Would Cristiano Ronaldo Put an End to his Time at United?

August 2021 will be a month difficult to forget for soccer fans, and it is that Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed his departure from Juventus and, in that same month, Manchester United, a club where he knew how to stand out and make himself known to the world as a world figure, announced his return officially. Old Trafford was full of expectations and dreams after the arrival of the Portuguese to the club.

And although Cristiano Ronaldo has been decisive in many Premier League matches and, above all, in the Champions League, the truth is that the former Real Madrid striker has been irregular, falling into the same team dynamics. His talent could not be seen or under the orders of coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or German Ralf Rangnick.

His numbers on his return to Manchester have not been negative. In 21 games played, the Portuguese registered 14 goals and 3 assists, six of these being for the UEFA Champions League; goals that have the team in the round of 16 of the current edition.

Living a nightmare again

When Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at Juventus in 2018, the expectations were very high, and the objective of the Italian team was to continue with its hegemony in Italy. Juventus was also looking for the Champions League, an elusive tournament in recent years. The first goal was achieved at first, winning two consecutive leagues, but in his final year it was Antonio Conte’s Inter Milan that snatched the Serie A title from him by quite a bit, and the team finished in an unexpected fourth place.

For the Champions League the question was not different, reaching the quarterfinals once, but being eliminated twice in the round of 16, against teams that come from the minor leagues such as Olympique de Lyon and Ajax from the Netherlands.

Also read: The Xavi era in Barcelona: a start with ups and downs.

Those failures produced disproportionate dissatisfaction in an athlete used to fighting for all titles and, if possible, winning them. So for the current season his stay at Juventus would end and that would take him to Manchester United, seeking to resurrect old glories and win titles like the ones he won in the past.

But neither his signing, nor that of other pieces such as those of Raphael Varane or the young promise Jadon Sancho served for the team to achieve the expected regularity and establish itself in all the competitions that they are disputing. This has generated annoyances, controversies and a change of coach within the club.

Neither with Solskjaer nor with Rangnick have United found stability or a defined collective game, often being all subject to the individuality of their players. Not even the level of Cristiano Ronaldo has been able to rescue Manchester United from the irregularity shown throughout the year.

What will his future hold?

In the midst of all the uncertainty that surrounds the club, rumors have been triggered in recent times that place Cristiano Ronaldo far from the club of his loves, coming to sound in Paris Saint Germain, where he could meet Lionel Messi or Barcelona, ​​which would mean his return to Spain, but to the opposing team where he had achieved everything before.

It seems difficult for Cristiano, who is about to turn 37, to decide to leave Manchester United at a time as delicate as this, and it is much more complex for him to do so thinking of going to another country. But the reality is that nothing can be ruled out with a team that does not finish consolidating, ranking seventh in the Premier League with 31 units, and being outside the Champions League qualifying zone.

This last point seems to be decisive at the end of the season, and it is that if they do not qualify for the highest tournament at the world club level, it would seem complicated that United could retain Cristiano just like that, especially if it is considered that the Portuguese is used to competing in a championship that he has dominated for many, many years.

All this added to the fact that it is unknown who will be the club’s coach from the next championship, remembering that Ralf Rangnick is only as interim DT until the end of the season for the moment.

Be that as it may, Cristiano is going through a difficult but not decisive moment. With the main competitions still in play, Manchester United still has a chance to change course. The Red Devils will have to find a clear and defined pattern of play and win a title in a season that again is not being easy, neither for Cristiano Ronaldo nor for the Manchester team.