🤯 Cristiano Ronaldo has netted nine times in 11 games for Manchester United this season, all of them have been decisive goals (game-leading, equaliser, winner) #UCL pic.twitter.com/Nl1yfH5A9A— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) November 2, 2021
So have all the pundits stopped blaming Ronaldo for ruining Man Utd’s system?, because that’s what they were doing like, a week ago
Now the story is all about how Ronaldo is 'saving' and 'carrying' Manchester United. Just to be clear... 1. Ronaldo's 1-1 goal, while excellently executed, was a relatively easy goal served on a silver-platter by Bruno Fernandes. 2. Ronaldo's 2-2 goal was an extremely lucky goal, directly assisted by an incredibly lucky deflection; yes the goal was perfectly executed by Ronaldo, but this level of luck factor is very unlikely to repeat on high difficulty games versus better opponents than Atalanta. 3. Manchester United did not win the game. 4. Ronaldo always ends up 'carrying' clubs that do not deserve him, like Juventus, and like Manchester United; the story repeats itself, and Ronaldo fanboys will never sufficiently comprehend the fact that Ronaldo simply benefits from receiving literally all of the service; Bruno Fernandes literally specializes in passing the ball only to Cristiano Ronaldo. Mesut Ozil also specialized in passing the ball only to Cristiano Ronaldo, and the result was bad. Real Madrid did better in La Liga 2011-12 and La Liga 2016-17, when the service distribution was more or less evenly distributed across the team. 5. Are modern clubs allergic to man-marking defensive strategy?? Many of Ronaldo's goal, especially his 2-2 goal, could be canceled with efficient man-marking strategy. Ronaldo's positional intelligence is great, of course, but he scores goals that would be impossible to score back in the 2000s, when the idea of man-marking was still used efficiently, when necessary, even if it wasn't the default method of defensive strategy.
Juventus 0-3 fiorentina Most shots Cristiano Ronaldo=6 No other player on the pitch had more then 2 Most key passes Cristiano Ronaldo=3 Danilo=3 No other player on the pitch had more then 1 Most successful dribbles Cristiano Ronaldo=8 Franck Ribery=5 No other player on the pitch had more then 4 https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1495645/LiveStatistics/Italy-Serie-A-2020-2021-Juventus-Fiorentina 35 years old and 10 months
Mr Antonio 'Nutella' cassano strikes again https://www.manchestereveningnews.c...s/ronaldo-cassano-message-man-united-22365327 https://www.goal.com/en-ng/news/i-g...ella-cassano-capello/1n93nxnke0111gvqs2gte2db I think all that Nutella messed with his brain chemistry
Maybe good to put this Bergkamp video here now (made after the thread was started): Albeit I think I even find the 2001/02 version (a bit below the cut-off for the thread) more entertaining (maybe even the most entertaining in the series, not that I think it was his peak as a season overall or as player in general as such) His agility and ease of movement was also a but further declined by 2004/05 I suppose, but in essence he was the same kind of player as in 2001/02 still, even moreso in the deep-lying supprt striker/AM role by then even (and when he got into his stride he could still get some decent speed up).
I think he is still a good mention yes. 10 - Based on the day of their 10th assist, David Silva is the third oldest player in Premier League history to reach 10 assists in a single campaign (34 years 189 days), after Dennis Bergkamp in 2004-05 (35 days 263 days) and Paolo Di Canio in 2003-04 (35 years 262 days). Grace. pic.twitter.com/uGbbjwhyZI— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 15, 2020 Just looked at the PL website now and he remains the oldest until now yes (between 2020 and 2024 no one who is past age 31 or so). Basically all from open play isn't it? For goalscorers with 10+ goals it is I think Sheringham in 2002-03, aged 36, but if you take away his penalties, it becomes Zola, also in 2002-03. Then Ibrahimovic in 2016-17 I guess? (less sure about Ibrahimovic) As I said before (in the euro 2000 thread): https://arsenal-mania.com/forum/threads/youre-roobish.6599/ https://www.svenskafans.com/england/66680 https://www.skysports.com/football/news/2328240/opta-player-of-the-month In that February 2005 month (with open play goal and win vs Manchester United!) he didn't play the last game of the month and was out in the 74th minute (1 assist) and 79th minute (1 goal, 1 assist) in two other games. So maybe he'd be 'OPTA player of the month' if he had played everything and/or the last match in the month. This was the last time Arsenal finished in the top two (which they always did between 1997 and 2005). In combined goals and assists (excl. penalties) he is really joint-third with Hasselbaink, behind Henry and Lampard for 2004-05. In this season England was #1 in the coeffients. https://kassiesa.net/uefa/data/method4/ccoef2005.html#google_vignette edit: on a per 90 minute rate him and Robben are #2 and #3.
