Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United

[Aman]

Ended the Juve dynasty, carried Utd from 2nd to Europa now has his sights on ending Bayern's dominance in Bundesliga.

It's been hilarious to see all those incredibly delusional fan boy narratives his fans have come up with come crumbling down and his true face being shown.

Loves challenges lmao, the man runs for the closest door when he sees the first sign of trouble. Funny how this challenge stuff was used against Messi when he stuck with a mediocre Barcelona team for years in his prime, the moment he leaves they fall to Europa. The anti-pendulum affect.

 

[Aman]

Messi has only performed well when surrounded by his surrogate team who pampered him, Barcelona.

Messi would flop in the EPL for this reason; he doesn't have the skill to stand on his own, heck Messi would flop if he was playing for Brentford!

If Messi was so great, he'd wipe the farmer's league with peasent teams in the L1 league, but no, one season, 6 goals.

World class my back side.

CR7 and Maradona proved why they are a cut above Messi. Any team, any season, all the goals and glory.

Messi's last memorable image of him at a press conference with aloe vera coated kleenex.

Where you living under a rock in 2021 or 2022? Messi won a Copa America had has played in countless other Finals. This year he won Finalissima and was the POTM putting on absolute clinic to beat the European champions.

Unlike Rejectnaldo he's also won multiple POTT awards for his country.

 

[Aman]

Messi 'suprisingly' flopped shouldn't be a surprise for those who understand football.

Don't believe the hype.

Yet he still ended up winning more trophies and finished the season with better stats while playing 4 less matches, that too with the majority as a secondary/third option to Mbappe and Neymar while Utd built their team for Ronaldo and went from a top 4 team to a conference league level team.

 

[Aman]

CR7 sells more shirts than Messi. His move to Man U busted Messi PSG shirt sales in a few hours.

This is false, but whatever. Messi generally sells the most shirts worldwide, you can look up most credible reports from retailers themselves who publish their stats. Don't believe the fan boy numbers, it happens on both sides.

It's a memorable shirt to keep, given most Utd fans (at least online) have turned on him and are calling his signing a mistake with him killing the team and locker room. Better yet most are calling Messi the GOAT )

 

[Aman]

To prefer one over the other is normal.

To say that it is not even a debate is being salty like you always have been on this forum.

Ronaldo is the better goalscorer, Messi is the better playmaker. These are facts.

Goalscoring is the most important and most difficult thing to do in a football game. Otherwise every second player would have Ronaldo's numbers.

Firstly, why would someone take out Ronaldo's goals ? You don't win a game without scoring and Ronaldo is quite easily the greatest and most complete goalscorer of all time.

Secondly, his insane goalscoring numbers have overshadowed his playmaking abilities. His dribbling, chance creating and passing stats since his debut are just below the likes of Messi, Hazard and Neymar. So the notion that he is nothing more than "just a goalscorer" is rubbish as well, even if every player would die to be "just a goalscorer" like Ronaldo.

Finally, the most underrated aspect of his greatness lies in his longevity and his ability to adapt to different leagues. How many 37 years old players have you seen scoring hattricks in the most competitive league in Europe ? Pelé, Maradona, Zidane, Cruyff, R9, Ronaldinho, etc... were all retired a long time before they could reach that age, and Messi is struggling to score 5 goals in the easiest and least competitive league in the world, at an age where Ronaldo was scoring 30 goals in Serie A.

Ronaldo is never going to be in the GOAT conversation long term because he fails the eye test. 20-30 years time he will fall the way of other goal scorers like Muller especially with the likes of Mbappe and Haaland break his records which looks more than likely. Outside scoring he has little going for him, most of his notable scoring also came as a poacher as well. At his peak he was sitting front row watching Messi pick up one BdO after another.

 

[Aman]

Seems that the United dressing room had too many big egos.

Reminds me of the Pakistan dressing room of yesteryear.

The new manager needs to get rid of the selfish players who did very little for the team.

Reliable reports have come out the Rangnick wanted Ronaldo out in the winter, he emailed Glazers about it multiple times.

 

[shaz619]

Ronaldo GOAT
Messi Jobber
Kiwi’s Job-Squad / England’s children

 

[topspin]

The level of delusion in this thread.

The narratives destroyed this season of Penaldo being a leader, not needing service (through and through poacher, carrying Madrid (won UCL without him)professional (faking excuses and forcing his way out of Madrid after leading them to Europa) and someone who loves challenges (jumping ship to avoid the humiliation of playing in Europa) lmao.

He was lucky not to have been there already with Juve, Pirolo benched him for the last game and Juve were able to qualify. Had Napoli not bottled Juve and him would have been in Europa, same this season with Watford, he wouldn't have been playing Europa but Conference league.

He's destroyed two dressing rooms and burned bridges with two sets of fans. It's no surprise locker rooms don't like him - Juve hated him, Utd hated him and Madrid seem closer than ever these days. Perez called him a nut job in leaked tapes and Ancelotti publicly rejected him on twitter when he tried to get a return back to Madrid. Madrid fans don't even want him back and the ones who do want him as a sub.

Now he's back on his European rejection tour with every major European team in the world rejecting him.

It's inevitable that Ronaldo will get overrated by some here as they are British based and PL followers, who have little to no awareness of what goes on in other leagues.

Let me give you an example. I got told by a Man Utd fan that Mason Greenwood (before his career ended) is better than Haaland.

PL might have the best league but it certainly tops the charts for delusion.

 

[MenInG]

Cristiano Ronaldo's escape route from Manchester United could be in tatters after reports suggested that Bayern Munich had registered their interest in Napoli striker Victor Osimhen - potentially shunting the Portuguese star further down the pecking order on their shortlist.

 

[Technics 1210]

So what if CR7 did not get on with the dressing room at times, or burned bridges? I mean so what? Great players from all sports have done so from time to time, winning isn't a charity and if players are not up to the task, then they should be called out in the dressing room!

Messi however, bailed on his own team in Argentina, resigned, because he couldn't stomach the loss. Plus if he loved Barcelona so much he could have continued playing with a pay-cut - but no, he opted for the money.

Something which these new born millennial *glory supporters* will never understand because they are too busy chasing wins for bragging rights in the play ground. There was a time when footballers played for passion!

