The last time it took Cristiano Ronaldo more than six matches to score his first goal of the season it was 2005.
The forward has since scored 676 goals but is going through his worst spell in a Premier League season since 2008 - though he was away from England for most of the 10 years in between. Nevertheless, it is still a barren run for the Portuguese forward.
It comes after a summer of speculation linking him to a move away from Old Trafford just one season after returning in what appeared to be a fairytale story.
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Despite scoring 18 league goals, the most at the club, he wasn't able to secure Champions League football for United last season and turned to other clubs that could offer him that throughout the summer.
One of these clubs was Chelsea. In an early meeting between new owner Todd Boehly and super agent Jorge Mendes, Ronaldo's services were offered to Chelsea and Thomas Tuchel. This sparked Boehly's imagination as the American envisioned a statement signing, bringing a five-time Ballon d'Or winner to Stamford Bridge to front the new revolution.
Tuchel wasn't as enamoured with the idea, however, and was set against it from day one. If reports are to be believed, then it was part of an ongoing relationship breakdown between Tuchel and the new owners that ultimately resulted in the German being sacked.
Part of Tuchel's reason was that Ronaldo - who does less work off the ball than is desired at Chelsea and has been part of teams scoring less goals with him rather than without - was that he would become a fixed source of goals and an isolated forward. With plans of a fluid front three, the former Real Madrid striker just didn't fit the bill.
After his disjointed start to the season, Tuchel's decision appears vindicated. Ronaldo had, until starting against Sheriff Tiraspol in the Europa League on Thursday night, only started two matches under Erik ten Hag, losing both of them.
His penalty against the Moldovan side was his first goal of the season. Before Jadon Sancho's opener though, there had only been two goals from his side in the 207 minutes he played. United have played nine matches since Ronaldo's last non-penalty goal.
It signifies the diminishing role that Ten Hag has for him and the matter may well have been similar at Chelsea. Although Tuchel U-turned somewhat on his striker stance to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ronaldo is a different matter.
It may not mean much now, especially not with Graham Potter in charge, but the struggles of a 37-year-old forward who has been relegated to a Europa League starter is demonstration of why Tuchel was right to be against the move from day one.
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