Good. I just read an article that says he took a pay cut and agreed to a penalty in salary if he gets injured again. This tells me he REALLY wanted to play for Real Madrid, perhaps we wasn't really just interested in greedy wealth.
That's actually the news that brought up this question. On paper, you would think after his tremendous World Cup and all signs in his play pointing to the Ronaldo of old (see Barça), Real can't lose with this signing. I know it's just a muscle strain or something, but it doesn't bode well for the future. I would just love to see him in action with Zidane, Figo and Raul, so regardless of how Real Madrid end up as a result, I just want to see that team on the field!!
Bad, if they're lucky, to disastrous if they're not. A good example of a fascist team acting like, well, (in the commercial sense) fascists. What, Madrid acting liking fascists? Now there's a surprise. From everything that's been written, this deal was railroaded through by the President without the support of many of the people that count at the club. The players themselves are reputed to be "very unhappy" at the arrival of Mr. Stupid Haircut himself, and that's putting it mildly. Morientes is extremely popular in the dressing room, and his colleagues are disgusted at the way he's been treated. Supposedly, Raul had a No. 9 Morientes shirt on under his own jersey last Friday night in Monaco with the intention of baring it had he scored in the game. When Ronaldo was introduced yesterday (amidst great ceremony) a number of leading Madrid figures declined to take the stage with him, Valdano foremost amongst them. It's pretty clear that one man made this deal happen to sate his own ego. One man who, presumably, has never noticed that football is a TEAM game, and eleven happy players tend to be better than one genius and half a dozen discontents. Are Madrid the best team in the World? By a distance, right now. Will this deal help them? Quite possibly, for the reasons above, not. They were the best already, so they can only really equal their previous achievements. And if there's trouble in the dressing room, things could easily get worse. Inter may have lost a great goalscorer, but they're well shot of a disloyal toe rag.
Does anyone see this becoming the new season of the Real World? "This is the true story, of 7 overpriced athletes, picked to play on a team, to stop being nice, and start getting real. The Real World: Real Madrid."
I don't see how this is a losing situation at all. If Ronaldo underperforms or is injured we get our moolah back. If he plays well, everyone will be happy. Fascists? We 'railroaded' the deal through? Ahem, pobrecito. Ronaldo CHOSE Madrid. Madrid did not choose haircut boy. I'm no longtime fan of Ronaldo, for sure but he wanted to come here (and not Man United or Leeds or whatever) and Perez took advantage of that fact. Big frigging deal. It WAS most unfortunate that Morientes (a rabid anti-Barca and one of the 3 core leaders in the club with Raul and Hierro) was dangled out on a string like that, and the way he was treated was regrettable. Lest we forget, however, Similar issues occured surrounding the arrival of Figo and Zidane and through it all VdB and his excellent man-managing skills keeps this team playing as just that. Along with the impending departure of clubhouse cancer Flavio Conceciao, I can only think this will make them a stronger unit (there are no 'factions' within the Madrid team) and though Perez' stock has fallen slightly because of the Morientes situation (though it can be said quite honestly it was Barcelona that really were acting out of order, but alas) he is millenia ahead of what Madrid had with Sanz. Generally liked by the club, letting VdB do his job, there will be no direct conflict between him and the club during the important part of the year, the season...at this point, it's all about the squad. This is true and evident in the fact Hierro made a special point of bringing El Moro out on the field that day for the presentation postmatch. This was when the situation was at its lowest point and tempers have cooled mightily since then.
The question is if ronaldo is good singing? The only i know, is SUPER Floren is the best dealer of the world. But we can´t forget ours youngers players like Portillo or Miñambres.
All this talk of how this is going to affect the clubhouse is a bit silly. For the amount of superstardom on this team, they seem to have the ability to absorb yet another one. So Raul and Hierro are best friends with Morientes. Nobody has mentioned that Roberto Carlos is great friends with Ronaldo, but I guess that's of little consequence. The gestures were a nice show of solidairity, but get serious... Ronaldo or Morientes? It's no contest by a laaarge margin. And who's to say Morientes wouldn't be a potential cancer? As if he'd accept losing time to Portillo just lying down? I've seen his scowling mug airing out his grievances in the media before. Bemvindos Ronaldo.
I believe Syd is winding the Madrid fans up as he did in the USA Mens forums during the world cup. He is a good writer. However, I mostly agree with what Sinko and Hala have written; RM seems to find a way to deal with it. VdB and Valdano will find a way to make things work, says the Barca fan resignedly. Tony
My choice is GREAT!. But that we win the CL will be very dificult. There are other teams that have signed great players: The Bayern Munich has signed the two best players of Bayer Leverkusen - 2002 CL Finalist - Ballack and Ze Roberto. The last year was very dificult to win them and this year will be even more hard. Milan has signed one of the best players in the world - Rivaldo - and one of the best defenders - Nesta. Manchester has great players and they have reforced their defense with Ferdinand. Rome has a very solid team, etc. But I think that we'll see beautiful soccer moments. When you see the play that the team made in the second half of the last game against the Español, when you see Figo, Zidane, Roberto Carlos, Cambiasso, Hierro playing at that level. It's pure magic. And for many people see those momments is almost like win championships.
I think we should all sit back and see how Real operates with Ronaldo on the pitch. If there is little or no added value to the team, I'd call this deal a bust. However, at least on paper, the potential might of this team is enormous.
Little or no change means Real Madrid is in the run for the CL, la liga, and the King's Cup again this year. Sounds successful to me. But this is not only about improving the team, which it does. It is as much about economics. The store clerks couldn't put the shirts on display, the customers were taking them our of their hands. Look at Brian's thread about RM going to the far east. It looks like they are going to make a big profit on this move, with no real risk. https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12075