Player Focus: Trophyless Season Shouldn't Detract from Remarkable Ronaldo Exploits

Having secured La Decima in 2013/14 it's fair to say that last season was a disappointment for Real Madrid, and one that eventually cost Carlo Ancelotti his job at the Bernabeu. As Barcelona romped to a treble Los Blancos failed to pick up a trophy, but while the team's exploits as a whole failed to live up to expectations the same could again not be said of star man Cristiano Ronaldo.

Despite something of a mid-season slump, the Portuguese was breaking even more records in 2014/15, claiming La Liga's Golden Shoe award with a meteoric tally of 48 - his best in a Madrid shirt. With a further 10 goals in the Champions League, the 30-year old was at his very best in front of goal, ending the campaign with three consecutive hat-tricks, including a treble in Portugal’s qualifier with Armenia last weekend.

Ronaldo's conversion rate was vastly superior to that of last season, up to a mightily impressive 21.3% from a far more modest 14.4% the campaign previous. However, it was his eye for a telling pass that was perhaps the most marked improvement in a game that was already so hard to better.

An average of 2.2 key passes per game was his highest since his debut season in Spain and heralded more league assists than he had ever managed in a season at the Bernabeu. With a tally of 16, only four players across Europe's top 5 leagues boasted better assist figures, meaning Ronaldo had a direct hand in 64 of Real Madrid's 118 goals in La Liga last season (54.2%).

Having recently revealed himself to be a keen poker player, Ronaldo now looks likely to keep his cards close to his chest with regards to his future at Madrid, but another season without silverware could see the forward searching for a move. A return to the Premier League could tempt a player who has already achieved above and beyond what was expected of him after a world record transfer in 2009.

Many may be expecting the former United man's form to decline given his age but there were certainly no signs of that last season. A WhoScored.com rating of 8.48 was at its highest in La Liga for five seasons while a total of 17 man-of-the-match awards in Spain's top-flight was also a record as far as Ronaldo is concerned.

It's true that he may have to tailor a game so reliant on raw power in the past with age, with an average of 1.5 dribbles per game last season at its lowest since he moved to Madrid. Nevertheless he was ruthlessly efficient when on the ball in advanced areas and, as mentioned, often looked for a teammate rather than taking on his defender.

Stationed in a more advanced role there is the chance that Ronaldo could develop into a centre forward, and he's certainly been picking up better goal-scoring positions of late. We're so used to seeing the Portugal skipper try his luck from all manner of distances and angles but there has been something of a realisation that he can pick and choose his moments more wisely. An average of 2.6 shots from outside the box is of course still very high but it too is at its lowest since his arrival in Madrid, with that average up at 4 per game in his debut 2009/10 season.

It's clear that Ronaldo's play is maturing with age and like all great players whose athleticism has given them such an edge over their careers, he is playing in an intelligent manner to maximise his armoury of assets. We can expect this development in the superstar’s game to continue in the coming seasons but where we'll be witnessing such a progression could soon be up in the air.

One thing for sure is that Cristiano Ronaldo still has plenty to offer and will be desperate to end on a high in a Madrid shirt. He could do so from a personal perspective this summer following a sensational return in front of goal but you certainly get the feeling that he'd like to leave the club having wrestled a couple of titles back from the grasp of Barcelona. After a summer in which the likes of Messi and Neymar will have to cope with international action, you can expect a rested Ronaldo to set the standards as high as ever in La Liga next season.

Have Ronaldo's exploits from the 2014/15 season been harshly overlooked? Let us know in the comments below