Age makes itself felt. Not in the still image of the now 37-year-old model athlete, but when he starts to move. No matter how impressive the fitness level, Cristiano Ronaldo has lost momentum.
And because the previous guest appearance in Burnley (1-1) was one in which the Red Devils had to "put on a lot of sprints", Manchester United coach Ralf Rangnick put his most prominent protege on the bench.
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Before the duel with Ralph Hasenhuttl's Southampton on Saturday, CR7 can be expected to be in the starting XI again, but Rangnick has certain expectations. "He has to score more goals, that's obvious," Rangnick demanded on the matchday PK from the Portuguese, who is known to have scored more official goals than any other striker in the history of football - over 800. But Cristiano Ronaldo's record under Rangnick shows: The 63-year-old is not wrong.
Much better under Solskjaer and Carrick
While the returnee has scored nine times in 13 games under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and three goals in the three games under caretaker coach Michael Carrick, the tally is just two meager goals in nine appearances under Rangnick.
Most recently, CR7 went five games in a row without a goal - the last time that happened was when the exceptional talent played for United for the first time.
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Rangnick doesn't just blame his aging superstar for United's still unstable form: "It's not just Ronaldo's problem, it's also a problem for the other players. If you look at how many chances we create, then it has to be change that in the next few weeks."
These could decide where the journey for the Red Devils goes. They are currently in 6th place, which is not enough to qualify for the Champions League.
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