Manchester United has not just failed to replace Casemiro
Erik ten Hag has stated that Manchester United had been able to function without Casemiro this season, but the weekend loss to Newcastle proved otherwise.
Even when they have won without the former Real Madrid player, there has been a noticeable decline in quality, albeit they have often avoided loss.
United’s approach at St. James’ Park demonstrated how much they are struggling in midfield. Not just from Casemiro’s absence, but also from the continuing absence of Christian Eriksen.
Ten Hag’s ideal mentality is for this United team to be calm and inventive with the ball at their feet; his two summer additions in midfield are the essence of that style of play.
Casemiro and Eriksen not only have the passing range and technical ability to create something out of nothing, but they are also both enormously seasoned and seldom show signs of nervousness on the field.
Their experience would have been invaluable on Sunday, but with none to choose from, Ten Hag was forced to deploy a patchwork midfield that lacked the poise he requires.
What’s more concerning is that United has now collected only one point from away games this season against Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Newcastle.
The only game in which Casemiro and Eriksen both started was the one at Stamford Bridge, where they earned a single point. That makes those four losses less s/u/r/p/r/i/s/i/n/g.
United has fared well since the Danish international was injured against Reading in January. They’ve won 10, drawn three, and lost two games.
That is, at least, how it seems on paper; anybody who has seen United over the previous three months will note that they haven’t had the same domination in matches and have had to depend on brief bursts to inflict their damage, rather than dominating the majority of a game.
United’s recent record has been boosted by cup wins, but the picture is drastically different in the Premier League. After Eriksen’s injury, they have only won three of seven games in the Premier League.
Ten Hag has said that he would want to add another creative midfielder to his squad during the summer transfer window, but their activities in January show that it is easier said than done.
They could only afford a loan signing with their limited funds, and despite his best efforts, Marcel Sabitzer would be more of a supplemental squad addition than a substantial replacement this summer.
Ten Hag’s team choices in recent weeks have been strange due to the obvious need for another senior creative midfielder. With Aaron Wan-late Bissaka’s withdrawal, United chose two goalkeepers on the bench against Newcastle, when Kobbie Mainoo or Zidane Iqbal would have made more sense.
The duo is both raw young talents who may not have been able to alleviate the Tyneside anguish, but they would have provided another choice given the circumstances.
Even with the loss to Newcastle, they still have a chance to finish in the top four, and it is difficult to imagine two teams having the consistency to make them pay if they continue to lose points.
United would also a/r/g/u/e that they have been through a difficult period of the season without two of their most prominent players and perhaps their most vital pairing, but there is light at the end of the tunnel with Casemiro returning next week and Eriksen already working on grass.
When those two summer additions return to the club, it will be a more accurate picture of where they are, but the sad f/a/c/t is that they must also learn to deal with when they are not present.
United has not been able to replace Casemiro, and they have also been unable to replace Eriksen.
