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On the previous Sunday Cristiano Ronaldo scored another goal for the Red Devils to take his season's goal tally to 37. It is quite evident that Manchester United depend a lot on the Portuguese whiz, so can the Premiership holders do without Ronaldo, in case of an injury or a summer transfer?
The Red Devils squad of yesteryears boasted several big names like David Beckham, Roy Keane,Juan Veron, Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Teddy Sherringham, Van Nistelrooy to name a few. Each of these players had the capability to take the game on their own and turn it around.
Even if one of these would have a bad day, the other would definitely fire and cover up.Perhaps, this attribute helped United to stamp their authority in the domestic league and got them the historic treble in '99.
In short, Manchester United was always a collective show rather than a one man affair.
Ever since, the golden boys of the 99 era retired or left for other pastures, several players were brought but they failed to fill in the boots of the former greats. Last season saw the rise of a phenomenon amongst the United ranks – Cristiano Ronaldo.
The winger was instrumental in United claiming the Premiership crown back from Chelsea, where it was stalled for two consecutive seasons. This season, Ronaldo seems to have got even better and the results are for all to see.
What is a worrying factor for the United fans is that the team is becoming over dependent on the ever reliable Portuguese. When Ronaldo misfires, Manchester United seem to lose their way and the best instance which comes to mind is last year's Champions League semis against AC Milan wherein the star player was completely nullified by the physical Gattuso in the second leg at the San Siro.
The FA Cup loss could also be attributed to the same. Ronaldo was kept in check by the Chelsea medios and once again the Red Devils failed to conjure something constructive. Another grim reality of how United are over relying on the mesmerizing effects of Ronaldo.
Ronaldo's 37 goals are the maximum scored by a winger in a single season surpassing George Best's record. All this makes Ronaldo, undoubtedly, the best player in the world. If we take out Ronaldo's goals this season, Manchester United have either drawn or lost on a number of occasions.
Agaianst Arsenal, Fulham, Everton, Bolton and many more, Ronaldo's goals have saved the day for United and thus placed them in driver's seat to retain their Premiership title. That's how important Ronaldo is to United. A worrying fact, isn't it?
In a worst case scenario, if Ronaldo does get injured, it will be intriguing to see how the Red Devils cope in his absence.
Also with several big European names been linked with Ronaldo and the Portuguese stating his desire to play in the La Liga at some point, it's essential that United find a replacement for their current best player.
What shall eventually happen is not known so, let's wait and watch.
On the previous Sunday Cristiano Ronaldo scored another goal for the Red Devils to take his season's goal tally to 37. It is quite evident that Manchester United depend a lot on the Portuguese whiz, so can the Premiership holders do without Ronaldo, in case of an injury or a summer transfer?
The Red Devils squad of yesteryears boasted several big names like David Beckham, Roy Keane,Juan Veron, Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Teddy Sherringham, Van Nistelrooy to name a few. Each of these players had the capability to take the game on their own and turn it around.
Even if one of these would have a bad day, the other would definitely fire and cover up.Perhaps, this attribute helped United to stamp their authority in the domestic league and got them the historic treble in '99.
In short, Manchester United was always a collective show rather than a one man affair.
Ever since, the golden boys of the 99 era retired or left for other pastures, several players were brought but they failed to fill in the boots of the former greats. Last season saw the rise of a phenomenon amongst the United ranks – Cristiano Ronaldo.
The winger was instrumental in United claiming the Premiership crown back from Chelsea, where it was stalled for two consecutive seasons. This season, Ronaldo seems to have got even better and the results are for all to see.
What is a worrying factor for the United fans is that the team is becoming over dependent on the ever reliable Portuguese. When Ronaldo misfires, Manchester United seem to lose their way and the best instance which comes to mind is last year's Champions League semis against AC Milan wherein the star player was completely nullified by the physical Gattuso in the second leg at the San Siro.
The FA Cup loss could also be attributed to the same. Ronaldo was kept in check by the Chelsea medios and once again the Red Devils failed to conjure something constructive. Another grim reality of how United are over relying on the mesmerizing effects of Ronaldo.
Ronaldo's 37 goals are the maximum scored by a winger in a single season surpassing George Best's record. All this makes Ronaldo, undoubtedly, the best player in the world. If we take out Ronaldo's goals this season, Manchester United have either drawn or lost on a number of occasions.
Agaianst Arsenal, Fulham, Everton, Bolton and many more, Ronaldo's goals have saved the day for United and thus placed them in driver's seat to retain their Premiership title. That's how important Ronaldo is to United. A worrying fact, isn't it?
In a worst case scenario, if Ronaldo does get injured, it will be intriguing to see how the Red Devils cope in his absence.
Also with several big European names been linked with Ronaldo and the Portuguese stating his desire to play in the La Liga at some point, it's essential that United find a replacement for their current best player.
What shall eventually happen is not known so, let's wait and watch.