CR7 has a proven track record, every club he has played with, he has had success, Messi on the other hand, still needs pampering, and probably consolation after scoring a measly 6 goals in one of the weakest leagues in Europe!

Bechara Messi cannot even sell more shirts than CR7 - this is how great CR7 is.

 

[shaz619]

Cristiano Ronaldo's escape route from Manchester United could be in tatters after reports suggested that Bayern Munich had registered their interest in Napoli striker Victor Osimhen - potentially shunting the Portuguese star further down the pecking order on their shortlist.

He always has plenty of options.

Messi on the other hand is struggling to get offers from the top 6 PL clubs who have no interest in him

 

[Pakpak]

Bro he constantly bashes Messi and comes up the most immature level of posting.

He's the one who's let his mask slip as [MENTION=21699]Pakpak[/MENTION] will tell you. Now he's claiming I'm from Bangladesh

Messi is not just an amazing playmaker but always boasts a wonderful goal scoring record without havign to resort to camping in the box. I don't buy this big game nonsense. Look at what Messi did to Man U in the 2 x UCL finals. He was also awarded best player in the 2014 WC when his team narrowly lost to Germany in the final whereas Portugal won the Euros without Ronaldo after 25 mins in the final. Furthermore, he has 2 x additional Ballon d'ors.

Unfortunately too many PL fans, whether it be on here or in pubs have no respect for Messi because he never played in the PL and that is what this all comes down too.

PL is the best but it's also massively overrated as evident by Real Madrid's UCL win.

Mask slipped too many times hasn't it generally if you go through his posts. Him, BJP and EDL have the exact same view points, if he didn't claim to be a Muslim he'd be exactly like them

 

[Firebat]

Cristiano Ronaldo: Manchester United unsure if striker will attend pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia

Manchester United are unsure whether Cristiano Ronaldo will fly out with the team on Friday for their pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia.

The 37-year-old has not reported back to training at Carrington, citing family reasons, which the club have accepted.

Ronaldo's absence comes amid informing United he wants to leave Old Trafford this summer if a suitable offer arrives.

But United continue to insist that Ronaldo is not for sale.

According to Sky Sports News' Dharmesh Sheth, new United boss Erik ten Hag is talking to all the players individually about his plans and their ambitions as they return for pre-season - and that process will continue with Ronaldo when he returns.

Ronaldo was due to re-join his team-mates on Monday, but has instead been keeping fit at Portugal's training base - Cidade do Futebol - for the past few days.

Sky Sports News has been told Ronaldo's agent, Jorge Mendes, has spent the past few weeks selling the 'Cristiano effect' to clubs having compiled a dossier of his client's immense sponsorship, social media and 'new markets' influence.

Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly is among the executives to listen to the pitch and is considering a move.

Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Napoli have also been engaged and while United insist Ronaldo is not for sale, that stance is expected to soften if a proposal from an overseas team is presented.

The club do not want the situation to overshadow Erik ten Hag's pre-season work or incomings, with full-back Tyrell Malacia unveiled as the Dutchman's first signing and Christian Eriksen verbally committing to join.

A basic agreement is in place with Barcelona for Frenkie de Jong, while advanced negotiations continue for Lisandro Martinez.

Talks have also taken place with Ajax for forward Antony, but new boss Alfred Schreuder indicated: "He has a contract until 2025. I want to work with him, and the club knows this."

Ten Hag will have to expand his attacking targets if Ronaldo does exit with the club already concerned by their lack of goalscoring threat heading into the new campaign.

Ronaldo scored 24 times across all competitions last term, but United recorded their lowest-ever Premier League points tally.

If he misses the tour, it will be viewed as spelling the end of the Portugal international's second stint at the club.

United begin their pre-season schedule against Liverpool in Bangkok next Tuesday, before friendlies with Melbourne City, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa in Australia.

https://www.skysports.com/football/...end-pre-season-tour-of-thailand-and-australia

 

[Waleed93]

This [MENTION=132954]Aman[/MENTION] guy sounds like a typical 12 years old Messi fan boy from Twitter.

Using names like "Penaldo" , "Rejectnaldo" on a football topic, it tells you everything.

And yes, Ronaldo will never be in the GOAT debate because according to this boy, he is not "pleasing to the eye."

 

[MenInG]

Manchester United are willing to listen to offers for Cristiano Ronaldo this summer, Sky Sports News understands.

But United's public stance is, and has consistently been, that Ronaldo is not for sale following his failure to turn up for pre-season training for four days in a row. He has cited family reasons, an explanation the club accepts.

The final decision will lie with Ronaldo, leaving the door open for him to change his mind and stay at Old Trafford.

Sky Sports News has been told Ronaldo's agent, Jorge Mendes, has spent the past few weeks selling the 'Cristiano effect' to clubs having compiled a dossier of his client's immense sponsorship, social media and 'new markets' influence.

Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly is among the executives to listen to the pitch and is considering a move, with the Blues having also discussed a move for Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar.


Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Napoli have also been engaged with Mendes.

The 37-year-old has not reported back to training at Carrington, citing family reasons, which the club have accepted.

Ronaldo's absence comes amid informing United he wants to leave Old Trafford this summer if a suitable offer arrives.

Ronaldo was due to re-join his team-mates on Monday, but has instead been keeping fit at Portugal's training base - Cidade do Futebol - for the past few days.

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville believes Ronaldo's United future cannot become a "saga" this summer.

The Sky Sports pundit tweeted on Monday: "The only important factor with the Ronaldo situation is that it's dealt with decisively and quickly. This can't be a saga that takes the focus away from ETH bedding in period for the next two months."

Ronaldo is understood to be concerned at United's transfer activity this summer, but on Tuesday the club announced Ten Hag's first signing with the arrival of Feyenoord left-back Tyrell Malacia.

Malacia could soon be followed by the arrival of Christian Eriksen after the Denmark international agreed in principle to join United on a free transfer.

A basic agreement is in place with Barcelona for Frenkie de Jong, while advanced negotiations continue for Lisandro Martinez.

Talks have also taken place with Ajax for forward Antony, but new boss Alfred Schreuder indicated: "He has a contract until 2025. I want to work with him, and the club knows this."

