The Cristiano Ronaldo Man City myth was exposed by Manchester United's brutal derby beating

Manchester City were said to have missed a golden opportunity when they dd not land the Manchester United man in the summer

One of the narratives leading into Saturday’s Manchester derby was whether Manchester City had missed a trick in not landing Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer … and whether they might pay for that out on the pitch.

After 90 minutes in which they outclassed, out-passed and out-worked Manchester United, and Ronaldo was reduced to being a bit-part player, the debate is dead.

In the end, the only impression he made on the derby was the stud marks on Kevin De Bruyne's leg in an outrageous late lunge that earned him a yellow card that could easily have been red.

The extent of City’s interest on Ronaldo is a matter of conjecture, with some claiming they had got as far as making an agreement, and City sources refuting that, and saying he was never anything more than an interesting possibility, if the price was cheap enough.

City fans who despise the Portugal star from his first spell at Old Trafford were delighted that City did not get him, but some took the stance that he would have been the goalscoring striker the Blues need to put a final touch to their excellent squad.

There were some who were of the opinion that City needed a striker - any striker - in the summer, and that Ronaldo would have been a better option, with names like Dusan Vlahovic and Danny Ings being kicked around.

A striker, any striker, is better than no striker, went the logic.

That notion was smashed to pieces and washed away in the derby day drizzle as strikerless City bewitched the hapless Reds into a state of paralysis. Not only did they not play a number nine, they did not even play a true false nine, giving Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne - three intelligent footballers - licence to drift in and out of the spaces occupied by a United back three that was left looking gormless as it tried to mark opponents who came and went like Piccadilly pigeons.

That City would benefit from bringing in a striker is unquestionable. They would not have been prepared to break their own £100million British record to pick up Harry Kane had that not been the case.

But “any old striker” is not a viable option, even if that bracket included Ronaldo, who has been one of the world’s all-time great players.

A strange debate has emerged at Old Trafford, between those who see Ronaldo as the problem, and those who think he is the solution.

When he scores late winners or equalisers, he is hailed as being the man who is shouldering the burden, heaving an average United side along with him as he tried to stay in the Champions League, or keep pace at the top of the Premier League.

When he doesn’t score, his lack of running and pressing are highlighted, and he is picked out as a major factor in United’s biggest malaise - that they are a collection of individuals, who will almost always be second-best against a true team.

It seems odd that no-one ponders the alternative - that Ronaldo is both problem and solution, like those odd people who set fires and then start putting them out before the fire engines arise, false heroes.

That is not to disrespect Ronaldo - he has been a truly incredible footballer, and given the chances he is clearly still a good goalscorer.

But, while that might be enough for United, it would not have been a good fit in this City team.

He would have undoubtedly scored goals in a blue shirt. But would he have run like Bernardo, chased like De Bruyne and harried like Gundogan - the three players who brilliantly executed a big part of the Blues’ masterplan? No, he wouldn’t.

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To introduce an ego like Ronaldo into a beautifully smooth, sum-of-its-parts City machine that has an equilibrium that relies on everyone pulling their weight, in defence and attack, would have caused so much damage that his goals would not have been adequate compensation.

Whoever does fill the vacant striking slot at City will be expected - as Sergio Aguero was - to put in a shift in terms of pressing.

Kane does it for Tottenham, or at least he did until this season, when he has clearly been affected by Daniel Levy’s refusal to let him join City.

Erling Haaland does it for Borussia Dortmund too, and either of those players would be the final piece in the Blue jigsaw. But Ronaldo never was.