Ronaldo returns to Man U: What we can expect from him next

Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to Manchester United, a move that suddenly makes the English club a lot more competitive. Here’s what to expect this season. 

Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo officially signed with his former club Manchester United and it is expected to make this season one of the most exciting for the club in recent memory.

Ronaldo’s move from Juventus to Man U comes just a few weeks after Lionel Messi, the world’s other superstar soccer player, left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain.

These moves have made this summer’s transfer window one of the most riveting and unpredictable, paving the way for what can only be a great season given so many high-caliber moves.

Ronaldo’s return to Manchester was welcomed with elation from United fans, especially after rumors were swirling for days about a possible move to crosstown rivals Manchester City.

Instead, Manchester United was the club to actually make an offer and pony up the money after Ronaldo, one of the best players of his generation, had informed Juve he wanted to leave last weekend. Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, played for Manchester United from 2003-09

Here’s what we can expect from Manchester United and Ronaldo this season.

Man U automatically become Premier League favorites

We all know that Manchester City, the defending Premier League champions, are stacked and that Chelsea are as well after securing the services of Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan. Most had one of these two teams winning the league if you had asked just last week.

But things can change quickly during the transfer season and now Man U find themselves among the heavy favorites to win the Premier League. The addition of Ronaldo does just that to a club that hasn’t won the league since 2013 and hasn’t been considered among the game’s elite since Sir Alex Ferguson retired as their coach that same year.

Ronaldo has the experience to compete in the Premier League, but he’ll need to harness all of his energy and prowess to compete with a growing crop of young defenders.

And Champions League contenders, too

The two aforementioned English clubs are also looking to win Europe’s biggest club competition and now add Manchester United to that mix. The addition of Ronaldo makes them competitive on multiple fronts and a relatively manageable opening round group in the Champions Leaguew certainly helps matters.

But Man U will need to avoid the trap Juventus fell in over the last few seasons. Ronaldo in the lineup at age 36 isn’t enough to ensure victory itself. They will need plenty of help from a supporting cast — most notably players such as defender Harry Maguire and attacking midfielder Paul Pogba — to gel in order to make it all happen.

Ronaldo has shined the brightest in this competition, especially during his Real Madrid years, so expect some more of that from him this year.

Watch for Ronaldo to roam free

Any team would love to have Ronaldo on the roster, but the reality is he doesn’t really fall into any tactical system. Manager (and former teammate) Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will need to build around the Portuguese somehow, not so easy when Ronaldo does his own thing.

That own thing involves going on offensive runs for goal and heading balls on set pieces. It doesn’t involve tracking back or winning balls in midfield. That means Man U could continue to play a 4-2-3-1, but who will sit? Sure, Ronaldo can do his own thing, but will it mean striker Anthony Martial sits? What about attacking midfielder Mason Greenwood and how does he fit into the system?

It’s a great problem to have, although these players weren’t signed to sit on the bench. The key for Manchester United is to find the right combination in order to unlock a winning season. It could take a few weeks, but the investment needs to ultimately pay off in the form of silverware at the end of this season.