Mmmm we were top of the league in Feb and our CF went scoreless to late April or early May, would certainly have been a lot closer if we had Benzema not Giroud… but I suppose that’s an irrelevant hypothetical as we had the plank and what’s done is done 
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Think we failed as a team in 2016 rather than the individual.
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Benzema could have easily posted a goal return not far off from Giroud’s in that season.
Same guy that scored 11 league goals in 2016/17 and then followed it up with 5 league goals in 25 starts in 2017/18
I think what he has done as a focal point is more reflective to what he would have done if he was at us in 2016.
It’ll be interesting to see how many goals Bruno scores this season compared to last, likewise Rashford etc now they have Ronaldo as a focal point.
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Nah, that is a shocking return regardless of Ronaldo or not.
He was not the player he is now back then and it’s clear to see.
Bruno is not similar to this case since 1. half of his goals are pens which they are now not getting and 2. he is shooting much less.
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Bruno was 28 all comps last season.
Rashford 21 all comps last season.
Be interesting to see if the numbers drop, I’ll revisit in May.
Your point was that in 2016 he would have led us to the title, however, his form in that season and the subsequent season does not support that assertion.
You can talk about Bruno but like I said, United are getting far less penalities which always skewed his goal scoring stats and contrary to popular belief his actual threat from open play is not very high because he’s not a good finisher. Bruno’s goal scoring was not sustainable regardless.
Benzema is an improved player as a goal scorer and it’s just not because of Ronaldo exiting
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If the argument is that Benzema was facilitating Ronaldo, wouldn’t that mean he would have more assists.
Benzema hasn’t developed dramatically as a player he’s pretty much always had what he does now in his locker.
The current Benzema would have been the Benzema in 2016 if CR7 left Madrid earlier and made him the focal point of the attack
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Sorry but the 2016/17 season and then 2017/18 season does not back that up.
Ronaldo didn’t have him in a headlock that made him score a paltry 5 league goals in 25 starts
bro, ain’t no shame in improving as a goal scorer. He was a great scorer of goals but not necessarily a consistent great goal scorer back then.
Too many ifs and buts. France had Benzema start all the games in this year’s Euros and they just won one game all tournament against the run of play vs. Germany and were knocked out in the Round of 16 vs Switzerland.
No guarantee they do any better with him starting in the final.
I found the ref turned the final of the Euros when he gave Kocielney a yellow card for a handball by Eder. If Kos isn’t on a yellow, no way he allows Eder to take the shot than won Portugal the game.
Where’s the acting here? Isn’t it known Ronaldo is a bad loser? That’s pretty much how he became the best.
The game they got knocked out in the Euros was a 3-3 wasn’t it ? With Benzema scoring a brace from memory ?
Who is cuadrado? Oh yeah that reject from Chelsea who has done nothing of note in football 
Come on, that’s not fair. He’s had a very good career. He has been instrumental for Juve the past 5-6 years.
Cuadrado is a quality player. What are you having a go at him for? He is calming down Ronaldo.
I didn’t read it as that, I read it as Ronaldo saying that the team played shit and Cuadrado was saying that Ronaldo provided the example the rest of them followed, ie Ronaldo was shit too.
Lol, you’re trolling right?
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He began with tranquillo i.e relax, calm down, you should be the one setting the example to be calm under stress etc etc.