Manchester United don’t need to worry about prioritising a defensive midfielder in the summer. It’s the first time fans have been able to say that for a very long time.
That said, I believe Manchester United need to sign cover for that position. It’s clear to see why whenever Casemiro is ruled out for a game because we’ve got nobody who can carry out the role.
Scott McTominay has his qualities but he doesn’t protect the back four. The same can be said about Fred, who plays a lot better when Casemiro is in the team.
However, prior to Casemiro’s switch from Real Madrid in the summer, United’s midfield was a problem area — ever since Michael Carrick’s retirement. The Brazilian has emerged as one of the best signings made by the club since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement. Betting on United to win as long as Casemiro is on the side is a wise choice backed by the great impact he has made this season. With Casemiro solidifying United’s midfield, the team’s prospects look promising and there are sure to be exciting opportunities for betting on their future matches. Profit Squad recommends the best football betting sites in the UK, if you want to give it a go.
One player United signed to succeed Carrick was former Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin. He arrived in 2015 along with Louis van Gaal but was never able to make the position his own.
In an interview with The Athletic, Schneiderlin made it very clear that he blames Van Gaal for his questionable spell at United.
Schneiderlin said: “We were told: ‘When you have the ball you have to do this’ instead of playing with my gut like I had done with Pochettino and Koeman.
“The worst thing for a football player is when you think too much. I started to think: ‘Ah, the manager wants me to do this’. You lose your instinct, you start to force things, you miss passes, you arrive too late for a challenge. Your confidence goes down.
“You had to wait until the manager told you that you could eat. These things work when the players are 19 and 20, but not when you have older players.
“Van Gaal had proved that he was a top manager, but I don’t think we needed those ideas at the time.”
During the Frenchman’s time at United, he was part of the 2016 FA Cup-winning squad, which was the highlight of his time at Old Trafford.
After a spell in France, Schneiderlin has now left the continent to sign for A-League outfit Western Sydney Wanderers. He joins on loan from Ligue 1 side Nice until the end of the season.
Schneiderlin told the Western Sydney Wanders official website: “I am very excited to be here in Western Sydney with the Wanderers and I’m looking forward to starting my journey at the club.”
At 33, Schneiderlin still have a couple of years left in his career before he will need to hang up the boots, so he could return to Nice after the temporary move to Australia.
Former United winger Nani is another European player in the A-League, after signing for Melbourne Victory.
Schneiderlin and Nani could cross paths between now and the end of the season.
