Ronnie Enigma to continue?

[The Boss]

Source - http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A31763711

There are a lot of people i feel, that are expecting Ronnie O'sullivan to start performing well again and to have a good run in the Tournaments as well as the World Championship. O'sullivan has obviously recently showed a little of what he has been capable of by winning the Uk in Telford. Again many probably thought that this would be the beginning of the start of some great form from the "Rocket" only to watch as he fell at the first hurdle to Maguire in the Masters. During this match O'sullivan was able to produce some good looking snooker and showed off some of his natural flair but just didn't do enough to win. The contrasts are amazing in themselves from last year when he blew Ding away and completely broke another player to this year when he couldn't make the second round or sometimes even second gear.

~Littlesense, 606, 30 January 2008
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What is your response to this chap?

[superaussie]

my response is that little sense is spot on and ronnie is an enigma and i dont think he will win another world title

[Monique]

Obviously super ... as we all know Robbo will win them all in the 15 coming years ...

Now seriously, Ronnie is a bipolar person. Meaning he has this fundamental instability in him. He can't help it. He will stay the way he is: consistently unconsistent. He has done a lot recently to improve his b-game and to better manage when he is not "positive" and it has payed off ...
He still has the hunger and the fighting spirit. He has showed that in the last year. How much and how long he can sustain the effort ... only time will tell.
I personally think he has a third WC title in him ... despite Robbo's threatening presence

[The Boss]

my response is that little sense is spot on and ronnie is an enigma and i dont think he will win another world title

He'll win it this year. Could have won last year if Higgins wasn't going for his second title. It's Ronnie's year unless someone hits form during the tournament and feels like punching everyone up. I can't see it to be honest.

[Alex0paul]

He won't win it. He doesn't have the consistency anymore, wasn't a first round loser last year and Mark Williams isn't defending champion. It is usually a player who has a quiet season so I will go for Ding.

[The Boss]

He won't win it. He doesn't have the consistency anymore, wasn't a first round loser last year and Mark Williams isn't defending champion. It is usually a player who has a quiet season so I will go for Ding.

That is extremely unlikely. Ding has only ever played 1 match at the Crucible. He doesn't have the experience or temperament yet. He's an outside bet to make the final, but i can't see him winning it if he faces someone who has been there before

[Alex0paul]

That is extremely unlikely.

Yet you think Drago will win the Malta CUp and Mark King will win either the Welsh Open or China Open

[The Boss]

Yet you think Drago will win the Malta CUp and Mark King will win either the Welsh Open or China Open

They are experienced pros who have gone close before. Their time is now. You'll see.

[wildJONESEYE]

Fact is Ronnie is 32 years of age...almost old enough to be Judd Trump's father...

so his time at the top is comming to an end............it will be a gradual thing but to expect anyone that is frightenly reaching a veteran status to start to dominate would be foolish......thats not to say he cant win the world title this season....because he clearly can and will be favarate to do so.....and i expect him to pick up trophys reguarly at different intervals over the next 5 years but he wont dominate.............and i think he doesent want to dominate..........snooker is a hobby for him all he wants is a stable and happy family life with his father thats due to be relesed soon......that what Ronnie wants snooker is very much down on his priority list......................

[kellie-text]

I think Ronnie has another world title or 2 in him if he wants it enough.

His performances in the UK Championship were proof that he's still got it in him if his mind is right and he's on song.

No he'll never dominate but on his best form, he's still the best in the world and you'd be mad to write him off for another win at the Crucible!

[dannyd0g]

I think Ronnie has another world title or 2 in him if he wants it enough.

His performances in the UK Championship were proof that he's still got it in him if his mind is right and he's on song.

No he'll never dominate but on his best form, he's still the best in the world and you'd be mad to write him off for another win at the Crucible!

Well said.

The encouraging thing for his fans to see in the UK Championship, was that he wasnt really on song for parts of the week, but he just kept battling away anyway, and managed to get through using levels of play often far below his best.

I think this is a new development, and if he does that more often, hes going to be a lot more consistent and even more worrying for his opponents.

I dont think theres anything significant about Ronnie's loss to Maguire in The Masters. Ronnie got off to a slow start thats all. It was a short match. Maguires a good player. Nobody wins everything.

The only worrying thing was Ronnie's miss on the crucial-crunch-ball-blue. But the pressure is bound to get to everyone at some point. Going forward, I cant really see him being any less deadly when frame and match winning clearances are achievable.

[craigslater]

Long live the rocket, definately at LEAST another World Title in him...

[lagermike]

Ronnie enigma to continue? Short answer = yes!

He'll be around for years to come yet, he will win some and he will lose some.

My belief is that this season he will be targeting the world championship more than ever and is definitely the man to beat.

Over 3 or 4 sessions he can hold his own against Murphy, Maguire, Ding, Selby and Robertson. That is the difference between Ronnie and Hendry, Hendry can no longer hold his own in matches like those.

[craigslater]

Ronnie enigma to continue? Short answer = yes!

He'll be around for years to come yet, he will win some and he will lose some.

My belief is that this season he will be targeting the world championship more than ever and is definitely the man to beat.

Over 3 or 4 sessions he can hold his own against Murphy, Maguire, Ding, Selby and Robertson. That is the difference between Ronnie and Hendry, Hendry can no longer hold his own in matches like those.

Couldnt have said it better myself!

[Black_cat]

I dont think theres anything significant about Ronnie's loss to Maguire in The Masters. Ronnie got off to a slow start thats all. It was a short match. Maguires a good player. Nobody wins everything.

The only worrying thing was Ronnie's miss on the crucial-crunch-ball-blue. But the pressure is bound to get to everyone at some point. Going forward, I cant really see him being any less deadly when frame and match winning clearances are achievable.

That was divine retaliation for Ford's missed blue in the NIT decider.

Also, I think most of us here agree that we've seen a new side of Ronnie's snooker this season, more of his battling power and more of his B-game kicking in when smashing long reds in from the opponent's break-off is not an option. And that this could be a tremendous plus for him at Sheffield.
On a very personal note, I think that if Ronnie won the Worlds, I'd be spending that week-end totally, completely, unmistakeably inebriated and bother absolutely everyone I know with endless comments on it.