Ronaldo to the rescue once again
Veteran keeps alive United’s hopes of Champions League place with 60th career treble
BRILLIANT Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 60th career hat-trick to get Manchester United out of another massive hole.
A week after bringing shame on the club by smashing the phone of a young Everton fan, Ronaldo was his side’s knight in shining armour on a day of protest at Old Trafford.
The Portuguese superstar rattled in the game’s first couple of goals inside the opening 32 minutes and, after United allowed the Premier League’s bottom club to fight back to 2-2, he thundered in a winning free-kick from 25 yards.
In a dreadful season for United, the 37-year-old has managed 21 goals. Fifteen have come in the league, with only Mo Salah and Son Heung-min scoring more.
It gave United’s fans something to cheer about as they closed the gap on a top-four place to three points, but there were also loud dissenting protests against the Glazer’s ownership both inside and outside the stadium.
‘We know we aren’t playing very well but we got three points,’ said goalkeeper David de Gea, who had labelled his side a disgrace in losing to Everton the previous Saturday. ‘Ronaldo has scored three very important goals for us. We should control the game more against Norwich at home but it is a massive win for us.
‘We still have a chance to finish (in the) top four and we will fight for it until the last second.’
Those fans who delayed their arrival to demonstrate in the concourses around Old Trafford missed a rip-roaring start.
Teemu Pukki missed the first chance, thwarted by De Gea, after three minutes. But United roared back with Anthony Elanga and Ronaldo going close before they combined to score in seven minutes.
Elanga harried Ben Gibson on the edge of the penalty area and robbed the defender of the ball before crossing for Ronaldo. From the edge of the box, the veteran finished emphatically from 18 yards.
The goal only heightened the strength of feeling against the owners. ‘Stand up if you hate Glazers’ and ‘We want Glazers out’ was the cry. Some fans entered the ground after 17 minutes, marking the 17-year reign of the Americans.
United should have killed the game off. Jesse Lingard, in only his third Premier League start of the season, was denied by
Tim Krul, but the home side scored from the resulting corner. Alex Telles produced a perfect outswinger for Ronaldo to hang in the air and head in for 2-0.
As good as United were going forward, there were alarming gaps at the back.
Harry Maguire needed a block to stop Pierre Lees-Melou from scoring — and just before half-time they allowed Norwich a goal.
Diogo Dalot was beaten by Dimitris Giannoulis, who fed Pukki. The Finn dinked a cross to the far post, where Kieran Dowell was unmarked to head in.
United started the second half brightly, with Ronaldo firing wide and Lingard testing Krul with a well-struck volley.
But the spaces in their back line returned to haunt them for Norwich’s equaliser after 52 minutes.
Dowell had time to lift his head up and thread a pass through to Pukki, who had just kept himself onside. The striker had a clear run on goal and his finish past De Gea at the near post was emphatic.
United interim boss Ralf Rangnick belatedly shored up his side by sending on midfield holder Nemanja Matic for Lingard after 63 minutes.
And there were boos and obscene chants aimed at Paul Pogba, out of contract in the summer and set to leave the club, when he was replaced by Marcus Rashford.
With United’s Champions League prospects flagging, there was one final great moment from Ronaldo. When United won a free-kick outside the box for a foul on Elanga, Juan Mata looked interested but there was only going to be one taker.
Ronaldo sized up the opportunity in his trademark stance and then thundered a shot that flew past Krul and bounced in via the inside of the post.
Still, they know having Ronaldo on their side is only papering over some of the cracks.
Canaries goalscorer Dowell, whose side remain seven points from safety, said: ‘We missed some chances and Cristiano Ronaldo proved the difference.’
The bigger malaise that still exists at United was clearly illustrated at the final whistle, however, when Pogba sarcastically cupped his ear towards those supporters who had been giving him grief.