Manchester United would have finished 14th in the Premier League this season without Cristiano Ronaldo's goals, with 11 of his 18 league strikes earning United 14 points.
The 37-year-old, who will be aiming to help Portugal win the World Cup in Qatar later this year, returned to Old Trafford from Juventus last August, just hours after he looked set to join Manchester City. But despite experiencing playing in one of the worst United sides in recent years, he still managed to score 24 goals in all competitions, comfortably outperforming anyone else within the squad.
He single-handedly dragged United out of their Champions League group, scoring important winners against Villarreal and Atalanta, while also scoring hat-tricks against Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League to secure unlikely victories. Therefore, you do wonder how bad things would have been this season without him.
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Of Ronaldo's 18 league goals this season, 11 of them directly contributed to United earning 14 points, with his two-goal haul against Arsenal in December, hat-trick against Spurs in March and treble against Norwich in April earning them three victories when they would have otherwise lost, with all three wins ending 3-2 in United's favour.
He also scored against West Ham United at the London Stadium in September, helping them earn a 2-1 win, scored the winner against Norwich at Carrow Road in December in a 1-0 win, and earned them a point against Chelsea at Old Trafford in April in a 1-1 draw. Without him, United would have been 14 points worse off, meaning they would have finished 14th in the table, just above Southampton, with 44 points to their name.
Considering some pundits and supporters have described Ronaldo as being 'the problem' behind the club's demise this season, it is a claim that simply does not stack up. And it is an argument that former United striker Teddy Sheringham recently disagreed with.
He told the Manchester Evening News : "I think that it is very harsh to label him that [the problem]. I think you have to change your style of play if you're going to play with Ronaldo, because even now, this late in his career, he is not really an out-and-out No.9.
"Of course, he is an unbelievable talent and you have to build your team around him and feed him with the ball. That is the best way to do it."
The points Cristiano Ronaldo won this season:
- West Ham United (A) - 2pts
- Arsenal (H) - 3pts
- Norwich City (A) - 2pts
- Tottenham Hotspur (H) - 3pts
- Norwich City (H) - 3pts
- Chelsea (H) - 1pt
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