When Cristiano Ronaldo told Manchester United that he wanted to leave they had a problem. Now that he might stay, they might have an even bigger problem.
When the news came out that Ronaldo had put a transfer request in, alarm bells started ringing around Carrington.
This panic spread to the Manchester United fanbase, wondering who would be the player who provides the team with goals next season.
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Bruno Fernandes' form had fallen off a cliff, and he was never a massively high volume open play scorer anyways.
Anthony Martial had been out of form since 2020, and just a few months ago looked like there was no way back for him.
Horrid mismanagement of Marcus Rashford's health and career in general had seen him look like a fractured shell of the player he was.
Jadon Sancho was always more of a creator than a scorer, and had a difficult first year in the Premier League.
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Erling Haaland was signed by Manchester City, and United had let Darwin Núñez go to Liverpool under the assumption Ronaldo would remain.
The market for strikers otherwise was fairly shallow, with little to no available players that would guarantee the number goals of United need.
Ronaldo leaving would have put United in a really bad situation heading into the new season, but then pre-season showed there could be a genuine option inside the camp.
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United's first game came against bitter rivals Liverpool, with most fans not expecting much from the game. United won 4-0, with both Sancho and Martial getting on the scoresheet and performing excellently.
Many worried it was just a one-off, but then Martial scored in his next two games against Melbourne Victory and Crystal Palace.
Rashford also found himself on the scoresheet in these games, and Sancho would score against Palace and then Aston Villa.
Goals were flowing for the Reds and the front three have looked rather impressive whilst working together. This poses the question, what do United do if Cristiano Ronaldo decides to stay?
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Many believe that the number seven should not walk right back into the team, with his actions over summer and the front three’s pre-season showings being the main reasons cited.
The Portuguese superstar missing pre-season has not only been a problem in the sense he has just not shown up to work, but he has not had any time to gel with the squad as they look to rebuild and not had any time on the pitch to learn and adapt to Erik ten Hag’s style of play.
Sancho left Australia as United’s player of the tour, and regardless of what happens with the other attackers his position is completely safe on the right wing.
The centre forward position is the most hotly-debated, and with Martial having closely followed Sancho as United’s second best player on tour it would be an injustice to drop him.
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Such is his form that Erik ten Hag has reportedly blocked the option of Martial’s sale, and will start him against Brighton regardless of whether Ronaldo is there or not.
Whether Ronaldo is better than Martial or not is not so much the question here, who is better for the team is what matters and right now that is looking more likely to be the Frenchman after his good first impressions.
His ability to play with his back to goal and bring his other attackers into play is invaluable and has been central to United’s offensive game in Australia.
The number nine has also majorly improved off the ball, causing many more problems in and around the box when his teammates are in possession.
Martial's pressing looks very good, with his speed and intensity helping the team out of possession . Aged 37 and given his tendencies, it is unlikely Ronaldo can replicate this.
The argument for starting the no.7 comes down to goals, with Ronaldo being a guarantee of them no matter what and Martial still being a relative gamble.
But for now, based on merit and what has been seen so far in pre-season, it would make the most sense to start Martial, at least as the season begins.
If Ronaldo absolutely has to walk back into the starting line-up, an option could be to move him out to the left wing where he has been at his best throughout his career.
Whilst this would be unfair on Rashford, the other two forwards have been in better form throughout pre-season and at left wing is where Ronaldo probably fits best in this team.
But swapping Rashford for Ronaldo leaves United with a front three where the fastest player is a 37 year old, which is not ideal.
Regardless, Erik ten Hag has emphasised the need for a ‘squad’ in what will be the busiest football season ever with the winter World Cup - where all four of these attackers will look to compete.
At his age and with his knee issues, Ronaldo cannot play every game. Realistically he probably cannot play more than once a week, especially with the physical demands of Ten Hag’s pressing football.
As he returns, it is probably best that Ronaldo does not immediately return to Manchester United’s line-up.
He needs time to adjust to what Ten Hag wants, and as of right now none of United’s pre-season front three would deserve to be dropped for him.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo, Anthony Martial, Erik Ten Hag, Football, Premier League