Ten Hag told why Casemiro & Varane aren't performing for Man Utd
Cameron Smith
- 10 Oct 2023 22:47 BST
- 3 min read
Former Manchester United assistant manager Rene Meulensteen believes that Casemiro and Raphael Varane are the weak points in the current Red Devils squad.
Both players moved to Old Trafford from Real Madrid (in 2022 and 2021 respectively), but Meulensteen is of the opinion that Erik ten Hag’s main issues stem from those two players.
He told ESPN: “United have certain shortcomings. [Raphael Varane] cannot handle the pace.
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“The Premier League is dynamic. Everything goes at 100 kilometres per hour. That is the big problem in midfield. They have no energy and that is how the defence gets into trouble.
“He [Ten Hag] wants to put a lot of pressure on, with a lot of intensity. Just like at Ajax. But he doesn’t have the players for that. The players don’t have the mentality to constantly put pressure on.
“Casemiro, for example, can’t handle it at all. Ten Hag has a certain conviction about how he wants to play. But he has to find ways to get there.”
Man Utd are currently 10th in the Premier League table, with four wins and four losses in their eight matches so far. They are eight points behind league leaders Tottenham Hotspur and are bottom of their Champions League group after two defeats in two games.
Man Utd’s summer business
While Meulensteen believes Varane and Casemiro are to blame, Ten Hag has been backed in the transfer market in recent times and the Dutchman has not quite been able to extract the best performances from his new stars.
Andre Onana has struggled since his summer move from Inter Milan, while Mason Mount has not yet been fully fit and able to contribute significantly.
Rasmus Hojlund is beginning to find his feet, and Sofyan Amrabat’s time at left-back needs to end soon as the Moroccan is unsurprisingly more comfortable in midfield.
