A key member of Erik ten Hag’s debut season at Manchester United has experienced a significant drop.
The success of a signing in relation to the amount paid depends on how long the good times last because everything finally comes to an end. No one could deny that Casemiro proved to be a wonderful signing last season, but the worries expressed at the time seem to be materializing today.
Just over a year ago, Manchester United made an approach for the midfielder after losing to Brentford and Brighton to start Erik ten Hag’s managerial tenure. It was clear that the position needed a quality reinforcement, but the team wasted time trying to sign Frenkie de Jong, who had no interest in moving.
The losses served as a much-needed wake-up call, leading to the end of the pursuit of the Dutchman. A fairly decent alternative appeared out of nowhere. The centerpiece of a team that has won the Champions League five times is Casemiro, a Real Madrid great.
Despite the player’s caliber, there were valid concerns about his signing. For a player in his 30s, £60 million is a large sum of money with no hope of ever recovering any of it. A four-year contract with an additional year’s option is risky since if he declines, you’ll be stuck paying his high salary.
In recent years, United had made it clear that they wanted to shift their focus away from established stars and toward younger players with great potential. After adding players like Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo, they were unable to follow through on their original objective. Casemiro is yet another illustration. a big star who makes a lot of money.
Some even questioned if Casemiro would be able to adjust to the Premier League after spending ten years in Madrid. He would move swiftly to disprove those skeptics and silence those who brought up the additional issues with the transfer—at least for a little while.
Ten Hag’s team was drastically changed by Casemiro. The team’s extraordinary improvement as they moved up the league and momentarily toyed with a title challenge was driven by his connection with Christian Eriksen. Although it didn’t work out, there was still hope at Old Trafford. He opened the scoring in the Carabao Cup final, fittingly ending United’s protracted trophy drought.
But after the victory, things started to go apart. The following league match saw Liverpool suffer a humiliating 7-0 thrashing, and three more losses would follow before the season was out. Once virtually guaranteed, a return to the Champions League was ultimately only narrowly achieved as momentum was lost. In games too
that were won, United frequently displayed a lack of offensive vigor and inspired flatness.
The victory against Newcastle in the cup final, which followed a thrilling victory over Barcelona in the Europa League, felt like the last time United played with conviction and a game plan as opposed to depending on individual flashes of brilliance from brilliant players to get by. Although by no means the only factor, Casemiro’s performance has been deteriorating at the same rate as United’s.
Casemiro was fatigued and uninspired against Brighton on Saturday, the Seagulls’ fourth straight league loss, bringing the overall score to 10-2. Traveling to South America and representing Brazil obviously helps, but this is not an unusual exception. Despite the fact that United has had a weak spot all season, Casemiro has mostly dodged criticism.
new signature Mason Mount has taken a lot of heat since his directive to press high exposed Casemiro. When surrounded by attackers, there isn’t much Casemiro can do, but this season he has already been bypassed too frequently.
Christian Eriksen’s return alongside him made a difference, but it wasn’t much because both of those games were lost 3-1. Maybe Casemiro is the connecting factor, and his diminishing performances have been costing without any fanfare?
Of course, there is yet hope. Since United have played poorly so far this season, Casemiro might resume his peak performance if things become better. There will be a natural and talented defensive midfielder available to play alongside Sofyan Amrabat and provide the support that is obviously required when he becomes available. Casemiro is a player with tremendous talent who still has a lot to offer United.
However, he is entering his final years of professional competition at the age of 31, making form nosedives tougher to recover from. All the hazards that were muted a year ago will return with a vengeance if Casemiro doesn’t improve. United had best hope he improves his game quickly, or else they’ll be stuck footing the tab.