Ten Hag will have to expand his attacking targets if Ronaldo does exit with the club already concerned by their lack of goalscoring threat heading into the new campaign.

Ronaldo scored 24 times across all competitions last term, but United recorded their lowest-ever Premier League points tally.

United begin their pre-season schedule against Liverpool in Bangkok next Tuesday, before friendlies with Melbourne City, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa in Australia.

SKY

 

[Firebat]

Cristiano Ronaldo to miss Manchester United's pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia

Cristiano Ronaldo will not be part of the Manchester United party scheduled to depart for the pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia.

The 37-year-old Portugal international has been granted additional time off to deal with a family issue and will not join Erik ten Hag and his squad on their tour of Thailand and Australia.

In regards to Ronaldo's future at Old Trafford, Sky Sports News understands United are willing to listen to offers for Ronaldo this summer, although the club's public stance is he remains under contract for another season and is not for sale.

United's tour kicks off against Liverpool in Bangkok on July 12, before facing Melbourne Victory in Australia three days later and Crystal Palace in Melbourne on July 19.

They will then face Aston Villa in Perth on July 23 before returning home via Oslo, where they will face Atletico Madrid on July 30.

United's only game on English soil before the new season starts will come against Rayo Vallecano on July 31, meaning they may be more than a month into their pre-season preparations before Ronaldo next features for the club.

The forward's absence comes amid informing United he wants to leave Old Trafford this summer if a suitable offer arrives.

Ronaldo was due to re-join his team-mates on Monday, but has instead been keeping fit at Portugal's training base - Cidade do Futebol - for the past few days.

Former United defender Gary Neville believes Ronaldo's United future cannot become a "saga" this summer.

The Sky Sports pundit tweeted on Monday: "The only important factor with the Ronaldo situation is that it's dealt with decisively and quickly. This can't be a saga that takes the focus away from ETH bedding in period for the next two months."

https://www.skysports.com/football/...eds-pre-season-tour-of-thailand-and-australia

 

[Aman]

He always has plenty of options.

Messi on the other hand is struggling to get offers from the top 6 PL clubs who have no interest in him

Ronaldo's back on his rejection tour. Bayern have rejected him twice this week after his agent tried to generare any interest and make it seem like there is some interest from top clubs where there isn't. Mendes offered him to Barca and Laporta rejected him. Chelsea offered as well, the new owner has left the decision to Tuchel. Another rejection may be coming for Rejectnaldo.

Going to be funny if no one buys him even on a discount and Europa has their face playing this season despite him trying hard as possible to get out.

 

[MenInG]

Manchester United let it be known on Thursday evening that Cristiano Ronaldo would not be with them when they fly to Bangkok on Friday for Erik ten Hag's first game as manager.

Ronaldo has been allowed to remain in Portugal, with United's permission, to deal with an unspecified family matter.

The 37-year-old, it needs to be remembered, lost a son in April, when his partner gave birth to twins, only one of whom survived.

No amount of money or fame can shield an individual from that kind of trauma.

Yet the news came five days after Ronaldo's desire to leave United this summer became public.

And even though he won't be there, that will be narrative that shapes the club's time in Thailand, and then Australia, where they go after Tuesday's match with old rivals Liverpool.

About an hour before Ronaldo's absence from the Thailand trip became known, a source who knows United well told BBC Sport there was "no chance" of the player being on the trip.

The feeling came from a belief that Ronaldo must have a move lined up because, if he hadn't, what erupted over the weekend would have remained under wraps.

Another United source was of the same mind. They too concluded the saga will end with Ronaldo exiting the club he arrived at with such fanfare last August, after they stepped in amid interest from Manchester City, unable to accept one of their most famous players would end up at the club that has taken their mantel as the dominant force in the English game.

For their part, United are adamant Ronaldo is going nowhere, pointing out he has a year remaining on the contract that makes him the highest paid player in the Premier League, and they expect it to be honoured.

Yet the club have to say that in order to protect their asset. They know that in football, players are rarely held to their contracts if they are determined to leave, certainly not players as high profile as Ronaldo. Sometimes the posturing goes on for weeks - as Bayern Munich are doing now with striker Robert Lewandowski - but usually a deal is done and the player gets their wish.

In this instance, the strangeness does not come from Ronaldo's determination to continue to play at the very highest level, more that the situation could have reached a crescendo much earlier. After all, it was obvious United would not qualify for the Champions League long before the season reached its climax.

More pre-season drama for United
United are used to issues such as this dominating their lucrative pre-season trips.

Three years ago, on their last tour, before Covid brought them to an abrupt halt, the build-up was dominated by whether a disgruntled Paul Pogba would come back from the USA in time for the flight to Perth. He did - but then Romelu Lukaku made a public show of his discontent by consigning himself to sessions on the bike to recover from an injury that cleared up once he had left for Inter Milan.

That was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first tour as United manager. He experienced them as a player, though. Ten Hag is about to discover the fanaticism for the club in the Far East at first hand - and his biggest name will not be there to take some of the glare of attention away.

Instead, when Ten Hag faces the media - probably on Sunday - for the first time since his Old Trafford unveiling, he is going to be peppered with questions he might not have an answer to - namely when or if Ronaldo is going to start training with his team-mates.

Is Ronaldo the solution or the problem?

There are two schools of thought around Ronaldo's presence at United.

The first is that he was one of only two players - goalkeeper David de Gea was the other - to emerge from the last miserable season with no damage to their reputations. He scored 24 goals, including two hat-tricks, and, without him, United would have been in an even sorrier state than the one they ended up in.

But there is another narrative, namely that Ronaldo was one of the major factors why the club finished up where it did.

It has been said often enough Ronaldo does not press high, which is the strategy interim boss Ralf Rangnick was hoping to implement when he arrived at the club after Solskjaer's dismissal in November. It is also the way Ten Hag set his team up at Ajax.

But was Ronaldo's mere presence a negative too?

He fell out with Harry Maguire over the captaincy and, given Ronaldo's status, it is easy to imagine he would have forthright opinions about other matters too. He left the field in a strop often enough after games, so what might he be saying in private given the overall malaise at Old Trafford?

It is true if Ronaldo goes, United do not have a number nine - and have not been looking for one.

