Casemiro is the key to Manchester United’s resurgence- but I still don’t think he’s world class!

When Casemiro signed for Manchester United in August, I called him “Steady Eddie.” Perhaps this gave the impression that he didn’t think he was up to much. I tell you, I would have been more than happy to be called “Steady Eddie.”

It would mean that I was consistent, doing something well every week that would give me a 7 or 7.5 out of 10, that’s what I see in Casemiro. For me, it’s the biggest reason why the team has established itself and goes into today’s Manchester derby having won their round of 16 in all competitions.

If you had asked Erik Ten Hag what his number one priority was at the beginning of the season, I think it would have been to stop conceding stupid goals. Casemiro, in his role as a defensive midfielder, has gone a long way to correct that.

I questioned the fee they paid, £60m increasing to £70m for a 30 year old man. Thinking back on it, I’m not sure the fee was that silly. He seems like someone who never has a bad game. His former Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric played in a World Cup semi-final last month at 37, and you think Casemiro could still be around for a while. My best football was the season in which he was 31 years old, my last year at Liverpool. I played in the same position and had a physique similar to that of Casemiro, so his best football could also be in front of him.

You might expect him to say this, but that position on the field is also sorely underrated. If you’re good, it’s about not wanting to be the star of the show. It is about doing things that the untrained eye does not see. Little things, like taking a couple of steps to stop a pass to a center forward. Like staying on your feet at the right time instead of going to the ground.

It’s work that your fellow professionals truly appreciate. Right now, in the Premier League, Casemiro is doing better than anyone. The previous best was Fernandinho at Manchester City. I thought it was exceptional.

Do I think Casemiro is world class? My definition of that is a player who makes every team in the world, and I’m not sure he does. Real Madrid obviously decided that there is someone better in that position and decided to sell it. He is very good at everything, without necessarily being great. He knows where to be at the right time defensively. He can pass the ball. He’s contributing the odd goal, and so he should be a midfielder, and he’s just a very good, well-rounded footballer.

I recently told Jamie Redknapp when we were working on TV, when I come back in the next life, I want to be a center midfielder with a midfield in front of me who is really good at pressing. Then you spend most games with a cigarette in your mouth. He would like to have Casemiro in front of him in that sense.

Has it been better than you expected? I do not think. She knew what she would bring. But I maintain my point, nobody buys a season ticket because Casemiro plays. It’s called the engine room for a reason: you’re often doing dirty stuff. On second thought, he’s exactly what Man United needed more than any of their other signings.

Which brings me to Wout Weghorst, the former Burnley striker who will join Man United on loan. It cannot be more than a body, it is really a case of necessity-duty. He scored two goals in 20 games for Burnley and found our football very difficult. I don’t see any reason why that would have changed.

It seems Man United have realized they can’t rely on Anthony Martial as backup to Marcus Rashford. Still, they’ll hope they don’t have to use Weghorst much, because he’s several levels below what they have. He also tells you that there is no money in the pot, as the Glazers have the suit on the market.

Historically, Weghorst, 30, does not feel signed by Manchester United. But the idea of ​​planning ahead has ceased to exist at Old Trafford. They signed Odion Ighalo from China at the age of 30, Edinson Cavani 33 on a free transfer, months after they could have gotten it, and tried 33-year-old Marko Arnautovic last summer.

That being said, given their recent form, they will go into today’s game with their tails held high, but I still expect City to win. They will be fully motivated and angry after losing to Southampton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. It’s like putting the tiger in a cage, and I don’t think it’s good news for Manchester United.

BOEHLY’S SUPPORT OF POTTER MEANS NOTHING

I’ve been in and around this game for 55 years. So I’ll tell you what it means for Chelsea’s board of directors to let it be known that Graham Potter retains their support: absolutely nothing!

I wish I had a dime for every time I’ve heard a club say they fully stand behind a manager and then get fired. What it really means is that, when the flak turns on the board instead of the manager, he’ll be the one to send it packing. End of. They are all the same. It’s about self-preservation.

But I think Potter needs help. Managing Brighton and making the move to one of the biggest and most glamorous clubs in the world, the job description couldn’t be more different. It seems that he is struggling.

The demands of being in a big football club are very different. I can make the comparison between managing Liverpool and then, with all due respect, Blackburn or Southampton. There is so much more to occupy your time that you need good people around you. Those he brought with him from Brighton have been on the same journey as him, so they won’t know what it takes at Chelsea.

Then I look at the new manager, Christopher Vivell, and he has no experience of the English game.

You may have a wealth of knowledge of Europe and beyond, but you won’t fully understand the intensity of our game and what qualities it takes for a player to succeed at a great club in the most demanding league in the world. I just don’t understand much of decision-making since American Todd Boehly took control of Chelsea.

They have now won one in nine in the Premier League and while it is not a disgrace to lose to an in-form Fulham side, it only compounds Potter’s problems. For Chelsea, there is no telling who they will beat at the moment, and Crystal Palace should have a chance at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

LOSES TO SAINTS AND FRANK’S ENDS IN EVERTON

My old club Southampton were looking for nirvana when they signed seven players aged 20 and under over the summer. I understand the ambition, you stay in the division and these guys can build on that first season and their value goes up and up.

On the other hand, you could wake up a few years from now deeply ensconced in the Championship. The way they have gone is very dangerous. They are asking boys to be men and that is in high demand in our league, with a tough nine months of physical and mental challenges.

Nathan Jones has come on as manager and has lost his first four league games. Some fans have already turned against him and I understand his anger, that’s the price of admission.

I managed Southampton for a season; I quit because, after an acquisition that I was promised wouldn’t happen, I realized I couldn’t work with the new owner, Rupert Lowe, but I always found the fans to be sensible and fair.

Right now the alarms are ringing and they are frustrated. I hope the win over Manchester City in the Carabao Cup this week will be a turning point for them, but I’m not sure yet.

Today’s game at Everton is huge for both clubs. But it’s not nearly as critical for Jones, who has had two strong cup results of late, as it is for Frank Lampard. I feel that a defeat for Frank against the bottom team in the league would be a defining moment and would be unacceptable to most Evertonians. He would probably pay with his work.