Cristiano Ronaldo vs Other Manchester United forwards: How has the Portuguese outshone them?

New Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag did not have much to say when he was quizzed about Cristiano Ronaldo. He stated just "yes" when asked whether the forward could play in his distinct formations. When further asked what he expected Ronaldo may bring to his team, Ten Hag added: "Goals."

Although the Dutch manager chose to speak little, the striker has made a lot of hustle on the pitch with his performance. With 24 goals and three assists across all competitions in the 2021-22 season, he is the best Manchester United forward by a mile. The numbers might be modest when compared to the standards that he has set for himself, yet there is little doubt that he has performed a couple of notches higher than his teammates.

Meanwhile, Jadon Sancho has the worst rate of goal contribution. The England international joined United from Borussia Dortmund with a lot of expectations, but he has failed to live up to it so far. Playing close to 2500 minutes this season, he has bagged only five goals and three assists.

Edinson Cavani who got involved in a row with United supporters after the loss against Crystal Palace is also one of the worst-performing forwards. Like Sancho, he averages a goal contribution of more than 300 minutes which shows that he has been pretty poor in this injury-enforced campaign.

Although Marcus Rashford has been a better performer than most of his fellow forwards, his numbers do not do justice to his potential. He has scored just five goals and has been a shadow of his past. Meanwhile, Mason Greenwood, who remains suspended, boasts of better numbers than Rashford with six goals to his name.

One must note that barring Ronaldo, no other striker has reached double-digits in terms of goals scored or assists provided. However, his compatriot Bruno Fernandes, who is an attacking midfielder, has scored 10 goals and stands second in the list of goals and assists contributors.

Ten Hag might have just a couple of words for the Portuguese, but there is little doubt that without the striker the Reds Devils would have been in much more trouble.