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#3 Manchester United need a more dynamic centre-forward
Cristiano Ronaldo increased his longevity by shifting from the left wing to a more central role. He effectively went from being a wide forward to a striker. Ronaldo is a fox-in-the-box whose predatory instincts have earned Manchester United some valuable points this season.
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However, it comes at a cost. The Portuguese international's link-up play is nowhere near the level it used to be. He is a lot more static compared to the rest of the Manchester United forwards.
Given the way United played under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and how they're looking to play under Ralf Rangnick, it is clear that they need a dynamic centre-forward. They need more fluidity in the final third and Ronaldo is simply not the right man for the job.
Manchester United also do not have expert crossers in their side and Ronaldo's aerial ability will remain underutilized. That's one of the strongest points of his game right now and without it, he is nowhere near as effective as he could be.
#2 Ronaldo is making Ralf Rangnick's job difficult
Cristiano Ronaldo seemed very annoyed when he was taken off in the 71st minute of the game against Brentford on Wednesday night. United were leading 2-0 and you can understand why Ronaldo would be frustrated. He wanted to get his goal.
But it's important to note that the Portuguese international had been out for three games with a minor injury and had just made his return. Manchester United also have a weekend game against West Ham United for which Rangnick needs Ronaldo.
After being taken off, the 36-year-old sat in the dugout ranting about the manager's decision. Rangnick had to go over and calm him down. The last thing a manager tasked with turning things around at a club as big as Manchester United needs is to be managing these big egos.
This ought to be 'trial and error' time for Rangnick. Unfortunately, he cannot do that when there are players like Ronaldo around.
#1 Ronaldo hampers Bruno Fernandes' freedom to express himself
Bruno Fernandes scored a hat-trick in Manchester United's Premier League season opener against Leeds United. Ronaldo's compatriot flourishes as a second striker or a number 10 who scores a lot of goals. He scored 28 goals and provided 17 assists in 58 appearances across all competitions for Manchester United in the 2020-21 season.
His goalscoring contributions have dwindled this term. Fernandes has scored just seven goals in 27 appearances so far this season.
The drop in numbers has a lot to do with Ronaldo. The 36-year-old's arrival has forced Fernandes to take up a much deeper role. He has affected games regularly but he rarely gets into goalscoring positions with Ronaldo hogging the central areas in and around the box.
Fernandes bagged a brace against Aston Villa and Ronaldo was absent from the team in that game. He set up Rashford for United's third goal against Brentford on Wednesda night after Ronaldo was taken off and almost got himself on the scoresheet too.
It's clear as day that Fernandes thrives when he is given the freedom to bomb forward and get into goalscoring positions. Once Pogba is back, he should ideally take up the role of primary playmaker, forcing Fernandes to play in a much more advanced role like he used to.
