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The first ones to call the DECLINE!

Postby Holden Chinaski

These quotes are all from the 2015 Masters thread:

Skullman wrote:I'm going to bring this up again, but maybe ROS is in decline? Note: I've been thinking this for a while, not just being reactionary, just waiting for him to lose.

Despite his great play in the CoC, he has been getting more inconsistent and been relying on his matchplay more rather than deadly long potting and precise position, like Higgins in his later years.


Roland wrote:How long before Ronnie stops being considered the best player in the world and simply one of the big four or six alongside Robbo, Selby, Ding, Judd and dare I say it, Murphy? Robbo and Selby have his measure at this moment in time, Judd will be next and if Ding has one good win over him in a big match then all of a sudden Ronnie will be "in decline" to coin a phrase. Of course he'll still be brilliant if he lives to be 80+ but the results since the World Final are starting to hint that a natural changing of the guard is taking place.

It's not a case of wanting it or not, stop being so sensitive. It is happening. I'm not saying Ronnie won't win another big event but it certainly appears that his days of prolific winning are numbered. He now has to deal with the pressure of players not being scared of beating him any more.


Holden Chinaski wrote:I have honestly not seen any signs of Ronnie declining.


Now let's take a look at the titles Ronnie's won since Skullman and Roland called Ronnie's decline in 2015:

2016 The Masters
2016 Welsh Open
2017 The Masters
2017 English Open
2017 Shanghai Masters
2017 UK Championship
2018 World Grand Prix

Well done Skullman and Roland on calling Ronnie's decline so early! rofl

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Re: The first ones to call the DECLINE!

Postby SnookerFan

Ronnie79 wrote:ROS is in a serious decline IMO. He has not played well for 2 years now. He has lost 4 out of his last 5 finals. That is not good enough.


AC or LT? wrote:Ronnie'll go out to Ding. He's no longer a tournament finalist, he showed that in Chengdu.

Re: The first ones to call the DECLINE!

Postby Holden Chinaski

SnookerFan wrote:
Ronnie79 wrote:ROS is in a serious decline IMO. He has not played well for 2 years now. He has lost 4 out of his last 5 finals. That is not good enough.


AC or LT? wrote:Ronnie'll go out to Ding. He's no longer a tournament finalist, he showed that in Chengdu.

pmsl

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Re: The first ones to call the DECLINE!

Postby Holden Chinaski

Cloud Strife wrote:We'll see if he really has declined or not when the World Championship comes round. That is the time to truly judge, imo.

Yeah, 2 Masters titles, 1 UK Championship title and 4 ranking titles don't mean a thing right? Anyone can win those...

Re: The first ones to call the DECLINE!

Postby Andre147

Roland's post was actually a reply to one of mine, because back then I told him it was HIM who wanted to see Ronnie in decline rather than Ronnie being actually in decline.

And he called me sensitive... LOL!

Look at what Ronnie has won since then and will likely win even more in the future... I say he was clueless and that's me being polite.

Re: The first ones to call the DECLINE!

Postby TheSaviour

But now they are facing an other dilemma; they can´t possible have both of bigging up a persons and to deny the aggression and anger they personally and quite naturally do posses! Against a single person. For a reason or not. Bigging up a persons means they would admit it has hurt someone or someones who hasn´t deserved it at all.

Interesting to see how they are going to play it.

At least they already did admit that there were more victims also. And that´s what everyone has been able to tell. Only to find their playing-boots to trying to deny that what they already so clearly admitted <laugh> <laugh>.

Funny old game.

The problem still exist is that they can´t memorize a thing. They can´t memorize a thing of how Ronnie used to play. They can picturies the person and knows he kind of a exists but they can´t remember a thing. Only to deny that fact too <laugh> <laugh> .

But I admit it is not a life worth of living when needing to think things like these 24/7. It is a life not worth of living. So...... So, obviously even when arguing Mark Selby hasn´t psychologically been present for years they are completely spot on. What it means I could a bit argue with them.

But once again, the reasons are various. A very various. And we clearly can´t tell if Mark Selby is ever going to receive the credit he perhaps deserves. It is not possible to tell if that will happen or not.

Re: The first ones to call the DECLINE!

Postby Holden Chinaski

Holden Chinaski wrote:Now let's take a look at the titles Ronnie's won since Skullman and Roland called Ronnie's decline in 2015:

2016 The Masters
2016 Welsh Open
2017 The Masters
2017 English Open
2017 Shanghai Masters
2017 UK Championship
2018 World Grand Prix

And we can add yet another title to the list, the 2018 Players Championship.

The decline keeps getting worse and worse...

Re: The first ones to call the DECLINE!

Postby Andy Spark

Holden Chinaski wrote:
Holden Chinaski wrote:Now let's take a look at the titles Ronnie's won since Skullman and Roland called Ronnie's decline in 2015:

2016 The Masters
2016 Welsh Open
2017 The Masters
2017 English Open
2017 Shanghai Masters
2017 UK Championship
2018 World Grand Prix

And we can add yet another title to the list, the 2018 Players Championship.

