Cristiano Ronaldo moment is proving critics wrong about Manchester United concern

A goal. A smile. A joke. A winner and suddenly everything is looking brighter for Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford.

The dream return to Manchester United has descended into a, if not a nightmare then certainly a fitful sleep over the last few months. Though the team trudged to its worst-ever Premier League finish last season, Ronaldo still remained as clinical as ever in front of goal with 24 strikes to his name. Easily United's top scorer.

Yet, his inclusion in the side was an unplanned disruption that erased the progress Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was making. Ronaldo's fading mobility and lack of pressing severely impacted the team, which scored considerably less as a whole despite his own healthy return.

While Solskjaer and then Ralf Rangnick couldn't drop Ronaldo for long, Erik ten Hag has no such qualms and has given him just one start in the Premier League to date. This comes after a frustrating summer for the Portuguese as his wish to depart didn't come to pass.

Not having any Champions League-level clubs come forward to sign him must have been a stinging blow that could only be compounded by his lack of playing time. Ronaldo often comes on but has cut an increasingly frustrated figure this season.

It was clear how desperate he was to get back among the goals with his angry reactions in the direction of teammates who didn't get a pass to him or his exasperation when his own chances didn't hit the mark.

The nadir came last weekend when Ronaldo was left sitting on the bench by Ten Hag as Manchester City destroyed his side. The constant camera cuts to the No.7 painted a picture of a forlorn man who would rather have been anywhere else.

Ronaldo's attitude has been called into question by pundits, with Jamie Carragher being a mainstream figure to do so when he said: “I’m telling you now, I’m convinced he’s got to do that [sell] with Ronaldo.

“Ronaldo will be a massive problem for Man United next season if he isn’t playing every week. We’ve seen it this season, even when he’s coming off, he still kicked up a fuss."

His comments and any others who've levelled similar questions at Ronaldo's feet have been fairly justified but Ronaldo went a long way in disproving them out of hand at Everton. Despite now being behind Anthony Martial as well as Marcus Rashford in the striking pecking order, Ronaldo looked highly motivated when he came on in the first half for the freshly injured Frenchman.

Perhaps buoyed with the prospect of playing an hour, he looked far more energetic on the pitch as he looked to carry out Ten Hag's instructions. Then he rolled back the years by being alert to an opportunity to strike, speeding past defenders and finishing clinically into the corner.

Ronaldo was obviously delighted with his 700th career goal and his celebration appeared quite revealing about his attitude towards the team. Instead of his usual 'Siu' taunt, he celebrated by closing his eyes and holding his hands on his chest as if asleep alongside Antony.

It transpires that the pose was actually a joke at his own expense after his teammates noticed the amusing position in which he sleeps when travelling with the squad. It would be difficult to imagine a player that is miserable and being a nuisance or 'fuss' in the team developing such a close relationship with them that he'd incorporate their mick taking of him into his celebration — a moment usually reserved for his own special taunt.

It shows that Ronaldo, despite his frustrations, won't be quite the disruptive presence that many predicted this season. If he can carry on scoring goals like that, he will be the exact opposite.