Fierce debate over Ronaldo's position: Should he start or sit on the bench?

Ronaldo is no longer number 1

Exactly 20 years ago, Cristiano Ronaldo's bitter tears when Portugal lost to Greece in the EURO 2004 final became an unforgettable memory for fans.

Before the final match at home, Ronaldo carefully combed his hair, groomed himself, and kept his appearance shiny to attract attention during the coronation ceremony, even though the match had not yet started. Ronaldo and the home fans did not think about defeat, when Portugal had the entire squad that had just won the Champions League from FC Porto, and had the "old fox" Luiz Felipe Scolari on the coaching bench. Above all, Ronaldo was in great form.

Ronaldo prepares to step into the sixth EURO

However, Portugal lost to one of the most "dry" teams in history. Even though coach Scolari consoled him, Ronaldo could not stop crying like a child.

After 20 years, Ronaldo has had it all at EURO. The 39-year-old superstar won the 2016 championship with Portugal, in a tournament where coach Fernando Santos and his team did not even win a single match in the group stage. Looking at the bigger picture, Portugal also only won one match in 90 minutes. Fate helped Ronaldo and his teammates win the championship, as if to pay back the bitterness this team had to receive for many years of empty-handedness at EURO.

Ronaldo has won EURO, also leading the scoring list in this tournament with 14 goals. Similar to the pouring rain 20 years ago, the superstar born in 1985 is still full of ambition to conquer. But the difference is: Ronaldo of EURO 2004 can compete equally with the golden generation of seniors such as Ricardo Carvalho, Figo, Deco, Simao, Rui Costa, Nuno Gomes. Meanwhile, Ronaldo has now become a senior, but is not sure to win the starting position from the current generation.

Looking at Ronaldo's statistics in the qualifying round, it is easy to see that the 1985-born superstar is still highly regarded by coach Roberto Martinez. The Portuguese striker started 9 out of 10 matches, missing only 1 match due to suspension. Ronaldo scored 10 goals, second only to Romelu Lukaku (Belgium) with 14 goals.

However, with EURO or any top-level tournament, the nature of the qualifiers and the finals are very different. In the qualifiers, Ronaldo faced Slovakia, Luxembourg, Iceland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, or Liechtenstein. And in the finals, how would Ronaldo handle it if Portugal faced England, Germany, Italy, France, Belgium or Croatia?

Ronaldo's physical strength is declining, but he is still determined.

Ronaldo's problem is not purely age. Rather, the 39-year-old superstar plays for Al Nassr, in a league far inferior to Europe's level. Ronaldo has scored 50 goals in 51 games, but in a playground where most players come to retire and earn money, this statistic lacks weight. The intensity at EURO will be very different from the Saudi Arabian tournament, will Ronaldo's physical condition keep up?

Coach Martinez's calculation

Will coach Roberto Martinez put Ronaldo in the starting lineup, or let the superstar sit on the bench like coach Fernando Santos did in the final period of his tenure in Portugal?

Sky Sports expert Paul Merson analyzed: "Personally, if I decide on the lineup of the Portuguese team in the two important opening matches of the EURO 2024 group stage, I will remove Ronaldo from the starting lineup. He should play from the bench to gradually regain the feeling of playing football at the highest level in Europe.

"Ronaldo had a pretty good season in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr. But remember, this tournament is of a much lower level than the tournaments in Europe. Therefore, Ronaldo needs to find his rhythm again, then he can meet the very high requirements like at EURO."

Ronaldo is still useful

However, coach Martinez may think differently. Ronaldo is still the captain, with a huge influence in Portugal, not just in terms of expertise. Behaving inappropriately with Ronaldo will clearly bring risks to a coach who is not really powerful, only coaching "mediocre" clubs like Wigan or Rayo Vallecano like Martinez (before taking over the Belgian team).

According to Opta , coach Martinez is choosing a solution that pleases both sides: still keeping Ronaldo in the starting lineup, but in a new role. The Portuguese superstar does not participate in the ball development phase, but only does what he does best: running and finishing.

On average, Ronaldo only touched the ball 36.9 times per qualifying match (ranked 17th in the team), but shot 46 times, more than anyone else. Ronaldo saved his energy to stand in the penalty area, receive the ball and finish. The development of the game was assigned to Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Jota, Bernardo Silva.

If we only look at the scoring aspect, Ronaldo is still number one. He is ambitious, shoots well with both feet, heads effectively and has an authority that no defender can take his eyes off. Space will open up for the remaining players. That is what coach Martinez and Portugal expect most.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tranh-cai-nay-lua-ve-vi-the-cua-ronaldo-nen-da-chinh-hay-ngo-du-bi-185240613134630521.htm