Queiroz: Ronaldo better than Rooney

but keep in mind that the modern day ac milan actually beat RMCF (and I think it was at the Bernabau, if I remember correctly) back in the group stages for the CL.

as for Rooney. . .
I admit, I never seen Rooney score from 40 yards like Ronny did against Porto last season, but keep in mind he’s still scored from anything besides headers. . . remember his volley from 30 yards against Newcastle United back in the 05-06 season? If he can do that back then, he can do that now. . . it’s just easier to miss/have the keeper save it from that distance.

ronaldo: he has scored brilliant goals, but he aint the only one to score from backheels; I remember Giggs and others doing that. Goals from 40 yards, Beckham has scored from halffield once and from 75 yards once, and is also known for scoring off of freekicks- so much that, as we all know, the movie Bend It Like Beckham was made in honor of it. I aint trying to discredit Ronny, guys, I’m just saying this stuff, ya know.

Ac milan ? Ac milan is like playing the old men in the local leagues. Ronaldinho,Pirlo,Gattuso,Seedorf aren’t the players they were a decade ago. If Rooney is so good he would’ve shined brighter then Cristiano when Cristiano was at man united and it isn’t just Rooney doing everything for Man U Luis Nani,Antonio Valencia,and Berbatov are playing very well giving the perfect passes to Rooney the passes are so good its pretty much impossible to miss the goal. With Ronaldo he scores from any chance he can back heels,freekicks,shots 40yrds away, and headers. All the goals Rooney been scoring is headers from the box something Cristiano does on the daily basis. Cristiano would have a lot more goals this season if he didnt miss a lot of games.

so can ronaldo, but if ronaldo can, rooney can too.

the world cup will prove whether ronaldo ,rooney or the polished efficiency of messi rules the world.i like messi never puffing all over the place but neatly passing the passes, dribbling be it in speed or at pace .the little magician can make both the ball, pass, and the net talk.

ok, blaze, I though you were insulting me!!

CFC Fan, you gotta keep singing. the pompey fans are having a worse season than our respective clubs, and they still sang back on monday (4-1 defeat to liverpool at Anfield), while the liverpool fans were strangely qutite. to be in the CL (or getting knocked out) is better than being in
the relegation battle, with the chance of being wiped out of existance completely.

Luis palomino:
I respect your opinion, dont get me wrong. but thing is. . . la liga does have brilliant defenders, but you cant compare any of them (except for Gerard Pique, plus one or two more) to PL defenders unless they play in the PL sometime in their careers. but you can compare EPL defenders to la liga guys as they play in a more demanding area (even I, an American, expect nothing less than 200% from Manchester United’s fullbacks) so they actually have to play better, and they do. . . for the most part.
as for Ronaldo, he came into the PL at the same time as Rooney, so they’re close to each other in the race. but while Ronny’s first season at RMCF has been good personaly, the fact he and his team was knocked out of the CL by any other team besides the Milans, CFC, Arsenal, MUFC, or FCB, means they aint as good as Rooney and United (who owned AC Milan in the round of 16).

the facts have been stated. . . try to fight it. . . but lose- no offense intended.

I don’t feel like singing anymore…

brad i meant yo addiction has gone overboard like a hippie on coke,i mean in every discussion your’e there- shows you love the game man kip it up!oh n to you the chelsea supporters c’mon sing the blues to the blues….

Ill choose Cristiano over Rooney. Ronaldo could play in any league Rooney can just play in the EPL. Rooney is a world class player but Cristiano has better skill better shot quicker/faster then Rooney. And La liga defenders is just as good as the EPL defenders. The EPL defenders don’t play futbol they just wanna knock the players lights out. La liga has brilliant defenders nd they play the game beautiful and clean. La liga also has Puyol,Pique,Sergio Ramos,Pepe,Dani Alves, etc etc.

and…Eto just scored on Chelsea to wipe out our hopes of progressing through the Champions League…

very very very disappointed…

I need some rehab right about now…

I dont know what you mean by “”soccer” rehab”, blaze.

@Blaze…yea – Eto is a gem! My dream is to see him partner up with DD and Nico at Chelsea, with DD as the focal point…there is no single player i’d rather have at Chelsea right now…

@CGL…I think Soccernews.com is pushing some of the best articles i’ve read online to date as well…Graham and Dave do an excellent job at pushing our buttons and giving us a platform to vent our passion…hats off to them for the wonderful job they do…we all have our favorites, but in the grand scheme of things, no one player is bigger than the sport and it is the efforts of every player around the world that make us love this game – they all deserve the credit and our support so that they continue to do what we love to see them do, no matter where they are from or who they play for…

m addicted to soccer but as for brad i think he will go to soccer rehab b4 i do,hats off to yu man.though m not saying th@ ol u say is sensible.

hmm fo sho rooney is on form THIS SEASON he is on fire,ranking em players in terms of consistency and reliability in front of goal :
1.messi
2.david villa
3.CR9
4.rooney and torres(though the latter is more injury prone)
5.the gr8 drogba
now if samuel etoo hadnt gone to inter milan he probably would be sitting on top of the whole bunch,man can th@ guy score.

and he scores at least ONCE in each of those games. I wouldn’t put it past Rooney to do it, but it does seem a little too far. . .

