Which Manager brought out the best in Ronaldo?

it's him again it's always him the man is a story book all by himself there is no work of fiction more fanciful Cristiano Ronaldo who can reach areas other footballers just cannot reach recently I stumbled upon a community post showcasing Cristiano Ronaldo's incredible stats during his Peak years at Manchester United and Real Madrid the post posed an intriguing question which manager got the best out of Ronaldo among Sir Alex Ferguson Jose Mourinho Carlo ancelotti and Zinedine zidan the comments were filled with varying opinions sparking my curiosity each of these legendary managers brought out different aspects

of Ronaldo's game shaping him into the football great he is today so let's analyze his performance team success and career context under each manager to determine who truly maximized his potential out of all the four managers it was definitely Ferguson who experimented the most with Ronaldo upon his arrival in 2003 he had a tough time adapting to the league he was a skinny teenager with little muscle mass and strength but raw and talented known more for his flare and trickery than his Effectiveness on the pitch he started at United playing as a right midfielder and

his early days were marked by inconsistency as he struggled with the physical demands of the Premier League Defenders often bodied him off the ball always giving him a tough time he had a tendency to dive and show off earning him a reputation that could have derailed his career this Behavior frustrated his teammates especially rude van nistroy who grew impatient waiting for Ronaldo to pass him the ball and Gary Neville who questioned his defensive duties despite his natural Talent it was clear that Ronaldo needed to drastically change his play style to succeed at United and Ferguson

played a crucial role in this development treating him differently from the others much like he had with Cantona in the past knowing that despite Ronaldo's lack of tactical awareness and teamwork he had the right mindset for any professional and focused on improving his physical attributes decision-making and understanding of the game initially deployed as a traditional right midfielder Ronaldo's role began to evolve in the 2004 2005 season Ferguson began experimenting with Ronaldo's positioning occasionally deploying him on the left wing to cut inside and use his stronger right foot to take shots on goal like in the

match against mil wall in 2004 where Ronaldo scored and displayed his dribbling and Crossing abilities showing glimpses of how dangerous he could be coming in from the left he soon became one of the hardest working players at United and it slowly started to show he started passing progressively without delay his physical endurance started lasting the whole match and he began to successfully overcome the defender challenges by the time the 2006 2007 season came around he had got a lot better his previous performances got Ferguson testing him again this time in a more Central position to

try and exploit Ronaldo's Pace dribbling and finishing skills allowing him to drift inside from the wing and operate as an advanced forward in that season Ronaldo managed to bring all his attributes together to deliver his speed physicality dribbling and skills were all on display as he started to decide matches on his own winning backto back player of the month Awards in both November and December of 2006 and scoring a brace in three matches in a row against Villa Wigan and ending the season with 17 League goals his ability to influence games from Central positions became

evident particularly in matches like the 4-2 victory over Everton and the 2-1 victory over fulo scoring a late time winner and winning United their first league title in four years in his first three seasons with United he had played a total of 137 matches and scored 27 goals in that season alone he managed to score 23 goals in 54 mat matches then came the 20072 2008 season where his transformation into a complete attacker was most evident often partnering him with Wayne Rooney and Carlos TZ in a fluid front line maximizing Ronaldo's goal scoring potential and

creativity his numbers that season hit an all-time high as he had acquired a nose for goals and started scoring in all ways as headers and free kicks had now become a big part of his Arsenal his mentality had greatly improved like stepping up to take the penalty against Wigan just a few days after missing one against Barcelona in the UCL semi-final he ended That season with 42 goals in all competitions including 31 in the Premier League alone with a display of match-winning performances that led United to both the UCL and Premier League glory and winning

himself a Balon door and European Golden Boot in the process he started the 2008 2009 season with a niggling ankle injury missing out on some action but nevertheless scored 26 goals that season as he was already a fully developed player Ferguson's tactics during that period focused on quick transitions wide play and exploiting space behind defenses and Ronaldo was the perfect man for the job as he quickly evolved from a right midfielder to a left Winger capable of playing across the front line ending his six-year spell with Ferguson with 118 goals and 62 assists in 292

appearances winning the premier league three times in a row a UCL title an FA Cup and two League cups along with a Balon door and the European Golden Boot oh it's a special strike from Cristiano Ronaldo the arrival of Mourinho in the summer of 2010 marked a turning point for Madrid as they set out to challenge barca's dominance Ronaldo had just ended the 200920 season under Manuel Pelini with 33 goals in all competitions wearing number nine on his jersey but playing on the left wing Mourinho already aware of Ronaldo's trickery and eye for goal having

faced him in the Premier League made him the center of his attack marking a new era in Ronaldo's career good enough for Mourinho by that time Ronaldo was already an animal with physical attributes the same as a gladiator good decision-making and understanding of the game and well adapted to the league and his teammates mourinho's 4231 formation often saw Ronaldo cutting inside from the left using his Pace dribbling and right for a powerful shot cusing devastating effects for the goalies his countering style at Madrid perfectly suited Ronaldo's attributes enabling him to thrive in high Tempo situations

