Roy Keane tells Man Utd to try shock Casemiro position change unlocked by Manuel Ugarte

Roy Keane has urged Erik ten Hag to consider a surprise role change for struggling Manchester United star Casemiro that could get the Brazilian back on top form.

Casemiro was one of Man Utd’s best players during his debut season at Old Trafford in 2022-23, following his big-money switch from Real Madrid that summer. However, the defensive midfielder appeared to decline last term as he failed to keep up with the pace of games and did not give Man Utd’s defence enough protection.

Casemiro’s latest poor display came against Liverpool on Sunday. He lost possession in the build up to two Liverpool goals, giving Arne Slot’s side a big helping hand as they eased to a 3-0 victory at Old Trafford.

Casemiro’s issues on the pitch have led to plenty of talk about his future. Galatasaray have been linked with signing him on loan, but the 32-year-old wants to stay and fight for his place.

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Casemiro could soon be replaced by Manuel Ugarte, Man Utd’s new midfield enforcer who arrived in a £50.6million (€60m / US$66.7m) deal during the summer transfer window.

But ex-Man Utd captain Keane thinks Ugarte operating as the No 6 could give Casemiro more licence to get forward.

“I wouldn’t be writing him off yet,” the pundit said on the Stick to Football podcast.

“His role in the team, if he gets back in and a couple of games under his belt, might be a bit higher up the pitch.

Man Utd latest: Keane issues Casemiro advice

“The first thing we always say is, ‘he can’t get around the pitch’. But what we’ve seen going forward, he does have an eye for a pass. Set-pieces, how many times does he get his head on it?”

Keane continued: “He’s come back and he’s lost a lot of weight, sometimes that can affect a player.

“Players becoming fitness freaks… you can go too far the other way. You still need that strength and power in the middle of the park.”

While playing alongside Ugarte may indeed help Casemiro, it is unclear what such a change would mean for other midfielders Kobbie Mainoo (the usual No 8) and Bruno Fernandes (the No 10).

The reality is that Man Utd are having to deal with exactly what pundits like Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher warned them about when originally signing Casemiro.

When he joined he was still a top-class player, but they should never have agreed to a four-year contract for a player who was already 30 years old.

Two years on and Man Utd have swiftly had to rectify the issue by dipping back into the market and snaring Ugarte.

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