It's no secret that Manchester United have struggled to impose themselves in midfield in recent years, with many a false dawn collapsing due to a lack of presence in the middle of the park.
For quite some time, there was a clamour for United to sign a "10" or creative midfielder, with the retirement of Paul Scholes in 2013 seen as the point they lost their zip in midfield.
In reality, however, the seeds of their issues in midfield go much further back, and revolve around a different area of the pitch. Ever since Roy Keane's acrimonious departure from the club in 2005, United have failed to invest sufficiently in combative defensive midfielders, with Owen Hargreaves and Ander Herrera the strongest contenders over the past 15 years.
All that changed, at last, in the summer of 2022 with the blockbuster signing of Real Madrid man Casemiro. The Brazilian midfielder has been a revelation at Old Trafford, adding an extra layer of protection in front of centre backs Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, while freeing creative duo Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes to create chances further up the pitch.
It's hard to be surprised by the form of Casemiro, who was the pillar of Real Madrid's Champions League dynasty team of the 2010s, but he has nonetheless been the standout player in an ever-improving United side this year.
Speaking ahead of United's thrilling Europa League draw in Barcelona on Thursday night, club legends Scholes and Hargreaves spoke about the qualities of Casemiro - and Scholes said he was "as close" to Roy Keane as he had seen at Manchester United.
Manchester United: Paul Scholes makes apt Casemiro - Roy Keane comparison
Manchester United earned an excellent 2-2 draw at the Camp Nou on Thursday evening, leaving everything to play for in their Europa League play-off second leg with Barcelona next Thursday at Old Trafford.
It was a classic European clash, and Casemiro was once again crucial to Manchester United's play. Paul Scholes paid tribute to the Brazilian ahead of kick-off in Spain.
"He's as close to Roy Keane as I've seen." 👏
Paul Scholes compares Casemiro to his former midfield partner.#UEL pic.twitter.com/e5q7M72rLj— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 16, 2023
Scholes praised not only the strength of Casemiro in midfield, but also his in-game management, and his ball-playing ability. He praised him as an all-round midfielder, in the vein of Manchester United legend Roy Keane:
You can see the big difference when he's not in the team. You think of the Arsenal game when he wasn't there.
I always think about having a coach on the football pitch - almost being the manager on the pitch. For Ten Hag, he's that man. He knows where he wants everybody to be.
I've said this before, I'm a little bit surprised by the quality of his play - at Madrid it was all about Kroos and Modric. His passes forward, his awareness of people around him, he's been fantastic.
People say he's a holding midfield player - I don't see that. I think he does everything. He's as close to Roy Keane as I've seen.
As a Man United midfield player, you should be involved in everything. You should be able to play it forward, you should be able to play it past, and defend.
High praise indeed, with Casemiro compared to Keane, who won seven Premier League titles with United - four as captain of the side.
When Casemiro first arrived at Old Trafford, he was introduced to Keane on the sideline ahead of United's clash with Liverpool. Casemiro took it upon himself to seek out Keane and shake his hand, and the pair shared a wholesome embrace on the touchline.
It's safe to say that Casemiro knows a footballers when he sees one 🇧🇷🤝🇮🇪 #MUNLIV pic.twitter.com/gFAGkSiOdC
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) August 22, 2022
On Thursday night, Owen Hargreaves would also praise Casemiro on as an all-rounder who "makes everybody better".
Manchester United will need Casemiro firing on all cylinders if they are to take a famous win over Barcelona next Thursday.
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