Casemiro’s struggles suggest a deeper problem in Man United’s midfield

It was arguably one of the most painful forty-five minutes of football in Casemiro’s glittering career; at a minimum it was certainly his most disappointing in a Manchester United shirt.

As Erik ten Hag’s side slumped to an abject 0-3 loss against Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday, the Brazilian midfielder had already exited the game at half-time. Hooked in favour of 20-year-old academy graduate Toby Collyer after back-to-back mistakes gifted United’s rivals a 2-0 lead by the 42nd minute, a part of Casemiro was likely relieved to be have been relieved of duty.

There were no excuses for either of the 32-year-old’s errors, given the devastating consequences of both.

The first, an errant pass leaving United short at the back, which Liverpool’s lethal attack duly punished with Luis Diaz converting Mohammed Salah’s cross. Seven minutes later, the Brazilian midfielder was dispossessed far too easily by Diaz with a decisive counter-attack once again finished by the Colombian international courtesy of a Salah cross.

Two shots; two goals; two-nil; and too much for a mentally fragile side to handle.

It was ruthless efficiency from new manager Arne Slot’s side, despite Ten Hag having actually watched his side start the game reasonably well. This quickly waned, however, and Liverpool’s first goal caused the United players’ heads to drop, likely driven, in part, at bemusement that a Champions League winning defensive midfielder on £300,000 a week could play such a poor pass in such a crucial moment in their biggest game of the season.

But, as Gary Neville once famously remarked, ‘This is Manchester United’.

A Casemiro Problem or a Midfield Problem? 

Both of Casemiro’s mistakes were awful examples of midfield play. But was the ease with which Liverpool were able to punish them indicative of a deeper problem in United’s midfield?

Given, eleven minutes into the second-half after the Brazilian had been substituted, Liverpool were able to score a third from an identical mistake by Kobbie Mainoo, it seems so. Carl Anka (The Athletic) certainly believes it.

The reporter describes Ten Hag as “having a midfield problem”, before posing the question of whether the Dutchman “ha[s] the players to fix it?” He describes United’s engine room as “disconnected from one another” with large spaces between Casemiro, Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes indicative of an ineffective midfield. Liverpool’s midfield three – Ryan Gravenberch, Alex MacAllister and Dominik Szobozlai – were a “stronger, more connected” unit, Anka contends.

The large spaces on the pitch that United midfielders are forced to contend with would not be accepted by managers of other big clubs.

The forward line’s press, which has undoubtedly improved this season and offers a template towards success for United, is often counterposed by the defence’s deep line. This leaves the midfield with huge gaps to plug; something the trio of Casemiro, Mainoo and Fernandes do not possess the athleticism to do so. It was one of the defining issues of last season’s dreadful campaign.

There were signs of improvement of this in the Red Devils’ opening games of the season – the Community Shield final against Manchester City and the first two Premier League games versus Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion – but there were painful flashbacks to last year at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The absence of Mason Mount, ruled out with injury once again after being precautionarily substituted at half-time against Brighton, impacted United’s midfield structure. The team’s ability to effectively press and counter-press also suffered without the 25-year-old.

But Ten Hag had been forced to play Mount and Fernandes in an unorthodox false nine pairing due to Rasmus Hojlund’s injury and new signing Joshua Zirkzee’s lack of fitness. The increased solidity in the centre of the pitch this choice engendered was almost by chance; without it, there was an uncomfortable return to last season’s porous sieve in midfield.

Will the introduction of Manuel Ugarte – the 23-year-old defensive midfielder signed from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day and paraded at Old Trafford before the game – solve this issue? Or simply create another victim in the increasingly long line of defensive midfielders exposed in Ten Hag’s system?

Sofyan Amrabat would likely have a certain view on the matter; as would Casemiro.

Plugging the Gaps in Midfield

Ten Hag’s answer to these questions would almost certainly be one of disappointment that his players, over twenty-eight months after his appointment from Ajax, are still not executing his instructions correctly. And there may be a slither of truth to this.

The Dutchman is seeking to implement a fast-paced system predicated on pressing and counter-pressing, which seeks to control the match through control of transitions. This approach requires mobility and energy in midfield off the ball, as well as accuracy in possession with it.

At 32 years of age, having never been a deep-lying playmaker nor a high-energy ball winner, Casemiro is an increasingly uncomfortable fit in this system.

