Is the signing of Casemiro a stroke of genius for Manchester United?
Cecil B DeMille is said to have found nobodies and turned them into stars. Since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United has spent a lot of time buying stars and turning them into less than they were.
The only certainty is that he will cost the club a lot of money.
He could almost double his Real Madrid wages if United paid him three times as much as they do.
Will it be a good use of money?
The 'Bermuda Triangle' of football is where the ball would go and seemingly disappear, according to Carlo Ancelotti.
Casemiro's value was reinforced by that set up.
Casemiro has been crucial covering his team-mates because he feels more comfortable defending near his box. He never overcomplicated things because of his lack of dribbling and powerful runs. The perfect solution has always been a ball.
The lack of dynamism of their partnership made it necessary for their teams to defend deep and often.
Real Madrid paid 7 million dollars to bring Casemiro back from a loan spell at Porto, rather than risk losing him to the Portuguese club.
Florentino Perez wanted a midfield consisting of James Rodriguez or Isco, which lacked equilibrium and defensive awareness, because he was hard working and eager to learn. Casemiro added some of the balance but was also prone to mistakes.
Casemiro was needed to cover the club's defensive limitations after the defeat against Atleti Madrid convinced the French coach of what he could have told him.
He played the full 120 minutes in the final against Atleti Madrid where Real Madrid won their 11th title in a penalty shoot out.
It's history.
Casemiro's lack of pace will be exposed if ten Hag stays faithful to his high-pressure philosophy.
He isn't able to control the spaces behind him because he is slow on the turn. This could cost a lot against teams such as Manchester City who play a lot of inside passes.
Madrid hid that weakness in Casemiro's game. He was less influential because of the lack of quality around him. If he is expected to drive with the ball, that could pose a problem for United.
He scored seven times last season, equaling his career best, as he was asked to go forward more often. He is a great goal scorer and has a powerful shot.
It is difficult to see how he will function in a Ten Hag system because he is a leader and winner who reads the game very well, and English referees will show more tolerance to his robust approach than they are used to.
He will be competing in a league where games are played at a quicker pace, and where most teams are stronger than he is used in, despite being the best defensiveMidfielder in a system that lives on the edge of its own box and attacks at a slower pace.
It will be necessary to find the right balance to make sure the new arrival fits in as best as possible. He will have to change to do that.
| Per 90 mins | Casemiro | Fred | McTominay | Fernandes | Van de Beek | Eriksen |
| Passes completed | 54.9 | 49.3 | 39.5 | 43.1 | 40.9 | 42.2 |
| Chances created | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 2.9 |
| Dribbles completed | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Tackles won | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 0.6 |
| Duels won | 8.0 | 5.6 | 7.3 | 4.2 | 5.8 | 2.8 |
| Interceptions | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0.9 |
Ten Hag will have a physical side if he plays Casemiro in a 4-2-3-1 with Fred or Scott McTominay. They will have control but not physical presence if they play next to Christian and Bruno.
It is unlikely that Casemiro will make a big difference to United on his own. He is an eight out of 10 player and not a matchwinner.
It is certain that they need to improve their quality in the middle of the field, which is why they should keep trying to get Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona. They might not be able to climb up the table on their own.
Casemiro has won everything he has been given. As Manchester United try to find the right path, he will have to compete and get used to his side not having the initiative all the time.
You don't survive and then triumph in a bear pit without being made of the strongest of stuff. Casemiro has the mental strength to deal with any situation that may arise.
Casemiro has been giving the club less and less over the past 18 months. The wear and tear on players in that role is considerable.
For the time being, Real Madrid know that David Alaba can fit in at centre-back, with Antonio Rudiger taking his place.
The return of Casemiro to Real Madrid at the age of 23 and the purchase of the 22-year-old Aurelien Tchouameni seven years later are both similar.
Tchouameni was never bought to make up the numbers, according to those figures. He is more than capable of filling the gap left by Casemiro, despite a poor performance in his league debut at the weekend against Almeria.
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