ronaldo provides less than he scores and if they are looking for creativity in the midfield then Madrid have plenty of options in the form of Robinho, Robben and Sneijder. Ronaldo is just surplus requirement.
At Manchester United Cristiano Ronaldo was given the full freedom to roam the pitch while at Madrid a similar role is given to Wesley Sneijder. If both are to play in the same team then there is a very little chance of them forging a successful partnership, a similar case to that of Lampard-Ballack in Chelsea, Lampard-Gerrard in England and Kaka-Ronaldinho in Brazil. Further the arrival of Ronaldo could only complicate things in the dressing room with Sneijder and Robinho clearly displeased with Madrid’s public pursuit of the Portuguese, all the recipe for an impending disaster.
Cristiano Ronaldo was enhanced by likes of Rooney, Tevez, Scholes and the Los Merengues clearly lack players of such quality. Real Madrid have produced certain high profile transfer flops in the past like Michael Owen, Saviola, Cassano and Baptista to name a few who just couldn’t adapt to the style of football at the Bernabeu. If Ronaldo does complete his switch to Madrid it will be a challenge for him to adapt and deliver or be a part of the ever growing list of high profile transfer flops.
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