Rene Meulensteen has admitted that he would have expected Erik ten Hag to have tried an “important” Manchester United star alongside Kobbie Mainoo in midfield.
Erik ten Hag deployed Casemiro and Christian Eriksen in midfield during his debut season at Old Trafford and saw an effective partnership in the 2022-23 campaign.
However, the Manchester United boss saw Casemiro’s influence wane in the 2023-24 campaign and Christian Eriksen’s season was disrupted due to a knee injury.
Christian Eriksen’s injury opened the door for Kobbie Mainoo to establish himself as a first-choice midfielder during a breakout season at Old Trafford.
Mainoo missed the opening of United’s campaign due to an injury in pre-season in 2023 before his breakthrough into the Red Devils first team as a regular starter.
The 19-year-old United midfielder started in all 24 of his Premier League appearances last season, with Mainoo scoring three times and registering an assist.
Ten Hag’s preferred midfield partnership became Mainoo and Casemiro, with Eriksen left battling for minutes at Old Trafford last season.
Meulensteen on Man Utd star Casemiro
Casemiro has appeared to see a turnaround in form after impressing in the Community Shield defeat to Manchester City at Wembley earlier this month.
The 32-year-old Brazilian midfielder then produced another solid showing in United’s opening Premier League win of the season against Fulham at Old Trafford last week.
Casemiro had been met with mounting criticism over his form and consistency last season, with the United star even forced to play at centre-back at times.
The former Real Madrid midfielder had been linked with a move away from Old Trafford, but Casemiro now appears likely to stay at United for the current season.
Erik ten Hag is believed to be keen on adding another defensive midfielder to his ranks, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Manuel Ugarte believed to be a key target.
Speaking to the Metro, Meulensteen said: “Casemiro has certain attributes that are still very important, he can see a fantastic pass, has [been] so strong in the air, too.
“His timing in attacking the ball is still really good. But he is not the youngest and there are no weak teams in this league. You need legs in midfield and, unfortunately, he hasn’t got them.
“So, we may need someone in there. Ugarte is someone they are looking at. Most teams who have done well against United have exploited that area.
“There are turnovers, there are periods where players are out of position and you can run straight through them. So that’s an area they can definitely improve.”
Meulensteen talks Man Utd star for role
Meulensteen, who was a first-team coach under Sir Alex Ferguson, said he was “surprised” that Lisandro Martinez had not been partnered alongside Kobbie Mainoo.
Lisandro Martinez has been a pivotal defensive figure for Ten Hag at United, having previously played under the Dutchman during his time at Ajax.
The 26-year-old Argentine defender excels as a centre-back, but he is capable of playing as a full-back or as a holding midfielder.
Ten Hag has already deployed Martinez as a makeshift left-back in the penalty shootout defeat to Manchester City in the Community Shield clash.
Meulensteen waxed lyrical about the “tenacious” Martinez, who had a stunning campaign with Argentina at the 2024 Copa America this summer.
“You need a guy who has [a] combination of things,” he continued.
“It’s maybe a stupid comment, but it has surprised me that Ten Hag has not yet used Martinez in that position and used another centre-half pairing.
“Martinez has got legs, he is so tenacious, he knows how important it is to hold your discipline, when to play, when to scan because I have seen him do it. That is what you need. That’s the type of player you need.
“By the looks of it, Ugarte is 23, he could very well fit that position.”
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/Sux7cOR