Rooney has started talking in terms of braces…. may seem unrealistic but he can reach to 50 goal a season given dat still 13 possible games in hand….

God taught him through the Everton Youth Club, that’s how. And since God taught him, Rooney’s better than anyone else.

Who?? Everton Youth Club?

God bless Rooney, indeed!!! Who do you think taught the guy to play football anyway.

yep – 9 games in the league – and lets see, 5 games in the CL (if they go all the way which I am sure they will) so that would add to his tally 14 goals (at least cuz hes scoring in almost every game) = 44 ! yey ! Of course he will score 2 goals in some games and maybe another hat trick, super hat trick maybe? I wont be surprized if he does 😀 he is just awesome god bless the lad !

I thought it was 41. . . ah well, cant remember everything.

well, ali, I wouldnt be surprised if wazza did break it. He’s certainly got the time left in this season to do it.

^^ Amen to that Brad, Rooney is hands down being the best in the world right now especially the display he put on against Milan. I really think he is going to break CR’s record with Man Utd (42 goals)

Not only that, CGL, but he’s also doing this in a superior league to Spain’s la liga.

Guys,

I am considerably new to soccer webs, but I can tell this is the most sensible discussion on ne web… i can see CFC fan appraisin Rooney and MANUTD fan appraisin other players… hats off to you guys…

Rooney with his talent, goal score n superior performance is way ahead of CR and LM this year and the best important thing is he is winning matches for united.. exactly what CR and LM has failed to do as many times as rooney does this year..

Rooney the best of the best

I think the former Liverpool manager wondered whether or not to sign Ronny for the Reds. if he had, he would’ve helped them a lot, but I aint complaining, after all I’m a Red Devil.

CFC Fan, you’re dead on, as well, saying Messi wont ever set foot on England unless he’s playing against England’s national team or a club team for in the CL. And you cant be the best player in the world unless you play in England’s PL, the best league in the world. . . which is an undeniable fact as to why rooney is better than Messi. if he’s better than Messi, then he’s better than Ronny, who has been in the PL (obviously).

Nayete – those guys are never forgotten (maybe I overlooked them a bit) but they are all legends in my book too…and you are right – those were the players that had that little extra something that set them apart from the rest…but, the game in general, around that time, was nowhere as exciting as it is now…I guess it is my generation that was brought up on that flair and attitude and it was CR that took all those little tricks we’d try in the streets as kids and started dancing in the face of EPL defenders with them…that brought a bit of attitude to the game and also a little fight from defenders who weren’t going to be made fools of…as soon as I heard ‘he’s a show-off’, I thought he was going to get killed out there…but he proved me wrong and he was just shocking to watch…I know Fergie was having a blast watching it all too…

We could think about ‘what if’ CR stayed at Sporting…but what’s the point in that?? He is too good to even consider that he would have stayed there…Man U got first dibs on him, but he would have blown up where ever he went…although, I think Fergie brings out the best in his players…

Your last comment is dead-on…if you are to take professionalism and humility in to consideration, then that is a competition between Rooney and Messi alone…Although, Messi never had a chance b/c he never has, and probably never will, step foot in the EPL…

Yeah, I do.

I’m sorry I need to correct – CR scored over 70 goals in all competitions with Man U in his 6 seasons (But you get the point)

Gooner: We are basing them on the current form obviously.

Brad: You are absoloutely right about Mike, Also someone above saifd that scoring goals in the EPL is way harder than scoring goals in the Spanish Premiership – that is what I think defines the resiliance and tenasity of each player – you could argue that CR has scoreed over 70 goals in the premier league, but that was with great teammate skill from the likes of Carrick, Giggs, Scholzi, and of course Rooney. I stand by my opinion about Valencia, not just because he is an MUFC player, he impressed me from his days at Wigan (As Modric, Bellamy, and Myhill does)

CFC: Are you forgetting about the likes of Alan Sherar,Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Giggs/list goes on and on ! But I guess it all goes down to the football culure of each country, the bringing up of players that is totally based on flair (which is why you find flair is a regular thing at players in Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Argentina… and rarely found in the EPL and other similar leagues) The introoducing of players like Ronaldo and Cantona to the EPL is what really made them pop out and impress the world with their skills. I mean would CR have this worldwide recogition if he has stayed at Sporting ? same with Cantona 🙂 It is just a shame that the more important players who create plays using their tenasity and hard physical effort are not as widely recognized. Would have CR gotten that famous without the outstanding efforts of Giggs and Carrick, Park, and Rooney surely not !

It is really hard to pick, but my personal favorite, because of many thingfs including humility and professionalism, and hard work, and skills – I would take Rooney any time !

It sure is hard to pick.

top 5 is so hard to pick….
based on current form or imagining everyone was fit?

