The return of the International goal record holder to Manchester United was much anticipated then after his rumored trip to join rivals City had done rounds on social media for almost 24hrs.
This would be overturned in seconds by a single phone call that reportedly he received from Manchester United former great manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
His return to his former club big as it was – fanbase and business-wise still has more questions being asked with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the centre of scrutiny of United’s struggles.
Ronaldo bagged two goals on his debut game but going forward things are not running the way everyone saw when he was being signed.
In seven games Manchester United have only managed to secure two wins of which the two were last minutes win. on the flip, the Portugal international is on a three-game scoreless run in the premier league.
Manchester United legend Gary Neville on the other hand has come out to criticize the performance of his former club saying that Ronaldo and his attacking colleagues lack the work ethic to succeed as a group.
Manchester United lacks a striker who can defend and harass defenders; Photo Credit – Marca
Speaking on sky sports Garry Neville said United which harbors a lot of attacking options has proved it hard for the team to produce better results.
“They’ve got this real conundrum with Pogba and Fernandes, they’ve got this real conundrum with Ronaldo and Cavani, another conundrum with Greenwood, Rashford, and Sancho,” he said.
“You put all these teams into a unit when out of possession, and those players’ strengths aren’t out of possession.
“What Manchester United’s star players need is to have the work ethic of Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, and Sadio Mane. World-class players who work like absolute dogs every game. I don’t see that among United’s most talented players.”
Ronaldo, the all-conquering forward, had returned to Manchester to add trophies to his remarkable haul, requesting a move from Juventus as the Turin club goes through a mini-revamp.
Instead, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side remains a frustrating work in progress and far from the title-challenging side that Ronaldo may want them to be.
However, what if the real reason Man Utd is dropping points is actually down to the striker himself, rather than the players or manager around him?
Pointing out the problem
Cristiano Ronaldo is a prolific goal scorer and that’s for a fact, he arrived at Old Trafford, not as a visitor but that was his home then with Sir Alex Ferguson who signed him from Sporting Lisbon.
His playing has changed from then to now but again he ought to adapt better so he can be clinical in the box without burning himself out.
Manchester United signed both Sancho and Ronaldo in the summer transfer; Photo Credit – Daily star
As such, the 36-year-old has undoubtedly morphed from being a more traditional winger or inside forward into a more traditional No.9 in recent seasons. But, unlike modern forwards, Ronaldo has no interest in tracking down opposing defenders.
Laurie Whitwell and Mark Carey of the Athletic pointed out before Man Utd’s 1-1 draw with Everton, no Premier League forward playing at least 270 minutes of football had applied pressure less frequently to nearby defenders than Ronaldo since he arrived at Man Utd. Which could cause problems.
Why does Manchester United need forwards to press defenders?
While Man Utd fans may point out that Ronaldo’s goals will provide more for their team than any amount of sprinting, it’s still worth considering how important it is that United have a player that can harass opposing defenses.
Manchester United is known to dominate possession just as seen in recent fixtures but while that is in place and the team manages to keep it up all along it has rather meant that their defense parks behind on the halfway line.
This subsequently has exposed them to counter-attacks on most occasions given their struggling issue of a defensive midfielder spot.
To better this Man United needs to reduce the time opposing defenders have the ball, In other words, teams like Man Utd need strikers to close down defenders so they aren’t as vulnerable to counter-attacks.
While Cristiano Ronaldo has enjoyed his start to the season with five goals in seven games, it’s worth considering that his team have conceded no less than 11 goals in that period. Man Utd could be jeopardizing their defense to squeeze Ronaldo into this team.
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