With hat-trick against Tottenham, Cristiano Ronaldo shows why he’s not Manchester United’s problem

It’s still difficult to give a name to Manchester United’s style of play under Ralf Rangnick. But the truth is that the Red Devils have had some impressive results since the German arrived.

One such match was when they hosted Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday evening. Despite playing in moments, rather than being completely dominant, United still managed to edge Antonio Conte’s side 3-2.

The result, though, was purely down to Cristiano Ronaldo's big-game prowess. The Portuguese produced a sensational hat-trick to leave smiles on the faces of the home fans.

Ronaldo makes the difference for Manchester United

14 years after Ronaldo’s first Premier League hat-trick, the superstar recorded his second-ever treble of goals in the competition against Spurs.

Ronaldo hasn’t always been at his best since re-joining Manchester United and has dropped some shocking performances in recent weeks. But on Saturday, he was in beast mode.

Not only were each of his goals well-taken, but he was also heavily involved in the general play of the team. This was the peak Ronaldo, and his attitude and character got the team going when things got tough.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was the difference between the two teams. Manchester United only won because they had Ronaldo on their side. The scoreline could’ve been the other way round if Spurs had the 37-year-old in their team.

Ronaldo silences his detractors

For many months, some fans and pundits, including Jamie Carragher, have held the view that Ronaldo has dragged Manchester United backwards.

However, the former Juventus and Real Madrid star silenced his critics with his hat-trick against Spurs. He gave everything and proved why he is still one of the team’s most important players.

“He [Ronaldo] was on a similar level in training on Thursday by the way, which is why I decided after that training session to play him from the start,” Rangnick said after the game, as quoted by the Daily Mail. “He made the difference for sure, but not only for the three goals. That was the best performance from him, at least since I arrived here, on and off the ball.

“He showed that he is physically able to do that, but we also have to admit he has not always been like that the past couple of weeks and months," he added.

Ronaldo may be nearing the end of his career, but he still has a lot to offer at 37. United’s problems have more to do with their lack of structure and shambolic defending, and not Ronaldo, who guarantees goals when the stakes are high.