Erik Ten Hag may consider benching Casemiro in favor of his midfield “genius” for the Fulham match.
Manchester United’s 2023/24 season has been somewhat uncertain so far. The Red Devils are currently in sixth place in the Premier League rankings.
They are currently in good form, having won four of their past five top-flight games.
Erik ten Hag’s men presently have 44 points and will be seeking to break into the top four at the end of the season. In order to accomplish so, they must find five points on Aston Villa, who are now in fourth position under Unai Emery.
The first step in their crusade for Champions League qualification will be their upcoming clash against Fulham. The Cottagers are in the bottom half of the table and haven’t been in the best of form this season.
So, there is no doubt that United should come out of the other side of the game victorious. However, in regard to the way they’ll line up, that remains a mystery, particularly with the likes of Rasmus Hojlund and Luke Shaw set to be absent.
One player from the Red Devils’ squad who could be left out of the starting XI – not because of an injury issue – is that of Casemiro, with the Brazilian having proven something of a liability of late.
Casemiro’s recent performances
Casemiro joined United from Real Madrid in 2022 for a fee worth a reported £70m. Since arriving in Manchester, his form has certainly varied, with it hard to ascertain whether he should remain at the club beyond the end of the season.
For example, in the team’s latest clash against Luton Town, in which United won 2-1, the Brazil international was withdrawn at half-time after picking up an early yellow card.
As per Sofascore, against the Hatters, the 32-year-old only managed to win two duels out of nine attempted and even lost possession seven times. When these statistics are compared to Kobbie Mainoo’s, it puts into perspective how poorly the more experienced asset played.
Throughout the game, Mainoo, by contrast, won a total of six duels out of 15 attempted and lost possession of the ball the same number of times. However, it does need to be taken into account that the youngster played an additional 45 minutes compared to his Brazilian counterpart.
After Casemiro was taken off the pitch on Sunday, Scott McTominay replaced him. After entering the pitch, the Scotland international managed to outperform the 6 foot anchor on all accounts, notably winning more duels (four) and only losing possession a total of four times during his 45 minutes on the pitch.
However, although the United academy graduate is a valid option to replace the Brazil international, across the season he has shown that he is more of an impact sub rather than a starter.
The midfielder has started a fair few games for the Red Devils this season, but, no player has scored more goals than him off the bench (4.) This outlines how important he is in the latter stages of the game and highlights why Ten Hag would be better off unleashing him late on – or perhaps deploying him further forward in the absence of Hojlund
This begs the question, if Casemiro is getting dropped and McTominay isn’t replacing him, who could?
Why Christian Eriksen is the ideal replacement for Casemiro
Described as an “absolute genius” by Statman Dave, Christian Eriksen’s style of play is exactly what United need to shore up the centre of the park.
Although the Denmark international has not yet set the footballing world alight following his move to Ten Hag’s side, it is hard to say he hasn’t made an impact.
Across all competitions this season, the Dane has made a total of 19 appearances and has managed to contribute one goal and two assists, having previously provided 12 goal involvements in 44 games in 2022/23.
Despite being deployed in more advanced roles this season – while also failing to feature in the last four league outings – Eriksen could offer a more controlled presence ahead of Casemiro due to his range of passing, as he ranks in the top 14% among his European peers for progressive passes per 90.
With United on home turf, and with the youthful presence of Mainoo alongside him, the former Tottenham Hotspur man could be afforded the time and space to dictate the game, with United notably needing greater control after remarkably enjoying less possession than their hosts last weekend.
It would also allow Ten Hag to change tactical styles in-game if and when needed. For example, if they’re seeking a goal, the Dutch tactician could push Eriksen forward and add another forward to their attack.
That tactical flexibility could prove vital as United seek to maintain their winning run, with Eriksen among what could be a handful of changes this afternoon.
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