Is Age Finally Taking a Toll on Cristiano Ronaldo?

There's a saying in footballing parlance that when a team is struggling, its players tend to struggle too – and this is exactly what's happening with Cristiano Ronaldo, who seems to have lost his mojo after rejoining Man United last summer. The fact is, the Red Devils are a team in strife and the same turmoil has caught up with CR7.

Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo wasn't in Manchester United's starting XI against Burnley on Tuesday, but appeared as a substitute in the second half.

However, the 37-year-old couldn't manage to find the net in the match, as he extended his scoring drought to five games – the Portugal skipper's longest spell without a goal for a club since 2010. He endured a similar rough patch at Real Madrid that year.

While a five-match scoring drought isn't a huge deal for most players, Ronaldo is no ordinary player. He's someone who has remained a goal-scoring colossus for nearly two decades and has continued to mesmerise fans with his power-packed performances all over the world.

His ongoing lean patch has even led to rising questions about his place in United's eleven.

Ronaldo turned 37 last weekend and for the first time ever, his many misses and growing frustration on the field has ignited debates among football pundits that age is finally catching up with the Funchal-born player.

Ever since Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford from Juventus last year, pundits have clashed over his impact on the club – while the likes of Gary Neville and Paul Scholes have claimed that his arrival has created a positive environment inside the dressing room, Jamie Carragher has called him a hindrance for the team.

Although the former Juve frontman has played a key role in United's progression to the knockout phase of the Champions League, he has lacked consistency in England's domestic tournaments, including the Premier League and the FA Cup.

The best example of this came on Friday in their game against Middlesbrough. Ronaldo had 10 shots at Old Trafford, but only managed to hit three on target.

What's even surprising was that Ronaldo missed a shot from the penalty spot, something which used to be his trademark during his peak years.

Each time the Man U ace missed a chance, he was seen bemoaning his poor display by shouting at himself.

Ronaldo has only hit the net eight times in 19 Premier League games and is currently taking around 200 minutes to score a goal in the English top-flight.

According to Goal.com, this is CR7's lowest average in the past 10 years across clubs in Spain, Italy, and England.

On the other hand, during his era of dominance at Real Madrid, he was scoring a goal every 61 minutes and on an average had six shots on the opposition's goal post in a match – those numbers are now down to four per game.

Former India international Syed Rahim Nabi, however, backed Ronaldo to reignite his form in United's upcoming games. But the former Atletico de Kolkata (ATK) midfielder also agreed that Ronaldo was no longer the same player he once was.

"Even though Ronaldo's dedication and commitment to football remains unparalleled, he's growing old and his reflexes have started to wane and that's why we are seeing an extraordinary dip in his form", he told Sputnik on Wednesday.

"Earlier when Ronaldo chased the ball, he looked like a natural sprinter, but now he's lost that spring in his feet", he concluded.