This line is directed at Mike, and it has been taken from the movie Transformers 2.
“This fool has been terribly misinformed.”

I understand why you rank CR9 and LM10 so highly, nothing wrong there, Mike. But to rank ROONEY anywhere besides 1st place (and I would say that even if I WASNT a MUFC fan) is an insult punishable with a long, slow, weeks long circumcision of your manhood. . . ouch.
I mean, Rooney plays in the best LEAGUE in the WORLD, the best TEAM in the best LEAGUE in the WORLD, and he is at his best and that is so incredible there is no doubt he was born with a football at his feet, and football’s Bible in his arms.

and besides, you dont have much variety with your comments, do you?

You insult everyone who has made a comment, especially us who put legitimate, facts-based posts, and you always say, in almost every comment of yours, that “YOU ALLS SUCKS” or “HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH, WHAT LOSER”. You sound worse than my little brother, and that’s saying something! If you make a comment in response, try to make it with no insults. that way me and the other guys here might actually consider respecting you.

Ali, CFC Fan:

Good posts. Valencia is the best winger in the PL, but then again i cant think of anyone besides his teammate Ryan Giggs who could be better.
And Ali shows the difference between Rooney and Ronny, which is making me to stop and think who to put in 1st, but I might get circumcised for that. . . haha.
And there is a catch about which position is better, midfield or striker? I am a mid for my high school and youth club teams, but I will say its the strikers who can surprise you with the playmaking skills, more than midfielders do.

I agree, on most parts, but Rooney’s best has come from his newly refined role…his previous role when CR was around didn’t quite have the same impact as he does now…

However, he has always been one of, if not ‘the’ hardest working striker in the game…he is versatile – I’ve seen him in the attacking midfield role too…but, even tho he does it, it doesn’t mean he does it as well as CR…I still think CR does everything better except play defense but that has changed significantly with Madrid, I’m finding.

About the flair…I guess I’m a sucker for it…my favorite athletes are the one’s that make me jump out of my seat…

Cristiano Ronaldo
Alexander Ovechkin
Lebron James
Alex Rodriguez

I was watching an EPL game from 2001 the other day and it reminded me of why I stopped watching football for awhile – there was no flair…it was all aggressive-technical and players were afraid of risk…It was boring to watch I must say…the athletes of today have taken the sport to new heights b/c of flair…so while it does overshadow some technically sound players, it also adds another dimension to the game and those that show it are well rewarded for their efforts in so many ways.

Well CFC fan you make very good points. Shay Given is actually an excellent Gk, he was one of the main reason’s of Man City’s thrashing of CFC.

All I can say about Valencia that he has been in top form. Valencia has been turning heads since his spell at Wigan. I have to tell you that occupying CR’s old position did not do him good justice, he is really unbelievable. He plays with an attacking attractive style that makes anyone watching on the edge of their seats waiting to see him do a cross to Rooney. He is at the moment what Man Utd need as a winger no more and certainly no less. With CR you would see an attackjing winger scoring goals and what not. With Valencia you are seeing more crosses thus more wing play by Man Utd – which is the main reason of Rooney’s recent headed goals.

Kaka vs. Rooney, well – with his current position in the formation Kaka is seen confused too much wether to hold back or drive forward, especially with CR9 and Benzema alongside him. As I said before too many stars on the field is a very bad thing for a team – GALACTICOS just do not work! Real Madrid FC really need a specific talisman as Man utd has Rooney, at the moment there is too much confusion wether its CR9 or Kaka. Also, being a midfielder does not always give you more potential than a striker. As we have witnessed, Rooney is perfectly capable of playing a playmaking role (which he does a lot with the england national team since he has Defoe as another striker) If you really observe, You will see him all over the place playing in midfield most of the time, a little bit on the wings, and making a speedy dash to the 6 yard box, and sometimes even defending (which Kaka and CR9 rarley do). From a technical POV, Rooney really is the most versatile worldclass player you could find right now. I remember once back when CR was still with Man Utd, there was a serious proposal that Rooney actually plays as a supporting attacking midfielder/ playmaker (when Scholes was injured and Fletcher was not yet developed).

In my honest opinion, Rooney is the most versatile, aggressive, and physically strong player noticed out there. The only difference is that Rooney is a typicall English Striker, unlike Cristiano who has the typical Latin Flair. But by no means should the flair be better than the English style. However, flair is unfortunately overrated and more recognized in the world of football, leaving great players like Rooney with the short end of the stick.

Ali – I have to throw Shay Given in to the mix…the things i’ve seen him do this season have been heart-breaking – he played fantastic games against the best of teams this season (most notably against Chelsea!)…Myhill is excellent too tho…it’s debateable…

Valencia as top winger in the PL – maaaan Ali…you are really pushing the limits there…but, come to think of it, I can’t think of another winger that has had as good performances this season…i’m gonna keep on thinking tho cuz it’s hard to believe that Valencia is it (no offense – he’s a great player, especially under Man U’s system)…

Re: Kaka vs Rooney…is it possible for a pure striker to ever be a number one player? In my opinion, a great midfielder brings more to the table than a great striker…so, it is a decision based on what is needed.

