Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has identified a tactical aspect of Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign that he believes Casemiro has helped bring back to the club.
The Brazilian midfielder has been a key player for United since joining in the summer of 2022 and has been praised for his ability to play both in attack and defence.
Hargreaves, who played under Ferguson from 2007-2011, believes that Casemiro’s ability to pass the ball forward after winning it back is reminiscent of the legendary manager’s tactics.
In an interview with BT Sport, Hargreaves said, “Sir Alex always said: ‘When you win the ball back, play forward.’ He [Casemiro] wins it and he passes forward, he gets it to Bruno [Fernandes] or he gets it to [Christian] Eriksen, who play in Marcus [Rashford] or any of the attacking players.”
Casemiro has been instrumental in United’s success this season and has lost just four of the 40 games he has played since joining the club.
Without him, the Red Devils have lost four out of 11 games. Hargreaves believes that Casemiro’s contribution is vital to the team and has even named him as United’s player of the season.
According to Hargreaves, “My player of the year? Marcus made headlines, but the team is really different when Casemiro isn’t playing. It affects David de Gea, the four defenders and the midfield balance ground. It is the basic element.”
Casemiro has been highly praised by several pundits, including United legend Paul Scholes, who likened him to Roy Keane. Scholes said, “He’s a proper Manchester United midfielder that gets involved in everything.
You see him up the pitch, you see him defending, you see him controlling the game at times. He’s probably as close to Roy Keane as you’re going to get. I think he’s been brilliant. I think ‘holding midfielder’ just does him a little bit of an injustice.”
It is clear that Casemiro has made a significant impact on United’s style of play and his contribution has been invaluable to the team’s success.
His ability to win the ball back and quickly pass it forward has helped United to play a more attacking style of football, while also providing stability in defence. As the season progresses, Casemiro will undoubtedly continue to be a key player for United, and his performances will be crucial to their success.
