Whatever Happened To Cristiano?

OK. It's been two days and I've just about got over the shock of losing to the blimmin Spaniards (sry to all Spanish people out there ^^)

So. The burning question is... Whatever happened to Cristiano, eh?



The World Cup is rapidly taking on the format we're now, so used to seeing. The winners and losers. The dark horses and the big boys. The surprises and the disappointments.

This years competition has thrown up a bucket full of wonderful moment already, and we're only just at the Quarter Finals! But what on earth has happened to the guy that was supposed to light up the World Cup with his fancy tricks, his bursting runs and his impossible-to-save free kicks?

Well, the answer is quite simple. I wasn't there ;) Why the Portuguese National side didn't select me is a decision that will shock and surprise many millions of folk for many a year to come ;)

Instead, Portugal chose to call up a young man by the name of Cristiano Ronaldo. CR9 as he is simply know to many now or Mr. Twinkle Toes to others. There are plenty other names too but I won't go there.

To put things into perspective a little, he's the most expensive football player on the planet and the most highly paid too. He is even regarded by many as the most gifted player to have worn a pair of football boots. But maybe those new fluorescent Nikes were just too big to fill this year.

Portugal were knocked out of the last 16 by Spain and that in itself is really rather humiliating for all Portuguese. Before the game, even though Portugal had not really been at 100%, hopes were high to get one over on their Iberian rivals.

That in itself is usually ammunition enough. Carlos Queiroz probably didn't even have to say too much to the players before the match but whatever he did say, it obviously had some kind of reversing effect on the team!

But let’s talk about Ronaldo for a minute here. At just the tender age of 22, on 6 February 2007, he was made captain of the Portuguese side as a favour to the President of the Portuguese Football Federation, Carlos Silva who had died 2 days earlier.

The then coach Scolari said that he was too young for the role but to honour Mr. Silva, 'Big Fil' did it. The truth of the matter is, Ronaldo is not captain material, but the decision has been made I guess Queiroz had to stick with it during this World Cup.

The problem with this whole situation is quite simple. Cristiano is simply not a very good team player. He footballing skills are undoubtedly top draw, no one is questioning that but the fact is, he's just not a leader.

Leaders lead by example. No matter what, they're always the last one to jump ship and heck, if they have to, they sink with it. But where was Ronaldo when Portugal’s ship was sinking?

I'll tell you where he wasn't. He wasn't on the pitch, that's for sure. Insteady, once the game finished, he was trotting off spitting at camera men and sulking down the tunnel telling reporters they should ask the manager, not him, about the countries poor showing.

Portugal did admirably well for a team that basically, had to play against 4 teams with 10 men. And against Spain, that was obviously evident.

Now, you can argue that players are about confidence. We saw it with Wayne Rooney and now we saw it with Ronaldo. Both under performed immensely with the weight of expectation, firmly planted on their shoulders.

Had either of them scored early in the tournament, it's quite likely that we may have seen a very different side to them. But if you look at Messi, he hasn't needed it. Messi has just picked himself up and kept going (he'll probably score 4 against Germany on Saturday now!)

So what's the deal? Why can't CR do it? Does he think he's too good? If a team of 11 players plays against one, most players will tell you it's impossible for the sole man to win. But I actually seriously think that Ronaldo might answer differently.

And he had this problem when he first moved to Real too. Not celebrating with others when they scored and bathing himself in god-like glory when he did so himself. I guess that's all part of the CR9 package, sure, but hopefully he'll learn from what happened in South Africa this year.

He has to learn that great players come from great teams and not the other way around.

So where do we go from here? The good thing is, the future is actually still very bright for Portugal because of one thing. I have a lot of hope for the Portuguese in 2012 and in Brazil in 4 years time because of one man and one man alone. José Mourinho!

Mourinho has recently been made the manager of Real Madrid and if anyone can bring Ronaldo back to earth from whatever planet he's on, it’s him. This is a man who will, without a doubt, put CR9 on the bench until he learns he's not the best thing since sliced bread.

Ronaldo needs a good old kick up the backside. Until now, I don't think there's anyone in the world who would even dare... until now. I'm gonna love this next season in Spain. It should be grand :)

Stripping him of the Portuguese captaincy may very well be a good thing too but, who knows, maybe he'll just decide not to play for them after that. I seriously wouldn't put it past him.

So, is Cristiano Ronaldo a jewel in the mud of the Portuguese team? If that's the case, I wish they'd just pick him up out of there and put him somewhere else.

Portugal doesn't need pre madonna’s but now that they have one, let’s hope Mourinho can polish this gem up and teach him a thing or two about working with the team instead of against it.