60% duels & 15x possession lost: Man Utd want to replace £70m star, Bournemouth display shows why
Manchester United shared the spoils against Bournemouth in the Premier League on Friday night.
The Red Devils played out a 2-2 draw at the Vitality Stadium, but the result could have been quite different.
United were denied a clear-cut penalty on Amad in the second half. It proved costly in the end.
Bournemouth scored just moments after the Amad incident (1-1), much to the frustration of the fans. Bruno Fernandes had previously opened the scoring.
United got back into the lead through an own goal before the Cherries scored from the penalty spot.
The Red Devils will feel hard done by the result. Meanwhile, there were some disappointing displays.
Casemiro had an off game and struggled to cope with Bournemouth’s high work rate and high pressing.
The Brazilian received an early yellow card, which contributed to his underwhelming performance.
He was guilty of losing six out of 10 duels contested (60 percent). The £70 million signing lost possession on 15 occasions and could not cover ground regularly.
Interim manager Michael Carrick eventually replaced Casemiro with Manuel Ugarte to provide better legs, but the decision should have been taken earlier.
Casemiro has been a brilliant performer for United over the years. He has enjoyed a good campaign thus far, scoring seven goals – his joint-highest in a season.
Despite this, the 34-year-old is no longer in the prime of his career in terms of mobility and positioning. A clear picture was on show at the Vitality Stadium.
Hence, the Red Devils have made the right decision to replace him. The former Real Madrid man will depart when his contract expires at the end of June.
The decision has already been announced. United need someone with a higher work rate and intensity, who can also contribute more at the top end with goal contributions.
Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson would be a perfect fit in our view, but the Red Devils are set to face fierce competition from Manchester City for his signature.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com
Article written by Sri Aswin .