"He spent a lot of the game floating around" - Ale Moreno explains critical error made by Cristiano Ronaldo in Manchester United's defeat to Atletico Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo was largely anonymous as Manchester United lost 1-0 to Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League Round 16 clash on Tuesday (March 15). Former MLS striker Ale Moreno has pointed out what the Portuguese did wrong during the encounter.
According to the Venezuelan, Cristiano Ronaldo was guilty of playing too far away from the box, which rendered him less efficient and less effective. That ended up costing the Red Devils in front of goal as there was no one else who could take up the role in the team.
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Speaking to ESPN, Ale Moreno said:
"We are having a go at Ronaldo are we not, he spent a lot of the game floating around. When you see him scoring a hat trick as he did on the weekend it's because he's inside the 18 yard box."
"When he takes himself out of that position to go and combine in other areas, there's nobody else at Manchester United that takes that central position, that is willing to take that responsibility on themselves or is good enough to take that responsibility on themselves," he added.
"While he may have been active and getting on the ball, was he effective? Was he efficient? And the answer is no," claimed Moreno.
The former MLS star further suggested that Cristiano Ronaldo's decision to play deeper is as a result of the Red Devils' difficulties in creating chances upfront.
He continued:
"That's also a by-product of the fact that Manchester United don't create opportunities, they don't create chances so I'm guessing Ronaldo is saying, well I got to get on this ball, I got to go and create something."
"Fine, but you're creating for whom, who is it you're going to create for other that yourself," the 42-year-old added.
Will Cristiano Ronaldo continue at Manchester United next season?
It's quite undeniable that there's a big question mark on Ronaldo's continuity at Manchester United. The Red Devils are on the verge of going trophyless this season and there isn't much optimism at Old Trafford right now.
To keep the Portuguese with them, they'll obviously need to secure their qualification into the Champions League next season. Signing a good manager will also be of help. Otherwise, it would be safe to assume that the attacker will part ways with the club.