Football pundit accuses Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag for Casemiro’s poor performances
Football pundit and former professional footballer Martin Keown voiced his concerns in his Daily Mail column. He questioned Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag‘s role in Casemiro‘s struggle with form at the club.
United signed Casemiro from Real Madrid for £70m in August of 2022. The Brazilian international began his United career with the same form that had made him a key player in Madrid’s five Champions League victories.
The 31-year-old’s form significantly declined in the latter half of the 2022-23 season and that has continued this season, highlighted by the worrying statistics related to him being dribbled past 12 times before the international break this term. Fans and football experts have speculated about the reasons behind this sudden drop in form.
In his Daily Mail column, Keown wrote about the reasons he believes Ten Hag’s tactics and setup are responsible for Casemiro’s poor performance, stating:
“Casemiro has been sitting deep with Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes further forward, either side of him. United are the Premier League’s worst culprits for letting opponents dribble past them and Casemiro tops the list. But it does not help that the 31-year-old Brazilian is often left on his own to deal with the flood of opposition players coming through the middle.”
Many concluded that the dip in confidence was due to the red cards Casemiro received in the games against Crystal Palace and Southampton last season.
Casemiro has featured in all four Premier League games United has played so far this season. However, he has continued to deliver a series of poor performances as the opposition targetted the vulnerable midfield.
United are currently lying in the 11th position on the Premier League table due to the poor start.
Keown’s questioning of Ten Hag holds valid ground, as Casemiro often found himself left alone to cover the defence.
As he approaches the latter stage of his prime career years, the 31-year-old has experienced the impact of age on certain aspects of his game. This has led to a decline in certain aspects of his performance like his ability to cover the ground.
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We hope that Ten Hag can help Casemiro regain his form with changes in his tactics to accommodate the Brazilian. Pairing him with Sofyan Amrabat in a double pivot doesn’t sound like a bad idea.
