Rooney versus Ronaldo 2004/5 and 2005/6.

Rooney was much better than Ronaldo in these two seasons and I was convinced he was the better prospect.

Ronald's first great season was 2006/7 where he won one of the national player of the year awards, think it was the football writers.

Seems amazing looking back that I could think this way but I wasn't alone.

I doubt more than ten percent of our support thought Ronaldo was the bigger talent going into the summer of 2006 .

It was amazing how productive Ronaldo became, culminating in the 40 plus goals of 2007/8 .

Thanks to the person who posted that Ronaldo video.

With a minute to go there is footage on that video of what I'm certain is united versus Everton Boxing Day 2003.

Ronaldo was brilliant that day and it inspired this thread.

Yep, Rooney is a phenomenal natural talent. Possibly greater natural ability than Ronaldo, hence him being a better player in his youth.

United were totally reliant on Rooney during those years, despite his age. He was definitely seen as the biggest asset.

The contrast between them in 2014 is stark

a youthful rooney, had raw hunger, almost as if he used to play on adrenaline at times, wasnt scared to shoot outside the box, played with the passion that everygame was important.

personally i dont think he has lost anything in skill, when you took away that hunger and aggression , his game just changed. he hasnt the balls to be the main man , almost as if he has accepted he is the main man and does not need to do anything more. around the time he was doing well, he was englands and united " up and coming" superstar. once he reached the age where he was no longer up and coming, while he played well he had lost the flair and the guile and aggression to show everyone of what he was capable of . Ronaldo took the mantlepiece and rooney became the second superstar of the club. once ronaldo left , its almost of rooneys role stayed the same, he had the swagger of the second best player in the club, he played well but no aggression to better himself , to say im wayne rooney £#%&! you.


( also the drinking and smoking cant have helped )

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

Yep, Rooney is a phenomenal natural talent. Possibly greater natural ability than Ronaldo, hence him being a better player in his youth.

United were totally reliant on Rooney during those years, despite his age. He was definitely seen as the biggest asset.

The contrast between them in 2014 is stark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dpY9AKUwhU

That is from early 2007 and is my personal favourite Rooney goal.

I always remember his sublime first touch to set himself up for the shot and david james reaction.

He couldn't score that now as he would be running towards the half way line trying to retrieve his first touch.

I was always team Ronaldo tbh. It was plainly obvious how good he was.

Originally Posted by moyescaust

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dpY9AKUwhU

That is from early 2007 and is my personal favourite Rooney goal.

I always remember his sublime first touch to set himself up for the shot and david james reaction.

He couldn't score that now as he would be running towards the half way line trying to retrieve his first touch.

That £#%&!ing goal is the reason for the 75 failed chips since then.

Rooney scored a hat-trick on his debut.

But Ronaldo's debut was better.


Rooney was the more impressive performer at first, but it says everything you need to know imo that whenever Rooney has been United's best attacker the overall standard has dropped and the team haven't won anything.

Originally Posted by dunk

I was always team Ronaldo tbh. It was plainly obvious how good he was.

That was good saging because a majority of our support would have disagreed.

I remember reading the first 2006/7 issue of United We Stand and I think there were a couple of articles insinuating that Ronaldo could be the better player in the long run and I was genuinely shocked to read them.

Before that season started I wanted ronnie to be sold and replaced with joaquin from real betis.

Scary but at the same time very very funny thought. :shakehead:

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

Rooney scored a hat-trick on his debut.

But Ronaldo's debut was better.

Right. So a hat-trick in the Champions League is eclipsed by a half-hour run out against Bolton Wanderers?

I realise that the majority of people consider Rooney a massive @#%&! so opinion is a little boss-eyed where he's concerned, but this seems to be extreme level revisionism.

Originally Posted by dunk

I was always team Ronaldo tbh. It was plainly obvious how good he was.

I was team both tbh

Originally Posted by carlosartorial

Right. So a hat-trick in the Champions League is eclipsed by a half-hour run out against Bolton Wanderers?

I realise that the majority of people consider Rooney a massive @#%&! so opinion is a little boss-eyed where he's concerned, but this seems to be extreme level revisionism.

Yeah £#%&! a champions league hatrick including the full range of goals, did you see the young lad doing the step overs against Bolton in the sun.

Originally Posted by moyescaust

That was good saging because a majority of our support would have disagreed.

I remember reading the first 2006/7 issue of United We Stand and I think there were a couple of articles insinuating that Ronaldo could be the better player in the long run and I was genuinely shocked to read them.

Before that season started I wanted ronnie to be sold and replaced with joaquin from real betis.

Scary but at the same time very very funny thought. :shakehead:

Was always pro Ronaldo myself, but inevitably the two were compared for some reason, and many favoured Rooney early on. Aside from Rooney being a better and less frustrating player back then, I think the feeling, which proved to be correct, was that Rooney was more likely to stay long term, so some got more attached to him. Then Ronaldo went nuts between 2006-08 and all those who previously wanted him £#%&!ed off quietly stfu

Rooneys hat trick on his debut was unbelievable.

All three goals from outside the box.

Originally Posted by Dasilvatwins

a youthful rooney, had raw hunger, almost as if he used to play on adrenaline at times, wasnt scared to shoot outside the box, played with the passion that everygame was important.

personally i dont think he has lost anything in skill, when you took away that hunger and aggression , his game just changed. he hasnt the balls to be the main man , almost as if he has accepted he is the main man and does not need to do anything more. around the time he was doing well, he was englands and united " up and coming" superstar. once he reached the age where he was no longer up and coming, while he played well he had lost the flair and the guile and aggression to show everyone of what he was capable of . Ronaldo took the mantlepiece and rooney became the second superstar of the club. once ronaldo left , its almost of rooneys role stayed the same, he had the swagger of the second best player in the club, he played well but no aggression to better himself , to say im wayne rooney £#%&! you.


( also the drinking and smoking cant have helped )

Originally Posted by eddie_red

Ronnie took the mantlepiece, Rooney the chimney breast.

Originally Posted by Bunker Buster

Yeah £#%&! a champions league hatrick including the full range of goals, did you see the young lad doing the step overs against Bolton in the sun.

Terry Cookes debut was better than Rooney's too if we're using that criteria.

Originally Posted by andyroo

I was team both tbh

I remember laughing my #@&%! off at Rooney's futile attempts to get near Ronaldo and has brutal assault on him at OT while playing for Everton. Fat scouse @#%&! knew himself then, bounced off the big man at a time he thought he could physically bully people

Rooney was phenomenal for us and I loved him from his arrival until about 2011. But when the vultures were circling after Euro 2006 and everyone seemed to demand the sale of Ronaldo, whilst being conviced it was all %@#$&!s and that they would be fine with each other once back at United I did drop the 'I'd rather sell Rooney, Ronaldo will be the best in the World' bomb a good few times.

Originally Posted by dunk

But when the vultures were circling after Euro 2006 and everyone seemed to demand the sale of Ronaldo, whilst being conviced it was all %@#$&!s and that they would be fine with each other once back at United I did drop the 'I'd rather sell Rooney, Ronaldo will be the best in the World' bomb a good few times.

Even better, we kept both

My main recollection was it was everyone else bitching about Ronaldo, most reds wanted both to stay and bitched about the midfield.

Originally Posted by andyroo

Even better, we kept both

My main recollection was it was everyone else bitching about Ronaldo, most reds wanted both to stay and bitched about the midfield.

some things never change.

I could never get my head around the show pony/no end product drum bashers.

We had both of them, why choose. Ronnie's professionalism means he is miles ahead of him now though.