Here’s why Erik ten Hag wouldn’t be concerned about Casemiro’s Manchester United start

Man United lost 1–0 to Real Sociedad on Thursday night as Casemiro made his first start for the club.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will not be worried about Casemiro’s Europa League performance on Thursday night, says manchestereveningnews.

Manchester United lost 1–0 to Real Sociedad at Old Trafford on Saturday after a controversial penalty decision. David Silva’s shot was blocked by Lisandro Martinez.

The former Manchester City player then threw himself between the ball and the goal to make the save.

Despite the ball hitting Martinez’s knee and going off his arm, the referee still pointed to the spot. It seemed like the video assistant referee would overturn the decision, but the spot kick still gave Real Sociedad the lead.

Casemiro made his United debut after Ten Hag selected the Brazilian alongside Christian Eriksen and Fred in the starting lineup.

The former Real Madrid star has the lowest passing accuracy rate of any outfield player to play the entire 90 minutes due to his difficulty adjusting to the game.

In his position as a holding midfielder, he is more expected to disrupt play and make tackles than it is to always complete passes.

But in the 3–1 victory over the Gunners, Scott McTominay did record a 100% completion rate versus Arsenal.

Despite his first full start this season leaving much to be desired, the £60 million signing has so far this year impressed with his ability to calm the game down while coming off the bench.

The Dutchman will not be unduly concerned about Casemiro’s performance versus Sociedad, as evidenced by Ten Hag’s remarks from earlier in the season.

Last month, Ten Hag explained to BT Sport why he had placed Casemiro on the bench before United’s 1–0 victory over Southampton:

“I think we have a squad that’s competitive so it’s always a difficult decision. But we had a really good performance on Monday so you stick with it.

“It’s also to give Casemiro the time, he’s not played 90 minutes, he has to adapt to England, adapt to Man United and integrate into the team.”

Every player adjusts to a new league in a different amount of time depending on where they are moving. The 30-year-old will feel the disparities between the Premier League and La Liga much more keenly than most people might because he spent nearly ten years at Real Madrid.

The recent performances of McTominay should not be interpreted as a means of lamenting the acquisition of Casemiro; rather, they should be viewed as evidence of the advantages of squad depth.

In a position where a player is perhaps the most exposed to the intensity of the Premier League, it allows Ten Hag more time to gradually integrate the former Madrid star into his setup.

Only time will tell when or where Casemiro will next make his debut in the starting XI. The Brazilian would have learned a lot of crucial experience from his first start at Old Trafford, that much is certain.

Because he already knew what to anticipate, Ten Hag may not have learnt as much as his new midfielder, but the former Ajax manager won’t be concerned.