Sabitlenmiş Tweet
This chart tells an interesting story.
A lot of people say United need a proper No.6 to replace Casemiro, but one thing often gets overlooked — Casemiro is still elite at breaking defensive lines with his passing.
Looking at this chart, some may immediately say: “Go get Wharton.”
Football is not that simple.
Breaking defensive lines is only one part of the role. Defensive positioning, duel ability, recovery pace, transition defence and physical presence matter too.
If you remember Michael Carrick during his playing days, he was not known for being the most aggressive defensive midfielder. His biggest strength was always progressing play and breaking lines with passing. Looking at this stat, Wharton arguably shows some similarities in profile.
Anderson is another interesting one. He looks more like an all-round midfielder, maybe not elite at one specific area, but consistently good across multiple aspects of the game similar to Gerrard/Keane style of play.
Bruno Guimaraes is another profile worth discussing. Brazilian style, aggressive in duels, good on the ball and capable of controlling the rhythm, perhaps stylistically the closest to Casemiro among names mentioned.
And good to see Matheus Fernandes appearing here as well despite playing for a relegation side. Still young, still developing, and plenty of room for improvement.
Replacing Casemiro is not about finding another Casemiro.
It is about building the right midfield balance.
There is no absolute right or wrong answer.
United simply need to identify the player profile that best fits how the team wants to play moving forward.
#MUFC
English
