Manchester United appear to have fallen into the trap of thinking Cristiano Ronaldo can "guarantee" them victory - a glaring issue brought to light by former teammate Leonardo Bonucci.
Ronaldo and Bonucci spent three seasons together with Juventus, winning back-to-back Serie A titles and the Coppa Italia.
Nonetheless, the Italian defender offered a bleak outlook on the impact Ronaldo can have on a team's mentality.
Bonucci admitted he and his teammates were lulled into a false confidence, believing the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's "presence alone was enough to win games".
His comments serve as a stern warning to the United, who already seem over-reliant on Ronaldo.
The Portugal captain - who returned to Old Trafford in a £20million transfer this summer - scored four of his side's last five goals in all competitions prior to Wednesday's clash with Villarreal.
Speaking ahead of the clash with the Spanish club, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer alarmingly used almost identical wording to Bonucci, claiming United are almost "guaranteed" a goal with Ronaldo up front.
"Of course Cristiano, you can almost say when he starts it is one guaranteed goal," said the United manager. "He has that record and he will score goals."
Despite his fine form, the Red Devils have lost three of their four games since Ronaldo's dream homecoming against Newcastle United, including a defeat by Champions League minnows Young Boys and an early Carabao Cup exit at the hands of West Ham United.
Players who used to take ownership of matches appear short of confidence, as though they are looking to Ronaldo to inspire the team to victory.
In hugely uncharacteristic fashion, Bruno Fernandes opted for power over placement after United were awarded an added-time penalty against Aston Villa on Saturday.
He only succeeded in blasting the ball high over the bar as Ronaldo watched on and the chance to salvage a point went begging.
Ronaldo responded to the home defeat by Villa with an encouraging message for his teammates, emphasising his position of leadership in the squad.
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He wrote on Instagram : "This is only the beginning, but in a competition as strong as the Premier League, every point counts! We must react immediately, get back on our feet and show our true strength."
Ronaldo's call for United to show their "true strength" is poignant given Bonucci's comments on how the Real Madrid legend is "lifted" by those around him.
"Maybe it was taken for granted that if we gave the ball to Cristiano he’d win us the game," added the 34-year-old. "But Cristiano needed the team as much as we needed him.
"There had to be a trade-off because it’s the team that lifts the individual even if the individual is the best player on the planet."
The lapses in effort and concentration experienced at Juventus were not limited to matches, either, but also occurred at the training ground.
Bonucci said: "We began to fall a little short in our daily work, the humility, the sacrifice, the desire to be there for your teammate day after day."
The Italy international's warning must be heeded by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the rest of the squad - or else United's slide may continue.