But City have just won successive Premier League titles without one. Realistically, United's ambitions are less lofty and they already have a number of fast international forwards who, presumably, are capable of interchanging. The arrival of Christian Eriksen will add some much needed creativity to their squad. It is anticipated there will be further strengthening in midfield even if the lengthy pursuit of Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong fails to reach fruition.

The next couple of weeks are going to be important for Ten Hag.

He knows Ronaldo will be missing for the start of his tenue. In all likelihood he is going to be absent for the entire trip.

The task for Ten Hag in the Far East and beyond is to come up with a plan that is effective without him. United's season might depend on it.

BBC

 

[Saj]

Another Premier League club?

I doubt it as not many can afford him and I doubt Man City, Liverpool or Chelsea would want him.

Arsenal can they afford him?

Another European club most likely.

 

[MenInG]

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag insists that Cristiano Ronaldo 'is not for sale'

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag says Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo is "in our plans" for the new season and is "not for sale".

The 37-year-old will miss the first part of United's pre-season tour to Thailand and wants to leave the club.

He returned to United last season after playing for Real Madrid and Juventus.

"He is not with us due to personal issues. We are planning with Cristiano Ronaldo for this season. That is it," said former Ajax manager Ten Hag.

"I am looking forward to working with him. Cristiano is not for sale. He is in our plans. We want success together."

Ronaldo's absence from the tour fuelled speculation over his future after he also missed the club's return to pre-season training at Carrington.

He instead trained at the Portuguese national team's headquarters.

The Old Trafford side play Liverpool in Thailand on Tuesday before flying to Australia, and Ten Hag said he did not yet know whether Ronaldo would join the tour.

The Dutchman added he spoke to Ronaldo before the tour, explaining: "I had a good talk. That is between Cristiano and me. What I can confirm is we had a really good conversation together."

Ten Hag also addressed the captaincy, which became an issue as a result of Harry Maguire's struggle for form last season.

"Harry Maguire will be captain," he said. "He has been captain for more than a year. He has achieved a lot of success. I have no doubts about this issue."

United's only signing this summer is full-back Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord. They look set to sign free agent midfielder Christian Eriksen and are close to an agreement with Barcelona for Frenkie de Jong.

Ten Hag emphasised United will only recruit players if he believes they will fit into his intended style of play.

"We want to add the right players. We have a really good squad, we are working to develop our way of playing and the opportunity is there and we will strike," he added.

BBC

 

[James]

<b>Cristiano Ronaldo eyes dream Lionel Messi link-up as Man Utd star 'offers himself' to PSG</b>

Cristiano Ronaldo is still making efforts to leave Manchester United this summer, and Paris Saint-Germain are the latest club to be offered his services.

United face a fight to keep Ronaldo for the second season of his two-year contract, with a dream link-up with Lionel Messi potentially on the cards.

According to Le Parisien, Jorge Mendes offered Ronaldo to PSG over the past few days as his client seeks Champions League football for the upcoming season.

However, the Ligue 1 champions have closed the door on a potential move, insisting there is no place for him under current wage conditions.

With Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe within their ranks, PSG splash almost £3.5million weekly on the stellar attacking trio alone.

So it comes as no surprise the Parc des Princes giants are hesitant to make an approach for Ronaldo, with other high earners like Sergio Ramos and Gianluigi Donnarumma also among Christophe Galtier's squad.

Mendes has also held talks with Bayern Munich and Chelsea in an attempt to find Ronaldo a way out of Old Trafford after a torrid 2021/22 campaign under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick.

Even Erik ten Hag's arrival and the revitalisation it offers doesn't seem to have persuaded the 37-year-old striker to stick around.

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/foo...Lionel-Messi-PSG-Premier-League-latest-gossip

 

[KingKhanWC]

PSG quickly rejected this offer.

Only a late Real Madrid could take place as Chelsea dont look interested either.

IF Ronaldo remains, he will be missing in many a game.

 

[silentkiller187]

He wont go to another premeirship club, only team realistically he could go towould be Real Madrid,but i dont think he would play many games for them either now.

 

[KingKhanWC]

He wont go to another premeirship club, only team realistically he could go towould be Real Madrid,but i dont think he would play many games for them either now.

Unless

Manchester United receive £25m bid for Cristiano Ronaldo as star is offered eye-watering £211m contract

The offer, likely funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, would see Ronaldo earn an absolutely eye-watering €250million (£211m) over two seasons.

That would work out at just over £105m per season in the Saudi Pro League, or £2m per week – over five times what he currently earns at Old Trafford.

https://metro.co.uk/2022/07/13/man-...red-211m-contract-from-saudi-arabia-16996282/

£2 Million a week is outrageous. If this is genuine, Ronaldo should take the money and run.

 

[MenInG]

Chelsea have ended their interest in signing Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portuguese international, 37, wants to leave the club and has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.

But after signing former Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling on Wednesday, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel said his "focus is on defence".

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has also said Ronaldo is "in our plans" and "not for sale".

The forward has yet to join Manchester United's pre-season tour of Asia and Australia because of what Ten Hag called "personal issues".

When BBC Sport asked Tuchel about interest in Ronaldo on Wednesday, he said: "Ronaldo's career speaks for himself. I know there are rumours out there but I will not start speaking about other top clubs' top players."

Chelsea's new owners are understood to be delighted with the recruitment of England international Sterling and consider him to be a marquee signing.

Sterling has linked up with the Chelsea squad in Los Angeles for pre-season.

Tuchel said he hoped Sterling could help "shape" his team and provide leadership to a young attack following the departure of Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan on loan.

The German coach said Chelsea needed to "work smart and fast" in the transfer market to catch their rivals following sanctions on the club, with Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly set to sign a four-year deal and talks held with Manchester City centre-back Nathan Ake.

There have also been links with Paris St-Germain and France centre-back Presnel Kimpembe, who played under Tuchel when he was manager of the French club between 2018 and 2020.

 

[Aman]

Unless



https://metro.co.uk/2022/07/13/man-...red-211m-contract-from-saudi-arabia-16996282/

£2 Million a week is outrageous. If this is genuine, Ronaldo should take the money and run.

Sounds like PR to try save some face, the man offered himself to every top European team in the world only to get rejected by all of them. Shamelessly offered himself to Utd and Madrid's rivals as well.

