Cristiano Ronaldo linked to surprise return to Man Utd to help striker crisis

Manchester United’s woes continued as they suffered their 12th Premier League defeat of the season, falling 1-0 to Tottenham on Sunday.

James Maddison’s first-half tap-in was enough to condemn Ruben Amorim to his eighth league defeat since taking charge in October.

With United now sitting 15th in the table, Amorim’s attention shifts to an upcoming clash against Everton on Saturday, as the pressure continues to mount.

After failing to score for a second consecutive Premier League match, former United striker Teddy Sheringham believes that Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee need help.

The duo, who cost a combined £107 million, struggled to make an impact against Spurs, while Alejandro Garnacho missed a golden chance to equalize.

With United failing to sign a new striker in January and loaning out Marcus Rashford and Antony, the team’s lack of attacking firepower is becoming a major concern.

Sheringham believes the club’s young forwards could benefit from guidance from Cristiano Ronaldo, after the Al-Nassr star offered to mentor Kylian Mbappé.

“It’s interesting that Ronaldo says he would be the perfect coach for Mbappé. He transformed from a tricky winger to a phenomenal goal scorer.

"He scores all sorts of goals—right foot, left foot, headers, free kicks. If you’d told him 23 years ago that he’d become this prolific, he’d have laughed.”

Sheringham added that Ronaldo could also teach United’s strikers a thing or two:

“Perhaps he could coach Mbappé, but I bet he wouldn’t do it for what I got at West Ham! He could help the boys at Manchester United as well.”

With pundits piling on criticism, former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp has given a bleak outlook for United, suggesting their struggles could continue for another 18 months.

While Amorim has stuck to his 3-4-3 system, his players continue to struggle with the tactical demands, leading to dismal performances. Redknapp, however, believes United must be patient.

“For what it’s worth, I like Amorim. He’s trying to change the culture at the club, and that takes time,” Redknapp told Sky Sports.“But there’s still more pain to come—probably another 18 months—because United need to get rid of the old ways and stop making panic buys.”

United have attempted to revamp their backroom staff, bringing in Jason Wilcox and key figures from Manchester City to reshape the club behind the scenes. Redknapp insists that taking a slow, methodical approach is necessary:

“They’ve rushed things for years. Now, they need to take their time.”

United’s struggles aren’t just on the pitch—off-field controversies have also added to the chaos. Amorim has made several eyebrow-raising comments, including labeling his squad "the worst in Manchester United history", a statement he later retracted.

His criticism of Marcus Rashford and remarks about preferring his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach on the bench over the England forward have also raised eyebrows.

Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards believes Amorim’s public comments are only adding to his problems.

“He doesn’t understand what he’s doing,” Richards said on The Rest is Football podcast.“Every time he speaks, he’s creating another headline. If he doesn’t like Rashford, fine. But the way he’s handling it? It’s chaotic.”

With United’s form continuing to plummet, Amorim will need to find solutions—both on and off the pitch—before patience runs out at Old Trafford.