After deservedly clinching his third Ballon d’Or last year, it seems that Cristiano Ronaldo has gotten a tad lazy.
When was the last time you watched the Real Madrid forward spread a defender on toast, or beat a man and do it again and hang an entire backline out to dry?
Ronaldo looks to have grown comfortable with the goal stats that have set him apart and, instead of going and making them happen like he has done throughout his career, he’s hanging around the box looking for tap-ins and handy stat boosts. He’s looking for the easy way out.
He’s bluffing.
This season, he has hit 16 La Liga goals already.
Those goals came in just nine of Madrid’s 21 games though. Los Blancos have drawn five times. Ronaldo offered nothing goal-wise in those games.
They’ve lost three times – twice by one goal. Nothing.
Ronaldo is in danger of becoming a flat track bully who only comes to life when the job is already done. Of all his goals this season in the league, he has garnished one result off his own back for Real Madrid when a brace turned a potential draw with Real Sociedad into a 3-1 win.
Two points. That’s what he has directly won them so far after 21 games. Two points of their 44.
Take away his 16 goals from Madrid’s 58 and they would still be in third place just two points worse off.
Even without the Portuguese’s scoring contribution, Los Blancos would have won every single game that they did – apart from one.
