Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils revolution is up and running — and Casemiro is the glue holding it together.
The Brazilian star joined Manchester United from Real Madrid for £70million in August, as part of a £200m spending spree at Old Trafford.
And he is proving to be worth every penny after a series of sensational displays at the heart of midfield.
Ahead of United’s clash with West Ham this afternoon, we take a look at how Casemiro is helping to transform his new club’s fortunes.
Winning mentality
Casemiro arrived in Manchester with plenty of pedigree, having won a remarkable 16 trophies across eight seasons in Madrid.
That haul included three LaLiga titles and four Champions League triumphs and now the 30-year-old is bringing that winning mentality to Old Trafford.
The Red Devils are unbeaten in the four Premier League matches that Casemiro has started — as well as winning three out of the four Europa League games where he has featured for over an hour.
Problem solving
Manchester United’s midfield has been their Achilles’ heel for a number of seasons — but Casemiro is bringing balance to their engine room.
The Sao Paulo native has the defensive attributes to free his central team-mates from their shackles, allowing Bruno Fernandes, Christian Eriksen or Fred to support attacks more effectively.
That was particularly evident in the 2-0 victory over Tottenham earlier this month, when Fred was transformed by the freedom that Casemiro’s presence afforded him as he chipped in with a goal and an assist.
United’s No18 is also assured with the ball at his feet, which is helping the Red Devils dominate possession more effectively than in previous campaigns.
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Growing in importance
Ten Hag is understandably delighted with Casemiro’s performances in recent weeks.
Reflecting on the 64-cap international’s stoppage-time equaliser in last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea, he said: “That is why we brought him in, we know he’s capable of doing that.
“He proved it in Spain, in the Champions League, at the highest level. So he could also do it in the Premier League.
“He needed a short period to adapt to that, and now from game to game you see him growing, and how important he is for our game.
“He offers composure, organisation — and also when he scores a goal as well, then you bring a lot to a team.”
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Crunching the numbers
Casemiro’s underlying numbers reflect the impact that he is having at Old Trafford.
No player in the Premier League has made more tackles per 90 minutes than his 5.13 this season, while he is inside the division’s top 20 performers for both interceptions (1.85) and possession regains in the middle third (4.1) per 90.
The anchorman is also a significant aerial presence — registering a commendable 1.85 headed clearances per 90.
Meanwhile, an average of 82 touches per match reflects Casemiro’s desire to get involved in play and influence the game.
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Added quality
Manchester United have enjoyed a significant upturn in fortunes since their early season woes — and former Red Devils midfielder Paul Scholes believes that Casemiro is the driving force behind that improvement.
He said: “You can see that the stats speak for themselves, the quality that he [Casemiro] has brought to this team.
“When you look at the Real Madrid team, you always seem to think of [Luka] Modric and [Toni] Kroos and their quality, but this fella probably got overlooked in that. I think we are now seeing the real quality.
“I didn’t expect him to be as good on the ball, but, obviously, he is. We have seen that again and he links the play just as well as Eriksen does, really, with his forward passing and one-touch passing.
“I’m not sure he is going to be scoring loads of goals, but that’s not what he is in the team for. I think the real step-up in quality from what we saw at the start of the season to what we’re seeing now has made this team a lot better.”
New boss Ten Hag will be hoping that his strong run of form continues against the Hammers later.
Source: Livescore