When Cristiano Ronaldo made his sensational return to Manchester United final summer season, it was billed as the closing piece in the jigsaw for a membership searching for to rediscover its former glories.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had secured a second-place end in the Premier League and with big-money acquisitions Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane additionally coming in, a push for league title quantity 21 and the first since 2013 was being thought of as a practical chance.
But six months on, Solskjaer has been sacked and Ronaldo is enduring his longest objective drought in over a decade as the Red Devils crave consistency, wrestle to seek out the internet and toil for a top-four place.
The Portuguese forward has nonetheless received some very important objectives for the aspect this season, however the dream return is quick turning right into a nightmare, with interim boss Ralf Rangnick stating overtly that United’s want for a striker in the summer season is an “apparent” one.
Asked after United’s 1-1 draw against Southampton whether or not he was anxious about Ronaldo’s type, Rangnick advised BBC Sport: “He would have wished to have scored, I’d have wished him to attain, the entire workforce would have.
“He had good probabilities – one in every of the largest probabilities in the sport when he went previous the goalkeeper nevertheless it was cleared.”
‘Ronaldo’s file speaks for itself’
The likelihood Rangnick mentions got here in the sixth minute, when Ronaldo went spherical Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster however a weak left-footed shot was cleared off the line by Romain Perraud.
Sancho did give the hosts a Twenty first-minute lead however for the third consecutive sport they did not press house their superiority and had been pegged again for a draw by Che Adams’ second-half equaliser.
In all, Ronaldo had simply two pictures in the sport, the second coming from an angle and fired straight at Forster.
United could have been cruising to victory had he taken both alternative, however he now finds himself on a run of six video games with out scoring, his longest barren spell in 11 years.
Former Republic of Ireland worldwide Andy Reid mentioned on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Ronaldo is United’s most certainly to attain objectives based mostly on historical past, he has proved that. But that is not based mostly on his efficiency at this time – we now have hardly actually seen him at this time, however you do not carry him off, due to his historical past.
“Manchester United have a scarcity of id at the second. They simply do not know what they’re doing. It is hit-and-hope stuff numerous the time.”
Former England worldwide Fara Williams mentioned on Football Focus: “Ronaldo has to play [every game]. He is a scorer.
“All this hype round Ronaldo being a damaging half of what’s occurring at Manchester United, his file speaks for itself. You have gotten to play him.”
While Ronaldo was usually outfought and outmuscled by the Saints defenders, throwing his arms up in frustration at occasions, he’s the membership’s prime scorer this season with 14 objectives.
Six of these strikes have are available in Europe the place he has dragged United into the Champions League knockout phases with late winners towards Villarreal and Atalanta, and one other injury-time strike towards the Serie A aspect to say an important draw.
“United felt for them to push on and win league titles, the lacking piece was the supervisor,” European soccer skilled James Horncastle mentioned on the Euro Leagues podcast.
“The personnel that they had recruited till the closing days of the window did encourage some confidence that United had been going to get slightly nearer. Now you place Ronaldo in there and the dynamic has utterly modified.
“Because of what he prices the membership you need to discover a system that features him and sometimes meaning you go away from what you stand for as a coach when it comes to your philosophy.
“When he nonetheless places in memorable highlights quite than performances and so they generate numerous response – ‘wow, have a look at Ronaldo, he nonetheless has it’ – all they do is canopy up a few of the dysfunction, the flaws inside the system. It is a golden spanner in the works.”
Misfiring United ‘not working laborious sufficient’
Rangnick refused to put the blame solely on Ronaldo for the draw towards Southampton saying the workforce “created sufficient probabilities” however aren’t efficient sufficient in the “variety of objectives we rating”.
The statistics do not make for fairly studying – United have averaged fewer objectives per sport (14 in 10) underneath Rangnick than any earlier Red Devils boss in the Premier League.
They have scored greater than as soon as simply thrice in 10 league video games underneath the German and the draw towards Southampton was a 3rd consecutive one through which they’ve gone forward, regarded the higher aspect however conceded a second-half equaliser, together with their penalty shootout exit in the FA Cup.
Manchester United full-back Luke Shaw advised BBC MOTD: “History is repeating itself once more. We began very well the first 20 minutes, received the objective and it simply occurred once more. We know it is not ok and it wants to vary rapidly.”
Former United midfielder Paul Scholes was scathing in his evaluation, saying on BT Sport: “I do not suppose the gamers are working laborious sufficient to win a sport of soccer.
“There is numerous expertise in that workforce however with expertise you need to work laborious. I really feel sorry for the supervisor – the gamers are both not listening or do not need to do it.”
But opposition supervisor Ralph Hasenhuttl gave possibly the most telling remark, suggesting groups have United labored out.
The Austrian mentioned: “It will not be a giant secret that after they lose the ball that the reverse gears aren’t the greatest from everyone.”
