Casemiro has been recognized as Manchester United's Player of the Month for the month of October. In doing so, he joins fellow summer arrivals Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen in claiming the prize. Martinez and Eriksen won the accolade for the months of August and September, respectively. Casemiro's victory brings the total number of monthly honors awarded to summer arrivals to four.
It appeared, for a number of months, as though the Reds would have trouble signing their top transfer targets during the summer transfer window. A plan and a list of players that Erik ten Hag wanted to bring to the club were both things that he brought with him when he made the move from Ajax to Old Trafford at the end of the previous season. Even though there were players that the Reds simply couldn't entice to join the club, such as Frenkie de Jong, a midfielder for Barcelona, they still recruited well, as evidenced by the players who won Player of the Month awards.
The winner in August, Martinez, had a rough start to his life at United after moving to Manchester, but it didn't take the Argentine very long to adjust to his new surroundings and become a first-choice player for the Reds. Martinez was the winner in August. The defender's self-assurance has increased rapidly, and he has become a fan favorite in a short amount of time, despite the fact that he struggled against Brentford in the opening game of the season when United beat them 4-0.
Eriksen, on the other hand, who joined the club after an outstanding season with Brentford in the previous campaign, wasted no time getting up to speed and quickly established himself as an essential player under Ten Hag's direction. Something that the Reds had been lacking for a number of years was the ability of the Dane to dictate play and control possession. The Dane was able to bring that ability to the team. The supporters recognize and value the contributions that the former Tottenham player makes to the team, and they felt that the 30-year-old was a deserving recipient of the award in September.
Now it is the turn of Casemiro to receive the praise that is deserved for his performances throughout the month of October. The Brazilian midfielder has delivered a number of accomplished displays after being gradually integrated into Ten Hag's side throughout the months of August and September. The player who has won the Champions League a total of five times is currently a regular in the starting eleven.
He assisted Cristiano Ronaldo on the game-winning goal that the Portuguese forward scored against Everton at Goodison Park, was named Man of the Match in the match that ended in a draw with Newcastle United, and then scored the game-winning goal for the Reds away at Chelsea to secure a point that was richly deserved. The United faithful have been most impressed by his defensive ability, despite the fact that he has received praise in recent weeks for the amount of attacking output he has produced. That is not to say that it should come as any kind of surprise.
Ten Hag was under a lot of pressure to come up with a winning formula with the team that he put together for this season because of the numerous former players and commentators who argued that the Reds needed to strengthen their attacking positions and add a striker to their roster. The Dutchman is still interested in adding a frontman to his team, but for the time being at least, he is going to stick with the group of players who have done well for him.
The absence of discussion regarding Frenkie de Jong in recent weeks is one way in which one can get a sense of how well Eriksen and Casemiro have performed in the middle of the field in recent games. It wouldn't be surprising if the Reds went back and got the Dutchman, but the club's new midfield pair has at least shown that he wasn't absolutely necessary to the club's success in achieving their goals.
The previous three recipients of the Player of the Month award have developed into vital contributors to the Reds' roster this year. Ten Hag was responsible for finding and signing all of these players. They have developed into an essential part in many respects. Casemiro is showing exactly why he was so successful with Madrid, and Eriksen has shown why he is widely considered to be one of the best midfielders the Premier League has seen in recent years. Martinez has flourished as a leader at the back, and Eriksen has shown why he is widely considered to be one of the best midfielders the Premier League has seen in recent years.
Although the players should be commended for their performances and the awards that followed, Ten Hag should also be lauded for his ability to sign the appropriate players for the appropriate roles. United are not the finished product by any stretch of the imagination, but the three summer arrivals have demonstrated that the Dutchman deserves support and trust.
Alphonsus Odumu 1 w
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