Manchester United find themselves in a tough race for the top four right now. On one hand, they have been handed hope by the fact that Chelsea and West Ham United have struggled recently and could slip down the table. But on the other hand, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have looked impressive. As a result, Ralf Rangnick’s side need to go on a good run of results if they are to finish in the Champions League spots.
The results have been solid in recent games for Manchester United. In fact, they have not lost since the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
But the performances have left a lot to be desired and it is safe to say that they need to improve quite a bit. Let’s see if that happens.
Cristiano Ronaldo has found the net consistently for Manchester United since returning in the summer and is their top scorer this season. But he has not looked at his best either. And Paul Merson believes the Portuguese legend should be replaced in the team by Edinson Cavani, as he wrote in his Sportskeeda column:
"“In terms of their team, I strongly believe Cristiano Ronaldo should be left out of the team. It won’t happen, but Edinson Cavani should take his place upfront with the likes of Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood in contention to play on the wings.”"
Manchester United told to make huge Ronaldo decision
Individually, it is safe to say that Ronaldo has been pretty good. According to stats from Transfermarkt, he has scored 14 goals in 20 appearances for Manchester United this season.
But the team appear to have taken a step back since the arrival of the Portuguese superstar though. And while it might be too drastic of a step to drop Ronaldo, who has been one of their most impactful players, Rangnick does need to figure out how to get the best out of the striker in his system.
Manchester United were expected to challenge for the Premier League this season but right now, their target must be finishing in the top four. Let’s see if they are able to achieve that.