 

[Aman]

He wont go to another premeirship club, only team realistically he could go towould be Real Madrid,but i dont think he would play many games for them either now.

Ancelotti already publicly rejected him on twitter after he tried to drum up some interest of going back to Madrid. Perez, Ancelotti and the probably the Madrid locker room don't want him.

https://twitter.com/fabrizioromano/status/1427603046016688129?lang=en

 

[KingKhanWC]

Sounds like PR to try save some face, the man offered himself to every top European team in the world only to get rejected by all of them. Shamelessly offered himself to Utd and Madrid's rivals as well.

The Barcelona story was never real.

Nothing shameful in it. Ronaldo has a world cup coming up, he wants to play at the highest level in the champions league yearly and esp in this year.

Saudi does seem a PR thing, money is way too much even for them but still a chance a team will come forward. If CR7 really wants to move, he should accept lesser wages, this will help him.

 

[Geordie Ahmed]

Ronaldo is never going to be in the GOAT conversation long term because he fails the eye test. 20-30 years time he will fall the way of other goal scorers like Muller especially with the likes of Mbappe and Haaland break his records which looks more than likely. Outside scoring he has little going for him, most of his notable scoring also came as a poacher as well. At his peak he was sitting front row watching Messi pick up one BdO after another.

Messi is the goat for me but think it's ludicrous to suggest Ronaldo isn't in the conversation, he is

I do agree when it comes to the eye test, Ronaldo isn't close to Messi and there are others ahead of Ronaldo in that aspect however the numbers Ronaldo has produced ensure he is part of the conversation, no denying that

However Messi surpasses him when it comes to those numbers and has more to his game, which is why he's the goat

What I will say is this narrative of Ronaldo taking on tough challenges and being some mentality monster in comparison to Messi should be done and dusted now. He played for the biggest club in England, joined the biggest club in the world, then joined the biggest club in Italy.

Ran away from that Italian club when things started to get tough, came to the club he supposedly loves but played a part in taking them from 2nd to 6th, things are challenging and he is trying to run away again. We were told year after year that Ronaldo doesn't need top players around him, that he drags average teams to greatness, yet we see no evidence of that? (My issue isn't with Ronaldo so much here, it's with the narrative a lot of his fans spouted)

 

[Geordie Ahmed]

So what if CR7 did not get on with the dressing room at times, or burned bridges? I mean so what? Great players from all sports have done so from time to time, winning isn't a charity and if players are not up to the task, then they should be called out in the dressing room!

Messi however, bailed on his own team in Argentina, resigned, because he couldn't stomach the loss. Plus if he loved Barcelona so much he could have continued playing with a pay-cut - but no, he opted for the money.

Something which these new born millennial *glory supporters* will never understand because they are too busy chasing wins for bragging rights in the play ground. There was a time when footballers played for passion!

CR7 has a proven track record, every club he has played with, he has had success, Messi on the other hand, still needs pampering, and probably consolation after scoring a measly 6 goals in one of the weakest leagues in Europe!

Bechara Messi cannot even sell more shirts than CR7 - this is how great CR7 is.

1) His resignation was clearly an emotional one and he revoked it once the initial feeling subsided and he helped his country win the Copa America so it all ended well

2) As for the pay cut, shows how very little you know, even if he offered to play for free (though, why should he?) he would not have been allowed to stay. Spanish Law dictates how much of a pay cut can be taken and even at the maximum limit it would not have been enough for Barca to register him

Referring back to point 1, why did Ronaldo bail on Juventus? And why is he trying to bail on Man-U right now?

 

[Aman]

1) His resignation was clearly an emotional one and he revoked it once the initial feeling subsided and he helped his country win the Copa America so it all ended well

2) As for the pay cut, shows how very little you know, even if he offered to play for free (though, why should he?) he would not have been allowed to stay. Spanish Law dictates how much of a pay cut can be taken and even at the maximum limit it would not have been enough for Barca to register him

Referring back to point 1, why did Ronaldo bail on Juventus? And why is he trying to bail on Man-U right now?

Anyone with a brain would know why Messi retired after that Copa loss. You can see the full quote to see how emotional he was after that loss. Regardless, he came back and won Argentina two international titles so that whole narrative is dusted like those international title memes Ronaldo fan boys have.

Back on topic, Bayern have openly rejected Ronaldo 3 times today alone despite Mendes and Ronaldo's insistence that they're interest. Manager, CEO x2 whose next? The cleaning lady? The man doesn't understand the word no

 

[Firebat]

Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has again reiterated the German club's stance on Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, by ruling out a move for the Manchester United and Portugal forward. (SPORT1 via Mail on Sunday)

 

[MenInG]

Cristiano Ronaldo has clarified his proposed move to Atletico Madrid is based purely on playing in the Champions League, rather than how much he will be earning, according to reports in Spain.

 

[Saj]

Reports:

Cristiano Ronaldo is open to joining Atletico Madrid but the club would need to sell a big-name player to make it happen, and even then supporters would need to be won over by someone who made them suffer for nine seasons in a Real Madrid shirt.

 

[Firebat]

Atletico Madrid have stepped up their pursuit to sign Manchester United and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, by placing France striker Antoine Griezmann, 31, on the transfer market. (Times)

United will let Ronaldo leave on loan this summer as long as he triggers a one-year option to extend his contract so he can return to Old Trafford for the following season. (Mirror)

 

[MenInG]

Ronaldo 'travelling back to Manchester for talks'

Cristiano Ronaldo is travelling back to England for talks with Manchester United over his future, according to The Athletic.

Ronaldo missed United’s pre-season tour to Thailand and Australia due to family reasons.

But the 37-year-old is reportedly expected in Manchester on Monday.

Sky Sports News understands United are not looking for a replacement and their stance is unchanged - that Ronaldo is not for sale.

Ronaldo, who has been training away from the club, wants to leave United in order to play Champions League football.

 

[MenInG]

Cristiano Ronaldo is due to meet Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag on Tuesday to discuss his future at the club.

The Portugal forward, 37, wants the club to let him leave this summer and he missed United's pre-season tour to Thailand and Australia because of personal reasons.

He has yet to train with the squad but has now flown back to Manchester.

