5 reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo may be past his prime

#1 He does not create or score goals often as he used to

Stats never lie

Ronaldo started his Manchester United career on the left wing and whenever he touches the ball, one can expect him to blast forward, weaving past the opponents with pace and trickery. He influenced the game from midfield, breaking down attacks and creating goals. After his move to Real Madrid, Manuel Pellegrini preferred to play him in a more central role. He became more of a goal scoring threat but often comes deep to influence the game.

When you see the above stats, chances created per 90 mins and goals per 90 mins are on the decline during 2015/16 and 2016/17. The goal scoring threat of Ronaldo has diminished over the last 2 seasons.

Apart from few moments of brilliance, he plays more of a waiting role in the box, expecting his midfielders to create opportunities. As shown below, his numbers on the assists and key passes are clearly on the decline, proving that he is no more the driving force he once was.

Total Assists, Key passes per game (La Liga & UCL)

2014/15 - 19, 2

2015/16 - 15, 1.5

2016/17 - 11, 1.3

2017/18 - 1, 1.3