Two years ago, Manchester United faced the fallout of Cristiano Ronaldo‘s highly publicized departure from Old Trafford.
In November 2022, tensions between Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United escalated dramatically. Frustrated with his situation, Ronaldo gave a bombshell interview which ultimately led to the termination of his contract by mutual agreement.
After leaving Manchester United, Ronaldo signed with Al-Nassr, a club in the Saudi Pro League, where he continues to demonstrate his prolific goalscoring ability.
While Ronaldo’s goal-scoring exploits in Saudi Arabia are impressive, it’s difficult to directly compare them to the output of Manchester United’s players. However, it’s worth examining Ronaldo’s contributions to the team during his time at Old Trafford and the subsequent lack of similar achievements.
Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
Last Manchester United player to score free-kick
Cristiano Ronaldo holds the somewhat unenvious distinction of being the last Manchester United player to successfully convert a free-kick.
Although not as spectacular as his long-range strike against Arsenal in 2009 or the powerful effort against Portsmouth in 2008, Ronaldo’s 2022 free-kick against Norwich City has become an unfortunate marker in Manchester United’s recent history.
Since his goal against Norwich in a 3-2 victory, no Manchester United player has been able to find the back of the net from a directly awarded free-kick.
Several players, including Bruno Fernandes, Christian Eriksen, and Marcus Rashford, have attempted free-kicks but have been unsuccessful. Fernandes even struck the crossbar in a recent draw against Aston Villa.
Though Ronaldo wasn’t renowned for his pinpoint accuracy from free-kicks, he would occasionally convert one. Manchester United’s current squad has defied probability by failing to score from set pieces, highlighting an area that needs significant improvement.
This drought extends throughout Erik ten Hag’s entire managerial reign at Manchester United, meaning no player has scored a free-kick during his tenure. Hopefully, the arrival of Ruben Amorim will bring a change of fortune.
Last Manchester United player to score hat-trick
In the same match where Ronaldo scored his free-kick against Norwich, he also achieved a remarkable feat by completing a hat-trick. This was his second hat-trick in just three matches and his second consecutive hat-trick at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo’s hat-trick against Norwich followed closely on the heels of another hat-trick against Tottenham Hotspur just days earlier.
Scoring two hat-tricks in such a short time span is relatively routine for Ronaldo, given his illustrious career. However, Manchester United has struggled to achieve even a single hat-trick in recent times.
Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, hat-tricks have been a rare occurrence for the club.
Anthony Martial managed one against Sheffield United in 2020, Marcus Rashford scored three against RB Leipzig the same year, and those were the only hat-tricks since Ronaldo’s double. Even their resounding 9-0 victory against Southampton didn’t feature a hat-trick.
Since then, no Manchester United player has been able to replicate Ronaldo’s achievement.
Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford both came close against Barnsley, each scoring twice, but neither could complete the hat-trick.
Will this be the season a player finally breaks through and scores a hat-trick for Manchester United? At the team’s current rate, with an average of one goal per game in the Premier League (13 goals in 13 matches), it seems like a tall order. A significant shift in fortunes under Ruben Amorim is desperately needed.
Related Posts
Since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, has Manchester United’s inability to score from free kicks been primarily due to a lack of skilled free-kick takers?
## Interview: Manchester United’s Free-Kick Woes Since Ronaldo
**Interviewer:** Welcome back! Today we’re discussing Manchester United’s struggles with set pieces, particularly their inability to score from free kicks since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure in 2022. Joining us is football analyst, John Smith. John, thanks for your time.
**John Smith:** Thanks for having me.
**Interviewer:** Now, it’s been over a year since Ronaldo left Old Trafford and almost a year since Ten Hag took over. No Manchester United player has scored a free kick in that time. Is this simply a case of bad luck, or is there a deeper issue at play?
**John Smith:** It’s certainly an unusual run of misfortune. Ronaldo, while not a clinical free kick taker, did have a knack for hitting the back of the net from set pieces occasionally [[1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0dgGSFWhno)].
But since his departure, the lack of goals from free kicks is undeniable. While it could be partially attributed to bad luck, it also raises questions about the team’s approach to set pieces.
**Interviewer:** Who are some of the players who have been taking free kicks?
**John Smith:** The usual suspects like Bruno Fernandes, Christian Eriksen, and Marcus Rashford have all had their chances, but none have been successful. Fernandes even hit the crossbar recently against Aston Villa, so they are coming close, but not close enough.
**Interviewer:** What needs to change for Manchester United to become more dangerous from free kicks?
**John Smith:** It’s a combination of factors. They need to identify players who have the technique and composure to consistently hit the target. They also need to work on their set-piece routines and strategies to create more opportunities. And of course, a bit of luck never hurts.
**Interviewer:** John, thank you for sharing your insights. It’ll be interesting to see if Manchester United can break their free kick drought this season.
