While watching the game vs luxemburg yesterday I started laughing when I saw CR score. He has been scoring non stop for the NT but for Man U nothing... I think the biggest problem is the way you guys use him. With Portugal he has the freedom to roam all over the field. He'll run through the middle, left and right. Also the coach stresses for our wingers to run into the box. That could be one of the reasons he's scoring with Portugal. He has an amazing header... which it seems he never uses in Man U.
You may have a point. But also, the Premiership isn't fully stocked with Luxembourg-quality defenders either...
Interesting points... I have noted his scoring exploits for the NT in the past and recently. I think it is due like you say about the style of play. Ronaldo does get into the box for United, but mostly on set pieces... part of the reason he rarely is there at the far post for a cross from the other side has a bit to do with the fact that we have relied on him to carry the ball up the field and spark the attack... also, Giggs has been inconsistent and recently we've started Fletcher (not a winger) and Miller (not a winger either) opposite him, so there aren't many crosses coming from the other side of the field for Ronaldo to get on to. Also, he aint a target as much because we have Ruud, Smith and Saha who are all great in the air as well. Or at least better than Ronaldo anyway.
Fair point, but 3 days later Portugal came out and walloped Russia 7 to 1...in which, CR scored two goals. ALBUfeira rocks
Maybe alot has to do with A) the competition and B) Portugal is on form while ManU is far from it and everyone is suffering in the goal department because of it
...well it can't be competition becuase teams like Blackburn and Southampton should be the equivalent of Russia. I'm really starting to think it's his role on the team... but it can also be intrest. Maybe when he plays for his country he plays harder.
It's the style of play like a few mentioned. When playing for Portugal he does get into the box and wait for crosses from Deco or such. For club, he's the one who has to provide crosses. That's the difference...
Stay away from those academic papers then cuz for sure you'll run across a few there. Yep kids, that's right, prk166 gives you all permission to avoid reading.
Cron has some exceptional players alongside him for Portugal. Plus i think with the whole Portugese team, it brings out the best in him and allows him to play that fast and flashy game he can do so well. For United we really need him as a producer, given the decline of Giggs and the so far ineffectiveness of Scholes. So CRon might be forced out of his natural game to try getting more crosses in, etc... than he might naturally feel comfortabl with. Plus there is the EPL which is a world onto itself. CRon will eventually bring his game up to the level of his talent in the EPL. Though i think he needs a good winger on the opposite side to help relieve pressure on him.
Well, ever since Euro 2004 I've noticed that Cron scores alot from headers from corners and free kicks. Maybe we should stop letting him take his piss-poor set pieces (sorry, I like the guy's style but his fk's suck) and put him in a position where he can use his head.
Very true. For Portugal, since Deco takes almost every corner, we can use CR in the box and he's one of our tallest players. His two goals at the Euro were both headers as well.
I said at the end of last season that the major thing CRon needs to improve this year is his strike rate. Thus far, no improvement on that front. Just think how many times he has hit the post or come close earlier this year, and then think how many times one goal would have won us three points.
Well as previous posts in this thread have pointed out - while he hasn't scored for ManU, he has put in a few for the NT during WC qualifying. Do you chalk up the difference in scoring to national ferver that elevates his game or is Scolari using him in a manner that is more goal-productive than SAF? To me, it seems that latter... ALBUfeira rocks
I'm not sure about the differences in how he is used by Portugal and Man Utd, but you certainly cannot say that C Ron hasn't had his chances to get on the sheet this year for Man Utd. Just not taking advantage of them. I was pretty impressed with Rooney's play out wide against Charlton. Maybe he and CRon could become more interchangeable?