“Is he just another special individual?”
Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United has been the main focus of the footballing world ever since it was confirmed.
Understandably so, given the manner in which it happened, as Ronaldo quickly decided to return to Old Trafford instead of joining their local rivals Manchester City.
While United fans lost their collective minds over seeing their hero donning the red jersey again, neutrals have argued about how exactly his return will impact the team, and whether he can take them to a league title.
Sure, he’ll score them a tonne of goals – as he demonstrated on Saturday, his penalty box instincts remain sharp as ever. But what will the knock-on effect be for the rest of the team? Will his lack of involvement in build-up play or off the ball pressing cause other issues further back?
On Monday Night Football, Jamie Carragher acknowledged Ronaldo’s star quality but argued that he is “just another special individual to add to what they already have.”
“Ronaldo won’t be judged on scoring against Newcastle,” he said.
“He was bought by Juventus to try to take them to the Champions League. It didn’t happen. And we also shouldn’t forget that Juventus sold him.
“For Man United right now with Ronaldo coming in, there’s no doubt it makes them a better team. But when you buy a 36-year-old to play centre-forward, it’s about winning right now.”
🗣"Is he just another special individual to add to what they already have? That is what I feel he is."@Carra23 is not sure whether Cristiano Ronaldo makes Manchester United better as a unit. pic.twitter.com/PhNKGVORDh
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) September 13, 2021
“There’s no doubt for me, he’ll be challenging Mo Salah, Harry Kane and [Romelu Lukaku] for the golden boot,” he added.
“But there’s also a knock-on effect, what it does to the rest of the team.”
Using Jadon Sancho’s deployment on the left and Paul Pogba being moved back into central midfield as an example, Carragher added: “Ronaldo is an amazing individual, one of the greatest players of all time. But does he make Manchester United better as a team?
“Or is his just another special individual to add to what they already have? That’s what I feel he is.”
