It seems bizarre to suggest Cristiano Ronaldo can negatively impact a team but after the honeymoon period of his return to Manchester United was over, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer found himself in a predicament.
Despite his relentless goalscoring output, critics were beginning to label Ronaldo as a hinderance for the Red Devils due to his lack of mobility at the age of 36.
Pressing less than any of the 'Big Six's' other forwards, United became easier to play through and unbalanced when they did attempt to close down the opposition.
So, off the back of losing 5-0 to Liverpool at Old Trafford and with a match at Tottenham Hotspur on the horizon, Solskjaer was handed a way to counter one of Ronaldo's few deficiencies.
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Long before the team sheets were exchanged last Saturday evening, Edinson Cavani had made sure to be the man Solskjaer would turn to in order to solve his problem.
In fact, it was in Tuesday's training session that week - their first post-Liverpool hammering - when the Red Devils boss was assured that Cavani would take his chance at Tottenham, as he started and scored United's crucial second goal to make it 2-0 after Ronaldo had broke the headlock.
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"Tuesday morning’s training session by Edinson Cavani is probably the best I’ve seen by an individual since I’ve come here and he led the line," Solskjaer told reporters after beating Spurs.
"He went as a good example for everyone how to go about changing the mood, changing the performance."
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Ronaldo was the man to set Cavani up for his first goal of the season, having only started two matches this term, one of which saw him substituted off after 57 minutes.
The ex- Paris Saint-Germain striker, who is himself 34, became a cult hero in 2020-21 for his tenacious work rate and non-stop pressing, not to mention 11 goals in his final 10 games of the campaign.
But when Ronaldo re-signed during the transfer window, fans feared that Cavani, who had agreed a contract extension in the spring after much deliberation, would be left struggling for game-time due to he and Ronaldo's roles being similar.
The Uruguayan even gave up his No.7 short for the returning five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
But as the 3-0 romp in north London proved, the pair are polar opposites in many respects.
While they both enjoy operating between the goalposts and are less involved in build-up play, Cavani will hassle and harry opposition defenders all day while Ronaldo prefers to sustain his energy.
The duo, who boast a combined 1,208 career goals between them, will strike fear into any defence but also act as examples to United's less experienced players.
While Ronaldo's off-the-pitch impact is well documented, Solskjaer told manutd.com about Cavani's more personal qualities ahead of his team's trip to Atalanta in the Champions League.
"It’s just as we said: we needed a reaction," the Norwegian explained, referencing the 5-0 loss that preceded the Tottenham victory.
"He stood up to the plate with his experience and being a top professional. You cannot let a game of football punish you too much.
"You have to step up again. You can’t feel sorry for yourself.
"You have to do everything properly. It doesn’t matter if you win 5-0 or lose 5-0, you have to come in the next day and do absolutely everything right.
"There was no sulking. He just came in with the determination to prove we’ll rise again. That’s what we do."
Cavani's goals may be one plus of still having him around, but his attitude and work rate are second to none.
