Cristiano Ronaldo has faced fierce criticism in the past few hours after Al-Nassr's 1-2 defeat to Al-Ittihad in the Clasico of the Roshn League's fifth round. The captain of "Al-Alami" failed to make the difference in one of his side's biggest matches of the season.
The knives went beyond his failure to score. Some began questioning whether Ronaldo can still help Al-Nassr in the way this team now needs, given his advancing age and the changing demands of modern football. It raises an important question: has Ronaldo really become a burden on Al-Nassr?
Ronaldo: decisive when the ball reaches the penalty area
Nobody can seriously argue with Ronaldo's goalscoring instincts, especially inside the box. He remains one of the game's finest at exploiting half chances and turning limited balls into goals, and he still carries the experience to settle the small details in the tightest matches.
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Al-Nassr's problem, though, is not only what Ronaldo does with the ball. It is what happens when the team loses it. The modern game demands that every player joins the press and shifts to close off passing angles, and that has grown harder for Ronaldo with age.
Here lies the real dilemma. When Al-Nassr want to press the opponent hard from the front, they must cover the space where Ronaldo can no longer perform the defensive roles he once did. His presence in the pressing system can turn into a weakness the opposition exploits.
The problem is in the system, not just the goals
Defending high or trying to win the ball back quickly requires synchronised collective pressing. If one element of the front line cannot press with the same intensity, the opponent escapes the trap more easily. That leaves the rest of the side covering larger spaces and putting in extra effort to make up the shortfall.
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None of this means Ronaldo can no longer make the difference. It means how he is used matters more than ever. If the team want him as a striker inside the box, exploiting chances, they may be better off building the system around that quality rather than asking him to fill roles that no longer suit him.
So calling Ronaldo a "burden" needs a degree of care. He may be a burden in a system built on relentless high pressing. Get the ball to him in the areas where he thrives, though, and he remains an extremely dangerous weapon.
The real challenge for Ange Postecoglou is striking the balance: benefiting from Ronaldo as a decisive striker without letting his presence damage the team's defensive shape. Crack that, and the Portuguese star could rediscover his impact without Al-Nassr abandoning their attacking style.