Ibrahimovic is the oldest to score 15 or more 15 - At 35y 125d, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the oldest player to reach 15 @premierleague goals in a single season. Vintage. pic.twitter.com/CV68bl0J3X— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 5, 2017 17 goals (including 2 penalties) Still think he wasn't the best 'team player' however.
I couldn't confirm off the top of my head if Bergkamp's 04/05 assists are 100% from open play, but the video can help and/or checking the Premier League website (04/05 games) and then Youtube for highlights (or the overall Bergkamp assists video if it remains available). Yeah, Zola had such a good season in 02/03 that Abramovic wanted to keep him at Chelsea. Maybe a big call, but potentially his best Chelsea season since his debut one in 1996/97 (going by average rating on DBS Calcio that would seem correct actually, but whether he was really a better player in/over that season compared to 1998/99 perhaps or 2000/01 maybe could be in question I guess).
This is outdated Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 18 #PL goals for @ManUtd this season, as many as he did in his final season at the club before leaving for Real Madrid ✊#BHAMUN | @Cristiano pic.twitter.com/zBVI5NdxOR— Premier League (@premierleague) May 7, 2022 was 37 years old at the time of this record(born in 1985)
if we include outside of PREM (forgive me if there are La Liga or Bundes ones too).. but since I follow Serie A: Luca Toni (Hellas Verona) in 2015 scored 22 goals (Age 38) and was Capocannoniere (Golden Boot) along with Mauro Icardi. Dario Hubner (Piacenza) in 2002 scored 24 goals (Age 35) and was Capocannoniere along with David Trezeguet. What makes him even more unique is that he didn't play a single Serie A game until he hit 30 years old; Late Bloomer.
Yeah, Liedholm also topped the ratings in 1956-57 with 35 and 1958-59 with 37 - the latter the same age as Baggio. https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/serie-a-old-ratings.2109524/#post-38601895 https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/serie-a-old-ratings.2109524/#post-38610159 Liedholm and Baggio's feats were impressive
I just saw @CristianoPuskas shared this a few days ago on twitter and youtube. He was 34 and 9 months here (I'd say yes that - excluding Feyenoord players - he is possibly my #1 favorite player, yes) Dennis Bergkamp masterclass vs. Chelsea 2004 pic.twitter.com/VH1huXU6f8— Fußballkönig (@GyurkaSarosi) August 16, 2024 So a few months before 35, the title of the thread, but for that see post #107 But nice that CristianoPuskas still has something positive to say about Cruijff, in an indirect way
Di Natale, although not in the glory period of Serie A (and not doing a lot outside the domestic games?)
yes thats true.. Di Natale was one of my fav "underrated" strikers in Serie A. However, I didn't mention him as once he hit 35 was when his decline begun after scoring back to back 23 goal seasons at age 33 and 34. Another small striker from Napoli that had a great 35yr old season was Fabio Quagliarella. He hit 26 goals for Sampdoria and tied Batistutas record of scoring in 11 straight Serie A games. One of his goals from that year was this beauty that was a Puskas nominee
He would be pretty close to my favourite non-Nottingham Forest player (there were some possible suggestions he could become one in 1995 I remember though), and I would say in effect at certain points he would have been my favourite current football player (eg around World Cup 1998 and for a while either side of that, then also during 2001/02 probably as another example).
This is going to sound a bit mad, and I apologize if it's already been mentioned in the thread, but didn't Tugay have some pretty awesome years at Blackburn when he was very old footballing wise? Or maybe he just looked old... remember him bossing some games completely, barely being able to jog.
