What a bizarre list of players to mention. Pauleta was Portugal's top scorer before Ronaldo, and Makukula and Liedson barely played for Portugal. Makukula won 4 caps ffs, and the one goal he scored actually saved Portugal's ass vs Kazkahstan. Liedson didn't start playing for Portugal until he was in his 30s either. You're really scraping the bottom of the barrel with some these comparisons to try and pump up Ronaldo. And regardless how much you try to paint Ramos as a guy who can't score goals, he still has a goal return of 1 in 2 for Portugal, and almost all of those appearances came as a late sub. That game when Santos dropped Ronaldo and Ramos scored a hat-trick must haunt your dreams.
Also if one looks at the advanced stats of Ramos he has some of the best G/A contribution per 90 in Europe. When you take away strikers that rely on penalties he looks even better. For example his numbers are far better than someone like Jonathan David. He is a little unlucky to be playing behind Balon D'or winner Dembele. Leao is likely to be tried as a CF tomorrow it will be interesting to see if he can become a CF the way Dembele has. That will be another wrench in the mix. Ronaldo tends to need a CF to play off to be at his best so perhaps a front 3 of Ronaldo Ramos Bernardo could work with Bernardo doing more defensive work to make up for Ronaldo and making it more of a 442 at times.
What a bizarre post indeed. It's as if there was no context about Portugal strikers that are isolated not being able to score in big games...yes very bizarre indeed. It would have been great if there was context so the reader could understand why there was a list. Clearly its the writer who has very poor reading/writing comprehension. Switzerland as we all know is just as good as Spain and Ramos scoring the only 3 goals for Portugal in such a nail biting game was proof Portugal doesn't need Ronaldo. Without his goals it would have been a 2-0 win for the Swiss because we live in imagination land. And since then Ramos has been super duper quadruple clutch for Portugal scoring when he was called upon. Again proving living in imagination land wins you every argument. Next.
They like to perpetuate this narrative that Ramos is some donkey who can't score in order to justify the delusion that Ronaldo still deserves to be the uncontested starter at CF while playing in Saudi Arabia at 40 years of age. Mind you, I'm not even claiming that Ramos is some world class striker who would light it up, but he absolutely deserves more playing time than he's given, especially when Ronaldo is being useless. Hilarious that you're using the context of "big games", when you're comparing scoring in the Nations League to the World Cup knockout rounds. And once again trying to make it seem like Ramos's goals didn't matter because it was a blowout, when the main reason it was a blowout in the first place was because of those goals. And almost every time he's "called upon" is to play a handful of meaningless minutes. This is the same stupid argument over and over. There's really no point in engaging with you.
Uh uh what? Who cares what Felix does in Saudi Arabia. Those other guys are scoring in the CL, not against *checks notes* Iraqi teams. Also perfect timing with the narrative that Ramos supposedly can't score in big games, lol.
So, João Neves out injured (boo), and is replaced by... Nuno Tavares? If you're going to call-up a LB to replace a midfielder, where is Guerreiro? Why is he never called up anymore?
Rapha Guerreiro must have done something to really piss off the FPF.. A guy that helped us win the 2016 Euro, 2019 Nations league, scored against Switzerland in a World Cup knockout game.. Why he is no longer called up is absolutely mind boggling, especially calling up Nuno Tavares over him.. LOL
Starting XI Costa Dalot, Dias, Inacio, Mendes Ruben Neves, Vitinha Bernardo, Bruno Fernandes, Pedro Neto Ronaldo
Looks like we aren't scoring until we make subs and change the formation. Can't wait for the Ronaldo haters to go on and on about him not doing anything while he is standing in the middle of 4 defenders and we pass the ball around 500 times from the corner flag to the center circle up to 45 yards from goal then send errant crosses to the keeper. Same old same old
Vitinha, Neves and Fernandes in the midfield just ain’t it. Dalot has been playing like dog sh1t. Why not put Matteus Nunes at right back.
Bruno looks horrific. He holds the ball forever. It’s like time stops when he gets the ball. Never dribbles, when he’s supposed to be a playmaker. Takes idiotic shots, nonsensical flicks that lose the ball. Dalot looks just as bad offers no support to Neto and no offensive outfit. that’s what you get when you include two 16th plaxe players in your lineup though
What a crap performance so far. Ireland defend in a 5-4-1 low block and we don't have enough numbers in the box and end up just crossing endlessly
Bernardo is washed dog shit. Dude cannot play LW. He has no right foot. Weakest link on the team. Even Man City want nothing to do with him. Why does this bum keep getting called up?
Why not put Ramos up front with Ronaldo instead of Bernanrdo. Fernandes adds nothing Another crap first half because the manager cannot pick a starting lineup that works.
Good example there of why having Bruno upfront is useless. Cannot dribble; then he just throws himself to floor to try winning a pen