Man Utd’s “out of this world” ace has been on fire in 23/24 since leaving

Man Utd’s “out of this world” ace has been on fire in 23/24 since leaving

On the whole this season in the Premier League, Manchester United’s attack has been underwhelming, scoring 36 goals in 26 matches.

Rasmus Hojlund’s recent form has certainly made Erik ten Hag’s team much more dangerous, with the Dane scoring seven and providing two in his last six games.

However, his absence against Fulham last weekend due to an injury had a detrimental effect on the Red Devils, as they lost 2-1 at Old Trafford, with a lack of reinforcement in the number nine role causing issues.

Nonetheless, there is a player who has thrived since leaving the club in 2023 that has been on fire, and the United boss could have done with his goals at times this season.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Man United

After leaving Man United in 2009 to take on a new adventure at Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo returned to his beloved club 12 years later, after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – and Sir Alex Ferguson – stepped in to prevent the legend from heading to the blue side of Manchester.

It was a fairytale return to Old Trafford, with his second debut being one of the most memorable moments of the 2020s so far. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner netted a brace in a convincing 4-1 victory over Newcastle United, and he would go on to score on his first three starts for the club.

However, the 2021/22 season for Man United as a club was a disaster, with the Norweigan boss being sacked and Ralf Rangnick failing to motivate the squad for the second half of the campaign, as they ultimately finished sixth in the table.

Nevertheless, Ronaldo was still performing at an extremely high level, scoring 18 goals and providing three assists in 27 Premier League starts, making him the third-highest scorer behind Mohamed Salah and Heung-Min Son.

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Yet the arrival of Ten Hag in the following summer saw Ronaldo’s time at United end in a sour and bitter fashion.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s last season at Man United

When the Dutch manager joined the club at the end of Ronaldo’s first season, it was instantly clear that the then-37-year-old didn’t have a huge role to play as a frequent starter in the squad, with the “out of this world” footballing great, as dubbed by United icon Ruud Van Nistelrooy, starting just four Premier League games.

In response, the number seven famously stormed down the tunnel against Tottenham Hotspur after being left on the bench, which led to plenty of drama. Ronaldo completed an interview with Piers Morgan just before he went to link up with the Portuguese national team, with one line from that interview standing out in particular regarding Ten Hag:

“I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t have respect for me.”

There was no turning back after his public comments about the club and his boss, but one club outside of Europe opened the door to an easy way out.

Ronaldo’s Stats in 2024

After the World Cup, Ronaldo switched Manchester for Saudi Arabia, signing for Al Nassr on a free transfer.

Since moving to the Saudi Pro League, the 39-year-old has been on fire, completely dominating the league, the King’s Cup, and the AFC Champions League.

In his first season, the former Real Madrid great scored an impressive 14 goals in 16 games, but this season he has been even more spectacular, in true Ronaldo fashion.

Ronaldo’s 23/24 Stats

Competition

Games

Goals

Assists

Saudi Pro League

20

22

9

AFC Champions League

6

5

1

King’s Cup

3

1

0

AFC CL-Qualification

1

0

1

Total

29

28

11

Via Transfermarkt

As can be seen in the table above, arguably the greatest footballer of all time has continued his legacy with 39 goals and assists this season, strolling past opponents and scoring for fun. The Portugal star is averaging a goal every 82 minutes in the league while also missing 18 big chances, which highlights a combination of how good he is and how poor the opposition is that he’s facing weekly.

Ronaldo has truly been unstoppable since leaving United, but it is interesting to think how many more goals he would have scored at Old Trafford had he not fallen out with Ten Hag. Regardless, he will still always be one of the best players to ever have played for the Red Devils.