Ronaldo's evolution keeps him among the very best

Andy West 23:50 03/05/2017
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  • Cristiano Ronaldo’s scintillating hat-trick to give Real Madrid victory over local rivals Atletico in Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final was a reaffirmation that the Portugal superstar remains one of the most decisive players in the world.

    But it was more than that, because his performance also served as a neat encapsulation of the way his game has changed over the last couple of years.

    Let’s put it into perspective. Aside from his goals, there was nothing particularly special about Ronaldo’s all-round display on Tuesday.

    For large parts of the contest he was a peripheral presence, especially during the periods of Atletico’s dominance either side of the half-time interval.

    Overall, he had 50 touches of the ball – less than half the amount of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, and the second-lowest tally of all Madrid starters, surpassing only the 40 touches of Karim Benzema, who was substituted with 15 minutes remaining.

    Indeed, even right-back Dani Carvajal, who was replaced through injury at half-time, had more touches (62) in his 45 minutes than Ronaldo managed in the entire game, so it’s obvious his overall impact on the action was relatively minimal.

    But judging the game purely from the perspective of those statistics misses the point, because Ronaldo is no longer required to be particularly active in his team’s all-round play.

    Instead of needing to participate in Madrid’s build-up, he now lives and breathes almost exclusively in the final third, and especially inside the opposition penalty area. Scoring goals is his sole raison d’etre, with his defensive responsibilities limited to using his heading abilities to clear set-pieces while wing play is largely carried out by full-backs Carvajal and Marcelo.

    For fans whose image of Ronaldo is still largely shaped by his time at Manchester United, this might seem strange. Back then, he was a box-to-box flier who was never more dangerous than when he was running with the ball at his feet on the counter-attack, and who often didn’t even reach the opposition penalty area before letting fly with a long-range thunderbolt shot.

    But with very occasional exceptions, Ronaldo doesn’t do those things any longer. Now, rather than terrorising opposition defences with unstoppable bursts towards the box, he is the man inside the box, waiting for his teammates to provide him with ammunition.

    He has evolved into a very different player from his youth, and he had to. He is now 32 years old, and it would be unrealistic to expect him to play in the same way that he used to. His physical capabilities are clearly and understandably in decline, and he has therefore had to reshape his game accordingly.

    Fortunately, even greater than Ronaldo’s physical attributes are his mental qualities, and specifically his unmatched desire for goals.

    Nobody drives themselves with the same kind of furiously focussed, one-eyed determination to score as much as Ronaldo. He is never happy unless he has just scored a goal…and even then he doesn’t stay happy for long, because he just wants to score again.

    This attitude has allowed Ronaldo to shrug off the effects of his inevitable physical deterioration and remain a potent force inside the penalty area. And although his all-round play is now negligible, he deserves a great deal of credit for evolving into a player whose deficiencies don’t really matter because he is still able to exploit his considerable attributes.

    Zinedine Zidane also deserves praise for his management of Ronaldo. After a long period of experimentation, he has now found a system – a midfield diamond supporting two strikers – which neither requires Ronaldo to do any defending nor play as a winger, but still works well for the whole team.

    The French coach has also persuaded Ronaldo to take time off, something he refused to accept until recently. He has featured in just 26 league games this season, playing no part at all in any of Madrid’s last three away games in La Liga despite being available, and that additional time on the sidelines has undoubtedly helped keep him fresh for this decisive phase of the campaign.

    Ronaldo recently stated his desire to keep playing until he is 40. With his new position and his new willingness to regularly take a break, don’t rule that out.

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