I still say CR is number one b/c his game is more diverse and his technical skills are better than any i’ve seen to date…

I forgot to mention Reina too 🙂

Brad, I know Rooney should be up top, but I think at the moment Messi is a tiny wini bit better at the moment. Rooney is on the way to be no’1. About the Youtube thing, Im am gonna do it right now :).

mike:

WTF?! Just because you put Guti there shows that you know totally nothing about football. C.R. made it very clear that he wanted to move to Real Madrid, that was the main reason why he left, second comes the cash. Are seriously suggesting that Kaka is beter that Rooney ?! oK CR9 I get a lil bit eventhough I think it is a bit wrong but Kaka ?! C’mon. And what’s Van der Vart doing there ? We’re talking about the best here not the very good.

Anyhoooo, does anyone agree that Valencia is the top winger in the PL, and Modric and Fabregas are the best playmakers? Evra and Ashley Cole the best Wing Backs and Myhill is the best keeper ?

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahhaahhhhhaaaahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
U ALL SUCK DON’T U REALIZE THAT THE ONLY REASON MANCHESTER LET RONNIE GO IS BECAUSE OF THE CASH FERGUSON COULDN’T RESIST. RONALDO PLAYING FOR REAL MADRID IS HIS DREAM SO EITHER WAY IT’S PRETTY EVEN, HERES MY LIST….
1.CRISTIANO RONALDO
2.MESSI
3. KAKA’
4.ROONEY
5. VAN DER VAART
6. DAVID VILLA
7.GUTI.HAZ

And here’s mine:

Rooney up top!!!
Ronaldo right there behind him
Messi just a nanometer behind Ronny
Drogba in 4th
dont know who to put in 5th. . . tempted to put Landon Donovan here.

oh, btw, Ali, did you youtube “United Rule”? I’m serious, for Red Devils like us, that’s a good song.

LOL, English please

But I am speaking from an outsider point of view. Well Im not :)but you have to admit that now Rooney is really one of the best in the world. Im gonna do like you did – Ill take both

Here are my rankings for the moment:

1-Messi
2-Rooney
3-CR9
4-Drogba
5-Iniesta

ROONEY IS VERY EASY HE IS THE BEST >RONALDO WHEN HE LEAVE FROM MANCHESTER HE IS DOING A BAD PLAYER AND HE DON’T NOW TO PLAY HIS FORM IS GETTING WORS>ROONEY<IS THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WOTLD

Are you saying that just cus Ronny is now at Real Madrid? (btw, go youtube and google “united rule”, and choose the vid with a picture of a little boy flipping someone off- it has something funny to say about RMCF and other MUFC rivals).

I’m still not sure. . . okay, now I am: I’ll just get rid of the rule “you can only choose one” and take both Rooney and Ronny. Rooney would get first pick though.

Well Brad its easy ; ROONEY !

He is putting on a great display ! I just love him ! I’d take him over Ronaldo any time !

if it came to a choice of having messi, rooney, or ronny on my team, and I could choose ONLY one of them, I would have to take either ronny or rooney. as sajjaad and gooner said, Spanish defense is easier to break through than EPL so messi falls out surprisingly early. Ronaldo has plenty of experience at taking EPL full backs on, so he stays in for now. Rooney has around the same amount of experience, which he sure is showing this season by owning all the defenders in sight more often than not (“PWNED here, PWNED there, F***IING PWNED EVERYWHERE!”) so he stays in too.

crunch time:

Rooney is doing great, he now has a new record of most gols in a single season personally. He hustles all over the place; he sure would’ve been on the national team back in the 60s when Ramsey was in charge, such hard work ethic. . .
Ronaldo is doing great in spain, but he was better in england. he showed that when he scored 41 gols back in the 07/08 season. . .

I dont know who to choose. . . hhhhhmmmmmmmmmm

brilliant from sajjaad,
i think that in this season (watching ronaldo play in spain now) you really see how much easier spain defense is…

Everyone knows the EPL league defence is much tougher than La Liga therefore i dont think itz a very fair comparison!!

I’m gonna have to say CR is the top dawg in the world right now…I don’t think anybody is more of a threat on the pitch…

He can score a goal every 400 minutes if he wanted…he does everything and he does it better…

Nobody hustles like Rooney tho..he is in top-form, he is world-class and he is already a legend…and he’s just getting started…but i’d take CR over any player in the world today…

Messi: 98 minutes per goal.
C. Ronaldo: 94 minutes per goal.
Rooney: 100 minutes per goal.
Drogba: 102 minutes per goal.

Huntelaar: 97.83 minutes per goal
just reinforcing, imagine if he took free kicks.

haha

For Man United. . . but that means he’s the BEST in the WORLD. Ronaldo is his runner up, with Messi just a fraction of an inch behind.

