Thursday was yet another night to forget, in what is turning out to be a season to forget for Cristiano Ronaldo.
Having been denied the opportunity to leave United in the summer - a move some former teammates have described as "disrespectful" - Ronaldo has had to resign himself to appearances off the bench in the Premier League, as well as starting XI places in the Europa League.
Thursday brought a Europa League assignment away to minnows Omonia Nicosia, and Ronaldo was given a chance from the start by manager Erik Ten Hag.
Despite being gifted numerous chances by his teammates, he could not score a first goal from open play of the season, as his form continues to nosedive.
After United came out nervy 3-2 winners in Cyprus, Brian Kerr and Richard Dunne discussed the form of the man of the moment on Virgin Media, with Dunne in particular laying into the Portuguese forward.
Kerr and Dunne lay into out of sorts Cristiano Ronaldo
Speaking on the repeated attempts by Cristiano Ronaldo's teammates to put him in on goal on Thursday evening, Richard Dunne had some pretty scathing remarks in store:
You're watching and thinking - is this his testimonial or what are they doing?
When you're getting opportunities, running around goalkeepers, you get a chance to shoot...it just wasn't his night tonight Ronaldo.
There are so many occasions - even when you look at Rashford, you think 'you've scored two goals, you've got an opportunity for a hat trick,' and he tries to set him [Ronaldo] up.
I don't get it with Man United. It's not like they're that good where they're 4- or 5-0 up. They're still trying to win the game.
The video evidence of Cristiano Ronaldo's poor finishing on Thursday is a shocking change from what we expect from the famed marksman.
"You were watching it thinking was it his testimonial or something?!"
Richard Dunne on United doing their all to get Ronaldo a goal tonight. #OMOMUN | #UEL pic.twitter.com/cZYKZtKlCp— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) October 6, 2022
Brian Kerr would add to Dunne's comments, noting that the quality of Ronaldo's game which was his biggest strength last season has become his biggest weakness this year:
Before the match, you showed the piece showing that he was a bit off in the other games, his finishing was a bit off.
The argument for him being in the team last year was that he was the main goalscorer, and even if he wasn't pressing it was alright.
Tonight, we see that he's not the main goalscorer, he's not finishing the chances as he used to do.
Whether Cristiano Ronaldo stays at Manchester United past January or departs for the second time, he will hope to turn his goalscoring form around. The striker is currently a shadow of his former self in front of goal.
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