Is Cristiano Ronaldo still a top player?

Perhaps even the most ardent Cristiano Ronaldo Fan will agree that the Portuguese superstar has had his worst season so far since he won his first Ballon d'Or in 2008.

The Superstar has scored 18 goals and 4 assists in his 25 appearances for Real Madrid this season.

While Cristiano scored an amazing 9 goals and an assist to boot in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League, it is his performance level in the Spanish league that is the most concerning for Madrid fans.

(all stats - prior to Ronaldo's two spot-kicks against Valencia)

From registering a goal or assist every 82 minutes last season in the league and every 72 minutes the season before that- Ronaldo has seen those elite numbers fall to once in every 148 minutes this season. Making him half as effective as the seasons before.

For any player not named Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, this tally would be considered as an excellent number.

However, Cristiano is a victim of his own genius. Players like Ronaldo and Messi set the bar for themselves so high that when they fail to produce the superhuman numbers that they normally do it is considered as a failure.

Adding to this, given that the 5-time Ballon d'Or winner will be turning 33 in less than a fortnight one does see whispers that Cristiano's fall from grace has begun and that he will never win a Ballon d'Or again.

However, for those falling into this trap, caution is advised.

We take a look at why Cristiano could easily bounce back and possibly fulfil his aim of winning 7 Ballon d'Or trophies before he retires.

#1 Good Underlying Stats-

Ronaldo is averaging over 5 shots from inside the area per 90 minutes

While Ronaldo's Goals per 90 minutes stat in the league has fallen to only 0.40 compared to 0.89 last year and 0.99 the year before that- his underlying numbers are still very good.

Underlying statistics is the most objective tool to assess if a player is declining or is just going through a poor period of form and luck.

For example, Barcelona's Luis Suarez had a poor start to the season. However, he was still getting into good positions - taking over 3 shots from inside the area per ninety minutes. Nor did his shooting accuracy fall from the previous years. So it was a matter of if and not when Suarez was going to start scoring freely again like he is now.

Shots from inside the box are often referred to as "high-quality chances" since it is far easier to score a goal from inside the box than from distance. Cristiano this season has been averaging over 5 shots from inside the box. So what does this tell us?

Yes, it is true that the Real Madrid midfield does create a lot of good chances, but Ronaldo is getting to excellent positions to take advantage of this and hasn't by any means lost the instincts of a goal scorer.

His Shooting accuracy of 45% this season is not a significant fall from the 48% of the previous season.

In terms of taking players on 1v1, his successful take-on percentage has gone up to 60.87% from 39.68%. A remarkable increase. He is creating 1.82 chances per 90 mins, for his teammates, this year, almost double that from last year.

Winning 60.98% of his aerial duels this season, his personal best ever, the Portuguese is clearly showing that he is in peak physical condition.

With such elite underlying stats that haven't dropped from previous seasons and in some cases become even better - It is a matter of time before the Real Madrid superstar starts scoring freely again.

However, what will really help him continue being a top player is how he has adapted to the physical reality of ageing.

#2 Evolving with age

Evolving with age- Cristiano Ronaldo

On the 5th of February, Cristiano Ronaldo will turn 33. No player is immune to the effects of ageing. As much as we tend of think of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as aliens from another planet- they too are after all human.

By the time most players hit their thirties it affects their performance levels on the pitch. Old injuries creep up again. It takes longer to recuperate between games.

Whilst all this is true Cristiano has evolved his game and his style of play progressively over the years. We all remember the Ronaldo of Manchester United when he set the league alight. Slaloming runs, step-overs and an array of tricks and flicks from the skinny Portuguese talent. While he bulked up over the years to get more out of his body, in the last few years at Real Madrid he has made some changes to his game as well.

It was under Carlo Ancelotti in the 14/15 season when the change first began. A change, that has served him well to be a player that goes toe to toe with Messi on the goalscoring charts despite being older. Ronaldo's average position on the pitch became closer and closer to the goal.

Since then he has either been played as a second striker or as a left-winger who does not focus on width or on ball transition from defence to offence.

In terms of taking on players here is an interesting number - in the 13/14 season, Ronaldo attempted 4.63 take-on s per game on average while in the last 24 months that number is fallen by less than half. Not because he is unable to beat players when he runs at them mind you, his success rate is higher than it ever was. He has made a conscious decision to attempt a fewer number of dribbles.

Ronaldo's game now is based on the killing strategy of an apex predator. When he smells an opportunity there is a sudden burst of sheer pace and power to get into the right areas and put the ball away into the back of the net. This is not to say that he has become lazy.

As he gets older, he has extremely cleverly modified his game to conserve energy. To focus on quality more than quantity- running at defenders fewer times with 20% more accuracy as an example.

This adaptation thereby allows him to continue playing games twice a week despite his age and also maintain a high level of performances- Ballon d'Or winning performances.

But surely a lot of players have adapted their game. What about his physical condition? can he survive the gruelling demands of being a top athlete for another 4 to 5 years?

#3 A Monster physically

Cristiano Ronaldo - a monster physically.

Dr Jose Carlos Noronha, from Portugal, sat down with Portuguese news outlet Tribuna Expresso to talk about Cristiano Ronaldo in 2016.

The doctor according to this report is said to have treated athletes from 34 different countries, the most famous amongst whom are Argentinian winger Angel di Maria and the former Real Madrid centre-back Pepe in addition to Cristian Ronaldo.

While speaking about Ronaldo, he said the following-

"He has a unique physique"

"It's like those cars that last millions of kilometres without any fault"

"I have known Ronaldo for eleven years since he went to Manchester. He had some minor injuries and asked for advice"

"In addition to having a great character, he is an athlete who fulfils all that is required to maintain a physical and psychological form to the fullest, from food to sleep and fitness."

"He is a scholar and occasionally he asks me if there are new scientific articles that you can read on food and other topics"

While it is understandable that being a fellow compatriot Dr Noronha, has nothing but good words to say about Ronaldo- the author of this article also happens to be a medical man.

Take for example the fact that Ronaldo does not partake in alcohol, despite visiting nightclubs with his Real Madrid team-mates. Alcohol in the blood steam delays muscle recovery and injury healing. He also does not take the odd cigarette, a habit that decreases stamina. From sleeping early in the night to eating right and having a personal exercise regimen, the Portuguese superstar does everything right for his body. It is almost like as if he has an obsessive-compulsive disorder when it comes to being as healthy as he can be.

Team-mates of the star have often revealed that he is the first in and out of training and trains in the gym harder and longer than anybody else in the squad.

This obsession with fitness means that from a medical point of view Ronaldo has the physical condition of a footballer 5-7 years younger than him.

Conclusion-

Looking into his future

A few factors can suddenly cause a rapid decline in a player.

A recurring Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury, or a series of short-term injuries in a span of a year or two as an example.

However, while there is no way to predict the future of any player, the Portuguese superstar is not your average 33 years old player on the decline, neither physically or in terms of adaptability.

Further, if anyone is going to prolong Cristiano's Ronaldo's career as a top player challenging for the league, it is going to be his arch-rival, Lionel Messi. It is true, that the Argentinian Magician has cost Ronaldo 5 Ballon d'Ors but it is his rivalry with Messi to be the world's best player that has pushed him and vice versa.

Either player has suggested that they are not obsessed with being the best in the world, they undoubtedly push for it. As long as Lionel Messi continues to perform at a high level, Ronaldo will push himself to extract every bit out of his body and mind before he decides to walk away into the sunset of a retirement league like the MLS or the Chinese league.

But what do you think? can Ronaldo win another Ballon d'Or again? and how many good years do you think he has left in him? Let us know in the comments section below.