Is Cristiano Ronaldo set to be a part-time player? A look at the Manchester United star’s 2022 decline at age 37

With Manchester United level at 1-1 with relegation-threatened Burnley on Feb. 8, the Red Devils brought on their 37-year-old reserve striker for one last attempt at finding the back of the net.

That sentence wouldn’t normally turn anyone’s head if the aforementioned striker wasn’t five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, the superstar frontman who has rarely come off the bench in his career.

Ronaldo still leads his team in league goals with eight after a hot start to the season, but that Feb. 8 match was already the third time in the 2021-22 season that he has started amongst the substitutes and come on before the full-time whistle. In all three substitute appearance he appeared with the game knotted at 1-1, with Manchester United having squandered a lead before Ronaldo’s introduction. All three times he failed to change the tide.

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Those three league cameos have already matched his substitute appearances in his three full seasons with Juventus combined. More glaringly, he made zero substitute appearances across his final five La Liga campaigns at Real Madrid. You have to go back to the 2012-13 season to find a league campaign that saw Ronaldo come off the bench three times or more.

Cristiano Ronaldo and the substitute’s bench aren’t exactly friends.

What’s wrong with Cristiano Ronaldo?

There has been much to criticize about Manchester United this season, with several other players arguably deserving far more criticism. Yet because of the name on the back of his jersey, the buck often stops with the Portuguese forward.

Ronaldo is averaging 38.4 touches per match this season, the first time in a season he is averaging below 40 a game, dating back to the 2015-16 season when the data collection began. That’s down significantly from his time at Juventus where he was a constant attacking presence, averaging 52.5, 56, and 47.8 touches per match across his three seasons in Turin.

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He wasn’t quite the central hub at Real Madrid, in a team bulging with superstars, but he still averaged 43.5, 44, and 46.8 touches per game in his final three La Liga campaigns before the data cuts off.

As a result of having fewer touches, every other offensive category has suffered. His shots per 90 have slumped, consistently in the 5.5-7.0 range until last season at Juventus when he dropped to 5.35, and now he’s cratered at just 4.01 shots per 90 thus far with Manchester United.

His goal contributions are falling off as well, with his eight Premier League goals coming on a league expected goals (xG) total of 10.51. Last season at Juve, despite showing some signs of decline, he still managed to score 29 goals on 29.84 xG. Even his assist totals have shrunk, with three assists this season on an expected assists (xA) of 1.76. He had been somewhere in the 4.0-6.0 xA assist per season range for some time now.

? No player has attempted more shots without scoring in the Premier League in 2022 than Cristiano Ronaldo (11 shots, 0 goals) pic.twitter.com/A6JRgmJqe9

— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) February 9, 2022

All those numbers put Ronaldo on pace for career worsts in 2021-22. Ronaldo has never been a prolific finisher compared to his xG, always thriving on finding himself in excellent positions to finish rather than score from absurd positions, but even xG differential is alarming. Ronaldo has already underperformed his xG by 2.51 goals, which would be a career worst as it stands, on pace to nearly double his next lowest total of -2.32 in his first season at Juventus.

It all starts with his involvement. Simply put, Ronaldo has failed to see the ball at a consistent rate at Manchester United. Whether that’s down to his teammates or down to him is a matter for another debate and requires far more exposition — it’s surely a combination of both — but suffice it to say that at 37 years old, the formerly inhuman striker looks, well, quite human.

Could Cristiano Ronaldo leave Manchester United?

Interim manager Ralf Rangnick has been transparent with his decisions to sit Ronaldo. For the most recent benching at Burnley, just three days after Ronaldo’s 37th birthday, the German coach’s reasoning pointed to Ronaldo’s inability to fulfill specific assignments that are more physically demanding.

Rangnick on putting Ronaldo on bench: “Today it will require a lot of sprinting, chasing balls, a lot of fight for second balls. This best fits the profile for Edinson Cavani which is why he starts today.” #MUFC

— Shamoon Hafez (@ShamoonHafez) February 8, 2022

Renowned for his fitness and preparation, Ronaldo takes pride in doing whatever it takes to remain in top shape, and he still feels he can compete with the best of them. He hasn’t taken too kindly to being subbed off, including on Jan. 12 at Brentford. 

Rangnick on subbing Ronaldo ? pic.twitter.com/pGgkrF8Jfd

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 21, 2022

“I like to challenge first of all myself, I think it’s the most important,” Ronaldo said during an in-depth interview in January. “This is why I came back, because I think I’m still capable to do important things and good things, and impress people. So this is why I’m back at Manchester.”

He may have the best intentions, but the numbers say that Ronaldo is mired in one of his worst goal-scoring droughts of the last decade and after setting such a high standard throughout his career, every shortcoming continues to be magnified: 

Cristiano Ronaldo has failed to score in his last 5️⃣ apps – his worst run without a club goal for over 1️⃣1️⃣ years, since run of 5 at Real Madrid (May-Sept 2010)

No goals in his last ? @premierleague sub apps, since 2 v Wigan in Dec 2006 pic.twitter.com/nbDulMDSmX

— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) February 8, 2022

Ronaldo was also guilty of missing a penalty kick that was a contributing factor to Man United’s FA Cup ouster at the hands of Middlesbrough.

And while he remains stuck in the doldrums at Old Trafford, eternal rival Lionel Messi has managed to turn around the slow start to his Paris Saint-Germain career and his influence is only growing at PSG with every passing game.

So the moment begs the question: What exactly is Ronaldo’s role at Man United from this point forward? Edinson Cavani’s contributions have not come with any more flair or fruit, and Mason Greenwood is out of the picture for the foreseeable future, meaning it’s likely that Ronaldo remains the central figure for the rest of the season.

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Still, there is increasing speculation about Ronaldo’s future at the club beyond this year — Ronaldo signed a two-year deal last summer — and those rumors will only grow with every match in which he struggles or fails to produce.

Cristiano Ronaldo ready for Man Utd exit decision with face-to-face talks planned | @CrossyDailyStar https://t.co/yq2EigwoXt pic.twitter.com/FP84DXvqsI

— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) February 10, 2022

Whether he sticks around at Man United for another season or pushes his way out the door after just one campaign, it’s clear that the 37-year-old is no longer the conduit for success that he once was.

For fans accustomed to seeing Ronaldo take over matches by himself, the 2021-22 season is delivering a very different, sobering experience. There are moments when you can’t help but wonder whether we’re seeing the beginning of the end for one of the all-time greats.