16 Oct 2021 18:51:46
I think we are in a slow but steady descent, and I will say again that signing Ronaldo was not the smartest move.

I think he was a sentimental signing that we did not need, but the fear of him going to City forced our hand. Cavani was a beast last year and yet he is hardly going to get a look in, that doesn’t make sense to me.

Ole has shown how technically limited he is by continually picking the same team and playing the same formation. Add Ronaldo in and the situation gets worse, he looks isolated and if we have bought him to be a goal scorer, then we need to give him the bloody ball occasionally.

I saw stats about pressing and running and I think we are in the bottom 5 for both, whatever the limitations of the team, not working hard enough is unacceptable.

We continue to rely on moments of brilliance and have no clearly defined style or approach. Putting Ronaldo in the team has changed the dynamic completely and yet we have shared with exactly the same formation that hasn’t worked so far.

I see us struggling in the short term, we have muddled through against ‘average’ opposition and as the big games come we will be found out.

It will be ironic if the signing of a legend leads to the sacking of another one.

{Ed014's Note - I don’t think Sancho was a smart signing either to be honest.

Pogba should have been offloaded and that and the Ronaldo money plus the £70 odd million on Sancho should have been spent on one or 2 quality midfielders. One a genuine leader.

1.) 16 Oct 2021
16 Oct 2021 19:17:29
Ed014, agreed.

Although, even with better midfielders coming in I don't see us going anywhere forward where we want to be.

Yes, it would strengthen the squad and our performances might improve a bit but, without a proper system, style of play and tactics we will be found lacking when it really matters.

The players could only carry the team up to a certain point.

{Ed014's Note - yes sorry you did need to offload Ole too.

A woeful appointment who hasn’t achieved anything at all for me.

2.) 16 Oct 2021
16 Oct 2021 19:20:41
An interesting but accurate assessment I think AJH. In pre-season the calls were for RW, CB and CM reinforcements. We got two then out of the blue CR7 signed. It's put Cavani in limbo, and he was incredible last season I thought. You can see his intent and desire when he loses the ball, or busting a gut to get into the box when we attack. We don't have enough of that spirit and as incredible as Ron is, he doesn't offer that any more. Now there seems to be an obligation to play him. It feels like its unbalanced everything, and as things stand, we have him for 2 seasons and Cavani will be off at the end of 1 if not sooner. It could yet work with Ronaldo but the side needs an injection of desire and energy in midfield to accommodate him and we just don't have those attributes. Even Pogba at his best doesn't have them.

3.) 16 Oct 2021
16 Oct 2021 19:35:01
AJH - I’m delighted you mentioned the pressing and running stats because I believe that’s our biggest problem. We get out run and out fought every week.

Ole has seemingly forgotten that the attacking players must also help the team defend. From a defensive perspective that front four get away with murder.

I love Mason Greenwood, he’s a generation talent and his strike today was brilliant, but at the moment he’s just an individual, stuck out on the right wing with no connection to any of his teammates. He has no relationship with AWB, he rarely gets back to help him defend, he doesn’t press the ball. At the moment he plays for himself, he gets the ball, cuts inside and shoots.

Sancho looks so lost because he has no idea what his role is?! The entire team are lost.

I don’t blame Greenwood it’s totally down to the manager. He’s only doing what the manager wants and Ole has completely lost his way.

He was only warned in midweek that someone must do Ronaldo’s running. That front 4 are getting a free pass at the moment. Even Bruno has stopped pressing and he appears to be playing much higher this season.

We miss Cavani terribly because he sets the tone. You can’t win football matches if you don’t compete and we have become a soft touch, easy to play against and totally predictable.

4.) 16 Oct 2021
16 Oct 2021 19:38:14
Sancho not playing well could be a blessing in disguise for Greenwood I would say.

Imagine with Rashford back in the team and if Sancho was playing well with Ronaldo un-droppable to a great extent, Greenwood would be on the bench by now.

5.) 16 Oct 2021
16 Oct 2021 19:46:15
Allegro said ‘I pick Ronaldo and then decide what else to do’. ole picks his usual team and shoehorns Ronaldo in, a recipe for disaster either way. I love Ronnie, he’s one of the best players to ever grace the game, I just don’t see how he was want we needed right now.

Cavani at CF, Rashford left, Sancho right, and sort the damn midfield out was the way to go. Sadly, we look more confused than ever.

6.) 16 Oct 2021
16 Oct 2021 19:54:07
I think ronaldo is probably the best United player I've seen . The young ronaldo though, i can't help but be glad we got him and I think he will post a good goals record come the seasons end .

People are making valid points though, he's the guy I most want on the end of chances but not the guy I'd want for energy and pressing .

Its hard to describe exactly what our style is though to say he's a good fit or not and it wasn't our most obvious area we needed to recruit a player .
Like all of you I hope at the end of the season we see a healthy goals return and say that's why we got him .

7.) 16 Oct 2021
16 Oct 2021 20:19:06
One thing is guaranteed, if Ronaldo gets the supply he needs he would score goals for sure.

The passion he has for scoring goals is just incredible even at his age. Hopefully we are talking about his contributions come the end of the season.

Most importantly I wish the other youngsters in the team learn a lot from him and improve their skills and attitude towards the game.