5 reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo should play as a striker at Juventus
A statistical analysis of Cristiano Ronaldo's games for Juventus last season tells us that in his last 50 matches he equally divided his time between being a left-forward and a centre-forward.
It is a fact well known that Cristiano Ronaldo began his ascent in the world of football as a devastating left-attacker/winger. That was because his skills and speed made him a perfect fit in that position. His great success for Manchester United was achieved primarily by playing in wide positions from where he cut in to wreak havoc or dribbled wide to feed the strikers.
However, with time, Cristiano Ronaldo became more of a central striker and now seems to divide his time between the wing and the centre. In this article, we will put forward the argument that Cristiano Ronaldo should stick to being a centre-forward for Juventus.
5 reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo should play as a striker at Juventus:
#1 Advancing age
Let's not forget that despite being one of the fittest footballers on the planet and taking care of his body obsessively, Cristiano Ronaldo has turned 35, an age in which most top footballers retire or move on to lesser-challenging leagues.
It is a testament to his superhuman abilities that Cristiano Ronaldo is still playing at one of the biggest clubs in the world. However, almost nothing is eternal. He has confessed that he wants to play on till 40 at the top level, but for that to happen, he will require some conservatism.
Cristiano Ronaldo as a winger will have to cover more ground and take on more wear and tear than as a striker where skills and instincts (which he possess in plenty) are the key. His speed will also decrease with time, and Cristiano Ronaldo knows that better than most.
#4 Juventus have options on the wing
Juventus have more wingers than strikers right now. With Douglas Costa, Federico Bernardeschi and Dejan Kulusevski all quite capable of playing wide and contributing to the team's attacks, new coach Andrea Pirlo is spoilt for choice when it comes to wide players.
It is a fact that all of the three wingers mentioned above prefer the right flank, but Costa was often used on the left last season as wingers are typically used to switching flanks in modern football.