Oh, I still remember his goal against Lazio, when he came in from bench and scored a 35m free kick. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dreamyeyesf.gif)

Well Ronaldo was a better finisher. Proved a hit in 3 different leagues. Shone for his NT. Won a WC.

I think it's a close race...but for me Ronaldo just edges it.

But I love Sheva more.

When I think of Sheva, I only can see him in a Milan shirt. Funny how my brain just does that (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

More or less. Sheva pulled heartstrings like few other players I've seen.

Corrected. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) 1994 and 2002.

I think he meant as a protagonist not a spectator (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Anyway, I more or less agree with drucurl. the biggest reason Pato hasn't 'unlocked' it all or lacks some characteristics is surely the constant injuries that just wouldn't let him see some consistency, and another important reason is that he's not been playing in a great, harmonious team (at least not before last season). I mean imagine if Messi had to develop under the late-Carlo and Leonardo era... wrong time and place for a raw talent to mature.

Sheva has a very good international record, it's just that he played for Ukraine, not exactly a football powerhouse like Brazil, so you can't really compare.

For me Sheva will alawys be the best of the great striker generation. Not only Ronaldo but also Henry, Raul, Pippo,
Ruud, Del Piero and so on.

About Pato - he can be on that list, he has all the right tools. But he just needs to be healthy and consistent for a long period. Also, he needs to score more in the CL, Sheva for example, always shined in the CL and a third overall scorer there.

I'd add up to the named strikers Kluivert as well. His downfall was drastic, but he was a great great striker.

Lol what epic nonsense (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Ronaldo at his prime was probably faster than Pato, who is already much faster than $heva's ever been. An overweight Ronaldo ran the 100m in under 11s at Real...after two massive knee injuries...get real bro!!

Ronaldo also took and scored free kicks, just not that many....because he was too busy scoring during the game with his feet (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

$heva (at his peak) stronger than Ronaldo?
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
Ronaldo literally ran through defenders and pushed them aside (goal vs Valencia comes to mind)

Ronaldo WAS a good header of the ball at cruzerio and psv....he more seemed to stop than not be able. I say this because whenever he went for a while without scoring he would score via headers if the opportunity arose.

Also LOL @ $heva being more tactically aware than Ronaldo. Ronaldo's scoring exploits had him at the top of the Brazilian, Dutch, Italian and Spanish league...$heva only did well in Dynamo and Milan and was a Torres-esque flop in England. You don't automatically adjust to new teams, leagues and tactics and flourish if you ain't tactically aware (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)


Anyway the above aside, the most important thing is that being a more complete footballer is not the same as being better or more brilliant.

Look at Messi vs CR7. CR7 is FAR more complete than Messi, especially at taking free kicks, headers, stronger, faster etc...but Messi is more effective even with his smaller skill set because he's better at his specialties than anyone. The same goes for Ronaldo and $heva. I won't for a second deny that $heva was more complete. Like Pirlo I actually really liked him at some point...but Ronaldo could score a goal anywhere in any league for any team in almost any fitness condition.

Ronaldo post 2002 played at less than 80% of his true ability since his breakneck speed was gone and he was merely a fast player...Since then he has only had a % of his right foot to use since after the Lazio Inter game he could no longer close in his right foot completely...To compensate, he improved his distance shooting and heading abilities. Ronaldo back in Brazil was close to 50 lbs overweight and was still scoring. Do you honestly see $heva scoring within these constraints professionally? Not likely

This post has been edited by drucurl: Sep 15 2011, 01:13 PM

I also want to say that nt being as good as Ronaldo is no insult for $heva. The guy won the golden ball, two scudettos, a CL etc. He was better than most of his contemporaries, most of whom were world class...not like the **** that passes for football these days where Rooney is considered a "white Pele" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)
When I think of fantastic players like Zamorano, Bierhoff, Morientes, Del Piero (pre injury), Crespo, Raul, RVN, Kluivert, Henry (who was pretty close to $heva and was even better than him at times) Vieri (also world class imho)
And $heva being better than all of 'em you can see that he truly was a special striker. I think Batigol at his peak was slightly better but they were comparable (IMG:style_emoticons/default/king.gif)

Naah, we're speaking and mentioning world class strikers. Every single of them had his up and down phases, but in the end, they all were truly great players. I think personal preferences shouldn't be avoided here; it's normal to count in your own feeling, when you look at players that are so close to each other. To me, players like Sheva or before him George Weah will always have a little advantage to Ronaldo or Vieri, because of their Milan years naturally. Vieri and Ronaldo did play for Milan as well, but that wasn't...it.

Pato is a player with untapped potential but who gave us a glimpse of his pace and clinical finishing on Tuesday.

He has shown moments of brilliance but remains raw, even at 22. Time will tell whether polish will smooth off this rough diamond.

As for the Barbara Berlusconi and Chinese thing - he's never come across as all that smart, but as long as he does the job on the pitch it's forgiveable. Yeah, imo the eye gesture was beyond offensive, but I can't see why he'd deliberately insult almost 1.5B people including all the Asian Milan fans. Just him being dumb. And if the Barb thing keeps on going then great. If it ends in tears then I fear his Milan future. Speaking of which...

Probably already posted in transfers, but apparently Chelsea will offer us Torres in January in exchange for Pato and Robinho. Load of nonsense - 2 excellent and sort of in form players for one badly out of form flop who already seems to have had his best days.

Ambro and Robinho did the eye gesture too but 'still' it's only in the Pato thread that it gets mentioned and it's Pato who's 'dumb' for doing it. you guys give me a headache.

This post has been edited by Zed.D: Sep 15 2011, 04:28 PM

Pato did it in front of a camera, deliberately showing it to millions of viewers. There's the difference.

Robinho was there beside Pato in front of the TV camera doing the same thing. but that's so not my point and like usual you didn't get it (no disrespect).