Ronaldo is Man Utd's Michael Jordan, insists Solskjaer
Martin Macdonald
- 3 Nov 2021 10:52 GMT
- 5 min read
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes Cristiano Ronaldo is having a similar impact at the club that Chicago Bulls enjoyed with talismanic star Michael Jordan.
On Tuesday, the Red Devils were again forced to rely on Ronaldo to bail them out.
Heading into the dying minutes of a Champions League clash against Atalanta, Man Utd were 2-1 down against the Italian side.
They would eventually steal a point after Ronaldo popped up with a glorious volleyed finish into the bottom corner at the edge of the box, ensuring his side remain in a great position to qualify from the knockout stages.
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In Man Utd's last three Champions League matches, Ronaldo has scored late goals against Villarreal and Atalanta twice, highlighting his importance to the struggling side.
Solskjaer has heaped praise on the Portuguese superstar, and compared him to six-time NBA winner and basketball legend Jordan due to his leadership qualities.
"We all have our roles and responsibilities," the Man Utd boss said after the draw against Atalanta.
"Of course Cristiano is a leader in the group but that's what he does, he scores goals.
"We're not happy conceding two goals - but he does provide those moments and I'm sure the Chicago Bulls didn't mind having Michael Jordan either.
"Sometimes teams have the players they have and that's why they are Manchester United, that's why they are champions at the Chicago Bulls. You just come up with those moments."
Ronaldo's return to Man Utd
Ronaldo made it clear in the summer that his desire was to leave Juventus and the Bianconeri were ultimately keen for a departure to happen as it would mean his exorbitant wages coming off the balance sheet.
A controversial move to Man City was mentioned, but upon finding out Ronaldo was available, Man Utd acted swiftly to bring him back to Old Trafford.
While Man Utd as a whole have struggled this season, with a damaging 5-0 home defeat against Liverpool being the lowest point, Ronaldo has continued to score goals.
In 10 starts he has scored nine goals and recorded one assist, with many coming at key moments such as the Champions League strikes mentioned above.
Solskjaer says he is only improving, too.
"For me, Cristiano is getting better and better for us. He's feeling better," he added.
"You know he's not had a proper pre-season, now he is getting better and better and he's feeling up to speed now."
