Casemiro key to Red Devils’ resurgence

WHEN Casemiro joined Manchester United in August, I called him a ‘Steady Eddie’. Maybe this gave the impression that I did not think he was up to much. I tell you, I would have been more than happy to be called a ‘Steady Eddie’. It would mean I was consistent and doing something well every week. Well, that is what I see in Casemiro. For me, he’s the single biggest reason why United have settled down and go into today’s Manchester derby having won their last eight in all competitions. If you had asked Erik ten Hag what his No 1 priority was earlier in the season, I’d think it would have been to stop conceding stupid goals. Casemiro, in his defensive midfield role, has gone a long way to correcting that. I did question the fee they paid, £60million rising to £70m for a 30-year-old. Thinking about it now, I’m not sure the fee was so daft. He looks like someone who never has a bad game. His old Real Madrid team-mate, Luka Modric, played in a World Cup semi-final last month aged 37 and you feel Casemiro might be around for a while yet. My best football was the season when I was 31, my last year at Liverpool. I played the same position and had a similar physique to Casemiro, so his best football could also still be in front of him. Perhaps you would expect me to say this, but that position on the field is greatly undervalued. It is about doing the stuff that the untrained eye does not see. Little things, like taking a couple of steps to stop a pass into a centre forward. Like staying on your feet at the right time rather than going to ground. It is the job your fellow professionals truly appreciate. Right now, in the Premier League, Casemiro is doing that better than anyone. No one buys a season ticket because Casemiro is playing. It’s called the engine room for a reason — you’re often doing the dirty stuff. But on reflection, he is exactly what Manchester United needed, more than any of their other signings. Which brings me on to Wout Weghorst, the former Burnley striker who is joining them on loan. He scored two goals in 20 games for Burnley and found our football very difficult. I don’t see any reason why that would have changed. It looks like United have realised they cannot rely on Anthony Martial as back-up to Marcus Rashford. Still, they will be hoping they do not have to use Weghorst very much, because he is several levels below what they have. I still expect City to win today. They will be fully motivated and angry after losing to Southampton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. It is like poking the tiger in the cage and I don’t think that is good news for United.