admin Casemiro has been unbeatable for most of his Man United career, but he is currently ineligible to start games.
Of all the problems facing Manchester United at the moment, perhaps the most worrying is that two of last season’s best players now look completely lacking in confidence. .
Marcus Rashford and Casemiro formed the backbone of United’s rejuvenated series a year ago and were the two players they relied on more than anyone to make the difference when it mattered most.
Now they are empty shells of their former selves and no one can protect themselves if they are left out of the lineup when club football resumes in just under two weeks.
Alejandro Garnacho is a likely replacement for Erik ten Hag after his breakthrough performance against Brentford, but United were looking for cover in defensive midfield even before signing Casemiro was struggling with
It may not be a problem for a while. Sofian Amrabat was originally signed to represent United’s midfield specialist. In fact, he may be needed as a replacement for him.
Casemiro’s performance levels have been a concern all season, and that continued in the dramatic comeback win over Brentford at the weekend.
His carelessness in possession was a key factor in the first goal of the match, and he was also the victim at half-time when Ten Hag made a tactical change.
The Brazilian has started every game for United this season, the only time he didn’t start was when he scored two late goals against Bayern Munich, but he has suffered a worrying slump in form. He has managed to score 4 goals in all competitions.
Casemiro is beginning to show signs of his veteran status, and while the 31-year-old was able to get by for the majority of last season by reading the game so effectively, his mobility is now proving to be a serious issue, and he is being specifically targeted by opponents as a result.
At his best, he is still a world-class midfielder thanks to his defensive and creative qualities, though such performances are becoming less common, and he looks like he needs to be taken out of the team for his own sake as well as the team’s sake.
There is still hope that Casemiro can recreate the exceptional form he showed last season, though perhaps there must be some acceptance that he is a player on the decline and he must be used sparingly to preserve any performance levels.
It was an issue for United last season as well, but now it is finally a viable train of thought given the arrival of Amrabat and his impressive midfield display at the weekend.
While the late double certainly changed the mood and gave a much more positive reflection of another poor United performance, there was encouragement from the way in which their midfield loan signing played.
Amrabat looked far more comfortable in a central position and caught the eye with a methodical approach that saw him complete 97% of his 64 attempted passes, three of which were key passes. He also had 75 touches on the ball and won two ground duels.
Again, it is important to point out that just because United won, it does not mean they played well, and the real test for Amrabat will come when he is entrusted to sit at the base of the midfield in place of Casemiro for an entire match.
It could come after the international break when United travel to face Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, with change perhaps needed if they are to minimise the risk of more dropped points in a match they will be expected to win.
