Erik ten Hag claims Casemiro did not start against Man City thanks to Scott McTominay
Speaking in an interview ahead of Manchester United’s clash against Omonia in the Europa League as quoted by the Mirror, Erik ten Hag has claimed that Casemiro was benched for the game against Manchester City due to the form of Scott McTominay.
Casemiro made the move from Real Madrid to Manchester United in the summer and has since struggled to get going at Old Trafford. Ten Hag seems to show a preference for McTominay and this has meant that the Brazilian is yet to start a Premier League game for the Red Devils.
The serial winner did start the game against Real Sociedad in the Europa League which the Red Devils lost 1-0. Still, it’s baffling to see the Dutch manager spend big money on the former Real Madrid man and not utilising him.
Casemiro is a legend of Real Madrid. There is no trophy that the Brazilian has not won with the Spanish giants and he has been a part of one of the most illustrious midfield trios to have graced the game.
A key player under different managers at the Bernabeu, it was expected that the Brazilian holding midfielder would slot in seamlessly into Erik ten Hag’s team. However, that has been far from the case.
Yet, ten Hag has offered Casemiro hope and revealed that the 30-year-old’s exclusion was more to do with the form the McTominay has been showing.
“It had nothing to do with Casemiro, it had all to do with Scott. When he wasn’t in the team at Brentford, we lost. Casemiro will have an important role, we know his background, the titles he’s won, you see every day in training.”
Too good to be benched?
The Brazilian world-class midfielder will be hoping to start tonight’s clash against Omonia as he looks to build up to speed with the new season. A good showing today could influence ten Hag’s decision this weekend.
Casemiro is too good a player to be kept out for too long. He has an impressive pedigree and also comes with a wealth of experience behind him and it’s only a matter of time before he becomes a regular starter at Manchester.
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A fit and firing Casemiro could be a lethal weapon for the Red Devils. Let’s hope the Brazilian settles in really quickly and starts showing that level, hopefully starting tonight.