Ronaldo giveth, and Ronaldo taketh away
It was a memorable moment for the Manchester United faithful present at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening as Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winner deep in injury time against Villareal in the UEFA Champions League.
Much like the fans, Sir Alex Ferguson could not hide his delight at a Fergie time goal as Ronaldo continued his bright start to the season with his fifth goal in as many games.
Firing the Reds to victory ๐ฅ
@AT13Oficial ๐ค @Cristiano
#MUFC | #UCL https://t.co/D4m26ndBWT
It has been a recurring theme for the Red Devils so far. While the Portuguese has delivered in front of goal, they still look like a team which is less than the sum of its parts. The absence of a specialist defensive midfielder disrupts the balance of the team as they struggle to sustain coordinated attacks and have serious trouble during defensive transitions. Hence, even the victories seem undeserved.
Ronaldo is still lethal in the box and his movement is unmatched but there is no doubt that a player with the status and ability of Ronaldo conditions the team. The attack is centered around him finishing off the chances created by the team rather than in a fluid, interchangeable shape.
No harm in such a setup if the team is established and has perfect balance, much like Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid which completed the three-peat in the UEFA Champions League wins. However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's United are still finding their identity after making steady progress over the past couple of seasons.
Critics argue that Edinson Cavani already fulfilled the role which Ronaldo does at the moment but without the status of being undroppable. It allowed Ole to bench Cavani for squad players like Dan James, now sold to Leeds, depending on the need of the hour.
๐ฌ "๐ ๐๐๐ฃ ๐จ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข ๐ฉ๐ฌ๐ค ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฉ๐ค๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ง." ๐
@ECavaniOfficial ๐ค @Cristiano
#MUFC
Even at the age of 34, the Uruguayan has an incredible workrate and always leads the press from the front. A consummate professional leading by example, he was doing a fine job of the senior, statesmanlike striker doing the business when called upon. Meanwhile, he was mentoring younger attackers like Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood, among others.
Has Cristiano Ronaldo's luck at Juventus followed him to Manchester United?
Funnily enough, Juventus fans may be able to sympathize with their United counterparts. Although Ronaldo was the top scorer for the club in all three seasons he played in Italy, his time in Turin was a qualified success at best in terms of team accolades.
His first season in Serie A brought 21 goals but the total number of goals scored by Juventus dropped by 16 from the 86 they had scored the previous season. Paulo Dybala's output was also reduced from 22 goals to a paltry 5.
Ronaldo's goals did not dry up but the performances of the rest of the team did deteriorate. After winning the league for nine consecutive years, Juventus finished fourth on the final day of the season, which would prove to be his last with the Old Lady. It is too soon to say that the story is repeating itself, but Ole must remain on his toes.
There is still time for tweaks and a winter transfer window to bring in that much-needed defensive midfielder who can complete a team to provide service to the Portuguese and further magnify the qualities he brings to the table.
Manchester United and Cristiano Ronaldo are a match made in heaven. They're just waiting for things to click on the field.