Has Ronaldo's presence dragged down Manchester United? The match against Leicester City once again gave the answer. Cristiano Ronaldo was sidelined due to the flu, And United played very mediocrely, and a 1-1 draw with their opponents has been quite lucky.
Since Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Manchester United, there has been discussion about whether his return goes against the club's rebuilding strategy. Some people believe that the presence of C Ronaldo has constrained the development of young players such as Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Martial.
At Manchester United, people are always faced with all kinds of entanglements. They had insisted that if they could get a world-class goalscorer, the team could take off. In the final moments of last year's summer window, Cristiano Ronaldo returned from Juventus, an experienced goalscorer and the only superstar to rival Messi in the last 10 years.
However, once such a explosive player is obtained, Manchester United will start to question the transfer and find all kinds of reasons, just like Lukaku and Sanchez in the past, saying that they do not conform to the club's so-called strategy, and other teammates refuse to cooperate.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who returned as a hero, found himself always embarrassed at Manchester United, but one thing is undeniable, he has played his part this season, scoring 18 goals in 33 games, and many of them are decisive. According to a statistic, in 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo will still score the most decisive goals under the trail or draw.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo has not started in six Premier League games this season, and Manchester United have not won one; and in the 6 games he is not in the squad at all competitions, Manchester United have won only one, which is the FA Cup home 1-0 Aston Villa.
Although the 37-year-old Ronaldo certainly has his flaws, his role at Manchester United has been evident throughout the season, especially in the most important moments. For example, without Cristiano Ronaldo's goal, United would have been out of the Champions League group stage, and his key goal in the Champions League was more about scoring goals based on personal ability than on his teammates creating opportunities for him.
No one can guarantee that Ronaldo will win Leicester City, but his efficiency in front of goal will certainly help the team, not damage it. The presence of Cristiano Ronaldo poses an ever-disturbing threat to opposing defenders, and United can create scoring scenes by taking advantage of the gap he has created. In contrast, in the absence of Ronaldo, Manchester United not only lacks a fulcrum in the front, but also lacks running position in the attack, and lacks a threat to Leicester City's defense. Not only that, Manchester United, who claimed to be unable to play high because of the absence of Ronaldo, this game sacrificed a young squad, except for goalkeeper De Gea, no one is over 30 years old, but the high pressing still disappears, Leicester City can easily pass through the midfield and cooperate in front of the Red Devils.
Without Ronaldo, United not only lacked offensive strength, but also did not improve the level of pressing, which reflected the role of the Portuguese superstar, but also prompted the club to bring in a real center forward. It is conceivable that if Ronaldo does not return to Manchester United this season, with Cavani's injuries continuing, Rashford, Martial's slump and Greenwood's loss, the Red Devils' situation will be even worse.
Edinson Cavani, who now has a calf strain, could be sidelined for another five weeks, playing for Manchester United for up to three or four more games and leaving for free at the end of the season. And if United are already struggling to reach the top four, Lonnick should use young strikers such as Alejandro Ganacjo, Charlie McNeill or Joe Hugh Gill.
Manchester United can no longer throw the problem of unfavorable development to Cristiano Ronaldo, but the club does need to reduce its dependence on Cristiano Ronaldo. Signing a suitable new center is a task that Summer Break must accomplish.
But it is not enough to rely on reinforcements, and the rest of United's teammates must also emulate Fred, who scored against Leicester City, serve the team as a whole, redouble their efforts and run a few more steps. Regardless of whether the manager's tactical arrangement is in line with his own characteristics, he must go all out on the field and play his due role.
Real Madrid's Benzema is also a perfect example, even if the team's tactics are inclined to other players, not the arrangement that can best play their potential, they must try to do their best, rather than being unhappy and giving up fighting.