I just saw this - that was when he was 34-35 yes in that season (mostly 34; b. 10 may 1969): "Bergkamp done things that I have never seen!" 🪄Who was the most important player to the Arsenal 'Invincibles'? 🔑 pic.twitter.com/BLhAxobej6— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 27, 2023 The full video is on youtube, I see. Of course, some time before I had already seen this. Love the extensive scan Dennis Bergkamp did after his pass early in this attack. He saw the space where he 7 seconds later would create his art.In our footage from the 2003-2004 Premier League, Bergkamp was the forward (of 33) with the highest number of scans per second (0.39). https://t.co/WzO35Q9BJp— Geir Jordet (@GeirJordet) March 2, 2024 https://www.thetimes.com/sport/foot...st-scanners-visualise-field-of-play-n37kzltx9 (he was more productive the season after this though; 3rd of the league excl. penalties both accumulative and per 90) December 2023: In Freddie Ljungberg's Unseen, made by the Swedish broadcaster Viaplay, the Swede says that the Dutchman is the best finisher he has ever played with and shares a nice anecdote. "I'm often asked who the best player I've ever played with is. I really don't know," says Ljungberg about his football career. "That question is really impossible for me. I do know who the best finisher I've ever played with is. That was Bergkamp. In certain positions you really knew he was likely to score. I never doubted that. No one else finished as well." "A nice anecdote," Ljungberg continues. "I hope he doesn't mind me telling you this. We players took a few corners and it didn't go so well. I don't think he was too happy about that. After the training session he said: you have the goal there and you're on this side, then you can turn the ball into the goal with your right foot. He demonstrated it once and turned the ball into the top corner of the far corner. He said: it's that easy, you can do this too. So yes, if you can put the ball anywhere from that distance, then you're pretty good." Despite, as mentioned above, still doing well in the indexes he didn't really register in the awards and stuff (he was 'Player of the Month' for February 2004 however, the Chelsea game was at the end of this month). That's how those things usually go, also (very clearly!) in sports where it is about crossing the finish line first with your Laureus shows and the like. Then you have the 'Cox ear whisperer' noting him game after game for 2003-04, but in the end ignoring this, fall back into line, plus an additional further 'second handicap' and bump down for other players of ours (compared to the initial position in 2004; this will also happen for 2024 decades later). No, let's write a row of articles about how bad our managers and coaches are (do they realize how damaging the departure of, say, Wiegman has been for our own woman's game? Arsenal and the likes are already plotting and scheming a semi closed shop - quite a sense of entitlement to say this after you have just won 1-0 against the Norwegians). "Their players aren't known for doing well" and other blahblah (seriously?). https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5506610/2024/08/15/arne-slot-dutch-managers-premier-league/ https://www.thetimes.com/sport/foot...ch-premier-league-managers-analysis-wksxp85jg Here is an article from November 2000, where Placar celebrates Romario his scoring exploits (Romario was 34.5 years old then, so close to 35). In a comparison with then active players, they put Bergkamp also in the top 10 of the highest goalscorers. https://books.google.com/books?id=HupNzrJcQt8C&lpg=PA45&dq=romario bergkamp&hl=nl&pg=PA43#v=onepage&q=romario bergkamp&f=false Many poindexters would say: the Eredivisie years inflate this. Might be, but Bergkamp was then also certainly scoring at a higher rate at national team level and arguably European level. There are also many players for whom the opposite applies, like his contemporary Bryan Roy (one year younger). He scored (and assisted) a lot more when he was in Italy and England. Anyway, excluding Feyenoord players I'd say he is quite possibly my favorite player yes.
Yeah, the full video looks good/interesting for sure (I didn't see it before on TV): I guess when he talks about 'The Invincibles' he could be merging the early-mid 00s seasons together a bit and generalising maybe. What he says about Bergkamp I agree with for sure anyway. I suppose Bryan Roy did play more as support striker at Forest, and somewhat at Foggia too I think, while at Ajax he played as outright (although attacking/high) winger....
Ljungberg his compatriot Henrik Larsson is also a favorite of mine (and a good 35+ example surely, even if not playing everything and every game) but has a link with Feyenoord of course. Another example of someone who scored at a higher rate in other leagues. Just like Ibrahimovic. The 2006 CL final: https://youtu.be/B0hi9sObbcg?si=7avBP3gJsAP2vM0I (Rijkaard was the manager then, of course - Arsenal had been playing with 10 men for a long-time and he sensed this was the moment to make a move forward) (the first team-mate in the frame is Peter Bosz then with hair, now a bald fraud) Ljungberg his idea Bergkamp could put an idle ball anywhere seems believable to me (all players make mistakes of course and it is not like 'take 100 kicks and all 100 are good'). The idea he was an efficient finisher also rings a bell to me (similar to RvN, RvP I'd say - for RvP there is already more available, where we can see how he compares to his peers of that time). (0:24 - pass to Ljungberg) Although this was (in my view) a sub-standard season, the last in his career, this is a good game when he was 36 years old (36 plus 3 months to be precise). The match commentator says that too. He remains the oldest Premier League player with 10+ assists in a season, yes. That still holds. But that is also a matter of 'luck' (in general the main emphasis is on the best five years for me, but it is not like longevity counts for nothing)
Here another match from 2005-06 (2004-05 also qualifies and is a much better option, yes, for the multiple reasons stated above; both cumulative and 'per 90', the oldest EPL player with 10+ assists in a season and being detected in the indexes): He looks reasonably quick there at 0:50 - at the age of 36.5. He wins a penalty at 5:30 with good skill. 'Famous' is of course the game against West Bromwich Albion (15/04/2006). The Arsenal supporters had dressed themselves in Orange. Bergkamp came on a substitute (John Motson says the top four place was in danger). He had the assist for 2-1 and then scored the 3-1. (4:25 to 8:00 - Alan Hansen his glowing comments at 9:20. As Hansen says, he was almost 37 then, one month short)