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Ronaldo: Help or hindrance for Manchester United?
But is it more complicated than that? Is the presence of the Portuguese superstar at the fulcrum of the attack helping or hindering the team, who have made a stuttering start to the season?
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Manchester United's Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo shoots to score a second goal but after a VAR (Video Assistant Referee) review it is disallowed during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on October 30, 2021.
(AFP/Glyn Kirk)
M
anchester United's re-signing of Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to be a no-brainer -- the galvanising return of a club great with the swagger of a proven winner and guaranteed goals.
But is it more complicated than that? Is the presence of the Portuguese superstar at the fulcrum of the attack helping or hindering the team, who have made a stuttering start to the season?
United are preparing for Tuesday's Champions League encounter against Atalanta after a morale-boosting 3-0 win against Tottenham that helped ease the pressure on manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after their 5-0 hammering by Liverpool.
Ronaldo will go into the match on a high after ending a mini-drought in the league, scoring a superb volley and setting up Edinson Cavani for United's second.
His Premier League return so far has been solid rather than spectacular by his own standards -- four goals in seven Premier League matches -- less than half of Mohamed Salah's haul of 10 for Liverpool.
But he has made the difference in the Champions League, twice scoring dramatic late winners, against Villarreal and Atalanta, to haul United to the top of Group F.
Despite his goals, Ronaldo has been criticised for his lack of defensive work in a team that has kept just two clean sheets all season.
