Without Cristiano Ronaldo’s league goals this season, Real Madrid would be just two points worse off

Listen, you will not find a bigger Cristiano Ronaldo fan than this writer.

If you say you rate him higher than Messi and you say it aloud, you deserve everything you get and that's speaking from experience. And I'd do it again you know. But there comes a point in any man's life where questions have to be asked. After deservedly clinching his third Ballon d'Or last year, it seems that Ronnie has gotten a tad lazy. When was the last time you watched him spread a defender on toast? When have you last seen him beat a man and do it again and hang an entire backline out to dry? Ronaldo looks to have grown comfortable with the goal stats that have set him apart and, instead of going and making them happen like he has done throughout his career, he's hanging around the box looking for tap-ins and handy stat boosts. He's looking for the easy way out. He's bluffing. This season, he has hit 16 La Liga goals already. Great. Those goals came in just nine of Madrid's 21 games though. Los Blancos have drawn five times. Ronaldo offered nothing goal-wise in those games. They've lost three times - twice by one goal. Nothing. Ronaldo is in danger of becoming a flat track bully who props up and bursts into life when the job is already done. Of all his goals this season in the league, he has garnished one result off his own back for Real Madrid when a brace turned a potential draw with Real Sociedad into a 3-1 win. Two points. That's what he has directly won them so far after 21 games. Two points of their 44. Take away his 16 goals from Madrid's 58 and they would still be in third place just two points worse off. Take away his goals and they still would've won every single game that they did - apart from one of them.