Ronaldo, the 5th penalty, the ego? the coaches fault? Your thoughts.

Last night twitter went mad, people slating Ronaldo after Portugal had lost the penalty shoot out, comments regarding Ronaldo and his *ego were common all because he was the 5th penalty taker for Portugal and the game was over without him getting change to take his kick.

*He is a shirker for allowing 2 defenders to step up who supposedly didnt want to be there and wanted the glory for himself.

*Pique and Ramos taking kicks for Spain before Fabregas and two other attacking players in Navas and Pedro was because Ramos missed one and clearly wanted to make amends and Pique has taken them before and he is amazing at them.

What is your thoughts on this by the way?

*not my thoughts

Not his fault, Bento's decision to make him take the 5th penalty

Already a Ronaldo thread.

Bento made the order.

Pique said he'd never taken a competitive penalty in his professional career before last night.

hey dont let the truth effect peoples opinions, they have said they have seen him take penalties before and he is ace at them.

Bento probably picked him at 5 because if he takes one of the first 3 his record is pretty poor, where as at 4 and 5 for Portugal he's been good. Bento should have put him at 4, 5 was obviously a mistake but thats just how it is.

Already a Ronaldo thread.

Bento made the order.

Who cares? Apart from you obv.

Saying he hates tuesdays imo.

Nah, he's definitely saying "Curse you Lionel Messi!"

Manager picks the order but if he really wanted to take an earlier penalty I have difficulty believing the manager would have stood in his way.

Fabregas was picked to go second, but he demanded to take the 5th one..apparently.

Had to love Shearer and co talking out of their arses with the "why is he taking the 5th pen?" rubbish, as if they're some kind of penalty shoot-out winning experts, and that it's some kind of unwritten rule that you don't put a striker/better penalty taker on the 5th one. Chelsea had Terry as their 5th one against United and look where that got them, put Drogba on the 5th one against Bayern and he scores the winning penalty. If Ronaldo scores an earlier one and it leads to a crucial penalty for Bruno Alves (whether to win the game or keep them in it) and he hits the bar, they'd all slate the decision not to have the composed Ronaldo on the 5th one.

Ronaldo taking the 5th penalty isn't an issue to anyone other than those desperate to clutch at a straw to beat him with.

If you can be bothered, feel free to watch the penalty shoot out between England and Portugal during the 2006 world cup. Pay close attention to the person taking Portugal's 5th, and winning penalty.

[video=youtube;S2iNGFRtLkI]

Call me Brian Clough, but in a shoot out that could be effectively over after 2-3 kicks each I'd have to go for 1-11 on penalty takers on 1 being who I thought was strongest pen taker, 2 being 2nd best, 3rd pen being 3rd best pen taker and so on.

I never got the save your best for 3rd, 4th or even 5th pen because that 'might' be the crucial one. Sod that.

Lods of goons around last night slating him saying he'd lost his bottle - when looking at lots of international penalty shootouts they do come down to the last spot kick often (think the average is above 80% of penalty shootouts going to the final penalty) - therefore teams often put their best at 1 and 2 to get the scores up and confidence high (hoping it helps 3 and 4 with the notion that the pens are already going well), then always end with one of the best at 5 as this is often a crucial pen.

So many last night talking rubbish just waiting to have a go at him.

Fabregas was picked to go second, but he demanded to take the 5th one..apparently.

So he chose to allow two defenders to take it before him? Clearly he has the shame size ego as Ronaldo.

The ball told him to go 5th...

Haha he really knows the camera is on him ... couldn't make that any clearer could he, may as well speak into the camera directly

What is he saying?

Injustiça or something

Do you have the quotes before they're twisted by the Daily Mail?

Twisted? Just because the bloke who translated his words doesn't speak a word of Portuguese doesn't mean they acted in bad faith?

Twisted? Just because the bloke who translated his words doesn't speak a word of Portuguese doesn't mean they acted in bad faith?

No, the fact they work for the Daily Mail means they acted in bad faith.

He says "Que injustiça" which means "What a injustice".

