Former Spain international Marcelino is the latest to heap praise on the magnificent Portuguese by calling him "the most complete player in the history of football". Amazing as Ronaldo is, this praise does not offer a true reflection of what he brings to the ballpark.
D. Ray Morton, 6th October 2014.
Cristiano Ronaldo made the amazing seem routine again last night with yet another Liga trifecta, this time against Basque side Athletic
Cristiano Ronaldo was on fire again last night as Real Madrid thrashed Athletic Bilbao 5-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu with their main man netting another hat-trick to make it a remarkable 13 goals in 6 Liga appearances this season so far. Former Newcastle United and Spain centre-half, Marcelino, was the latest to heap admiration on CR7 stating that he is the most complete player in the history of football.
Ronaldo is indeed incredible. As an attacking force, there are few things he does not do perfectly. His athleticism is unquestionable and he has one of the strongest mentalities in the modern game in terms of always seeking perfection and bettering himself. There is, however, a pitfall when you refer to Ronaldo as being "complete" and it actually takes away from realising what he does best.
There is an old tale about Ronaldo's time at Manchester United. Showing off his latest trick to the lads in training, a wily Paul Scholes watched on in amusement. Ronaldo had, perhaps, just demonstrated a flashy step-over or an incredible juggling act to Scholes and co. and the old, red-headed midfield conductor decided to teach the young pup a lesson. Spotting a set of long distance targets at least forty yards away, Scholes proceeded to plant three lofted passes precisely onto each. Ronaldo's jaw dropped in amazement as it was something he could not replicate and probably still could not to this day.
Ronaldo is indeed incredible. As an attacking force, there are few things he does not do perfectly. His athleticism is unquestionable and he has one of the strongest mentalities in the modern game in terms of always seeking perfection and bettering himself. There is, however, a pitfall when you refer to Ronaldo as being "complete" and it actually takes away from realising what he does best.
There is an old tale about Ronaldo's time at Manchester United. Showing off his latest trick to the lads in training, a wily Paul Scholes watched on in amusement. Ronaldo had, perhaps, just demonstrated a flashy step-over or an incredible juggling act to Scholes and co. and the old, red-headed midfield conductor decided to teach the young pup a lesson. Spotting a set of long distance targets at least forty yards away, Scholes proceeded to plant three lofted passes precisely onto each. Ronaldo's jaw dropped in amazement as it was something he could not replicate and probably still could not to this day.
Paul Scholes, a former teammate of Ronaldo's, could dictate the midfield tempo and pick a pass the way the Portuguese can not
This is no criticism of Ronaldo as his position on the pitch these days usually does not require such an attribute but it does indicate that there are players who can do things he simply does not and can not do. This is the beauty of football. If you are to argue that a player is complete, should that not mean he can play in every outfield position on the pitch à la ex-Barcelona (now manager) and Spain's Luis Enrique? Should it mean that they have every attribute a footballer needs at an on-average higher level than everyone else? And yes, that does include tackling.
Ronaldo, more accurately, could be described as the most complete attacking player of all-time though there are those who might argue that legendary Dutchman Marco van Basten or Brazil's Ronaldo, El Fenómino, deserve that recognition. There are attackers with better positioning than CR7 and there are definitely players with much higher work-rate, aggression and the ability to sacrifice themselves for their team-mates. A player like Luis Suárez, who joined Liga rivals Barcelona this season, demonstrates that level of ruthless doggishness which Cristiano does not. Can he weave through those tiny spaces like Lionel Messi? Does Ronaldo have the characteristics, for example, to really improve the players around him in the Portuguese national team? Recent World Cup evidence suggests not so much though his overloaded schedule last season is worth considering when making that judgement.
So let us drop these silly remarks about who is the most complete in the history of football because the point does not make a whole lot of sense. Admire this incredible player for what he brings and do not dwell on the idea of "completeness" because as fallible humans, no-one is complete.
Ronaldo, more accurately, could be described as the most complete attacking player of all-time though there are those who might argue that legendary Dutchman Marco van Basten or Brazil's Ronaldo, El Fenómino, deserve that recognition. There are attackers with better positioning than CR7 and there are definitely players with much higher work-rate, aggression and the ability to sacrifice themselves for their team-mates. A player like Luis Suárez, who joined Liga rivals Barcelona this season, demonstrates that level of ruthless doggishness which Cristiano does not. Can he weave through those tiny spaces like Lionel Messi? Does Ronaldo have the characteristics, for example, to really improve the players around him in the Portuguese national team? Recent World Cup evidence suggests not so much though his overloaded schedule last season is worth considering when making that judgement.
So let us drop these silly remarks about who is the most complete in the history of football because the point does not make a whole lot of sense. Admire this incredible player for what he brings and do not dwell on the idea of "completeness" because as fallible humans, no-one is complete.
But what about "most complete manager?" I mean surely David Moyes fits that description?!
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