Wohoho dont even think about it – Wayne Rooney is the B-E-S-T

Wohoho dont even think about it – Wayne Rooney is the B-E-S-T

For Man United. . . but that means he’s the BEST in the WORLD. Ronaldo is his runner up, with Messi just a fraction of an inch behind.

Messi: 98 minutes per goal.
C. Ronaldo: 94 minutes per goal.
Rooney: 100 minutes per goal.
Drogba: 102 minutes per goal.

Huntelaar: 97.83 minutes per goal
just reinforcing, imagine if he took free kicks.

haha

I’m gonna have to say CR is the top dawg in the world right now…I don’t think anybody is more of a threat on the pitch…

He can score a goal every 400 minutes if he wanted…he does everything and he does it better…

Nobody hustles like Rooney tho..he is in top-form, he is world-class and he is already a legend…and he’s just getting started…but i’d take CR over any player in the world today…

Everyone knows the EPL league defence is much tougher than La Liga therefore i dont think itz a very fair comparison!!

brilliant from sajjaad,
i think that in this season (watching ronaldo play in spain now) you really see how much easier spain defense is…

if it came to a choice of having messi, rooney, or ronny on my team, and I could choose ONLY one of them, I would have to take either ronny or rooney. as sajjaad and gooner said, Spanish defense is easier to break through than EPL so messi falls out surprisingly early. Ronaldo has plenty of experience at taking EPL full backs on, so he stays in for now. Rooney has around the same amount of experience, which he sure is showing this season by owning all the defenders in sight more often than not (“PWNED here, PWNED there, F***IING PWNED EVERYWHERE!”) so he stays in too.

crunch time:

Rooney is doing great, he now has a new record of most gols in a single season personally. He hustles all over the place; he sure would’ve been on the national team back in the 60s when Ramsey was in charge, such hard work ethic. . .
Ronaldo is doing great in spain, but he was better in england. he showed that when he scored 41 gols back in the 07/08 season. . .

I dont know who to choose. . . hhhhhmmmmmmmmmm

Well Brad its easy ; ROONEY !

He is putting on a great display ! I just love him ! I’d take him over Ronaldo any time !

Are you saying that just cus Ronny is now at Real Madrid? (btw, go youtube and google “united rule”, and choose the vid with a picture of a little boy flipping someone off- it has something funny to say about RMCF and other MUFC rivals).

I’m still not sure. . . okay, now I am: I’ll just get rid of the rule “you can only choose one” and take both Rooney and Ronny. Rooney would get first pick though.

ROONEY IS VERY EASY HE IS THE BEST >RONALDO WHEN HE LEAVE FROM MANCHESTER HE IS DOING A BAD PLAYER AND HE DON’T NOW TO PLAY HIS FORM IS GETTING WORS>ROONEY<IS THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WOTLD

LOL, English please

But I am speaking from an outsider point of view. Well Im not :)but you have to admit that now Rooney is really one of the best in the world. Im gonna do like you did – Ill take both

Here are my rankings for the moment:

1-Messi
2-Rooney
3-CR9
4-Drogba
5-Iniesta

And here’s mine:

Rooney up top!!!
Ronaldo right there behind him
Messi just a nanometer behind Ronny
Drogba in 4th
dont know who to put in 5th. . . tempted to put Landon Donovan here.

oh, btw, Ali, did you youtube “United Rule”? I’m serious, for Red Devils like us, that’s a good song.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahhaahhhhhaaaahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
U ALL SUCK DON’T U REALIZE THAT THE ONLY REASON MANCHESTER LET RONNIE GO IS BECAUSE OF THE CASH FERGUSON COULDN’T RESIST. RONALDO PLAYING FOR REAL MADRID IS HIS DREAM SO EITHER WAY IT’S PRETTY EVEN, HERES MY LIST….
1.CRISTIANO RONALDO
2.MESSI
3. KAKA’
4.ROONEY
5. VAN DER VAART
6. DAVID VILLA
7.GUTI.HAZ

Brad, I know Rooney should be up top, but I think at the moment Messi is a tiny wini bit better at the moment. Rooney is on the way to be no’1. About the Youtube thing, Im am gonna do it right now :).

mike:

WTF?! Just because you put Guti there shows that you know totally nothing about football. C.R. made it very clear that he wanted to move to Real Madrid, that was the main reason why he left, second comes the cash. Are seriously suggesting that Kaka is beter that Rooney ?! oK CR9 I get a lil bit eventhough I think it is a bit wrong but Kaka ?! C’mon. And what’s Van der Vart doing there ? We’re talking about the best here not the very good.

Anyhoooo, does anyone agree that Valencia is the top winger in the PL, and Modric and Fabregas are the best playmakers? Evra and Ashley Cole the best Wing Backs and Myhill is the best keeper ?