Well, in FM-world I'd set it up to have my best penalty taker first, my second best last, and then my third to fifth in spot 2-4. My ideas for that: First one is a pressure shot and needs my best penalty shooter. The last one is also under very high pressure, so he needs to be my second best.

In that reasoning, I can very much imagine that CR would line up last in a game of mine.

Anyway, didn't it use to be a "rule" to put one of your best takers last for exactly this reason?

Such a fuss over nothing, people will do anything to have a go at Ronaldo. In his own words, maybe he is just too good!

Didn't understand the reaction to this at all. People were saying he should grow a pair and take a pen, he was clearly being saved for the one that carried the most weight. Unfortunately for Portugal, it didn't reach that stage. Can't blame Ronaldo for that.

The 5th does not carry the most weight. The is always a danger pens won't go to a 5th and if you look at shoot-outs through the decades I bet there's more that don't go to a 5th than those that do, hardly any seem to make it into sudden death even. 4th is the latest he should have gone but if it's not his choice it's not his choice.

The 5th does not carry the most weight. The is always a danger pens won't go to a 5th and if you look at shoot-outs through the decades I bet there's more that don't go to a 5th than those that do, hardly any seem to make it into sudden death even. 4th is the latest he should have gone but if it's not his choice it's not his choice.

It's bollocks though, isn't it? The 5th penalty taker surely has the most pressure on. When Alves did hit his it was still very possible for him to miss and win the shoot-out. But if Ronaldo did score instead of him, and Alves was going to take the 5th, he would've known, that if he misses he loses the match for his team. It's much more pressure.

It doesn't matter if the pens go to all 5. It's simple, those who miss the 2nd, 3rd or 4th penalty would have even more chance to miss if they take the 1st or 5th.

Yes but you want to score all your penalties so you don't anticipate them all being scoring and then your best player slotting in the 5th ... then what? It's sudden death? It's a ridiculous 'tactic'. There's no guarantee the 5th will win the shoot out, it may only send the match into sudden death and then the next guy is under more pressure and so on.

They're ALL under pressure and there's a reason teams have their best players not at 5, it's a big risk you're having your best player not take a penalty at all. ALL the pens are under pressure no matter who takes them but the point is you want certain players taking them and not missing out. You can't pick the 'winning' penalty slot only to score as many as you can

Surely the best takers should take pens first. Pretty sure I've read that % success is massively up if scoring means you win, and massively down if missing puts you out.

Although the exact point levelled at Ronaldo is poor. Say he scores the 4th, Alves is most likely required to score his 5th, thus increasing the pressure on him, and the chance he will miss. So chances are they were more likely to lose the other way round, if anything. Or perhaps equal, as Fabregas will have his chances reduced slightly. But not more likely to win.

Ugghhh, this is a silly argument, I don't care who made the decision to take the 5th but it was a mistake, Portugal's best penalty taker did not take a penalty in their most important game and Portugal lost, not much to discuss past that. If Ronaldo asked to go 5th, and if he did it for the wrong reasons then he is a douche.

Such a fuss over nothing, people will do anything to have a go at Ronaldo. In his own words, maybe he is just too good!

Jesus, Ronaldo could murder some kids and you'll still be up his ass.

It's hardly nothing. He didn't end up taking a penalty and his team lost. Whether or not it was Ronaldo's or Bento's fault its still a pretty big deal.

You regularly get the big players taking the 5th penalties, Drogba in the CL final, Cesc in this last game, of course they scored for the winning teams....just when Ronaldo is the one who wants to go 5th and doesn't get round to taking it all chaos breaks out.

But Chelsea had top penalty takers before Drogba. Probably better takers then Drogba. Does Alves take penalties? It's not because everyone loves to hate Ronaldo. It just seemed odd.

I wouldn't say the best player taking the 5th pen is common at all, maybe if you have 2 or 3 competent penalty takers before them but

Ronaldo usualy misses them in the big games

But Chelsea had top penalty takers before Drogba. Probably better takers then Drogba. Does Alves take penalties? It's not because everyone loves to hate Ronaldo. It just seemed odd.

