Ten Hag will take 'biggest Man Utd gamble yet' on Casemiro, Martinez and Mount | OneFootball

Ten Hag will take 'biggest Man Utd gamble yet' on Casemiro, Martinez and Mount | OneFootball

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·3 January 2024

Ten Hag will take 'biggest Man Utd gamble yet' on Casemiro, Martinez and Mount

Article image:Ten Hag will take 'biggest Man Utd gamble yet' on Casemiro, Martinez and Mount

ACCORDING to many of his critics Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is already in the Last Chance Saloon after a shocking first half of the season.

And it looks like his last throw of the dice could well be his biggest gamble of them all.


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For the Dutch boss is pinning United’s revival in the second part of the campaign on three long-term injured players who all have a question mark against their names.

Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Mason Mount are all due back this month.

And ten Hag is banking on the trio to transform the team from chronic under-performers with zero consistency to an outfit capable of mounting a charge towards European football next season.

Given what United have produced so far in the Premier League and Champions League that’s going to be a huge ask.

And when you breakdown the performances of the trio pre-injuries it’s hardly filling anyone at Old Trafford with high expectation that a corner is about to be spectacularly turned.

Casemiro, Mount and Martinez haven't shown great form

Let’s take Casemiro first.

Last season the highly decorated £70m former Real Madrid star was a key performer adding steel, guile and experience to the midfield holding role.

But before Casemiro suffered a serious hamstring injury in the Carabao Cup defeat against Newcastle in November the Brazilian’s form was already well on the slide.

So much so, that in October Jamie Carragher declared that Casemiro’s legs “had gone”.

Repeated early season occasions where United’s midfield was overrun highlighted Casemiro’s failings.

So it’s a major stretch for ten Hag to expect Casemiro - 32 next month - to suddenly transform United’s midfield.

The same goes for Mount who has been a fringe figure since his £55 million switch from Chelsea to Old Trafford.

Mount was struggling to justify his big price-tag before he injured a calf in the narrow win over Luton in November.

So the 24-year-old former England star has it all to do when he returns - especially as not even ten Hag seems sure where Mount should be best deployed.

Then there’s Argentinian World Cup winner Martinez. There’s little doubt United have been impacted most by injuries in defence.

United fans love the passion and commitment of Martinez who has established himself as a favourite since his £56.7 million arrival from Ajax in the summer of 2022.

But until a foot injury and subsequent operation put his season on hold after the 4-3 Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich in September the Argentinian’s form was hardly eye-catching.

United lost four of the six games Martinez played in at the start of the campaign - and now he’s about to be asked to shore up a defence that leaks goals for fun.

There’s no doubt United’s season has been decimated by injuries to key players in every position on the pitch bar goalkeeper.

Other stars have been in dreadful form, notably Marcus Rashford and overpriced Brazilian winger Antony.

But any sympathy for ten Hag has evaporated, especially after a disappointing three-game festive period.

Dismal defeats at West Ham and Nottingham Forest either side of a rousing 3-2 win over high-flying Aston Villa further frustrated exasperated fans.

They’ve won just one of their last six games in all competitions and are seventh in the Premier League.

Little wonder patience is now in short supply amongst a fan-base expecting better from a big squad that should be coping better.

Ten Hag has made his call and is clearly expecting big things from Casemiro, Martinez and Mount.

It’s a gamble. And some might say even a desperate one.

Man Utd insiders believe Willy Kambwala will be key first-teamer

Teenage defender Willy Kambwala acquitted himself well in his first team debut at West Ham.

A shame then that the result, a 2-0 defeat, overshadowed the youngster’s display.

But excited fans are hoping there’ll be more opportunities ahead for the six foot four inch centre-back, signed for £3.5 million from French Ligue 2 side Sochaux as United beat Liverpool to his signature in October 2020.

With disillusionment around the reliability of Raphael Varane, doubts about the wisdom of a new contract for Victor Linedlof and the on-going Harry Maguire saga, there’s a school of thought highly-rated Kambwala should be given a chance to establish himself ahead of next season.

United had high hopes Axel Tuanzebe, like Kambwala born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was going to make the grade before he left the club for Ipswich last September.

But plenty at United’s Carrington HQ believe Kambwala will become a first team regular.

And they back that judgment by allowing 21-year-old centre-back Teden Menghi to join Luton at the end of the summer transfer window.

Ten Hag ready to sanction further Man Utd loan exits

Having ended their loan agreement with Tottenham for left back Sergio Reguilon, sent Donny van der Beek to Eintracht Frankfurt and with Jadon Sancho edging closer to a switch to Borussia Dortmund, Erik ten Hag is now turning his attention to other loan moves.

And with no Champions League or Carabao Cup football the United boss knows he will struggle to give players game time once his injured first team stars are all fit.

That could leave loan openings for midfielders Hannibal Mejbri, Dan Gore and 55-goal academy striker Joe Hugill with all three stars attracting interest.

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