Ten Hag has previously said Ronaldo is "not for sale" and "in our plans."

Ronaldo returned to United last season after playing for Real Madrid and Juventus.

Ten Hag said he spoke to Ronaldo before the tour, explaining: "I had a good talk. That is between Cristiano and me. What I can confirm is we had a really good conversation together."

Ronaldo's absence from the tour fuelled speculation over his future, coming after he also missed the club's return to pre-season training at Carrington.

He instead trained at the Portuguese national team's headquarters.

Ronaldo was United's top scorer last season - and third in the Premier League - but the club's overall campaign was seen as a big disappointment.

United finished sixth in the Premier League so missed out on Champions League qualification, meaning Ronaldo, who has a year left on his United contract plus an optional year, faces playing in the Europa League for the first time.

It is not something he is viewing with relish and the five-time Ballon d'Or winner feels there could be more attractive options available to him at this stage in his career.

Chelsea ended their interest in the player earlier this month, while he has also been linked with Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid.

It is understood United do not regard Ronaldo as a player who is for sale.

United play Atletico Madrid in Norway on Saturday before their final pre-season game at Old Trafford against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

Their first game of the new season is at home to Brighton on Sunday 7 August.

BBC

 

[James]

A decision needs to be made either way quickly. Ronaldo’s situation is really dominating the narrative at United at the moment and is becoming a serious distraction now.

 

[Firebat]

Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo says he does not know who "invented" the story linking Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo to the Spanish side and that it is "practically impossible" the 37-year-old Portugal international will join them. (El Partidazo de COPE, via Eurosport)

 

[Firebat]

Cristiano Ronaldo has told Manchester United he wants to be freed of his contract in order to play for a Champions League side but United have reiterated that they don't want to sell the 37-year-old Portugal forward. (Daily Mail)

 

[MenInG]

Cristiano Ronaldo still wants to leave Manchester United following talks with the club this week.

Ronaldo and his agent Jorge Mendes held meetings with United at Carrington on Tuesday, but his position remains unchanged and he wants to play for a club in the Champions League and win major trophies.

United do not want him to go, however, and Ronaldo has started training with the team having missed the club's pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia due to family reasons.

SKY

 

[MenInG]

Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly told Manchester United he has an offer from a rival club.

The Portugal sensation, 37, wants to leave Old Trafford this summer but the Premier League side are refusing to sell.

Ronaldo was United’s top-scorer with 24 goals in all competitions last season

According to The Sun, Ronaldo has asked United to let him go for free out of respect for his ‘loyalty’, a demand scoffed at by the club.

Failing this, the superstar forward wants the Red Devils to name their price and sanction a move to a club in this season’s Champions League.

However, United want Ronaldo to see out the final year of his contract and could even trigger an option to extend his deal by another 12 months.

Football’s leading goalscorer missed the club’s pre-season tour of Asia and Australia due to ‘family reasons’.

He returned to United training on Tuesday for showdown talks over his future, but the two parties were unable to reach an agreement.

Ronaldo is not expected to feature in the upcoming pre-season friendly against Atletico Madrid, who were linked with his signature before club president Enrqiue Cerezo ruled out a move.

Talksport

 

[Aman]

[MENTION=149166]Technics 1210[/MENTION] [MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION] Your boy has been rejected by every major team in Europe for the second consecutive summer. 3-4 teams actually rejected him multiple times. Shamelessly his agent persisted trying to drum interest and failed spectacularly. Let's see if he goes to Sporting or is playing Europa.

I can only imagine the nonsense Messi would get if he had been treated like this two summers in a row [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] It's been downright embarrassing from the get go, it appears he's now posting on IG trying to clean up his image since no one wants him and he's stuck.

 

[Manunited18]

Ronaldo has personal goals. Hes 38, his ambition to win the champions league again is his main priority. As a united fan we badly let him down last season, he maintained his form and was the leading scorer, the players around him were abject at best, hence Europa league is of no intrest to him. I fully back his ambition and hope sporting lisbon offer him the chance. All the best to one of the GOAT players. As for United we need to step up, and Ten hag is the right man.

 

[Aman]

Ronaldo has personal goals. Hes 38, his ambition to win the champions league again is his main priority. As a united fan we badly let him down last season, he maintained his form and was the leading scorer, the players around him were abject at best, hence Europa league is of no intrest to him. I fully back his ambition and hope sporting lisbon offer him the chance. All the best to one of the GOAT players. As for United we need to step up, and Ten hag is the right man.

lol.

According to tier 1 journalists, he's driven by his UCL goal stats, not another title. It's why he's fine with going to clubs who aren't even among the favorites to win CL. Problem is no one wants him because of all the toxicity, tactical inflexibility, problems and drama he brings. Which we're all seeing now.

Today's game is different, you can't build around one player. You need a proper functioning system, you can't build around a poacher and expect to beat the elite teams who are well drilled and organized.

 

[Technics 1210]

CR7 is driven by the desire to win and is willing to take a pay cut, a noble and admirable principle, proving he is not motivated by money, unlike Messi.

Glad people are finally realising the game cannot revolve around one player, might explain why Messi is an abject failure at PSG.

 

[Aman]

CR7 is driven by the desire to win and is willing to take a pay cut, a noble and admirable principle, proving he is not motivated by money, unlike Messi.

Glad people are finally realising the game cannot revolve around one player, might explain why Messi is an abject failure at PSG.

Yes, he's driven by rejection.

Most rejections in history.

Man has been getting roasted on FT bad. Haven't seen his fans out to face the music.

Messi on the other hand is fine letting Neymar and Mbappe shine, he's fine being a team player. He isn't an egomanic, he's a team player who will do whatever's best for the team to win.

 

[Aman]

The funniest story I read was the Sporting manager being hesitant to sign Ronaldo because he would ruin what he's built.

That would be embarrassing. I've lost count of what number that would be? Must be nearing 20.

Might need to start looking for Mr Worldwide.

 

[Technics 1210]

Yes, he's driven by rejection.

Most rejections in history.

Man has been getting roasted on FT bad. Haven't seen his fans out to face the music.

Messi on the other hand is fine letting Neymar and Mbappe shine, he's fine being a team player. He isn't an egomanic, he's a team player who will do whatever's best for the team to win.