and evolving him into a goal scoring machine the quick transitions from defense to attacking play caused Havoc for the opposing team as it was hard to keep up with Ronaldo's speed allowing him to exploit spaces left by opponents when caught out of position the quick long passes from the Midfield particularly from Ozil and zabi Alonzo often found Ronaldo in advanced positions with his superb movement off the ball allowing him to finish clinically but this alone wasn't enough and already aware of Ronaldo's ability to cause danger with both feet Mourinho gave him the freedom to move

across the attacking line rather than confining him to a traditional Winger role breaking all hell loose with this Freedom Ronaldo often drifted centrally or even to the right finding even more pockets of space and creating mismatches against slower Defenders taking up goal scoring positions more frequently and increasing his chances of finding the back of the net this did not go unnoticed as that season alone Ronaldo went on a record-breaking Rampage scoring 40 goals in La Liga alone the most of any player in La Liga and of any player in a European Golden Boot season at

the time he finished the season with 53 goals in all competitions earning him the European golden shoe among those was the beautiful header against Barcelona in the Copa del re final to put an end to Madrid's trophy drought and win his first trophy at the club but all that seemed like nothing with the commencement of the 201122 Season as he reached even greater Heights than before with Marcelo in the fullback position he developed great chemistry with Ronaldo always finding him with his crosses and smoothly allowing Ronaldo to cut inside and occupy goal scoring positions with

continued support from benzar who drew defend ERS away creating more space for Ronaldo to do his thing Mourinho often deployed Ronaldo in more Central positions during crucial moments allowing him to exploit his Killer Instinct like in the El Classico at the camp no where he played centrally and scored the decisive goal in a 2-1 victory over Barcelona which was crucial in Madrid's title push Ronaldo scored 46 League goals as Madrid won La Liga with a record 100 points he finished the season with 60 goals in all competitions including a hat trick in a 4-1 humbling

of Atletico Madrid where he showcased his ability to take shots from Risky positions and convert them and perform in various attacking roles Mourinho motivated Ronaldo with tricky mind games and public statements to challenge him and fueling him to achieve remarkable Feats on the pitch consistently the 2012 2013 season saw Ronaldo improve his all-around play becoming more involved in buildup phases and showcasing his ability to adapt to different Tactical diens scoring 34 League goals and being instrumental in Madrid's run to the Champions League semifinal like the elimination of man united in the round of 16 scoring

in both legs of the tie including a towering header and ending the season with 55 goals bringing his goal tally to 168 in 164 appearances under Mourinho and winning a La Liga title Copa del re and super copa de Espana mourinho's tactics focused on counterattacking Pace and direct play with Ronaldo being the focal point pass it on to Ronaldo he stumbled through a couple of challenges and he scores the inevitable Ronaldo upon Carlo ancelotti's arrival in 2013 he inherited a team brimming with talent but lacking cohesion and strategic Direction one of ancelotti's first moves was

to foster a more harmonious and balanced team environment emphasizing the importance of teamwork and unity this approach resonated with Ronaldo who despite his individual Brilliance thrived in a well structured and supportive team setting like he had at United he was undoubtedly the Undisputed face of the club and their main Marksman after having had successful Seasons under Mourinho with the utmost Freedom the Italian manager granted him the same freedom to continue his goalscoring prowess ancelotti signed bail that summer forming a dynamic front three creating an unpredictable attacking force and allowing Ronaldo to exploit various attacking channels

the 20134 season saw anchel maintain the 433 formation that Ronaldo was well adapted to and had proven successful this formation allowed him to move more freely in the attacking third cutting in from the left and taking powerful shots with his right foot drifting centrally and exchanging positions with benzar or even switching with bale on the right this flexibility enabled Ronaldo to find pockets of space create mismatches against slower Defenders and take up goal scoring positions more frequently increasing his chances of finding the back of the net as he became more unpredictable and difficult to defend

against Ronaldo's game evolved to include more team oriented play as he became more involved in buildup phases showcased improved linkup play with his teammates and contributed more defensively by pressing opponents and tracking back when necessary it was also during this period that he fully transitioned into a complete Center forward Mourinho had previously experimented with Ronaldo as a nine and crucial games and ancelotti continued this tactic more frequently especially in games where they lacked key players due to injuries and suspensions like in the UCL game against Juventus where Ronaldo played as a center forward and scored

both goals in the 2-1 Victory and again against Bayern Munich in the UCL semi-final scoring twice in the 4-n win he was deployed centrally at various points especially on counterattacks leveraging his speed and finishing ability and proving himself formidable as a complete Striker this occasional shift in position benefited Ronaldo as he went on a goal scoring spree especially in the Champions League scoring 17 goals and setting the record for the most goals scored in a single UCL campaign leading the team to Champions League glory after a 12-year wait in a dramatic comeback against City Rivals

