NO CASEMIRO NO PROBLEM
Ten Hag echoes Alf Ramsey as he plans to take on leaders without his influential Brazilian leader
ERIK TEN HAG echoed Sir Alf Ramsey when he addressed Casemiro’s suspension from Manchester United’s clash with Premier League leaders Arsenal tomorrow. “Last time, we beat Arsenal without Casemiro,” said Ten Hag. “So this time we have to do the same again.” After Germany equalised to send the 1966 World Cup final into extra-time, Ramsey (right) famously told England’s players: “You’ve won it once, now go out and win it again.” Casemiro’s enforced absence, after picking up a fifth booking of the season in United’s 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace on Wednesday, is a huge blow for the trip to the Emirates.
Ten Hag often refers to the five-time Champions League winner as “the cement between the stones” and the experienced
Brazil star has been a key factor in
United’s resurgence this season.
Casemiro has started United’s last 12 Premier League games, a solitary defeat in that run underlining the importance of the 30-year-old to Ten Hag’s side.
The reality for the manager is that he does not possess a specialist holding midfielder to replace Casemiro, certainly not one with his intelligent reading of the game and his passing range. The last time Fred played there, alongside Christian Eriksen, United lost 4-0 at Brentford (above), while the last time Scott Mctominay was deployed in the role, United shipped six goals at Manchester City (above left).
Casemiro will clearly be a huge loss but United cannot afford to lose if they are to maintain their unlikely title push and remain on course to secure a top-four place.
Ten Hag knows the scale of the task facing his side at Arsenal, in particular the importance of winning the midfield battle. If United are overrun in the centre of the pitch, Arsenal will run amok.
In Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka and Martin Odegaard, they possess arguably the most complete midfield in the Premier League, complemented by a formidable front three of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah, in for the injured Gabriel Jesus.
United will need to nullify Arsenal’s midfield and stop the supply to the front three, if they are to have any chance of leaving north London with something. One option for Ten Hag is to partner Fred with Eriksen, banking on the former’s industry and work ethic to fill the void left by Casemiro (above right).
Another option would be to get an extra midfielder in the centre, to match up to Arsenal, playing Mctominay alongside Eriksen, with Fred slightly more advanced and able to drop back in to help defend, with a front three of Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Antony. Ten Hag could opt for a third, far bolder move, by moving Lisandro Martinez into central midfield, alongside Eriksen, keeping Luke Shaw in central defence and Tyrell Malacia at left-back, where they both played against City.
Whatever personnel and system Ten Hag deploys, he will remind his players they are the only side to beat the Gunners in the league this season, winning 3-1 at Old Trafford in September.
Ten Hag is confident his players can match Mikel Arteta’s side and he said: “We know what to do. We have to be really good and need a really big performance. But if we do, we have the chance to get a positive result.”