Ronaldo left United way back in 2009, but does his achievements at Real Madrid merit his spectacular talent?
It might seem like a strange to question to ask given United’s poor start to the season, but don’t let that detract from the facts.
When Ronaldo left United for Madrid in 2009 for a world record £80 million, the idea was for him to better his career. It wasn’t a move to his boyhood team, which was a popular phrase at the time – his boyhood team are a Portuguese one called Andorinha, with a 500 seater stadium, whom he played for when he was 8. Yet, over four years have passed, and it’s arguable that he hasn’t bettered his career at all, and here’s why.
In the four seasons that Ronaldo has been in Spain, Madrid have finished second in La Liga to Barcelona three times (2009-10, 2010-11 and 2012-13) and won it just once (2011-12.) In the same four years, United won the Premier League twice (2010-11 and 2012-13), and finished as runners up the other two seasons. Manchester United also reached the Champions League final in the 2010-11 campaign.
The statistics are slightly in United’s favour when you consider they sold their best player in Ronaldo, let Carlos Tévez go, and bought in Michael Owen all in 2009. Their achievements suddenly seem to merit more praise.
Contrastingly, Real Madrid’s achievements in the same time period are even less remarkable when you think of the resources and players they’ve had available; Kaká, Özil and Modrić to name a few.
Ronaldo has no doubt improved since moving to Real Madrid- his goals to games ratio is an outstanding 153 in 143. Even a player with an ego as big as Cristiano Ronaldo is unlikely to be happy with this phenomenal solo goal scoring record if it does not equate to tangible titles and a vast collection of winners’ medals.
Ronaldo though has always had this spectacular potential, and he has given Madrid his peak years as a player, so there's a likelihood he would have achieved a similarly phenomenal goal-scoring record had he given United these same prime years.
In 2008, Ronaldo earned his just reward for dragging United almost single-handedly to victory in the Champions League and Premier League when he was rightfully awarded the Balon D’or. Ronaldo contributed a series of quite breathtaking individual displays that season, scoring an incredible 42 goals, the highlight of which was arguably his quite brilliant free-kick against Portsmouth.
He also turned in some brilliant team efforts, his display away at Roma was capped with a fine Keane-like header as he carried United to the Champions League final, which of course he scored in himself.
Ronaldo has never been awarded the Balon D’or during his time at Real Madrid, in part due to Lionel Messi’s brilliance. But if Ronaldo had stayed at United and they had carried on wining the Premier League and contesting the Champions League, he may well have more than one Balon D’or to his name by now.
Another reason Ronaldo may regret his move away from Old Trafford is his very status inside of it. Whilst any fans whose team have a player of Ronaldo’s caliber are likely to adore them, few will adore them like the United fans.
His name is still sung at the Stretford End today; even when he returned to Old Trafford to knock United out of the Champions League he was greeted with rapturous applause. In Madrid, he will always be seen as a Portuguese player at a Spanish team and never quite accepted as one of their own, whereas at United he was, and still is, welcomed with open arms.
It’s almost impossible to disagree that Ronaldo would have won more had he stayed with United. When he does finally decide to hang up his boots, will a man of his ego and talent be satisfied when he looks at his medal collection?