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Erik ten Hag has made decisive choice over Man Utd star after errors, his position is clear
Manchester United entered the last international break following a miserable 3-0 defeat to Liverpool.
There were lots of awful aspects of losing to Liverpool at Old Trafford. One of the worst parts of the early September defeat was that the 3-0 loss was avoidable.
Liverpool’s goals all came from Manchester United errors. Two of them were Casemiro’s fault, and the experienced Brazilian was hauled off at half-time.
That was a quite public admonishment from Erik ten Hag, although you could argue that he was being kind, by taking him out of the firing line.
What has happened since has quite clearly demonstrated that Casemiro has been relegated in the pecking order.
Casemiro since Liverpool game
Manchester United have played four matches in all competitions since the Liverpool fixture, and Casemiro has barely featured at all.
Erik ten Hag has made his stance on Casemiro quite clear; he is now considered as a back-up.
| Opponent | Casemiro minutes |
| Southampton (A) | 3 |
| Barnsley (H) | 90 |
| Crystal Palace (A) | 0 |
| Twente (H) | 0 |
While Casemiro played 90 minutes against Barnsley, this was distinctly a second-tier match, against a team playing in League One.
In the Premier League across two matches, Casemiro has played a total of three minutes combined.
And then in the Europa League against Twente, Casemiro was once again overlooked.
Ten Hag made four substitutions in the 1-1 draw and declined to bring on a fifth, leaving the Brazilian watching on from the sidelines.
In United’s three opening games, Casemiro played 90 minutes against Fulham, 90 against Brighton, and then 45 versus Liverpool.
It has been a swift and decisive move from Erik ten Hag to move the Brazilian off the pitch and onto the bench.
Fourth choice midfielder
Manchester United have three big games coming up before the October international break, facing Tottenham Hotspur (H), Porto (A), and Aston Villa (A).
Casemiro could see some action in these matches, it would make sense for Erik ten Hag to utilise his squad.
But what’s clear is that a midfielder who was a regular starter is no longer guaranteed his spot.
He is now the fourth choice option, behind new signing Manuel Ugarte, wonderkid Kobbie Mainoo, and the surprisingly rejuvenated Christian Eriksen.
It’s impossible to know if Eriksen’s recent renaissance will last. The second 45 minutes against Twente may have been a step too far, his fourth consecutive start.
Mainoo’s game time also needs managing, while Ugarte is still adjusting to the club and is yet to start a Premier League game.
So you would think a player of Casemiro’s experience can play a role, in the right moment. At present, Erik ten Hag merely views him as a fourth option, and no more.
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