CR7 and rejections? Not a touch on Barca rejecting Messi.

speaking of which, so fine, Messi could be moving back to Barca (if Barca accept him). Must have been tired of performing at PSG, sorry, losing.

 

[Aman]

CR7 and rejections? Not a touch on Barca rejecting Messi.

speaking of which, so fine, Messi could be moving back to Barca (if Barca accept him). Must have been tired of performing at PSG, sorry, losing.

God you lot are in denial.

Happened last year and has gotten 100x worse this season with sporting directors publicly humiliating him every other day.

His rejections are a meme which have gone viral, have even made it out to Aus/NZ.

 

[Manunited18]

The funniest story I read was the Sporting manager being hesitant to sign Ronaldo because he would ruin what he's built.

That would be embarrassing. I've lost count of what number that would be? Must be nearing 20.

Might need to start looking for Mr Worldwide.

Hes 38. His age is the only obstacle why teams are thinking twice of signing him, anything else is pure delusion .

 

[Aman]

Speaking of Messi, PSG wanted to renew Messi lol.

Laporta and Xavi publicly stated they want Messi back next season. That's 2 UCL clubs without Messi even trying.

Mr Challenge big mad

 

[Manunited18]

lol.

According to tier 1 journalists, he's driven by his UCL goal stats, not another title. It's why he's fine with going to clubs who aren't even among the favorites to win CL. Problem is no one wants him because of all the toxicity, tactical inflexibility, problems and drama he brings. Which we're all seeing now.

Today's game is different, you can't build around one player. You need a proper functioning system, you can't build around a poacher and expect to beat the elite teams who are well drilled and organized.

Time Of the year, journalists have nothing better than to speculate on bullxxap

 

[Aman]

Hes 38. His age is the only obstacle why teams are thinking twice of signing him, anything else is pure delusion .

He's been like this for the last few years. Teams don't want to build around him poaching goals, as Juve learnt its not going to win them titles.

 

[Technics 1210]

God you lot are in denial.

Happened last year and has gotten 100x worse this season with sporting directors publicly humiliating him every other day.

His rejections are a meme which have gone viral, have even made it out to Aus/NZ.

So a player of CR7's calibre is rejected in the twilight of his career? Happens in every sphere of sports, F1 too. It's known as return on investment. Football is a business.

But Messi, his home club boots him out, reduced to tears, flops at another club, now wants to come back home. Must be missing his blanket. Did the same for Argentina. Threw his toys out the pram only to pick em up again. Lol.

 

[Aman]

Time Of the year, journalists have nothing better than to speculate on bullxxap

Tier 1 Utd journos, tier 1 journas from every major european teams, sporting directors themselves are all lying?

Ronaldo is taking pre-season off just because

Let's see where he ends up, hope he sticks in Utd. Europa league pics would be proper material.

 

[Aman]

So a player of CR7's calibre is rejected in the twilight of his career? Happens in every sphere of sports, F1 too. It's known as return on investment. Football is a business.

But Messi, his home club boots him out, reduced to tears, flops at another club, now wants to come back home. Must be missing his blanket. Did the same for Argentina. Threw his toys out the pram only to pick em up again. Lol.

Hate to break it to you, PSG offered Messi a renewal a day after they rejected Ronaldo. Messi turned it down because he's focusing on WC.

You can keep living in lalala land while the world turns his humiliating public rejections into a joke.

 

[Technics 1210]

CR7 still ended up being one of the top scorers in the EPL, proving his skill and talent are universal.

Messi on the other hand couldn't muster 7 goals in the farmer's league. CR7 scored almost half of Messi's season tally in one game! )

 

[Aman]

CR7 still ended up being one of the top scorers in the EPL, proving his skill and talent are universal.

Messi on the other hand couldn't muster 7 goals in the farmer's league.

Fantastic, his goals carried Utd to their worst season ever? Or something like 30 years. From 2nd to 6th? Would have been playing Conference League had Watford not bottled it.

 

[Technics 1210]

Hate to break it to you, PSG offered Messi a renewal a day after they rejected Ronaldo. Messi turned it down because he's focusing on WC.

You can keep living in lalala land while the world turns his humiliating public rejections into a joke.

Not the point. But carry on.

 

[Technics 1210]

Fantastic, his goals carried Utd to their worst season ever? Or something like 30 years. From 2nd to 6th? Would have been playing Conference League had Watford not bottled it.

Farmer's league is worse than EPL. Let this sink in.

 

[Aman]

Not the point. But carry on.

A player like Ronaldo just doesn't fit today's club game. He needs to adapt, he won't. It's all about him and his glory.

 

[Aman]

Farmer's league is worse than EPL. Let this sink in.

Winning a farmer's league title > winning nothing, becoming the face of Europa league and taking several rejections a day.

 

[Technics 1210]

A player like Ronaldo just doesn't fit today's club game. He needs to adapt, he won't. It's all about him and his glory.

CR7 does adapt. He has performed for every club he's played.

Messi on the other hand. Uff. CR7 scored half of Messi's season goal tally in one game. If this isn't adaptation, then I do not know what is. Keeping in mind, the farmer's league is a 2 horse league.

 

[Technics 1210]

Winning a farmer's league title > winning nothing, becoming the face of Europa league and taking several rejections a day.

Messi was a passenger in the win, all of 6 goals in one of the weakest leagues in Europe.

 

[Manunited18]

Hate to break it to you, PSG offered Messi a renewal a day after they rejected Ronaldo. Messi turned it down because he's focusing on WC.

You can keep living in lalala land while the world turns his humiliating public rejections into a joke.

Messi has been ordinary in a poor French league and his body language half the time was shocking. He was one of the main reasons why the complete melt down against Madrid in the champions league.

Lol, Messi can focus all he wants on the world cup, knowing he went missing in crucial games whilst at his peak in 2010 and 2014 world cups, if you think he's leading Argentina to world cup glory then that is the ultimate fantasy.

 

[Aman]

Messi was a passenger in the win, all of 6 goals in one of the weakest leagues in Europe.

A passenger who still racked up 13 assists and has more G/A than Ronaldo in an apparently great year

Then there's the Finalissima where Messi put on a masterclass at Wembley and led Argentina to another international title over the European champions.

