After the thrashing at the hands of Manchester City and the unconvincing performance against Omonia Nicosia in the Europa League, Manchester United were under pressure to put on a spirited display against Everton.
Erik ten Hag, mindful of the disappointing displays put on by some players recently, opted to give general midfielder Casemiro a much-anticipated start on Sunday at Goodison Park.
Casemiro helps Utd to victory
And the Brazilian played a vital role as United held on to secure a nervy 2-1 win with all three goals coming in the first half.
There were questions about whether the former Real Madrid star could handle the intensity and frenetic pace of the Premier League.
Casemiro won 4/5 tackles against Everton, twice as many as any other player on the pitch.
He won the midfield battle on his own. ???????????? pic.twitter.com/4H9736YcX6
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) October 9, 2022
Ten Hag had until yesterday, he opted for Scott McTominay in part because of his improved displays and because he knows what the league is all about.
Based on Sunday’s examination, the 30-year-old passed with flying colors with a man of the match award to boot.
But that doesn’t mean his game was perfect. As Laurie Whitwell points out in her article for The Athletic, the Brazilian “gives the ball away more than any other United player”.
According to Opta, Casemiro lost possession 17 times, two more than Eriksen and Martínez. But he more than made up for it with interceptions from him, regaining possession nine times, matching Eriksen as United’s best in that regard.
The goal that United conceded stemmed from a mistake made by the Brazil international when he tried to take his time deep in United territory, but was harassed by Amadou Onana.
The ball eventually fell into the hands of Alex Iwobi, who twisted the ball into the net and past David de Gea.
Casemiro showed mental resilience by not letting that mistake shatter his confidence. Too many times pundits and pundits have pointed out how certain players hang their heads after a mistake.
Casemiro adapting to PL
The defensive midfielder is certainly not one of them and his assist for Cristiano Ronaldo’s 700th career club goal was outstanding. He initially made a mistake before expertly regaining possession and passing it to first without having to steady himself.
Athletic noted that Casemiro likes to take risks but is not averse to constructive criticism as he strives to improve himself in this difficult league.
“He is very interested in this aspect, since a provider sends him his statistics after the games. He constantly asks about recoveries, passing accuracy, short passes, long passes and covered areas,” Whitwell revealed.
And after Scott McTominay’s fifth yellow card of the season ruling him out of the Newcastle clash, Casemiro is once again ready to start next week.
His application off the court learning English and mingling with his teammates has impressed everyone and now his chances on the court are sure to increase.
Now it’s up to Casemiro to keep up the good work with games set to arrive fast and plentiful.