I forgot to mention Reina too 🙂

Ali – I have to throw Shay Given in to the mix…the things i’ve seen him do this season have been heart-breaking – he played fantastic games against the best of teams this season (most notably against Chelsea!)…Myhill is excellent too tho…it’s debateable…

Valencia as top winger in the PL – maaaan Ali…you are really pushing the limits there…but, come to think of it, I can’t think of another winger that has had as good performances this season…i’m gonna keep on thinking tho cuz it’s hard to believe that Valencia is it (no offense – he’s a great player, especially under Man U’s system)…

Re: Kaka vs Rooney…is it possible for a pure striker to ever be a number one player? In my opinion, a great midfielder brings more to the table than a great striker…so, it is a decision based on what is needed.

I still say CR is number one b/c his game is more diverse and his technical skills are better than any i’ve seen to date…

Well CFC fan you make very good points. Shay Given is actually an excellent Gk, he was one of the main reason’s of Man City’s thrashing of CFC.

All I can say about Valencia that he has been in top form. Valencia has been turning heads since his spell at Wigan. I have to tell you that occupying CR’s old position did not do him good justice, he is really unbelievable. He plays with an attacking attractive style that makes anyone watching on the edge of their seats waiting to see him do a cross to Rooney. He is at the moment what Man Utd need as a winger no more and certainly no less. With CR you would see an attackjing winger scoring goals and what not. With Valencia you are seeing more crosses thus more wing play by Man Utd – which is the main reason of Rooney’s recent headed goals.

Kaka vs. Rooney, well – with his current position in the formation Kaka is seen confused too much wether to hold back or drive forward, especially with CR9 and Benzema alongside him. As I said before too many stars on the field is a very bad thing for a team – GALACTICOS just do not work! Real Madrid FC really need a specific talisman as Man utd has Rooney, at the moment there is too much confusion wether its CR9 or Kaka. Also, being a midfielder does not always give you more potential than a striker. As we have witnessed, Rooney is perfectly capable of playing a playmaking role (which he does a lot with the england national team since he has Defoe as another striker) If you really observe, You will see him all over the place playing in midfield most of the time, a little bit on the wings, and making a speedy dash to the 6 yard box, and sometimes even defending (which Kaka and CR9 rarley do). From a technical POV, Rooney really is the most versatile worldclass player you could find right now. I remember once back when CR was still with Man Utd, there was a serious proposal that Rooney actually plays as a supporting attacking midfielder/ playmaker (when Scholes was injured and Fletcher was not yet developed).

In my honest opinion, Rooney is the most versatile, aggressive, and physically strong player noticed out there. The only difference is that Rooney is a typicall English Striker, unlike Cristiano who has the typical Latin Flair. But by no means should the flair be better than the English style. However, flair is unfortunately overrated and more recognized in the world of football, leaving great players like Rooney with the short end of the stick.

I agree, on most parts, but Rooney’s best has come from his newly refined role…his previous role when CR was around didn’t quite have the same impact as he does now…

However, he has always been one of, if not ‘the’ hardest working striker in the game…he is versatile – I’ve seen him in the attacking midfield role too…but, even tho he does it, it doesn’t mean he does it as well as CR…I still think CR does everything better except play defense but that has changed significantly with Madrid, I’m finding.

About the flair…I guess I’m a sucker for it…my favorite athletes are the one’s that make me jump out of my seat…

Cristiano Ronaldo
Alexander Ovechkin
Lebron James
Alex Rodriguez

I was watching an EPL game from 2001 the other day and it reminded me of why I stopped watching football for awhile – there was no flair…it was all aggressive-technical and players were afraid of risk…It was boring to watch I must say…the athletes of today have taken the sport to new heights b/c of flair…so while it does overshadow some technically sound players, it also adds another dimension to the game and those that show it are well rewarded for their efforts in so many ways.

This line is directed at Mike, and it has been taken from the movie Transformers 2.
“This fool has been terribly misinformed.”

I understand why you rank CR9 and LM10 so highly, nothing wrong there, Mike. But to rank ROONEY anywhere besides 1st place (and I would say that even if I WASNT a MUFC fan) is an insult punishable with a long, slow, weeks long circumcision of your manhood. . . ouch.
I mean, Rooney plays in the best LEAGUE in the WORLD, the best TEAM in the best LEAGUE in the WORLD, and he is at his best and that is so incredible there is no doubt he was born with a football at his feet, and football’s Bible in his arms.

and besides, you dont have much variety with your comments, do you?

You insult everyone who has made a comment, especially us who put legitimate, facts-based posts, and you always say, in almost every comment of yours, that “YOU ALLS SUCKS” or “HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH, WHAT LOSER”. You sound worse than my little brother, and that’s saying something! If you make a comment in response, try to make it with no insults. that way me and the other guys here might actually consider respecting you.

Ali, CFC Fan:

Good posts. Valencia is the best winger in the PL, but then again i cant think of anyone besides his teammate Ryan Giggs who could be better.
And Ali shows the difference between Rooney and Ronny, which is making me to stop and think who to put in 1st, but I might get circumcised for that. . . haha.
And there is a catch about which position is better, midfield or striker? I am a mid for my high school and youth club teams, but I will say its the strikers who can surprise you with the playmaking skills, more than midfielders do.

top 5 is so hard to pick….
based on current form or imagining everyone was fit?

