Re-sign Ronny – yea or nay? 25 Jul 2015 17:16

By Frank Mead, Editor

The media this week have speculated that the “mystery” striker that United are going to sign is Old Trafford legend Cristiano Ronaldo. There is no doubt he is one of the greatest players ever to pull on the Red shirt, in any era, but having spoken to numerous reds on the subject, not everyone is convinced it is the right way forward.

Pros

As stated in a previous article, I believe Ronaldo to be the best player on the planet. Everyone has an opinion over who is better, him or Lionel Messi. When the Argentine singlehandedly destroyed Bayern Munich a few months ago, everyone was once again claiming that he’s the greatest player ever to put on a pair of boots – the same people who were slagging him off a year earlier when Ronaldo was outscoring him. As far as the media are concerned, whoever scores the most goals in a season is better. As far as I’m concerned, my opinion has never changed. Ronaldo is better, although not by much.

So if you sign someone is undisputedly one of the best two players on the planet, it will give the dressing room an almighty lift. There is no doubt that Madrid would demand one hell of a transfer fee, but let’s be honest, the shirt sales alone would cover that. In addition to the many United fans who would get his name on the back of their shirts, they would most likely gain a few “fans” who were only following Real because Ronaldo played for them. With that in mind, you’re only really paying his wages.

In my opinion, this also cover the argument of “he’s 30 years old, and there’s no sell-on value”. Yes, he is 30, but he’s probably one of the most physically fit athletes on the planet. His dedication to his profession is clear every time he take the field. I don’t see this guy declining anytime soon. He’s probably good for at least three to four more years, and if that brings with it a succession of trophies, then it’s fair to say that it’s worth the gamble.

Cons

There is always the argument that you should never look back. While I believe that Ronaldo, if he came back to United, would fit in as though he had never gone away, there is the point that there can be absolutely no guarantee he will light up Old Trafford like he did in his previous spell. He is at the peak of his powers, and while it’s a scary thought that he might get even better, at the age of 30, you would have to say it’s unlikely. I’m struggling to see how he could improve as a player.

And what if it didn’t go well for him? Right now, he is a legend for what he achieved at United. If he ends up not doing it to the standard expected of him, that could diminish his legend, which would be a real shame considering how awesome he was. Back then, he was 23 years old, and had it all in front of him. Moving back to United (or anywhere else, in fact) would be the final big move of his playing career (a final payday in the MLS, or the Middle East doesn’t count).

This could all be academic anyway, because there is no evidence to suggest he is unhappy at Madrid. Oh yeah, there was a video showing a training ground bust up between him and Benitez the other day. So what? That happens all the time, at any club. I’m betting there aren’t too many United players that haven’t had a bust up in training with Louis van Gaal over the last year. But because it sells newspapers, or generates clicks on websites, this typically causes the media to state that this means he is returning to Old Trafford.

There are also those that have never forgiven him for leaving, but I am certainly not one of those. Unlike some players, since the day he joined United, Ronaldo had never hidden the fact that someday he wanted to play for Madrid. We all knew it was going to happen someday.

Finally, it’s not as though it’s an area we desperately need to strengthen. Admittedly, Ronaldo is currently better than any of the options we currently have, but we have other areas that need strengthening, and these should be our priority.

Conclusion

I cant deny the thought of seeing Ronaldo pull on the Red shirt of United is a pleasant one. He’s the greatest player I have ever seen at Old Trafford bar none. But that’s just me speaking as a fan, who misses seeing the Portuguese forward rip defences to shreds in front of the Stretford End.

So while the heart wants it to happen, the head is saying that this is something that would have been ideal two years ago. We should have resigned him when he was entering his peak rather than in the middle of it.

In any event, I don’t see it happening. If it did, I would welcome it with open arms, but I don’t see it happening. He is under a long term contract, and Madrid don’t usually sell if they don’t want to.

So while I can see the merits of both arguments, I don’t actually see the transfer happening, certainly not this summer.

But the little kid inside me thinks it would be awesome if it did.