Hail C. Ronaldo

Brilliant hatrick last night to be fair.

See link.

http://espnfc.com/video/espnfc/video/_/id/1621494?cc=5739

I think that makes 38 goals in 27 games this season.

Such a modest fella, if only he showed a bit more swagger.

He now has 5 hat tricks thus far this season.

Crystal Palaces whole team only have 5 goals.

Deserving of World Player of the Year this time around.

We are very lucky to have both Messi and Ronaldo playing in the same era......just a different class to everyone else.....Ibrahimovic included.

And such a shame, meteoric rise to the champions league aside, that the chances of ever seeing them at the CCS playing Cardiff is slim to none.

What's the opinion on all time rankings for the pair? Messi is the greatest of all time in my opinion, but is Ronaldo number 2?

Red614 wrote:And such a shame, meteoric rise to the champions league aside, that the chances of ever seeing them at the CCS playing Cardiff is slim to none.

What's the opinion on all time rankings for the pair? Messi is the greatest of all time in my opinion, but is Ronaldo number 2?

From a much earlier era, Pelé would certainly be up there.

Going back even further Ferenc Puskas was a genius and his partnership with Alfredo di Stefano would probably rank as the best striking double act ever.

These all played at a time before football became like touch-rugby and players had to be physically robust to take the stick that was dished out. I'm not sure how the modern prima donnas would have performed under such constant intimidation.

TDA wrote:

Red614 wrote:And such a shame, meteoric rise to the champions league aside, that the chances of ever seeing them at the CCS playing Cardiff is slim to none.

What's the opinion on all time rankings for the pair? Messi is the greatest of all time in my opinion, but is Ronaldo number 2?

From a much earlier era, Pelé would certainly be up there.  

Going back even further Ferenc Puskas was a genius and his partnership with Alfredo di Stefano would probably rank as the best striking double act ever.

These all played at a time before football became like touch-rugby and players had to be physically robust to take the stick that was dished out.  I'm not sure how the modern prima donnas would have performed under such constant intimidation.

Very true, but the modern game is difficult in very different ways. It's unbelievably faster, and is getting faster, and the more sophisticated ball requires much more accuracy with passes. Older balls were heavier and less streamlined, they didn't curve as much and the wind would have a much weaker effect. Modern footballs slice as good as any golf ball if you hit them badly, and the wind most definetely has to be catered for.

I think many older day greats would get caught out, and very quickly realise their touch on the ball isn't as good as they thought it was.

No doubt about it, comparisons between the game of years gone by and today is like a comparison between apples & oranges.  That is what makes answering the "who was the greatest?" question so difficult.

The great thing is, through all the changes to the style of game over the years, you can usually pick out a couple of individuals who were head and shoulders above the other players of their day.

Just to round this off, the greatest ever British player has to have been George Best  .  The video evidence still in existence does not do justice to a unique talent, sadly blighted by demons........

TDA wrote:No doubt about it, comparisons between the game of years gone by and today is like a comparison between apples & oranges.  That is what makes answering the "who was the greatest?" question so difficult.

The great thing is, through all the changes to the style of game over the years, you can usually pick out a couple of individuals who were head and shoulders above the other players of their day.

Just to round this off, the greatest ever British player has to have been George Best  .  The video evidence still in existence does not do justice to a unique talent, sadly blighted by demons........

Nonsense, the greatest British player ever by a long way is Tom Cleverly.

Matthew Connolly is a close second.

I won't have anything detrimental said about either Matt Connolly or Craig Conway.....City owe them both a lot for the commitment to the cause last year.

Matt Connolly has not become a bad player and might well have adapted to the PL, if played at CB, not RB. Conway, we may yet see in a City shirt in the New Year. He's doing well at Brighton and is back in the Scots side...... 

i saw the greatest ever and that was at ninian park, his name stan matthews and it was an english first division match in 1961. city v stoke

davewebber65 wrote:i saw the greatest ever and that was at ninian park, his name stan matthews and it was an english first division match in 1961. city v stoke

Just before my time, so I never saw Matthews play. I did hear Tom Finney speaking at a sportman's lunch in Bristol 1996-ish. A true gentlemen and provided an intriguing insight to how the English felt playing "those foreigners" back in the 50's.

Greatest player of all time. He has done it both in the Premier League and La Liga and with questions raised about him as well. He's answered every critic and I for one would not mind seeing Portugal march on to glory in Brazil, a climate they will adapt to better than some teams, and him picking up more accolades.

I won't go into Messi as it'll anger some but for years I've put Iniesta in a higher esteem than him and I still place him more highly. I really don't think Messi would have gotten all those goals in another team and that he has been vastly fortunate to have 2 of the arguably greatest ever playmakers providing him with service in Xavi and Iniesta. These two have both at domestic and national level just controlled everything and thats why Barcelona and Spain have done so well.

Blueminati wrote:Greatest player of all time. He has done it both in the Premier League and La Liga and with questions raised about him as well. He's answered every critic and I for one would not mind seeing Portugal march on to glory in Brazil, a climate they will adapt to better than some teams, and him picking up more accolades.

I won't go into Messi as it'll anger some but for years I've put Iniesta in a higher esteem than him and I still place him more highly. I really don't think Messi would have gotten all those goals in another team and that he has been vastly fortunate to have 2 of the arguably greatest ever playmakers providing  him with service in Xavi and Iniesta. These two have both at domestic and national level just controlled everything and thats why Barcelona and Spain have done so well.

Couldn't the same be said of Ronaldo? All three of his goals were set up by excellent through balls that left him without a marker, all he had to do is finish.

And I can't remember the exact stat, but less than half of Messi's goals have been assisted by Xavi or Iniesta. I think actually Ozil gave more assists to Ronaldo than either of them gave to Messi.

Matthews never smoked and i think drank, he was the footballer that ushered in the age of fitness and he played his last match for England at the age of 42

As it stands Messi is still the best player of this generation IMO, though Ronaldo is a very close second and should pick up the Ballon d'or award