Casemiro has been one of Manchester United’s most influential signings in the ‘post-Ferguson’ era.
The Brazilian was not Erik ten Hag’s first-choice midfielder last summer, with United spending all summer chasing Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong.
A failed pursuit of De Jong compelled the club to act quickly and pay the £60 million for Casemiro.
The 31 year old has turned out to be a revelation at Old Trafford.
He has significantly improved United’s defence while also contributing to their attack.
He is the master at sniffing out danger and making crucial interceptions that win you games.
The Carabao Cup final was a prime example of his brilliance.
David de Gea‘s sloppy pass has United in all sorts of trouble. Casemiro’s last-ditch tackle prevented a goal and, in turn, won United the cup.
The Athletic show some essential stats regarding United’s performances with and without Casemiro.
United concede 1.1 goal per game when he starts compared to 1.7 when he doesn’t.
“The numbers fit the eye test when watching United matches that Casemiro detects the state of the game and acts accordingly.”
“The margin does not necessarily matter. A crucial detail is the shots United concede per game being 16.2 when he doesn’t start and 10.2 when he does.”
Some have criticised Casemiro’s lazy passing, but that is to be expected from a player not known for his actions in the second and third phases of play.
At Real Madrid, he was accompanied by Toni Kroos and Luka Modric – two of the best midfielders of their generation.
Casemiro did not have the responsibility of creating from deep. His main job was to break up the play and feed the ball to more progressive midfielders.
At United, due to the lack of technical quality in the midfield, the Brazilian takes charge of creating chances from deep, leading to a loss of possession on occasions.
Overall, he has elevated this team to a new level.
United will miss him for the next four matches as he serves his suspension.