Pique had never took one before yet went before Cesc, Ramos also isnt a great penalty taker and went before Cesc.

For England you had Ashley Cole going before players like Carroll and Walcott.

For Chelsea before Drogba you had Cole and David Luiz, who are known to be top penalty takers?

SHUT UP.

Cole does have a good record in shootouts tbf, they're all absolutely horrible penalties and none deserve to go in but they always seemed to find away (until he put on an England shirt).

Ugghhh, this is a silly argument, I don't care who made the decision to take the 5th but it was a mistake, Portugal's best penalty taker did not take a penalty in their most important game and Portugal lost, not much to discuss past that. If Ronaldo asked to go 5th, and if he did it for the wrong reasons then he is a douche.

As others have pointed out, he's missed quite a few important ones before though. I don't know the records of the other guys going before him, but is it really fair to say he's their best penalty taker?

Pique had never took one before yet went before Cesc, Ramos also isnt a great penalty taker and went before Cesc.

For England you had Ashley Cole going before players like Carroll and Walcott.

For Chelsea before Drogba you had Cole and David Luiz, who are known to be top penalty takers?

SHUT UP.

Ashley Cole is normally fantastic at penalties. Not outrageous to have him go before Drogba.

So you SHUT UP

As others have pointed out, he's missed quite a few important ones before though. I don't know the records of the other guys going before him, but is it really fair to say he's their best penalty taker?

I would suggest since he scored 11 for Real Madrid last season that he is better than Pepe(His RM team-mate) and certainly better than the guy that missed on the 4th penalty. Sure Ronaldo missed one in the Champions league semi, but he also scored one during the game in the champions league versus Bayern Munich, but by the very fact that he takes so many will obviously result in him missing the odd penalty. But he has a record of 26 scored from 28 taken for Real Madrid and in my eyes that make him the best penalty kick taker. You have to ask yourself, had Portugal won a penalty during the match who would have stepped up to take it? That is your best penalty taker.

Also, the act of taking a penalty is to score a goal in a one on one situation with the goalie. So I would want my number one player and goal scorer to take a penalty, soo yes I think that it is a poor decision to not let him take a penalty earlier.

Has Ronaldo ever scored in a shoot out taking one of the first 3?

(For Portugal I should add)

Are you asking a question you know the answer too, or genuinely asking one? Because if Portugal are making decisions based on a stat like that then it is no wonder they lost.

I would suggest since he scored 11 for Real Madrid last season that he is better than Pepe(His RM team-mate) and certainly better than the guy that missed on the 4th penalty. Sure Ronaldo missed one in the Champions league semi, but he also scored one during the game in the champions league versus Bayern Munich, but by the very fact that he takes so many will obviously result in him missing the odd penalty. But he has a record of 26 scored from 28 taken for Real Madrid and in my eyes that make him the best penalty kick taker. You have to ask yourself, had Portugal won a penalty during the match who would have stepped up to take it? That is your best penalty taker.

Also, the act of taking a penalty is to score a goal in a one on one situation with the goalie. So I would want my number one player and goal scorer to take a penalty, soo yes I think that it is a poor decision to not let him take a penalty earlier.

I bet you didn't have the best grade at mathematics at school/uni?

That might be really a problem to most, who thinks that somehow Ronaldo being the 5th taker contributed to Portugal losing.

I bet you didn't have the best grade at mathematics at school/uni?

That might be really a problem to most, who thinks that somehow Ronaldo being the 5th taker contributed to Portugal losing.

Wait, Ronaldo was not Portugals top scorer in the tournament? Who would have taken a penalty during the match had Portugal got one during the game? And who never took one during the shoot-out? Stop being insulting.

Cole does have a good record in shootouts tbf, they're all absolutely horrible penalties and none deserve to go in but they always seemed to find away (until he put on an England shirt).

Nah not all. He took the best penalty in the CL final.

The fact that he was anonymous through 30 minutes of extra time is more egregious than not asking to take an earlier pen.