Debate: Is Ronaldo good for Real Madrid?
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Cristiano Ronaldo has been in sensational form for the past two seasons at Real Madrid. He is the team's top-scorer as well as the one who Real look towards for inspiration at all times. His record-breaking exploits in the recently-concluded campaign underline how special he is.
But Real continue to fail in their bid for silverware - with only the Copa del Rey to show for their efforts since Ronaldo joined them.
Marcus Chhan thinks Ronaldo needs to play more for the team, but Kelvin Tan disagrees. If you want to read both opinions on the same page, keep scrolling. If not, you can read Kelvin's take here and Marcus' here.
Kelvin: Ronaldo needs more support
If we were discussing this issue in court, it would be described as an open and shut case. Contemplating the merits of a player who has scored 66 goals in 63 La Liga games for his side seems to be a waste of time - but let's indulge all the naysayers.
Let's focus on the negatives first, just to humour the opposition.
It has not been a good season for Ronaldo, not by his lofty standards.
Speaking to Spanish newspaper AS, the Portuguese said:" If you asked me if I'm very happy with the season, then I have to say no, because Madrid aspire to win every title and we've only won the cup."
This coming from a player who finished the La Liga season with a stunning 40-goal haul; outscoring even the current Ballon d'Or winner, Barcelona's Lionel Messi by nine goals.
Yet detractors continue to slam the wing wizard, for the way he playacts whenever fouled, whenever he opts to go for glory, dribbling and passing instead of giving the ball to a less talented, but better placed team mate.
The truth of the matter is that what Ronaldo does, week in and week out in the La Liga, is exactly what Real Madrid pay £6.8m a year in wages for.
Firstly, what he does is tactically necessary for how the La Liga giants have operated this season.
The Portuguese creates space for targetmen Karim Benzema and Emmanuel Adebayor in the centre of the park, as his direct running and ability to take on defenders helps draw away both wingback and defensive midfielder.
This is absolutely crucial in Jose Mourinho's counter-attacking style, given that he seeks to overwhelm the opponents' defence with pace and guile the moment the numbers favor Madrid.
Secondly, what is unique about Ronaldo as a winger is his versatility. Most players rarely have his combination of power, shooting ability and aerial prowess. I suspect this is due to his grounding in the Barclays Premier League, a school of tough knocks and end-to-end football.
This gives him a significant advantage in La Liga, where the football is more languid, and the pace slightly slower. The moment defenders decide to back off or begin to tire towards the later stages of a match, the Portuguese seizes the advantage - either by becoming the provider or the receiver.
Players like Ronaldo need to be given the freedom of the park - to play the way they want to - only then can his talent be completely exploited. Shackle him, force him into a role he's not comfortable with and you dampen the creative spark that is the essential ingredient in any great team.
Real must not impose a stringent system upon him; rather they must ensure that the support cast is consistently good. This is a guy who can change the game with one moment of genius - just ask all those who have suffered at his hands (or rather, feet) down the years.
No, it is the Karim Benzemas, the Mesut Ozils and the Angel di Marias who need to step up. All these guys have been touted as magnificent talents. It's time we saw some of that in support of the man who makes the entire team tick.
These players need to ensure they close down defenders high up the pitch, win the ball and let Ronaldo loose. It is unreasonable to expect the same output from the Portuguese if he has to track back to win the ball and then take on the opposition defence as well.
At the end of the day, goals win matches. Here is one guy who has averaged more than a goal a game for more than two years. Two years! Anyone who thinks he needs to change his style to contribute more to the team's cause needs help.
Marcus: Ronaldo needs to change his game
Let's get this out of the way right now. Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player. The trouble is: he knows how good he is.
Don't get me wrong, his goal scoring exploits in La Liga this season will rightly get him all the praise he deserves. The problem is that Real Madrid seriously did not need his ego to get any bigger. No player is ever bigger than the club.
Real Madrid equals success and sometimes even that isn't good enough. Just ask Fabio Capello or any one of several managers over the years who have been sacked from the club despite delivering a trophy.
This is not a club which tolerates mediocrity. However, after scoring over 80 goals in two seasons in the Spanish capital, Ronaldo looks no closer to achieving ‘real' success at Madrid. That would mean breaking their bitter rival Barcelona's stranglehold on the domestic season's top prize - La Liga.
And Real Madrid will continue to come up empty handed in La Liga against Barca if Ronaldo continues to play for himself, for the limelight and for the adoration of the crowd. Right now, he looks like a player only interested in seeing his name on score sheets, he no longer seems bothered about tactics.
The Portuguese has a decision to make. From here, he can go on and set scoring record after scoring record each year (I am not saying that's a bad thing at all, most players can only dream of doing that!) or he can sit down with the club's coaching staff and relearn how to play as part of a team. He needs a complete overhaul of his decision-making process on the football pitch outside of the penalty box (His goal tally proves he can handle himself once inside).
In his quest to be the best, Ronaldo has somehow turned into a one-dimensional striker instead of the multi-layered attacking threat we all thought he was becoming in 2008. What happened to the Ronaldo who was terrific down the wings? What happened to the Ronaldo who could make an impact on the game from deeper and from an assortment of positions?
What fans of Real Madrid and Portugal have been left with is a striker who is a superb finisher, but who struggles badly against quality opposition. (One headed goal in the Copa del Rey final doesn't change things for me). Against the better teams, Ronaldo tends to be deployed up front on his own while his team-mates play a more conservative game deep in their own half.
It's not a role he likes, especially when he is forced to close down defenders on his own. Once the gap between him and his team-mates becomes too wide it's usually game over for that team whether they are Real Madrid this season against Barcelona or Portugal at the last World Cup.
At Manchester United he had the likes of Darren Fletcher, Park Ji-Sung and Wayne Rooney chasing balls down for him as well as supporting him in attack. This left him to happily continue feeding his goal addiction.
"When Cristiano Ronaldo was here he did a great job but the team was playing for him and maybe people forget that," Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra said in a recent interview.
"I don't say that we're better without Ronny but, sure, we look more like a team. That's an achievement as well."
Am I blaming Ronaldo for all of Real Madrid's shortcomings this season? No. Do I believe he can lead this iconic club to greatness? Yes, if he is willing to reinvent himself as an attacking threat from varied positions instead of waiting for Real Madrid to find the right set of personnel to play around him.
It wouldn't take long, judging by how comfortable Ronaldo still is with the ball in any situation. His goals this season have come from everywhere. Mostly from his right boot, but he's scored nearly ten goals in La Liga with his left.
There's an old saying in golf: ‘You drive for show, you putt for dough'.
It's the little things that separate the great from the legendary. In football it's not about how many goals you scored, but how many trophies you won.
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