The last two months saw the sensational arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane, and Jadon Sancho at Old Trafford. The prizable trio has already laid their foot on the field with a total of 10 appearances combined.
Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese man has proven that he indeed has returned to Manchester United to mean business.
Taking the reins to lead The Reds forward, the club he left 12 years ago, he graced his stunning ‘second’ debut with a brace on Saturday, 11th September against Newcastle United.
The supporters at Old Trafford roared with delight in the 45′ minute, as Ronaldo using his quick wits tapped in the ball after a failed but good effort from Mason Greenwood was blocked by the Newcastle goalie, Freddie Woodman.
Ronaldo looked fresh and ready and at every chance, positioning himself well and being accessible to receive the ball from his teammates. The 62′ minute saw a brilliant run from Luke Shaw who passed the ball to the number 7, who then nutmegged Woodman, the ball finding itself in the back of the net.
Bruno Fernandes and Jesse Lingard did their part in ending the day with a solid score of 4-1 as the victorious Man United found themselves at the top of the Premier League Table with 10 points for time being.
Fast forward to the next week, Tuesday, 14th September, Ronaldo played his first match at the UEFA Champions League as a club returnee.
With Bruno Fernandes’ remarkable cross, the ball found itself in Ronaldo’s control, as he struck it through the legs of the BSC Young Boys goalie, David von Ballmoos, at the 13′ minute itself. But that wasn’t enough for The Red Devils to secure their win over the Swiss club, as the latter equalized the score and took the lead in the second half.
Ronaldo’s substitution at the 72′ minute, created a void with replacement Jesse Lingard finding it difficult to maintain the impact the former had created on the attack. The English man’s misjudgment in the final minutes of the game cost the team a defeat of 2-1.
Sunday, 19th September, the 36-year-old continued his streak of scoring goals as he equalized the score by 1-1 in the 35′ minute. Ronaldo tried to steer the ball into the goal from a cross by Fernandes, which is blocked at first by West Ham goalkeeper, Łukasz Fabiański, but the loose ball is tapped in again by the centre-forward.
The star striker has been in the limelight and has had an ever-effective presence on the team since his return to Old Trafford. True, he already had a feel of the pace and style of play at the Premier League, but his instant adaptability and prolific appearances is enough evidence of his versatility in the sport.
Raphael Varane
The centre-back was acquired by the English club on 14th August 2021 from the Spanish giants, Los Blancos. Since then, he has made 3 appearances, precisely, 2 in the Premier League (Wolves, Newcastle) and 1 in the Champions League (BSC Young Boys).
A solid debut with a reliable defending presence at the Wolverhampton Molineux Stadium, the Frenchman was quick to block a potential strike from a charging Adama Traore at the 12′ minute.
His premiere for the Reds was capped with a pass to Mason Greenwood who then shot forth into the back of the net at the 80′ minute to give United the lead of 0-1, which ultimately won them the match.
When asked about his debut in an official interview, he replied, “A good feeling! I was very, very happy to be here and to help the team get this victory. The feeling is absolutely amazing. The Premier League is very intense. The game it’s very fast and you know when you play this game, you are very concentrated and it’s very intense. I came here for that feeling.”
In his second match sporting the red jersey with Newcastle United, he maintained his form and did not disappoint. His effort to head the ball into the net from a corner taken by Luke Shaw in the 19′ minute did go wide, but it was an acknowledgeable attempt.
Against BSC Young Boys, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sent him in as a substitute for Donny van de Beek, in a defensive midfield position in the 46′ minute. He played his part well by providing aerial defence, but he was shown the yellow card for wasting time in the 64′ minute.
On facing West Ham United, he played a pivotal role in blocking a shot fired by Jarrod Bowen in the 17′ minute but deflected a strike from Said Benrahma which led the ball into the net giving West Ham a lead of 1-0. But in the end, the win was Man United’s hands.
His pairing with quality defenders like Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Luke Shaw, and Harry Maguire, in time, will be one of the most indomitable defense rows the opponent teams have faced. Mechanized teamwork, flawless coordination, and progressive partnership could manifest this vision into a reality.
Jadon Sancho
The 23rd of July saw the much-anticipated arrival of the Dortmund star, spiralling the hopes of the United supporters by being a key asset to the forward lineup. He made his debut as a substitute for Daniel James at the 75′ minute, pulling off a quite lackluster performance but this could be overlooked as many emerging players too, find it tough to adapt to the fast pace of the Premier League.
On 22nd August, 14 minutes after halftime, he was brought onto the pitch as a replacement for Anthony Martial and found himself heading the pack against Southampton. The 64′ minute saw him being involved in what could have been a goal, but his pass to Greenwood who tried to head the ball into the net went in vain. The match ended with the points being shared between The Red Devils and The Saints.
As Wolves hosted Man United, the 21-year-old made his appearance in the starting line-up. Still adjusting to the new league’s pace and atmosphere, he happened to lose the ball to the opponents at times and finding himself in the wrong direction. Enduring a tough day on the field, Martial was sent in to take his place in the 72′ minute.
Newcastle followed, with Sancho attempting to score a goal with a pass from Bruno Fernandes in the 30′ minute, but he couldn’t get to the ball to strike it across the goal-line. Jesse Lingard came on as a replacement for him in the 66′ minute.
The English winger did not have a productive presence at Stade de Suisse too, getting subbed to make way for Diogo Dalot at the 37′ minute. At the London Stadium, he was ushered in to replace Greenwood in the 73′ minute.
Another new signing, goalkeeper Tom Heaton, acquired from Aston Villa and is yet to make his first appearance for Man United. With David de Gea and Dean Henderson competing to take the stand as the first-choice goalie, Heaton will have to view some of the matches unfolding, from the bench.