The decline keeps getting worse and worse...

Haha... Those people predicting fewer titles in future were quite clearly wrong. However, it is not unreasonable for members to point to certain skills being in “decline” provided they qualify the term.

Ronnie is a special case with skill levels beyond normal chart limits; he is a crazy statistical outlier, hence, he can decline in some skills and still be extraordinary. That has always been my view anyway!

Re: The first ones to call the DECLINE!

Postby Andre147

Skullman was allright to be fair... yes what he said was a bit silly, I would never say that just because Ronnie had a bad loss or something like that... But Skull was allright and one of the few Selby fans who was actually very respectful.

Now Roland was a d.ick to be fair... you could see he really wanted Ronnie to start declining rapidly... me and him even had an argument about him saying I was being sensitive lol rofl <doh>

But Ronnie has proved him and others so so wrong, and long may he continue to do it! :-D

Re: The first ones to call the DECLINE!

Postby Alex0paul

The standard at the top of the game has declined greatly. The attitude of top players is an absolute joke.

Re: The first ones to call the DECLINE!

Postby mantorok

2016 The Masters
2016 Welsh Open
2017 The Masters
2017 English Open
2017 Shanghai Masters
2017 UK Championship
2018 World Grand Prix
2018 Players Championship

Pffft, doesn't look like a prolific winner to me rofl

Re: The first ones to call the DECLINE!

Postby mantorok

Holden Chinaski wrote:Skullman was a good guy indeed. He was just dead wrong about the decline thing...


There was a period when he was vulnerable in finals, and as a fan, I did start to wonder if it was going to be a slow demise.

Then he goes and has a season like this one and there's no point trying to predict anything with this great player, the guy is just an enigma and continues to surprise with every campaign.

Being a winning machine like this at 42, I don't think that's ever going to happen again.

Re: The first ones to call the DECLINE!

Postby SnookerFan

Even at the time, I was saying this "venerable" final rate was a bit of a myth. I had no doubt he'd take titles again.

Granted, he's gone well out of his way to prove me right.

Re: The first ones to call the DECLINE!

Postby Andy Spark

I have to stick up for Roland and Skull here and anyone who predicted a general decline in his game; they are in expert company, because the great Clive Everton also confidently predicted general decline in O’Sullivan’s game six years ago.

The mistake is an easy one to have made and comes from thinking O’Sullivan’s abilities are not a weird statistical outlier.

Re: The first ones to call the DECLINE!

Postby Lucky

Picking through old posts and highlighting mistakes on a purely opinion driven argument is top notch troll work.

Re: The first ones to call the DECLINE!

Postby Chalk McHugh

When Murphy beat Ronnie in the Champion of Champions final last year i predicted on here on the morning of the UK final that i fancied Murphy to edge Ronnie again. Especially as Ronnie wasn't impressive in beating Akani and Smurf was playing well. But i recall some poster replying ' why are you so negative about Ronnie ' or something of that sort. Ha, i didn't think i was, but sometimes i feel posters can be very touchy if you even doubt in the slightest the great mans chances. It's as if those who tip him to win every match he plays feel they are bigger Ronnie fans and it's the golden rule to never fancy his opponen, regardless of how they are playing. It's not a sin for Ronnie fans to predict he may lose a certain game!

Re: The first ones to call the DECLINE!

Postby mantorok

Chalk McHugh wrote:When Murphy beat Ronnie in the Champion of Champions final last year i predicted on here on the morning of the UK final that i fancied Murphy to edge Ronnie again. Especially as Ronnie wasn't impressive in beating Akani and Smurf was playing well. But i recall some poster replying ' why are you so negative about Ronnie ' or something of that sort. Ha, i didn't think i was, but sometimes i feel posters can be very touchy if you even doubt in the slightest the great mans chances. It's as if those who tip him to win every match he plays feel they are bigger Ronnie fans and it's the golden rule to never fancy his opponen, regardless of how they are playing. It's not a sin for Ronnie fans to predict he may lose a certain game!


Posters like MDG think it's 2005 still and that ROS is some sort of vulnerable mental midget that could crack at any time. He hasn't been that person for many years now and it's the lack of faith that's annoying, nothing wrong with saying he's not at the races today or he doesn't look very interested because that can still happen.

But not backing him just because he's behind or up against a tough opponent just gets tedious, not saying you were, but that's just a example.

Re: The first ones to call the DECLINE!

Postby Chalk McHugh

I've never accused Ronnie of being mentally soft. And predict him to win more often than not. But i like to watch how a tpurnament progresses and if i feel a certain player is playing better thabmn Ronnie i have no problem in predicting a win. Plenty of variables go into predictingcaxwinner in a given match. But i dont blindly say Ronnie is going to win every match. I tipped Mark Allen to beat him at the Masters i think as after Ronnie played near flawless snooker v Fu in previous round people lost the run of themselves in here andxelsewhere and i suspecred he could be set up for a fall. Alas, he was pants and was sent packing with a 6-1 drubbing.


   

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