The problem with Ronaldo
Another colourless display. Goals have dried up. Powers clearly waning at 37. Should he stay another season? Do United even want to keep him?
THIS time, there were no histrionics. No drama. Cristiano Ronaldo left the field as anonymously as he had occupied it for the previous hour and a half as a smattering of boos greeted the final whistle at Old Trafford.
Yes, there had been the usual arm-waving. Moments when he shook his head and muttered to himself after things did not go his way. You can never ignore the man completely.
But this was another colourless display from Ronaldo, one that left him without a goal in six games in 2022 — his worst run since a seven-match drought for United in the 2008-09 season.
The only time the Portugal star hit the target with any real force was when he appeared to accidentally spit on teammate Anthony Elanga at full time, catching the United substitute on the back.
It could have been a different story had Ronaldo applied the same power to his shot towards an empty goal after rounding Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster in the sixth minute but Romain Perraud was able to get back and clear.
There was another effort straight at Forster in the second half as well as two moments when Ronaldo was offside before scoring one disallowed goal and setting up another for Paul Pogba.
But that was it. Four days after an angry exit down the tunnel at Burnley, Ronaldo cut a resigned figure when Stuart Attwell called a halt to proceedings here.
‘Yes, of course, he would have wished to score,’ said United’s interim manager Ralf Rangnick. ‘I would have wished him to score. He had his chances today.’
Ronaldo will want to go again when United meet Brighton at Old Trafford tomorrow night, and will almost certainly get his wish if Edinson Cavani fails to recover from a groin injury.
Cavani celebrates his 35th birthday today and it is a damning indictment of United’s forward planning that their two strikers have a combined age of 72.
The Uruguayan cannot stay fit and Ronaldo’s powers are clearly waning after turning 37 earlier this month.
Rangnick confirmed Cavani’s impending departure this summer when he said on Friday that it is ‘obvious’ the club must buy a new striker. But the Ronaldo debate will go on. Should he stay for another season at Old Trafford?
There is speculation that he will ask to leave if United do not finish in the top four but how many other Champions League clubs are going to want him at his age and be prepared to pay the thick end of £500,000 a week?
Do United even want to keep Ronaldo?
After all, the motivation for bringing him back in the first place was to avoid the unthinkable prospect of him joining Manchester City.
He was signed to score goals and 14 before the end of December was a decent return. No other United player has contributed more than half as many as the club’s leading scorer.
But there is little doubt that Ronaldo’s unexpected return has had an impact on the overall team dynamic. Now the goals have dried up for him, it has become an even bigger problem.
Cavani is on his way, and with Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood facing uncertain futures at Old Trafford, can United saddle themselves with the challenge of having to replace up to four attackers this summer? The forward line is by no means the only area of the team that needs addressing and there is also the small matter of appointing a new manager.
It was clear that United’s issues run deeper than Ronaldo as they threw away the lead for the third straight game against a very impressive Southampton.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side followed up their win over Tottenham and draw against Manchester City with a fully deserved point after Che Adams cancelled out Jadon Sancho’s opener.
Hasenhuttl, a disciple of Rangnick’s gegenpressing, questioned United’s ability to execute such an intensive game plan. ‘In the beginning, when they are fresh, it works,’ he said. ‘The problem they have is that they are not used to doing it for 90 minutes.’
TV pundits like Paul Scholes, Jermaine Jenas and Danny Murphy believe it comes down to simple work ethic.
Rangnick is the man who must get more out of this group and find a way to turn draws into wins amid fears that United’s top-four hopes are fading.
‘It has always been a concern since Ole (Gunnar Solskjaer) left the club,’ said Rangnick. ‘That was one of the reasons why he probably had to leave and, of course, results like this don’t make things any easier.’ MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): De Gea 6.5; Dalot 6, Varane 6, Maguire 5, Shaw 5.5; McTominay 6 (Elanga 75min, 6), Pogba 6.5; Rashford 5.5 (Lingard 82), Fernandes 6.5, Sancho 7; Ronaldo 4.5. Scorer: Sancho 21. Booked: Rashford, McTominay, Pogba, Lingard. Manager: Ralf Rangnick 6. SOUTHAMPTON (4-4-2): Forster 7.5; WalkerPeters 7, Bednarek 6 (Stephens 46, 6), Salisu 6, Perraud 7; S Armstrong 6, WardProwse 6, Romeu 7 (Diallo 90), Elyounoussi 6.5 (Livramento 71, 6); Broja 6.5, ADAMS 8. Scorer: Adams 48. Booked: None. Manager: Ralph Hasenhuttl 7. Referee: Stuart Attwell 6. Attendance: 73,084.