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Manchester United’s poor form has been partly down to the number of injuries suffered by first-team players while the form of big-name players has been another major reason.
A lot has been written about the drop in form of Marcus Rashford but midfielder Casemiro has been a shadow of his former self, arguably a bigger miss for the club.
The Brazilian was even substituted at half-time during the contest against Brentford which United ended up winning and manager Erik ten Hag admitted that the Brazil international was not performing as expected.
Casemiro has let his team down
The entire season so far has been characterised by Casemiro abandoning his post and trying to join the team’s attack, thus leaving a lot of space for the opposition to counter.
The former Real Madrid midfielder has been criticised by pundits and fans alike and following his red card against Galatasaray in the Champions League, there is a chance he could be rested for a few games.
journalist Ben Jacobs has told GIVEMESPORT that Erik ten Hag is set to have a one-on-one conversation with Casemiro to understand his mental condition and how to best help him regain the form he showed last season.
The 31-year-old has enjoyed a tremendously successful club career and he knows what it takes to win and Ten Hag will be hoping a chat with the midfielder can help him understand what the manager wants.
“He is very well-liked at the club. But if you ask him to fulfill a new role, change something or train a different way, there will still be some pushback. That’s not because there is necessarily tension or friction, but just because that’s how established, elite-level players work.
ETH-Casemiro meeting
“They’ve had success all their lives while often doing things one way, and Casemiro spent so long at Real Madrid that he is probably not going to dramatically change that.
“I think what ten Hag will do, as I understand it, is hold some one-on-one talks with Casemiro to understand what’s happening this season and find a solution. That solution, after the international break, may involve a few more minutes for Scott McTominay.”
After a difficult start in Ten Hag’s first season, it was Casemiro who came in and changed the way the team played and the manager must have been hoping for more of the same but it has not been forthcoming.
United are eyeing another midfield addition as early as January and Casemiro must improve or risk losing his place in the starting line-up.