Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo are two bright young stars who were promoted by Erik ten Hag. However, their careers ahead are very long, the past two years with Ten Hag have just been the beginning. Bruno Fernandes was given the captain's armband by Ten Hag, but the Portuguese star's influence with Man United existed before the Dutch strategist took over the team.
Meanwhile, the Ajax stars have not left such an impression that fans at Old Trafford consider them irreplaceable stars. There is only one person who has gone through ups and downs with Ten Hag, with Man United, and has had the same form as this club over the past 2 years, that is Casemiro.
Before Man United won their first title under Ten Hag (League Cup), Casemiro was always the most stable player. The Real Madrid legend plays with the class that helped him win 5 Champions Leagues with Los Blancos. Everything in the first season with Casemiro and Ten Hag was beautiful. It was not until after winning the League Cup that the relationship between the Brazilian star and Ten Hag began to crack.
Last season, when Ten Hag started to re-deploy the passing game, Casemiro became a symbol of failure. He is 32 years old but is still assigned to be a shield for the penalty area, having to run continuously and always appear in front of the opponent's penalty area to receive shots from the second line.
Casemiro plays badly, Man United's performance is affected, he and Ten Hag themselves are also heavily criticized. By the end of last season, no one thought this duo would still be at Old Trafford. However, when the last straw was the loss to West Ham, Ten Hag was forced off his seat.
Casemiro accepted to stay after last summer, giving up many invitations as if to pull him out of the mud at Old Trafford. It is not an exaggeration to say that the former Real Madrid midfielder has existed after a dark era with Ten Hag, in which he was the main character that caused the team's performance to decline somewhat.
Closing that unforgettable chapter, Casemiro was himself again in the recent match against Leicester. The big win to open the score is no different from a release, untiing yourself from the chaos of the past to open a new journey for yourself. The smile has returned to the Real Madrid legend, with the class and playing style that once helped him dominate Europe.
To achieve this, Ruud van Nistelrooy contributed greatly. The Dutch interim captain let Manuel Ugarte play from the start. With Ugarte, Casemiro has been untied more in the task of protecting the defense. With Ugarte supporting behind, "old man" Casemiro was more comfortable to rush forward, approach the goal and score 2 goals. If he had been luckier, the 32-year-old star would have had a hat-trick when one shot hit the post.
After the final whistle, the entire Stretford End audience sang words of encouragement for the two stars, one was Van Nistelrooy, the other was Casemiro after an eye-catching night.
It is too early to confirm Casemiro's future at Old Trafford when Ruben Amorim is about to arrive. He may leave in the January winter transfer window, or reach the end of his contract and find a new destination as a free agent. However, as long as he is at Man United, fans still expect the Brazilian star to always be as dedicated as before Leicester so that there is nothing to regret.
"I'm happy for him. The way Casemiro trains, helps the team and everyone is a typical example. Look at the crowd of fans, the way they cheer for him says it all. I am very happy that Casemiro is still here" - Van Nistelrooy shared.
Casemiro is not the future of Man United but he is certainly the most important part of the present. He is the embodiment of the Erik ten Hag era with many ups and downs and will become the one who best hands over the spiritual fire to the next generation before the parting day.
