Being a perfectionist, birthday boy Cristiano Ronaldo may know that failure to score against Burnley on Tuesday would represent his longest barren spell in club football for more than a decade.
Ronaldo, who turned 37 on Saturday, hasn’t scored in United’s last four matches and missed a penalty in their FA Cup exit against Middlesbrough on Friday night.
Most strikers would accept five blanks in a row as an occupational hazard but it’s ancient history for this multiple Ballon d’Or winner.
Cristiano Ronaldo has failed to score in his last four appearances for Manchester United
The last time Ronaldo went five club games without a goal was back in 2010 at Real Madrid. He failed to score on the final day of his first season against Malaga and started the following campaign without netting against Mallorca, Osasuna, Sociedad and Ajax.
Taking international football into account, his last dry spell of that length came in 2018; the final two matches of the World Cup for Portugal and first three of the following campaign for Juventus.
For anyone else, this wouldn’t be regarded as a crisis but given Ronaldo’s age and his frustration if doesn’t score every time, he’ll be desperate to get a chance to start at Turf Moor and put things right, aware that Edinson Cavani might also be available for Ralf Rangnick.
Ronaldo could have netted when he stepped up to take a penalty against Middlesbrough
Ronaldo though blasted his spot-kick wide of Middlesbrough keeper Joe Lumley
Surprisingly the Portuguese star looked rushed in front of goal when his chances came against Boro.
His spot-kick was an old-fashioned scuff though he did convert in the penalty shoot-out later which United lost.
Ronaldo has scored 14 times for United in 24 appearances since his much-hyped return to the club but has only two in the last eight.
Having taken over penalty duties from Bruno Fernandes after his compatriot missed against Aston Villa, it will be interesting if they are now handed back should United be awarded one at Turf Moor.
Ronaldo, who turned 37 on Saturday, will be determined to end his barren scoring run
‘We wasted too many opportunities,’ blasted Rangnick after seeing United’s last realistic chance of winning a trophy this season disappear. ‘We have to take our chances better and with more quality.’
It wasn’t only Ronaldo missing opportunities but he squandered the best one from 12 yards and thereafter took wrong decisions in the penalty box.
It was a far cry from the goal machine who has registered more than 800 strikes in his career and is record scorer at Real Madrid and in international football as a whole.
This week will be his first ever visit to Turf Moor. As he looks in the mirror and sees another year added to the clock, he’ll be desperate for his run to end. There is one silver lining though – his last goal did come against Burnley at Old Trafford on December 30.