Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick secured Manchester United a valuable 3-2 victory against Norwich on Saturday afternoon, as Ralf Rangnick showered praise on him. With a hard-fought success at Old Trafford, United made the best of top-four contenders Arsenal and Tottenham dropping points.
United laboured to command the contest throughout and seemed to be on the brink of conceding far more points when they relinquished a two-goal cushion in the second half. With fifteen minutes left in the contest, Ronaldo finished his hat-trick by thumping a free-kick in at the near post, just as it appeared like United could be forced to a draw by their determined opponents.
After Saturday’s 3-2 victory over Norwich City, the interim Red Devils coach was questioned about his star player’s position. Ralf Rangnick has claimed that this is not his call whether Cristiano Ronaldo will remain to feature for Manchester United further than this season, adding that the decision would be taken by the next Red Devils boss, as per Fabrizio Romano.
What’s next for Cristiano Ronaldo? Rangnick: “This is not my decision. Cristiano has got another year of contract”. 🔴🇵🇹 #MUFC
“This will be a decision for the new manager to take, together with the board”, Rangnick added as per @RichFay. pic.twitter.com/ItDOZ4qNVq
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 16, 2022
Rangnick hailed Ronaldo for his performance after he struck a hat-trick on Saturday, extending his Premier League goalscoring to 15. However, there are speculations that prospective head manager Erik Ten Hag does not desire Ronaldo on the roster, something Rangnick refuses to speak on.
It has been difficult to appraise Ronaldo’s campaign, especially in the context of his high ambitions. His 15-goal come back to the Premier League and dramatic Champions League group stage performances solidify his legacy as an iconic figure. Nonetheless, his way of playing may be partly to fault for the squad’s overall absence of success and incoherent attack, and his defending work rate has been criticized. Moreover, his public image has degraded in the wake of recent off-field incidents.