It sure is hard to pick.

Gooner: We are basing them on the current form obviously.

Brad: You are absoloutely right about Mike, Also someone above saifd that scoring goals in the EPL is way harder than scoring goals in the Spanish Premiership – that is what I think defines the resiliance and tenasity of each player – you could argue that CR has scoreed over 70 goals in the premier league, but that was with great teammate skill from the likes of Carrick, Giggs, Scholzi, and of course Rooney. I stand by my opinion about Valencia, not just because he is an MUFC player, he impressed me from his days at Wigan (As Modric, Bellamy, and Myhill does)

CFC: Are you forgetting about the likes of Alan Sherar,Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Giggs/list goes on and on ! But I guess it all goes down to the football culure of each country, the bringing up of players that is totally based on flair (which is why you find flair is a regular thing at players in Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Argentina… and rarely found in the EPL and other similar leagues) The introoducing of players like Ronaldo and Cantona to the EPL is what really made them pop out and impress the world with their skills. I mean would CR have this worldwide recogition if he has stayed at Sporting ? same with Cantona 🙂 It is just a shame that the more important players who create plays using their tenasity and hard physical effort are not as widely recognized. Would have CR gotten that famous without the outstanding efforts of Giggs and Carrick, Park, and Rooney surely not !

It is really hard to pick, but my personal favorite, because of many thingfs including humility and professionalism, and hard work, and skills – I would take Rooney any time !

I’m sorry I need to correct – CR scored over 70 goals in all competitions with Man U in his 6 seasons (But you get the point)

Yeah, I do.

Nayete – those guys are never forgotten (maybe I overlooked them a bit) but they are all legends in my book too…and you are right – those were the players that had that little extra something that set them apart from the rest…but, the game in general, around that time, was nowhere as exciting as it is now…I guess it is my generation that was brought up on that flair and attitude and it was CR that took all those little tricks we’d try in the streets as kids and started dancing in the face of EPL defenders with them…that brought a bit of attitude to the game and also a little fight from defenders who weren’t going to be made fools of…as soon as I heard ‘he’s a show-off’, I thought he was going to get killed out there…but he proved me wrong and he was just shocking to watch…I know Fergie was having a blast watching it all too…

We could think about ‘what if’ CR stayed at Sporting…but what’s the point in that?? He is too good to even consider that he would have stayed there…Man U got first dibs on him, but he would have blown up where ever he went…although, I think Fergie brings out the best in his players…

Your last comment is dead-on…if you are to take professionalism and humility in to consideration, then that is a competition between Rooney and Messi alone…Although, Messi never had a chance b/c he never has, and probably never will, step foot in the EPL…

I think the former Liverpool manager wondered whether or not to sign Ronny for the Reds. if he had, he would’ve helped them a lot, but I aint complaining, after all I’m a Red Devil.

CFC Fan, you’re dead on, as well, saying Messi wont ever set foot on England unless he’s playing against England’s national team or a club team for in the CL. And you cant be the best player in the world unless you play in England’s PL, the best league in the world. . . which is an undeniable fact as to why rooney is better than Messi. if he’s better than Messi, then he’s better than Ronny, who has been in the PL (obviously).

Rooney the best of the best

Guys,

I am considerably new to soccer webs, but I can tell this is the most sensible discussion on ne web… i can see CFC fan appraisin Rooney and MANUTD fan appraisin other players… hats off to you guys…

Rooney with his talent, goal score n superior performance is way ahead of CR and LM this year and the best important thing is he is winning matches for united.. exactly what CR and LM has failed to do as many times as rooney does this year..

Not only that, CGL, but he’s also doing this in a superior league to Spain’s la liga.

^^ Amen to that Brad, Rooney is hands down being the best in the world right now especially the display he put on against Milan. I really think he is going to break CR’s record with Man Utd (42 goals)

I thought it was 41. . . ah well, cant remember everything.

well, ali, I wouldnt be surprised if wazza did break it. He’s certainly got the time left in this season to do it.

yep – 9 games in the league – and lets see, 5 games in the CL (if they go all the way which I am sure they will) so that would add to his tally 14 goals (at least cuz hes scoring in almost every game) = 44 ! yey ! Of course he will score 2 goals in some games and maybe another hat trick, super hat trick maybe? I wont be surprized if he does 😀 he is just awesome god bless the lad !

God bless Rooney, indeed!!! Who do you think taught the guy to play football anyway.

Who?? Everton Youth Club?

God taught him through the Everton Youth Club, that’s how. And since God taught him, Rooney’s better than anyone else.

