Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t finished, Man Utd are still bad and other lessons from Norwich win

Man Utd fans set off flares as they protest against the Glazers

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Manchester United survived a big scare to beat Norwich City 3-2 on Saturday afternoon. The Red Devils’ nightmare season nearly hit a new low but the brilliance of Cristiano Ronaldo prevented that from happening, with the veteran bagging a hat-trick. Express Sport will now take a look at four things we learned from the contest.

Ronaldo isn’t finished

Some have suggested Ronaldo is part of the problem at United.

However, without his 21 goals across all competitions, it’s possible the Red Devils would be in an even worse predicament.

Ronaldo took his first goal well, converting from close range after some good work from Anthony Elanga.

His second was an outstanding header, with the 37-year-old rising highest to head home Alex Telles’ corner.

And his third was a free-kick that Tim Krul should have saved.

Ronaldo may not be the player he was but, when it comes to goals, United have nobody else on his level.

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Man Utd are still bad

United have one of the most-expensive squads on the entire planet.

But, still, they’re unable to perform at their best and this was another chastening day for Ralf Rangnick’s team.

United just look lost on the pitch, devoid of confidence and lacking in coaching expertise. A scraped win over Norwich doesn’t change that.

Rangnick, when he was hired as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s replacement, was meant to bring about a positive change.

But performances haven’t convinced whatsoever and there’s a sense that the sooner this season finishes, the better.

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Lingard’s best position is a mystery

Rangnick decided to give Jesse Lingard his first start for United since their victory over Leeds in February.

But it’s clear the Red Devils have no idea how to coax the best from the England international.

Lingard, at West Ham last term, was used on the wing and became one of the top performers in the Premier League.

But United played him as a No 10, alongside Bruno Fernandes, for the match with Norwich.

It was a decision that didn’t pay off, with Lingard putting in a drab performance as his side laboured in the sunshine.

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De Gea remains top

There have been so many bad performers for United.

Yet their one shining light has been David De Gea, who continues to age like fine wine as he approaches the peak years of his career.

Had it not been for the Spain international, United would be even lower in the table.

And they’d likely have lost this match against Norwich, with De Gea making a stunning save when the scores were level.

Better days lie ahead but the brutal truth of the matter is that this was another unacceptable result – in a season full of unacceptable results.

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