What happened to Cristiano Ronaldos free-kicks? Since his Man United and early Real Madrid days? Is it a lack of skill or a decline in technique? Let’s take a look at both. In fact, Ronaldo’s free kicks have dropped dramatically during the 2015/16 season. Read on to find out more. But first, let’s take a look at his free-kick technique.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s free kicks have deteriorated since his Man United and early Real Madrid days
It’s easy to point to several reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo’s free kicks are deteriorating, but it’s also possible that he hasn’t been getting the practice he needs. One of the biggest contributing factors is the fact that Ronaldo has changed his game to play in a central position, which can be difficult.
The Portuguese forward has fallen out of favour with Manchester United after signing for a record-breaking fee last summer. He spent three years at Juventus before returning to Manchester United in the summer. It has been reported that the former Real Madrid and Manchester United striker has been subject to a graft investigation by the Italian Prosecutors’ Office, which relates to a number of club officials and employees.
It was not only Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson who turned on Ronaldo in the 2008-09 derby. It was an incredibly embarrassing moment for the Portuguese player as it sent the wrong message to the rest of the team. After all, he was only two or three weeks away from leaving the club. But it’s not the manager’s fault – it’s the player who needs to improve.
Although he has scored over 800 goals for club and country, he’s had a difficult time scoring in recent years. Although his free kicks are still a valuable asset for his team, they haven’t been as accurate as they were during his earlier days at Manchester United and Real Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo has made up for this lapse by scoring his second free kick goal in the past six months.
After all, the former Manchester United player has been a key component for the success of his Real Madrid and Manchester United teams. It’s no surprise that the Portuguese superstar is a manager’s dream. He puts in enormous effort for his team, wins individual awards and has a 24-7 obsession with being the best. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will find out just how difficult it is to handle this star.
They’ve declined sharply after his injury
In the last year, Ronaldo has scored just two free kicks in league competition. These two shots came from left of centre and far out. He has scored 19 goals from free kicks over his career, but his free-kick accuracy has declined dramatically. This decline is a major concern, given the player’s wealth of skills. A decline in Ronaldo’s free-kicks could have serious consequences for his career.
During his early career, Ronaldo’s free-kicks were the source of many of his goals. During his first 12 seasons, he scored 44 free-kicks and had a record of scoring in the competition. Until his injury, though, his free-kick accuracy was largely lacking and his goals were often atypical. The goal against Spain was an anomaly.
As Ronaldo gets older, his fine motor skills will start to deteriorate. He cannot play as many games as he did in his prime. His physical condition isn’t helping either. It has also affected his style of play. He used to galvanize an entire attack with his powerful runs from deep. Now, he’s a fiendish penalty-box striker who relies on teammates to service him.
While he might be fit in his late 40s, he will no longer be good enough to start for a World Cup team in 2026. He will be far from good enough to play on merit, lowering Portugal’s standards. His starting status is in doubt already, and his free-kicking ability has significantly declined. However, he still has plenty of attacking talent, including Joao Felix, Diogo Jota and Bruno Fernandes.
They’ve dropped during the 2015/16 season
Many people think that Cristiano Ronaldo’s freekicking abilities are down this season, but they are far from it. Ronaldo scored more goals than most strikers worldwide last season, and scored one goal inside the penalty area, two attempts from long range, and five from close range. However, in recent months, Ronaldo has only managed to score one goal from a free kick, which is an alarming stat.
One reason why Ronaldo’s freekicking abilities have suffered is his increased focus on attacking midfield and influencing play off the ball. While Ronaldo’s physicality is still the same as before, his role has changed since his days as a conventional left-footed winger. As a result, he is not required to go after defenders so much and has begun to shift his play further away from his usual left-footed position.
Despite the importance of free kicks, he is often overlooked by his teammates. For example, he shares responsibility for taking them with Bruno Fernandes, who has scored two goals in as many free-kicks for Manchester United this season. Before joining Manchester United, Fernandes had scored eight times from free-kicks in the Portuguese league. The team also has another striker capable of taking free-kicks: Willian. Despite his limited free-kick output this season, Willian has already played over 350 times in the Premier League.
While the number of free kick goals for Ronaldo has dropped during the 2015/16 season, Messi has surpassed him in the number of free-kicks scored in his career. His recent numbers show a decrease in free-kick goals, as he has played with fewer free-kick specialists in recent seasons. Messi has scored free-kick goals more than Ronaldo, despite his age and position in the box.
Ronaldo’s free kicks have been a hot topic of controversy over the past two seasons. In total, he has scored just five free-kicks in the past two seasons, with one of those being a goal against Bayern. Since then, his conversion rate has dropped dramatically. This is especially noticeable considering his dominance at free-kicks. He has never been as prolific with them as he was ten years ago, when he was a more dangerous player in the league.
They’ve deteriorated sharply after his injury
It’s no secret that Cristiano Ronaldo has suffered from a serious knee injury in 2014. Since then, the injury has only become worse, with the player suffering from pain and swelling every time he steps on the field. In the period since the injury, Ronaldo has played some of his best football. He has won countless awards for both his club and country. But Ronaldo claims that the knee injury has held him back.
A deteriorating knee is not a surprise given his age and injury history. The fine motor skills of a young man are still sharp, but as he gets older, they slow down. Furthermore, the Portuguese player can only play so many games a season and has to take it easy. This has changed his style of play. He was once a devastating runner from deep who could galvanise an attack, but he has turned into a fiend in the penalty box. Now, he is dependent on other players to meet his needs.
Before the injury, Ronaldo was a world-class player for Real Madrid. The club won four Champions League trophies under Ronaldo’s leadership, and he averaged over one goal per game. The team won four UCLs, two La Ligas, and two Spanish league titles during his time at Real Madrid. He then transferred to Juventus in Turin, Italy, and scored over 100 goals in three years. However, Juventus failed to progress beyond the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
