What is Cristiano Ronaldo Doing?

By: Daryl | May 22nd, 2008

I’ve got to ask… what is Cristiano Ronaldo doing? Not the medal biting thing – it’s up to him if he wants to try and eat his Champions League winners medal – I’m talking about his bizarre comments refusing to commit to Manchester United.

We all know Real Madrid are interested, and we know the Spanish press have been hyping his potential move to La Liga (who wouldn’t want to see him play in their domestic league?) but now Ronaldo is sending some very mixed messages.

“I don’t promise nothing, I don’t promise nothing to my mum, I don’t promise nothing to the supporters,” he said after the Champions League Final.

“I want to stay, but the future … no one knows. I want to stay. We are going to see in the next two weeks, I don’t say I make a decision.”

First of all, nice double negative there C-Ron. But I’ll forgive him that since my Portuguese is a lot lot worse than his English. Still, why make such a statement?

He’s just won the Premier League and the Champions League and had a season that really couldn’t have gone much better in terms of performance. And didn’t he just sign a massive fat new contract just over 12 months ago?

It’s also worth Ronaldo remembering that Man Utd and Alex Ferguson are a big part of why he’s the player he is today. Remember when young Ronaldo was all stepovers and no end product? And though other clubs will lavish Ronaldo with money, there’s no guarantee that his current setup will be recreated. The current Man Utd team is the perfect environment for Ronaldo, especially because it’s relatively stable in terms of management and personnel when compared to other big clubs.

On the other hand… the Champions League win means Cristiano Ronaldo has now done it all with Man Utd. All he can do from here on out is replicate the success he had this season. Maybe he’s got ambitions to win titles in different countries, to win the Champions League with multiple clubs. So maybe it is time to move on.

Or maybe he’s just holding out for an even fatter contract.

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Category: English Premier League

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Sheps

How though, the Wanganator, can he get any better?! Which area of his game would you like to see him improve upon?
Tommy Wong

Sheps - I really think he’s peaked now and he won’t get any better, although how long he stays at the peak I don’t know.

Thats what they said at the end of the 05/06 season... and the 06/07 season. The lad's still ---only 23---. Younger than Tevez... there's still a lot of potential.
Diane

Boy, does that kid need Fergie. Annoyed as I've been with how he's treated other players, when they've got his support it's all encompassing (and even then for better and worse). He's become a much better player in the last two years and is also not in near great a danger of being clocked for sheer obnoxiousness by anyone in the opposing eleven -- so, if nothing else, for his own safety...

Shep, can you give us a hint about the five * word?
Sheps

Today Marca claimed that Madrid have reached an agreement with Ronaldo! This is getting silly! I agree Daryl, they're trying to get through the chink. Some notes Madrid (and Marca)

1. If Madrid have made a deal with Ronaldo, this is the most outrageous tapping up ever and Madrid would face a massive fine

2. At which point over the last most important month of his footballing career has Ronaldo taken the time out to speak to Madrid? The Eve of the premiership decider? Oh, I know, it was Tuesday night wasn't it Marca?

3. It's just the biggest load of crap ever, if it was true why would Ronaldo say he's staying after the game? Twice?!

4. It's pathetic. If you have nothing better to do Calderon, get your wife's ***** and **** it in your ****. Please fill in those blanks to your own pleasure.

He won't be at United for ever. But he will be for at least one more year, I really think he's peaked now and he won't get any better, although how long he stays at the peak I don't know.
Daryl

Agree Shep. In a way I think Ronaldo's caught in a trap.

It's fair enough that he won't commit his whole career to one club, and it's refreshingly honest of him not to make a commitment that he doesn't intend to keep.

But the downside of that is that it leaves a sort of chink in the armour for Real Madrid to try and get through.
Shane

I think he knows how to handle the media now. They ask the same questions so he answers something different often. The media love that shite. The "I Stay" comments are pretty much saying, "hey, stop asking."
Sheps

Fair enough. I think Ronaldo is being quite open that he's not prepared to say he'll be at United for his whole career. I think from the two "I stay" quotes it can be said with certainty he's not going anywhere this summer though. The non commital thing isn't exactly new though, I was fed up with it as a United fan before the final! The only thing that was new after the final was the "I stay" comments, so that's the news - not his repeated comments that he's not going to commit his whole career at United.
Daryl

Sheps, I'm just using a widely reported quote. I felt it was an odd thing for him to say, especially because it puts a slight downer on a joyous night for Utd fans, which you alluded to.

And to be fair, in the quote I used above he says "I want to stay" twice.
Pedro

I think he´s staying with Man Utd and I think he´d be doing the mistake of his life if he´d move to Real right now. He says he´s staying: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/h...

Real is a different team than Utd. Currently, also not as good as. The same goes to La Liga vs Premiership. When he´s established himslef, when Real or Barça get stronger, etc, he can go to Real, be a Galactico, which he still isn´t, and do all the stepovers and dribbles he likes. They´ll love it in Spain... It´s a more technical league than the EPL, which is more physical (in England CR´s speed makes more difference than in Spain, but in Spain I say it´s the technique that gives the edge).

Now, if he moves to Real and the team fails, which isn´t that unlikelly, it could be his ass. He´s got all the time in the world for Real. He´s 23. Man Utd can give him what he still needs to learn and he can give a lot to Man Utd still. He´s getting better every year. It´s a great team - we all saw the way they all supported him after he failed the penalty. They´ll be even stronger, they´ve got a lot of young talent yet to peak.

Anyway, if the "shit for brains" english media doesn´t stop asking him every 2 days about his future, he might just start making them dance a little... :-)
Sheps

Daryl, I expect better than this from the Offside. This is really slumping to journalistic lows.

Ronaldo said in at least two interviews after the game "I stay". He's staying, that's it, finished, done, no more speculation trying to induce gossip, Calderon has already done enough of that.

Let's let us United fans please enjoy our triumph, Ronaldo's going nowhere and if anyone disagrees with that, I'll offer you 10-1 odds at whatever stake you want.
Jim

The fact that he says he's not making promises to his mother or "the supporters" makes it seem more firm that he's staying with United. His mother desperately wants him in Madrid and he could very well be talking about the Real supporters.
Andrew

Did anybody see the interview with him recently? The reporter asked him if he'd be staying at Man U and Ronaldo glanced around nervously, then said "I'm staying" and walked away really fast. Very suspicious...
arsenal'sArsanel

he really doesnt pass enough, the good thing abt him is that he has the ability to be at the right place at the rigt time, he is more of a finisher then a playmaker....
Ale

I think it even came to blows in training one day.
Tommy Wong

Yeah they had a bad fall out. Ruud felt as though Ronaldo didn't "pass" enough...
arsenal'sArsanel

he is having is golden period! thats abt it....i dont think he has the intellect to play in La Liga!
Daryl

Yeah, didn't they fall out at Man Utd?
Tommy Wong

Ronaldo and Ruud together again at Madrid either spells disaster, or lots and lots of trophies.

My guess would be disaster though . . .