The protesting Manchester United supporters had warned the players they were also in their cross-hairs. Against Norwich, they targeted them explicitly: "You're not fit to wear the shirt." But Cristiano Ronaldo is.
So often regarded as the source of United's problems, Ronaldo is usually the solution. His second hat-trick of the season detoxified one of the most poisonous atmospheres Old Trafford has hosted in living memory.
No sooner had some ceased telling Paul Pogba to 'f--k off' that they were jumping for joy at Ronaldo's free-kick that clutched victory from the jaws of defeat. In a campaign where he has turned 37, Ronaldo has plundered 21 goals and two hat-tricks in his first season back in England for 12 years.
