Sport
Cristiano Ronaldo is changing his game to give Erik ten Hag what he needs
If ever any further evidence was needed of Cristiano Ronaldo’s legacy as one of the greatest goalscorers in football history, his winner for Manchester United against Everton provided it. The strike didn’t just give Erik Ten Hag’s team a valuable victory away from home, it gave Ronaldo the 700th goal of his career.
This season, though, Ronaldo’s contribution has been measured in more than just goals. The appointment of Ten Hag at Old Trafford changed the criteria for the United forward with the Dutch coach demanding intensity and defensive vigour from the striker leading the line for his team. Ronaldo, at 37 years old, appeared incapable of fulfilling much of this criteria.
However, Ronaldo’s recent performances have hinted that the Portuguese forward is gradually adapting his game to make himself more useful to Ten Hag. This was evident in the way Ronaldo led the line for Manchester United in their recent win over Everton. That he scored the winner was surely only one of the things that pleased Ten Hag at Goodison Park.
While Ronaldo only made one tackle in the 62 minutes he played off the bench, he led the United press and was backed up by Antony, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford who made it difficult for Everton to play forward from defence. There was greater coherence to Manchester United’s shape out of possession and Ronaldo was an important part of it.
Of course, it’s still likely that Ronaldo will exit Old Trafford at the end of the season. There is an option in the 37-year-old’s contract to extend his stay at Manchester United by another year, but the past few months have made clear that both parties must part ways at some point in the near future. Ronaldo has been linked with a move to Inter Miami in MLS.
United need a centre forward they can build an attack around for years to come and Ronaldo isn’t that figure. While the Portuguese is demonstrating a greater willingness to press from the front, he doesn’t have the physicality to do this in every match for Ten Hag. Whether he likes it or not, Ronaldo is a rotational option for Manchester United this season. Anthony Martial is a better option in possession while Rashford is quicker to get in behind through transition.
“Every player needs it [confidence] even when you are the best in the world you need it, you need the goals,” Ten Hag said after Ronaldo’s match-winning performance against Everton. “Once they have some goals, they come easier and then the goals come in a flow. That is really impressive when you score 700 goals, a huge performance. I am really happy for him and congratulate him for that. I am also really happy it is his first goal of the season in the Premier League. I am sure more goals will come for him.”
Manchester United are still a work-in-progress under Ten Hag. Not only are they struggling for consistency between matches, they have yet to produce a complete performance over 90 minutes. United have played well in 20 to 30-minute spells, but they are still acclimatising to a new way of playing under a new manager.
The debate around Ronaldo’s place at Old Trafford this season reflects this acclimatisation. Next season, Manchester United surely plan on having a more mobile, suitable striker for Ten Hag’s system, but they must seek to make the most of the players they have in the meantime. Ronaldo could still make a difference and the compromises he is making will help him do this.
