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Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Manchester United this summer after a 12-year long wait. It was a move desperately awaited by United fans ever since the Portuguese left them in 2008.
The Premier League was very different when Cristiano Ronaldo last played in it. Teams of any stature are now more tactically sound and can be very effective with their approach.
Manchester United signing Cristiano Ronaldo was a massive boost
Manchester United have had their struggles ever since Sir Alex Ferguson retired but signing Cristiano Ronaldo was deemed to be a big step in resolving that. The Portuguese captain has time and again shown what a phenomenal player he is but the situation with the Red Devils is a bit tricky.
Signing Cristiano Ronaldo was not something on the club's list before the summer transfer window opened. It was an opportunity grasped at the last moment and while it looked to be beneficial at first, it hasn't quite gone Manchester United's way. On that note, let's have a look at five reasons why the transfer has done more bad than good to the Red Devils:
#5 Raised expectations and pressure
Cristiano Ronaldo is a massive player and has achieved a lot wherever he has gone. Even when he arrived from Sporting Lisbon for his first spell at Manchester United, he was full of confidence and had pretty high standards to maintain.
Since leaving United in 2009, Cristiano Ronaldo has gone on to achieve significantly more and at a rapid pace. His spells at Real Madrid and Juventus have been very productive for both him and the respective clubs. He has now established a certain standard and expectations are part and parcel of it.
While it has been great for him, it has only mounted more pressure on Manchester United to perform accordingly. The Red Devils have suffered from changes in management and players on multiple occasions before Ronaldo arrived this summer.
They are a team with potential but still in a growing process. To add, the Premier League is a very different league compared to the other leagues he has played in the last decade. Hence, it is very difficult to meet these expectations so quickly.
#4 Lack of link-up with wide players
One of Manchester United's signature moves is to involve their wide players into the game. May it be the full-backs or the wingers, the Premier League giants like to use the width under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to its fullest.
Mason Greenwood was one of Manchester United's best players earlier this season, playing on the right wing. Unfortunately, him and Cristiano Ronaldo have not been able to link up that well. Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and other wide players have struggled to find Ronaldo on a regular basis as well.
There is a cohesion that's been lacking between the wide players and the Portuguese captain. Given how heavily Manchester United rely on their wide players, the lack of sync between them and Ronaldo is one of the reasons why they have struggled.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo cannot be benched
Manchester United re-signing Cristiano Ronaldo created a lot of buzz among the fans. The prospect of seeing the five-time Ballon d'Or winner play regularly once again for the Red Devils was a dream come true.
That being said, there are things to consider. Cristiano Ronaldo is aging and is 36 years old now. Despite his superb fitness at this age, it is only natural for him to be not totally fit for the entire 90 minutes and it sometimes involves benching him for certain games.
The prospect of Cristiano Ronaldo not starting a match directly results in criticism, which is often uncalled for. There have been times when it has been best not to start the Portuguese forward but the move hasn't gone down well with the fans. This has only backfired for Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and will for any manager that has Cristiano Ronaldo in his team.
#2 Cavani is a better fit at Manchester United
There is no doubt of what Cristiano Ronaldo is capable of doing on the football pitch. He has shown against Atalanta and Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League how he still has the game-winning capabilities in him.
While that is true, it is also true that sometimes Manchester United as a team look out of sync with Cristiano Ronaldo in attack. The Red Devils have looked much in cohesion when Edinson Cavani plays as their striker. He links up well with the other players around him and it is easy to spot his runs when compared to Ronaldo.
This has nothing to do with Ronaldo's individual brilliance. It's just that the team have better chemistry with Cavani on the pitch. With it being very difficult to bench the Portuguese and start Cavani more than him, it is a nightmare of a problem for any manager.
#1 Signing a midfielder was sacrificed
One thing that is evident with the current Manchester United side is their struggle in midfield. Clearly, the Red Devils badly need a quality defensive midfielder to protect their backline.
The double pivot of Fred and Scott McTominay hasn't been that useful to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's cause and it has raised questions more often than not. The presence of a defensive midfielder could have been very useful to the Red Devils, especially given the options they have in attacking midfield to play alongside.
It has been said that signing Cristiano Ronaldo was never part of the plan but given the opportunity Manchester United capitalized on it. As wonderful as it is for United fans, this came at the expense of signing a defensive midfielder. Given the current scenario, it definitely looks like signing Cristiano Ronaldo was not the wisest of options considering Manchester United's performances on the pitch.