Someone like Ugarte – whose combative style and tireless work rate lends itself perfectly to a transition-based philosophy – is a much better fit. And while the Uruguayan international is not particularly progressive with the ball, he is extremely accurate with it and rarely loses possession. It’s unlikely he would have fallen foul of either of the mistakes which Casemiro produced on Sunday, as an example.

Ugarte should help United play with far more purpose in terms of pressing and counter-pressing. He is not a traditional holding midfielder, in the mould of Michael Carrick as an example; rather, he’s a heat-seeking missile for the ball. Ten Hag wants his side to force as many transitions as possible and Ugarte is the perfect midfielder to do this.

This style will undoubtedly create gaps in midfield, however. And it will require a braver defensive line, spearheaded by fellow new signing Matthijs de Ligt, to condense the pitch and minimise these spaces. It’s this positioning of his defence higher up the pitch which Ten Hag will undoubtedly be looking at as a solution to the problems on Sunday (and last season).

Whether the Dutchman’s vision will ever be realised in Manchester remains to be seen. After two years of coaching this squad, the progress from his fingerprints on it should be far more evident than the showing against Liverpool. Slot’s minor adjustments to Jurgen Kopp’s system were effective; why were Ten Hag’s improvements to his own not?

Is Casemiro Finished? 

Gary Neville compared Casemiro’s first-half performance to that of his own against West Bromwich Albion in 2011 which eventually led to the right-back’s retirement at Old Trafford. It was a defining moment in Neville’s mind for the 32-year-old.

United would certainly have accepted Casemiro’s departure this summer if a suitable offer had arrived from the Saudi Arabia. It did not, however, with the Pro League focusing on younger players in their prime this year, compared to the geriatric resort the league became last summer.

The Brazilian looked leaner in pre-season and a particularly impressive display against Real Betis offered optimism of a resurgence rather than a continued decline. This was countered by a poor performance against Liverpool in South Carolina, however; one which helped the Merseyside club to a 3-0 win over United.

Sound familiar?

Ideally, Casemiro would have been sold this summer with his transfer fee (and freed up wages) funding a younger replacement. Instead, United were forced to sell Scott McTominay against the wishes of their manager to sign an upgrade on Casemiro.

And while Sunday’s performance was undoubtedly abysmal as a collective, the Brazilian did have positive contributions in individual moments. There remains a certain utility the experienced serial winner can offer, even if his legs cannot always match his intentions. It just requires Ten Hag to be precise in when he chooses to play the 32-year-old.

Casemiro will look a far better defensive midfielder with Mainoo and Ugarte deployed as a pair ahead of him. This will help plug the aforementioned gaps in midfield which have plagued United during Ten Hag’s tenure. And it will be an approach only necessary in the biggest games – Liverpool at Old Trafford or Manchester City at the Etihad, as examples – where United are content to play more cautiously.

In the club’s next outing – an away trip to Southampton where the Red Devils will look to dominate, rather than conserve – Casemiro can provide leadership and experience from the bench; an asset in the dressing room more than one on the pitch. A pivot of Ugarte and Mainoo can start in the centre of the pitch, buttressed by a defence willing to step up and support the midfield, rather than drop and leave it isolated, helping the attacking unit to press from the front more effectively.

If United can play as a more cohesive unit across the entire pitch, and it feels a big if on the Monday after a 3-0 defeat to the club’s biggest rivals on Sunday, Ten Hag’s vision for his team should begin to be realised. If it isn’t, the Dutchman can have few complaints given he’s in his third season at Old Trafford with a squad largely built upon his recommendations.

The question of whether Casemiro can play a role in this improvement will be one only answered with time. It’s unlikely, however, that the Brazilian will be the only midfielder struggling in a system where every other player is thriving. Rather, it feels more accurate to say that if Casemiro continues to have issues in the centre of the pitch for United, his teammates will also be experiencing the same problem.

United’s midfield will improve or continue to struggle as a collective; not as individuals.

Casemiro’s performance on Sunday was indicative that he is no longer the player who dominated European football at Real Madrid. But it was also a warning sign of a deeper problem in the centre of the pitch at Old Trafford; a symptom rather than the disease itself.

If Casemiro looks as bad in a United shirt by February as he did at the beginning of September, it’s extremely unlikely Ten Hag will be one managing him in March.

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