Cristiano Ronaldo has confronted fierce criticism previously few hours after Al-Nassr’s 1-2 defeat to Al-Ittihad within the Clasico of the Roshn League’s fifth spherical. The captain of “Al-Alami” did not make the distinction in certainly one of his facet’s largest matches of the season.
The knives went past his failure to attain. Some started questioning whether or not Ronaldo can nonetheless assist Al-Nassr in the way in which this staff now wants, given his advancing age and the altering calls for of recent soccer. It raises an essential query: has Ronaldo actually turn out to be a burden on Al-Nassr?
Ronaldo: decisive when the ball reaches the penalty space
No one can severely argue with Ronaldo’s goalscoring instincts, particularly contained in the field. He stays one of many recreation’s best at exploiting half possibilities and turning restricted balls into targets, and he nonetheless carries the expertise to settle the small particulars within the tightest matches.
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Al-Nassr’s drawback, although, is just not solely what Ronaldo does with the ball. It’s what occurs when the staff loses it. The fashionable recreation calls for that each participant joins the press and shifts to shut off passing angles, and that has grown tougher for Ronaldo with age.
Right here lies the true dilemma. When Al-Nassr wish to press the opponent arduous from the entrance, they need to cowl the house the place Ronaldo can not carry out the defensive roles he as soon as did. His presence within the urgent system can flip right into a weak spot the opposition exploits.
The issue is within the system, not simply the targets
Defending excessive or making an attempt to win the ball again rapidly requires synchronised collective urgent. If one component of the entrance line can’t press with the identical depth, the opponent escapes the entice extra simply. That leaves the remainder of the facet protecting bigger areas and placing in further effort to make up the shortfall.
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None of this implies Ronaldo can not make the distinction. It means how he’s used issues greater than ever. If the staff need him as a striker contained in the field, exploiting possibilities, they could be higher off constructing the system round that high quality relatively than asking him to fill roles that not go well with him.
So calling Ronaldo a “burden” wants a level of care. He could also be a burden in a system constructed on relentless excessive urgent. Get the ball to him within the areas the place he thrives, although, and he stays an especially harmful weapon.
The actual problem for Ange Postecoglou is placing the steadiness: benefiting from Ronaldo as a decisive striker with out letting his presence injury the staff’s defensive form. Crack that, and the Portuguese star might rediscover his influence with out Al-Nassr abandoning their attacking model.
