8 Bryan Robson
461 appearances, 99 goals
2 League titles, 3 FA Cups, 1 Cup Winners’ Cup, 2 Charity Shields
Great players have ability, technique, peerless determination and are brave, but they are also defined by particular moments during their career; moments and matches that capture their reputation and define their historical importance.
For Robson, there are many such moments and matches, both for club and country. Recall his brilliant goal against a then dominant Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final replay in 1985, or his two goals in the replay to help win the FA Cup in 1983. There are countless examples for England; equalising against Gullit and Van Basten’s scintillating Holland side at Euro ‘88 thanks to a typical drive from midfield, or the then quickest goal in the World Cup finals in Spain in 1982.
Given a plethora of outstanding individual performances and moments which epitomised his importance to club and country, for Bryan Robson, one match stands out. It was at Old Trafford on March 21st 1984 against Barcelona in the Cup Winners’ Cup quarter final.
The match has rightly gone down in Old Trafford folklore for the performance on the pitch by the team but also off the pitch by the fans. The record books will show that United overturned a two-goal first leg deficit to win 3-2 and that Robson himself scored twice. However, there was far more to this match. Robson was pitted against Diego Maradona and rather than the Argentine, arguably the greatest player on the planet at the time, it was Robson who shone and whose characteristic rumbustious show of defiance dragged his team to heights not seen at Old Trafford in decades.
Robson led by example, scored two goals and ran the midfield. This was a complete performance which cemented Robson’s reputation as a leader, a captain of distinction and a player of outstanding fortitude. If you can, find a copy of the match. Sit down and watch it and in those 90 minutes you will understand why so many United fans hail Robson as one of the best ever.
As a player, Robson was a true box-to-box midfielder. A leader who influenced those around him by the weight of his personality, but also by the example he set as a footballer. It was never a case of ‘do as I say’ or ‘do as I do’ as captain, but indeed both. He commanded respect and deserved it. Manchester United fans of a certain age will reminisce about Robson in an era when our side were perennially also-rans in the hunt for trophies, but we can always recall the great nights, the great games and of course the great players. Robson features at the top of that list; an idol to many, an example to most and the first name on every team sheet. He was the leader on the pitch but with a talent, temperament and personality to match.
Known as ‘Captain Marvel’, never has a moniker been more fittingly bestowed on a footballer. An incredible individual who embraced the club and its fans and added his own personal footnotes in a chronicled history.
Bryan Robson is that rare type of player that not only has the talent and the tools needed to make an outstanding contribution to any football match, not only did he also have the attributes every leader needs but packaged together, Robson had an aura that inevitably and rightly hailed him as a bona fide hero. He was certainly mine.
In the present era, unfortunately dominated by the insatiable demands of instant gratification and where media hyperbole and exaggeration render reasoned opinion redundant, Robson’s value and worth as a footballer are difficult to describe. Suffice to say that there is not a team in the world that would not be bettered by having Robson in their team – he was that good – the complete package.
Manchester United’s history is blessed with great players and great captains, but there is only one Captain Marvel.
7 Cristiano Ronaldo
292 appearances, 118 goals
3 League titles, 1 FA Cup, 2 League Cups, 1 Champions League, 1 Club World Cup, 1 Community Shield
1 Ballon d’Or
Let’s get this clear from the off. This is a list referring only to performances while at Manchester United. This is not to enter into any debate about Ronaldo’s time away from the club, and whether he’s better than Messi or the best ever.
Thankfully, though, that does give us an opportunity to remind readers that despite the inconsistency that came with Ronaldo’s first 2/3 years at Old Trafford, we also witnessed the maturity and development of one of the finest players there has ever been. It’s nice to remember that even though Ronaldo has become this goalscoring phenomenon, he was also a frighteningly gifted winger who was able to terrorise opponents. It’s not so much that he can’t; his game evolved so much that he was able to hurt teams in a much more direct way.
That journey was realised in the 2007/08 season but the reality is when he returned from the 2006 World Cup — when he seemed destined to leave — he had physically developed so much that he was able to withstand the aggressive approach of opponents with greater ease. This made for a more robust Ronaldo who put in a star turn as United won the league for the first time in four years.
His performances in the 07/08 season were remarkable, and deserve to be discussed in terms of one of the greatest seasons of any player at any club in England. He became the best player in the world and continued his fine form into the following season, after which he departed for a world record fee of £80m.
In 2021 his return to Old Trafford attracted the most media attention of any transfer in football history. It seemed to start so well; two goals against Newcastle, and a couple of last minute Champions League winners. It looked as though this new veteran Ronaldo would be a pivotal signing to influence a new generation. Alas, it was not to be. The midfield issues in the team, and defensive frailties, led to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer being dismissed, and Ralf Rangnick arrived with a pressing plan that he felt the aging Ronaldo may be incapable of. Not so – when he was back in the team, he scored hat-tricks against Tottenham and Norwich.
In the months after he came back, Ronaldo hit significant landmarks – he became the leading international goalscorer in the history of the men’s game, followed that up by reaching 800 career goals, and then in that treble against Spurs became the leading scorer in the history of the men’s game period.
Despite this, due to the club’s failure to qualify for the Champions League, Ronaldo hoped to get a move; these issues contributed to him missing pre-season under new manager Erik ten Hag, and the legendary forward grew frustrated with the squad rotation, walking out of a game against Spurs after refusing to come on, and then sitting down for a controversial interview which seemed to be arranged with the purpose of engineering his exit.
That’s exactly what happened; in November 2022, just fourteen months after returning, Ronaldo’s contract was cancelled, and his conduct in the lead-up to both exits sadly undermines his legacy, therefore ruling him out of a place in the top five.
