During the entirety of Cristiano Ronaldo's tenure at Manchester United, there was a never-ending discussion about whether or not the club would have been better off without him.
It was a contentious debate that pitted his impressive goal output against his overall impact on the team, and there was no clear winner because there was no definitive answer to the question, although not everyone would have agreed with a winner anyway.
At this point, Manchester United have no choice but to move on without Ronaldo. The question of whether or not he was beneficial or detrimental is moot at this point; what is important now is that they have a better understanding of the role he played before they begin looking for a new replacement in the coming weeks.
Erik ten Hag has already recommended to the United board that they support him with a new signing in the month of January. He is aware of the fact that the club had no plans to do so initially due to the fact that they spent more money than they had initially intended to spend over the course of the summer.
The Dutchman is thankful and indebted to United for putting so much trust in him already, and while he has certainly demonstrated enough to vindicate further financial backing, it would also be understandable if the club were reluctant to do so at this point.
In January, Manchester United will undoubtedly evaluate their choices and give serious consideration to adding a player to their roster if that player can add significant value to the team, is compatible with the club's long-term philosophy, and is affordable. It is much simpler to say than to actually carry out.
Because many of United's top targets are going to be effectively unavailable until at least the summer of 2019, the club's strategy for the January transfer window is likely going to be determined more by who is available than by who they want to sign.
The most intriguing aspect of all of those will be the way in which the striker integrates into the team, as well as the type of player that Ten Hag wants in his side moving forward.
The best football that United have played this season has come when they have utilized a mobile center-forward like Anthony Martial. However, with Ronaldo no longer on the team, United does not have a more traditional focal point in attack should they choose to take a different approach.
When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in charge of the club, he faced a conundrum that is strikingly similar to the one we are facing now. Solskjaer led United to their greatest success with an agile forward line that placed a premium on mobility and movement. Despite this, he continued to look for strikers who were "willing to break their nose" in order to score a goal for the team.
United signed Odion Ighalo, Edinson Cavani, and then Cristiano Ronaldo himself, a trio of strikers who all offered something different in the final third of the field. This was not only due to their hold-up play, but also as targets for their crosses into the box. Ronaldo was the most recent addition to this group.
This is of utmost significance in light of the excellent passing that is currently emanating from the midfield. United possesses the inventiveness necessary to penetrate defensive lines through pinpoint passing, but this tactic will only be successful if the team has someone to receive the pass on the other end.
Ten Hag is presented with a challenging conundrum in his search for a new forward as a result of the fact that whoever he pursues must be able to fit into the overall vision he has for his team moving forward regardless of who they are.
There is a line of thinking that suggests United should acquire another mobile forward in order to have a direct replacement for Martial in the event that it becomes necessary; however, the retirement of Ronaldo should not mean that United should completely discount the possibility of signing more traditional central strikers.
Whoever they end up recruiting will shed clear light on Ten Hag's long-term vision for the team, and it will be fascinating to watch next year as they decide what kind of player they want to pursue.
