Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has doubts regarding forward Cristiano Ronaldo

According to Manchester Evening News, Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick has doubts over whether Cristiano Ronaldo will be able to lead the line for the team next season.

The Portugal skipper only moved back to United the previous summer to seal a sensational return back to the club where he made his name, swapping Italy for England after spending 3 years playing in Serie A.

After scoring twice on his second debut for the side, the player was expected to make a similar impact that he did during his first spell at Old Trafford. However, the turn of the year has seen the forward turn in his poorest form yet in front of goal.

For the majority of this season, the former Real Madrid man has played upfront as a lone striker. In certain games, however, he has had Edinson Cavani play alongside him as a second striker. This means Man United have a strike force with an average age of 36, making them one of the oldest pairs in the Premier League.

Rangnick losing patience

It is said that Rangnick’s patience is wearing thin with Ronaldo, who has only managed one goal in his last 10 games for the club. The Portugal international has cut a frustrated figure on the pitch several times this season, partly due to his own inability to influence proceedings.

The possibility of dropping Ronaldo is not a question that needs answering, given United only have two senior strikers at their disposal at the moment. Cavani cannot be called upon at the moment, as the Uruguayan has been nursing an injury that has seen him barely feature for the first team this year.

It hurts to see the Portuguese superstar struggle in front of goal, as the forward seems a shadow of the player that Man United fans loved and adored at one point in time. At 37, his age may be a factor, but the striker continues to remain a fine physical specimen, capable of impressive feats.

The forward has started nearly all of the Red Devils’ games this season, so physically, the player is at his best. However, it baffles the mind as to how the striker has been unable to find the net at times this season.

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Ronaldo built his image around the fact that he was a reliable goalscorer, capable of producing the goods from anywhere on the pitch. However, that clinical side of him is missing this time around and he has been a passenger in games where the club needed him to step up.

The Manchester derby is scheduled for next weekend, and Ronaldo will be expected to be the main man to fire the club to victory. Hopefully, he can prove his doubters wrong and put this rough patch behind him as soon as possible. Getting one over Pep Guardiola’s side is one way to set the record straight.