Rooney has started talking in terms of braces…. may seem unrealistic but he can reach to 50 goal a season given dat still 13 possible games in hand….

and he scores at least ONCE in each of those games. I wouldn’t put it past Rooney to do it, but it does seem a little too far. . .

hmm fo sho rooney is on form THIS SEASON he is on fire,ranking em players in terms of consistency and reliability in front of goal :
1.messi
2.david villa
3.CR9
4.rooney and torres(though the latter is more injury prone)
5.the gr8 drogba
now if samuel etoo hadnt gone to inter milan he probably would be sitting on top of the whole bunch,man can th@ guy score.

m addicted to soccer but as for brad i think he will go to soccer rehab b4 i do,hats off to yu man.though m not saying th@ ol u say is sensible.

@Blaze…yea – Eto is a gem! My dream is to see him partner up with DD and Nico at Chelsea, with DD as the focal point…there is no single player i’d rather have at Chelsea right now…

@CGL…I think Soccernews.com is pushing some of the best articles i’ve read online to date as well…Graham and Dave do an excellent job at pushing our buttons and giving us a platform to vent our passion…hats off to them for the wonderful job they do…we all have our favorites, but in the grand scheme of things, no one player is bigger than the sport and it is the efforts of every player around the world that make us love this game – they all deserve the credit and our support so that they continue to do what we love to see them do, no matter where they are from or who they play for…

I dont know what you mean by “”soccer” rehab”, blaze.

and…Eto just scored on Chelsea to wipe out our hopes of progressing through the Champions League…

very very very disappointed…

I need some rehab right about now…

Ill choose Cristiano over Rooney. Ronaldo could play in any league Rooney can just play in the EPL. Rooney is a world class player but Cristiano has better skill better shot quicker/faster then Rooney. And La liga defenders is just as good as the EPL defenders. The EPL defenders don’t play futbol they just wanna knock the players lights out. La liga has brilliant defenders nd they play the game beautiful and clean. La liga also has Puyol,Pique,Sergio Ramos,Pepe,Dani Alves, etc etc.

brad i meant yo addiction has gone overboard like a hippie on coke,i mean in every discussion your’e there- shows you love the game man kip it up!oh n to you the chelsea supporters c’mon sing the blues to the blues….

I don’t feel like singing anymore…

ok, blaze, I though you were insulting me!!

CFC Fan, you gotta keep singing. the pompey fans are having a worse season than our respective clubs, and they still sang back on monday (4-1 defeat to liverpool at Anfield), while the liverpool fans were strangely qutite. to be in the CL (or getting knocked out) is better than being in
the relegation battle, with the chance of being wiped out of existance completely.

Luis palomino:
I respect your opinion, dont get me wrong. but thing is. . . la liga does have brilliant defenders, but you cant compare any of them (except for Gerard Pique, plus one or two more) to PL defenders unless they play in the PL sometime in their careers. but you can compare EPL defenders to la liga guys as they play in a more demanding area (even I, an American, expect nothing less than 200% from Manchester United’s fullbacks) so they actually have to play better, and they do. . . for the most part.
as for Ronaldo, he came into the PL at the same time as Rooney, so they’re close to each other in the race. but while Ronny’s first season at RMCF has been good personaly, the fact he and his team was knocked out of the CL by any other team besides the Milans, CFC, Arsenal, MUFC, or FCB, means they aint as good as Rooney and United (who owned AC Milan in the round of 16).

the facts have been stated. . . try to fight it. . . but lose- no offense intended.

the world cup will prove whether ronaldo ,rooney or the polished efficiency of messi rules the world.i like messi never puffing all over the place but neatly passing the passes, dribbling be it in speed or at pace .the little magician can make both the ball, pass, and the net talk.

so can ronaldo, but if ronaldo can, rooney can too.

Ac milan ? Ac milan is like playing the old men in the local leagues. Ronaldinho,Pirlo,Gattuso,Seedorf aren’t the players they were a decade ago. If Rooney is so good he would’ve shined brighter then Cristiano when Cristiano was at man united and it isn’t just Rooney doing everything for Man U Luis Nani,Antonio Valencia,and Berbatov are playing very well giving the perfect passes to Rooney the passes are so good its pretty much impossible to miss the goal. With Ronaldo he scores from any chance he can back heels,freekicks,shots 40yrds away, and headers. All the goals Rooney been scoring is headers from the box something Cristiano does on the daily basis. Cristiano would have a lot more goals this season if he didnt miss a lot of games.

but keep in mind that the modern day ac milan actually beat RMCF (and I think it was at the Bernabau, if I remember correctly) back in the group stages for the CL.

as for Rooney. . .
I admit, I never seen Rooney score from 40 yards like Ronny did against Porto last season, but keep in mind he’s still scored from anything besides headers. . . remember his volley from 30 yards against Newcastle United back in the 05-06 season? If he can do that back then, he can do that now. . . it’s just easier to miss/have the keeper save it from that distance.

ronaldo: he has scored brilliant goals, but he aint the only one to score from backheels; I remember Giggs and others doing that. Goals from 40 yards, Beckham has scored from halffield once and from 75 yards once, and is also known for scoring off of freekicks- so much that, as we all know, the movie Bend It Like Beckham was made in honor of it. I aint trying to discredit Ronny, guys, I’m just saying this stuff, ya know.