Despite scoring 24 goals from that position this season, Ralf Rangnick has told incoming Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag that Cristiano Ronaldo does not want to play as a center striker.
Up Monday's resounding 3-0 win over Brentford, the 37-year-old scored his 18th Premier League goal, putting in a fantastic display in what may be his final outing at Old Trafford. While Ronaldo's lucrative contract with the Red Devils has one year left on it, his future is uncertain ahead of Ten Hag's arrival from Ajax.
Interim manager Rangnick, on the other hand, believes that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner can play a role for the Dutch coach next season, but that he would like to do it in a different position. "Not only because of the way he played tonight, but also because of the way he played last night.However, you must ask Erik this question when he arrives, and it is also crucial to know how Cristiano views himself and his position. Cristiano is not a center striker and has no desire to play in that position. You have to play with two strikers to avoid playing central, like we did in the last 15 minutes, or in my first game against Crystal Palace, or my second game against Norwich, or even in the second half against Newcastle.
"However, there aren't many top teams that play with two forwards in international football." Most international elite teams use three strikers or a false nine, so it's not a question of preference for me.One of Ronaldo's better performances during a difficult season came against Tottenham Hotspur, where he partnered Edinson Cavani in a 3-0 romp that proved to be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's final hurrah. Cavani has mainly had to carry the attacking load alone this season, with Mason Greenwood suspended by the club, Marcus Rashford out of form, and Anthony Martial on loan at Sevilla.Rangnick, who will shortly join the club as a consultant, has advised Ten Hag and his Old Trafford bosses to invest in two new players as a result of the situation ""For me, it's a question of what players Manchester United has in the future," he said during the summer transfer window. United clearly requires two additional excellent strikers.
"Strikers in the modern day do not have to be strikers. Five or six of the best strikers in the world play for Liverpool or Manchester City. Gabriel Jesus and Jack Grealish can both play as wingers or strikers, in my opinion. Mason Greenwood would have been one, but he was cut from the squad following the West Ham game. Anthony Martial was on loan from Manchester United.Ronaldo has not spoken publicly about his future plans, although he did thank fans for their support at Old Trafford this season in a post on social media following the game. "Again, there was a lot of enthusiasm in the stands. Let us use this final game of the season at Old Trafford to express our gratitude to our incredible supporters, who have stood by our side throughout a difficult season and never abandoned us "In an Instagram post, the Portuguese wrote.
"Thank you very much, gentlemen. Your support is everything to us, and our goal is to improve every day so that we can achieve what we all want: glory for Man."
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