MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 28: Casemiro of Manchester United celebrates after scoring a goal to ... [+]
Nobody has been more instrumental in the improvement of Manchester United this season than Casemiro. Indeed, the Brazilian midfielder has given Erik Ten Hag everything he needed from a new midfield anchor with the 30-year-old raising the benchmark for players in his position. Casemiro is now United’s beating heart.
Under Ten Hag, Manchester United have risen to fourth place in the Premier
Without Casemiro, though, it’s unlikely Manchester United would have made such giant strides forward. The Brazilian has improved all sides of United’s game with his performance in Saturday’s FA Cup fourth round against Reading demonstrating how important he has become in an attacking sense.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 28: Casemiro of Manchester United scores the team's first goal during ... [+]
Most were aware of Casemiro’s ability as a defensive-minded midfielder. He achieved a great deal of success during nine years at Real Madrid, earning himself a reputation as one of the finest midfield anchors in European soccer. His instincts and positional awareness give him an advantage over other players in his position.
But not as many were aware of Casemiro’s ability on the ball. The 30-year-old has quickly become a key part of how Manchester United construct attacks from deep with Casemiro able to pick out a pass from 40 yards away - this has helped to get the best out of Marcus Rashford in particular who has scored nine goals in his last 10 appearances.
Casemiro isn’t the ball carrier Ten Hag wanted last summer when he targeted Frenkie de Jong. The Brazilian doesn’t frequently beat opponents with his dribbling, but he does carry a goal threat, as he showcased with two goals against Reading in the FA Cup. Casemiro is strong in the air and can find the back of the net from outside the box.
WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 31: Casemiro of Manchester United speaks with Erik ten Hag, ... [+]
“He [Casemiro] is really important with all his experience, but he is such a smart player and intelligent,” said Manchester United manager Ten Hag after his team’s FA Cup win on Saturday. “He knows the positions, how to deal with the ball and also he is creative as well, and we are really happy with him. He is important for the improvement of the team.”
Manchester United are far from being the finished product under Ten Hag, but they are certainly heading in the right direction. United haven’t boasted a midfield anchor of Casemiro’s calibre since the days of Roy Keane and the Brazilian has given Ten Hag structure to build around. Casemiro’s arrival at Old Trafford has been transformational.