Atletico Madrid Ronaldo scored the final goal of the game despite being hampered by a knee injury that would go on to change his playing position he finished the season with an astonishing 51 goal goals in all competitions for Real Madrid earning him his third Balon door and the European golden boot for his 31 League goals when the 20145 season came around Ronaldo had already turned 30 and began to run less frequently than before but remained erratic and dangerous in front of goal compensating for his inability to track back and help in defending especially after his

knee surgery which affected his tricks and skills anchel noticed this and deployed him more as a striker but still with the freedom to move around with Ronaldo proving himself formidable That season he set a personal record of 48 goals in just 34 League appearances winning his fourth Golden Shoe the most of any player in history at the time and finishing the season with 61 goals in all competitions becoming the club's all-time leading goal scorer under anchel LOE Ronaldo won the Champions League Copa del Rey UEFA super cup and FIFA Club World Cup along with the

Balon door and European golden shoe scoring 112 goals and providing 47 assists and 101 appearances and Ronaldo Rises highest yet another goal for the Cristiano Ronaldo collection when zidane took over his first team manager in January 2016 he inherited a team with immense talent but inconsistent results having lost to Sevilla 3 to2 and suffered a 4-n loss to Barcelona at the bernabo and being knocked out of the Copa del Rey by kadis in the round of 32 as a former worldclass player himself zidon understood Ronaldo's game and mentality and decided to build his team around

Ronaldo just like his predecessors recognizing that Ronaldo now in his 30s his output wouldn't be at its best if he played in every match even though the player himself showed no signs of slowing down so he strategically rotated the squad managing Ronaldo's playing time meticulously keeping him fresh and preparing him for crucial matches for example Ronaldo was rested against deportivo Laruna but called up against Valencia where Real Madrid won 2-1 with Ronaldo scoring the opening goal he was also rested against Granada but called up for the second leg of the UCL semi-final against Atletico Madrid

and again against Athletic bilb to be prepared for the first leg of the semi-final Clash against Bayern Munich which Madrid won 2-1 at the alliance these constant rotations kept Ronaldo fit and deadly whenever called upon zidon also transitioned Ronaldo definitively into a more Central role often as a striker or an advanced forward and allowing him to conserve energy for attacking phases by reducing his defensive responsibilities and providing him with the freedom to play to his strengths while maintaining a balanced and cohesive team structure this allowed Ronaldo the Liberty to exploit scoring positions leveraging his heading

ability and clinical finishing this transition was more evident during the 2016 2017 season where zidan employed a 4 to 312 or 442 formation which emphasized quick transitions with effective use of the flanks and precise Crossing while Ronaldo remained the focal point receiving the ball and doing what he does best this strategy paid off handsomely with Ronaldo consistently delivering Stellar performances like against Bayern Munich in the UCL quarterfinal playing centrally and scoring both goals in the 2-1 Victory while casemiro and Marcelo covered the gaps left by Ronaldo's defensive vulnerabilities and again in the first leg of

the semi-final against atletic Madrid scoring a hattick while playing centrally with casemiro Modric and Tony cros forming a solid defensive Midfield to cover for him this team chemistry LED them to unprecedented success as they won three Champions League titles in a row two UEFA super cups two FIFA Club World Cups one La Liga title and one Spanish super cup with Ronaldo himself picking up two more balandor Awards and the FIFA best men's player award ultimately it's difficult to definitively say which manager brought out the absolute best in Ronaldo as each played a crucial role in

different stages of his career in my personal opinion Ferguson didn't get the best out of Ronaldo but rather transformed him into something great a player who could easily adapt to any system and Thrive as he perfectly Blended Ronaldo's vast skill set with his goalscoring ability however by the time Ronaldo became that player he left United for Madrid with Mourinho his tactical guidance gave Ronaldo the freedom he needed to enhance his individual performance starting his transition from a prolific Winger to an advanced forward and achieving incredible personal stats however the team output was not as successful

as they only won three trophies and Mourinho was the only one among the four managers not to win a Champions League title with Ronaldo ancelotti on the other hand perfectly managed Ronaldo's knee injury leading up to their UCL final against Atletico getting the most out of his attributes winning four trophies with him their time together was very short compared to the rest but anchel still enabled Ronaldo to achieve Peak performances consistently though he was the only manager to not win a league title with Ronaldo then under zidan considering the combination of individual and team success

achieved while Ronaldo was in his 30s aging slowly but able to score 112 goals and provide 30 assists in 114 appearances winning nine trophies including three ucl's in a row and a La Liga title in just two and a half seasons zidan is definitely the one who got the best out of Ronaldo among the four