Manchester United have failed to win any of the six Premier League games in which Cristiano Ronaldo has not started since re-signing for the club last August.
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Manchester United had a summer transfer window to remember last year when the club signed some of the world’s best players. None bigger than the arrival of a certain Portuguese star, who was Old Trafford’s favourite child during his first spell with the club. After spending six years with the Reds during his first stint, Cristiano Ronaldo had made a sensational return to Old Trafford from Juventus in the summer of 2021. Not to mention that Manchester United had already made two big-name signings earlier in the window – Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund and Raphael Varane from Real Madrid.
The transfer window could not have been any better, with the club signing three world class players in three crucial areas of the pitch. However, the results did not turn out the way it was expected, resulting in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking and Ralf Rangnick’s appointment as interim manager. Various reasons were pointed out by the experts for the dismal run. Some believed it was due to a lack of work rate by the players, others believed midfield and defence have frequently let the team down, while a section of experts believed Ronaldo is the problem.
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Experts believed that Ronaldo’s age is not ideal for him to lead the line for a club of Manchester United’s stature. Ronaldo (37) – was 36 when signed last summer – has been targeted by the critics for his lack of pressing. It is fairly obvious that a player in his late 30s will rarely be asked to press higher by a club.
The Portuguese star will be assigned some tasks by the coaching unit when the team is pressing the opponents. It goes without saying, however, that he will not be expected to put in the same amount of effort that players like Jadon Sancho or Marcus Rashford are expected to put in every match while closing down the other team players.
Some believed that the lack of a complete closing down by the entire frontline allowed the opponents to play through United’s pressing. Hence, few experts questioned the decision to sign Ronaldo back to Old Trafford and blamed him for the team’s downfall in this campaign.
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Despite all the criticism leveled against the Portuguese forward, he has continued to score frequently for the club. Most importantly, United have found it difficult to find the back of the net when Ronaldo has failed to score. The former Real Madrid striker has scored a total of 18 goals this season – 12 have come in the Premier League and six in the Champions League.
Next up is Bruno Fernandes, who has done well in the Premier League, scoring nine, but has not scored a single goal in any other competition. Their next highest goalscorer is Mason Greenwood, who has scored only six goals in all competitions. This proves that United are massively relying on Ronaldo for goals.
However, the most worrying record of them all is that Manchester United have failed to win any of the six Premier League games in which Cristiano Ronaldo has not started since re-signing for the club last August. They have drawn five and lost one. Leicester was the latest match United have failed to win without Ronaldo.
Below are the six Premier League games in which Ronaldo has not started:
| Opponent | Result | Score |
| Everton | draw | 1-1 |
| Chelsea | draw | 1-1 |
| Aston Villa | draw | 2-2 |
| Burnley | draw | 1-1 |
| Manchester City | lost | 1-4 |
| Leicester City | draw | 1-1 |
Even at 37 years, Ronaldo has single-handedly carried the goalscoring burden for Manchester United. His Champions League record speaks for itself. In five group matches, Ronaldo has scored six crucial goals to help United qualify for the knockout rounds.
He scored late winners against Villarreal and Atalanta, which also includes a sensational late equaliser against the Italian side in the reverse leg. Without Ronaldo, United might not have even made it out of the group.
Last month, Ronaldo scored a spectacular hat-trick to help Manchester United edge past Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 in the Premier League. Even at 37, Ronaldo has continued to step up for his team on numerous occasions, despite the fact that the rest of the squad has failed to support him with an adequate number of goals.
It is clear that Ronaldo will not be a part of Manchester United’s long-term future but the current squad very much depends on him to get them out of trouble. Hence, it is time to stop blaming the Portuguese star and start appreciating everything he does, even at his age.
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