Tuesday 19 May 2015 14:36, UK
Sky Sports' Spanish football expert Guillem Balague thinks Cristiano Ronaldo is failing Real Madrid.
Ronaldo hit his seventh hat-trick of the season in Real's 4-1 win over Espanyol on Sunday but it was not enough to stop Barcelona claiming a fifth La Liga title in seven years.
Real's La Liga disappointment followed a Champions League semi-final exit at the hands of Juventus but despite the club's failure this season, it has been another stellar season for Ronaldo.
The former Manchester United star has now hit a record 25 La Liga hat-tricks and has 45 goals this term to lead Lionel Messi by three in the race for the Pichichi.
Ronaldo has now scored 222 goals for Real Madrid in 199 La Liga matches. However, he has won just one La Liga title and when asked on Revista De La Liga whether Ronaldo has failed Real Madrid or whether Real Madrid has failed Ronaldo, Balague replied: "There's a bit of both.
"I think Ronaldo is in a crucial moment of his career because in a way he has failed Real Madrid and he needs to change.
I think Ronaldo is in a crucial moment of his career because in a way he has failed Real Madrid and he needs to change.
"This reminded me of Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan in the NBA. Phil Jackson goes to Chicago Bulls as the coach. At the time, Michael Jordan is the best player in the world. He's the best assister, best rebounder and best scorer but he hadn't won a league with Chicago Bulls.
"Phil Jackson goes to him and says: 'A man cannot be an island. You have to give me less so the team has more.' Michael Jordan accepted that and it's exactly what happened. After that, Chicago Bulls won six titles.
"Maybe Ronaldo has to give less to the team."
Numbers
Gaizka Mendieta also thinks Ronaldo may have to think about his role at Real Madrid for next season but he does not think the 30-year-old has failed.
"I don't think he'd be happy," Mendieta told Revista.
"His numbers are there and it's unbelievable what he has done and achieved. You cannot say he has failed because of those numbers and figures.
"But he might have to reconsider and think about what if he scores 10 goals less but I defend better and help my team to become a better team, rather than just beating my numbers and scoring more week-in, week-out?
"Is it down to him? I don't think it's down to him. I think it's down to managers and the president."
Real failing Ronaldo?
Graham Hunter was in agreement with the former Barcelona midfielder and blamed Real Madrid president Florentino Perez’s lack of strategy as a reason for Real Madrid failing Ronaldo.
"Real Madrid have failed Ronaldo," Hunter said.
"Guillem’s analogy is fantastic but who signed Phil Jackson? Who was the strategist? Where was the philosophy that signed the coach who made the great player great? Who is the director of football? Who is the great football brain? Florentino Perez.
"He’s a guy who is good at making money and laying tarmac. But the key thing is he’s the block to their being a strategy.
"We've all learned that if you implant the right strategy and let it grow, it will continue to flower and feed you back. But they don’t have it and it is Florentino’s fault.
"They’ve got this great resource and they are letting it rust."