Either way keep going off topic. This thread is about Ronaldo and the teams rejecting him. Stop deflecting, the poacher is undesirable to every top European team in the world and that's a fact.

Question for you Ronaldo fans is why? Time to look in the mirror and face reality it ain't just age. The guy is not a team player and is a toxic presence.

 

[Technics 1210]

CRISTIANO RONALDO still boasts the most points in Ballon d'Or history - despite Lionel Messi winning the coveted award twice more.

Five-time winner Ronaldo, who last won the award in 2017, has amassed 3,781 points from nominations of the award.

That is over 200 points more than rival Messi, who has picked up 3,574 points.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/16903705/ronaldo-more-ballon-dor-points-messi/

Perspective.

CR7 - The GOAT.

 

[Technics 1210]

A passenger who still racked up 13 assists and has more G/A than Ronaldo in an apparently great year

Then there's the Finalissima where Messi put on a masterclass at Wembley and led Argentina to another international title over the European champions.

Either way keep going off topic. This thread is about Ronaldo and the teams rejecting him.

Doesn't change the fact Messi couldn't muster more than 6 goals in one of the weakest leagues in Europe. Pours scorn over his past performances.

Oh look, now you are cornered you play the topic of thread card. Read the thread then go home and watch Messi highlights pal.

Ouch.

 

[Aman]

CRISTIANO RONALDO still boasts the most points in Ballon d'Or history - despite Lionel Messi winning the coveted award twice more.

Five-time winner Ronaldo, who last won the award in 2017, has amassed 3,781 points from nominations of the award.

That is over 200 points more than rival Messi, who has picked up 3,574 points.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/16903705/ronaldo-more-ballon-dor-points-messi/

Perspective.

CR7 - The GOAT.

This is misleading stat because of how the pojnts system has changed and Messi starting his career later but yeah, keep the points. Messi will take the 7 BdOs

Delusion grandeur.

 

[Technics 1210]

This is misleading stat because of how the pojnts system has changed and Messi starting his career later but yeah, keep the points. Messi will take the 7 BdOs

Delusion grandeur.

Sure, what ever helps you sleep at night. Once Messi won the 7th, the voting system also changed, cos it was all rigged in favour of Messi.

Boo hoo.

 

[Aman]

Doesn't change the fact Messi couldn't muster more than 6 goals in one of the weakest leagues in Europe. Pours scorn over his past performances.

Oh look, now you are cornered you play the topic of thread card. Read the thread then go home and watch Messi highlights pal.

Ouch.

6 goals as a third option in a team of egos.

Ronaldo in this team would have destroyed the locker room. Look what he did at Juve and Utd. No imagine a team of stars who want to make their own name and not let Mr statpad get his numbers.

 

[Technics 1210]

6 goals as a third option in a team of egos.

Ronaldo in this team would have destroyed the locker room. Look what he did at Juve and Utd. No imagine a team of stars who want to make their own name and not let Mr statpad get his numbers.

You are right, Messi is the 3rd best player in the farmer's league.

Your assumptions are irrelevant.

 

[Aman]

You are right, Messi is the 3rd best player in the farmer's league.

Your assumptions are irrelevant.

You can keep living in your delusional world, it's not going to give Ronaldo a UCL team.

All likelihood he will rmeain with Utd and Europa will have their new poster boy to plaster on their posters and social media.

Have you started learning the Europa league song or the teams he'll play in Kazakhstan?

 

[Technics 1210]

You can keep living in your delusional world, it's not going to give Ronaldo a UCL team.

And? So what? You are the one delusional for demeaning a world class player who wants to win at the highest level. Which sportsman doesn't? Oh yeah, Messi. He is happy being the 3rd beat in L1. Ehat happened? Lost a bet on CR7?

You argument was barbecued once you admitted Messi is 3rd best player in one of the weakest leagues in Europe.

Come back next season.

:

 

[Aman]

And? So what? You are the one delusional for demeaning a world class player who wants to win at the highest level. Which sportsman doesn't? Oh yeah, Messi. He is happy being the 3rd beat in L1. Ehat happened? Lost a bet on CR7?

You argument was barbecued once you admitted Messi is 3rd best player in one of the weakest leagues in Europe.

Come back next season.

:

Messi was the third option i.e the third scoring option, Mbappe and Neymar ahead of him while he played deeper as the playmaker.

You better pray Sporting sign him otherwise you'll be seeing nothing but Ronaldo pics with a Europa badge all season. Anywhere you go.

 

[Technics 1210]

So there we have it. Messi is the 3rd best player in the farmer's leagues because 2 other players in his team have bigger egos according to [MENTION=132954]Aman[/MENTION]. Hmmmm, perhaps Messi apologists forget that there were far bigger egos at Barcelona when Messi was performing.

Neymar is not fit to tie the shoelaces of Messi, and neither M'Bappe, who by the way, wanted to leave PSG because of the nonsense and hostile environment Messi had created in the dressing room.

Still, Messi flopped in L1, couldn't handle the pressure, the change, we all know why, he is out of his pampered - Johnson & Johnson talcum powder - comfort zone. A one trick pony exposed in the weakest league in Europe.

If only Messi wasn't greedy for money, he could have ended his career on a high note and continued the illusion, instead of reaching pulling out the begging bowl.

 

[shaz619]

#FreeCR7

 

[shaz619]

Messi has been ordinary in a poor French league and his body language half the time was shocking. He was one of the main reasons why the complete melt down against Madrid in the champions league.

Lol, Messi can focus all he wants on the world cup, knowing he went missing in crucial games whilst at his peak in 2010 and 2014 world cups, if you think he's leading Argentina to world cup glory then that is the ultimate fantasy.

Do you still want CR7 at the club? how sad if he stays. In my view, if he does, he should only play in the PL and FA Cup

 

[Manunited18]

Do you still want CR7 at the club? how sad if he stays. In my view, if he does, he should only play in the PL and FA Cup

Ronaldo told the hierarchy at utd he wants to leave. It's clearly obvious champions league football is his priority and at 38 time is quickly running out for him to have one more crack at the champions league. Had he been 28, no question he would have stayed. As a united fan I fully respect his decision, and the thought process behind it.