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Cristiano Ronaldo came back to Manchester United in what is probably the most high-profile and dramatic transfer season of all time.
Initially headed to Man City, one phone call from Sir Alex Ferguson eventually changed his mind and he went back to Old Trafford after 12 long years, much to the delight of the Manchester United fandom, which is one of the biggest in the world.
Recently, a lot of fans have been critical of his performance because he does not offer anything defensively and when it comes to pressing upfront. Is Ronaldo really doing more bad to the rhythm of Manchester Utd than good?
To start with statistics, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 9 goals in 12 games for Man Utd so far along with one assist and quite a few of those nine goals have come at the time when Manchester United were either trailing or losing.
His performances on high profile matches in the UCL like both the fixtures with Atalanta, his injury-time winner against Villarreal have somehow buried the sub-par performance of the Red Devils in the Champions League this season. Also when it comes to the Premier League, his decisive performance against Tottenham has been widely applauded by critics.
In terms of output in front of the goal, it is very much evident that Ronaldo has been a huge plus point in the Man Utd attack. It is also widely regarded that Ronaldo's clutch performances have been instrumental for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as he has been able to retain his job.
Cristiano's persona has been an extremely influential factor for the Man United dressing room as well. Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood are among the players who have grown up idolising the Manchester United legend and his experience and presence can be deeply Impactful for their growth as players.
The main problem of the team lies mostly in the tactical approach of the manager as well as the lack of a stable midfield and defence. Ronaldo has been one of the brightest factors for the sinking ship that Manchester United is this season, not a barrier for their overall output as a unit.
With a few tactical tweaks as well as a more competent manager in the dugout, Manchester United might be able to completely unleash what Ronaldo is doing for the team. Until then, it’s up to Ronaldo to rescue the team and the manager from game to game.