Wayne Rooney has agreed that a decision made by Ruben Amorim was somewhat questionable as Manchester United drew to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on the weekend.
The Red Devils took the lead through Bryan Mbeumo, with the Cameroonian’s first-half header putting United in the ascendancy.
But after a dispirited second half, Tottenham fought back to lead through goals from Mathys Tel and Richarlison.
Matthijs de Ligt saved United’s blushes with a last-gasp header, but it was a rather disappointing result considering how long Amorim’s side held the lead.
Wayne Rooney on Casemiro sub in Man United vs Tottenham
This is something Wayne Rooney reflected on, and agreed with his BBC co-host that part of the reason the performance went downhill was due to Casemiro’s departure.
The co-host said, “I think sometimes Amorim’s substitutions baffle me. And I thought yesterday [Saturday], he should have let Casemiro see the game out and give him a rest next week if need be.
Rooney responded: “Well, he hasn’t got a game next week, has he? It’s the international break.
“So yeah, unless he was physically really tired or had a knock, we don’t know. But, yeah, he probably should have kept him on.
“And as a manager, when you’re making changes, you hope they pay off – because obviously when they do, it’s great, and everyone turns around saying, “Oh, that was a great decision.”
“But sometimes they don’t, and so it’s a big thing.”
Casemiro leaves United with an injury concern after the Spurs game, with the 33-year-old’s departure from the pitch an unplanned one. So if this is the case, Amorim can’t be given too much stick.
Casemiro has turned his form around at United, and it was undeniable that when the Brazilian left the frame at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, there were gaps in the Red Devils midfield.
Manuel Ugarte ineffective against Tottenham
The man who vacated Casemiro’s position was the Uruguayan midfielder, Manuel Ugarte, who has struggled since he arrived at United.
This was no different against Tottenham, with Ugarte proving ineffective and actually detrimental to Amorim’s side. There were definitely better players on the pitch.
Who was the Man Utd MOTM vs Tottenham?
The be-all and end-all is that United need a new six. Casemiro is fine for now, but hasn’t got long left, which means the next point of call in the transfer market is the deep-lying playmaker role.
Whether that be a Carlos Baleba, an Elliot Anderson, or an Alex Scott to United remains to be seen. But all will surely be revealed in the upcoming windows.
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