In the days that Manchester United were finalising his transfer, an advisor to the club noted Casemiro's running stats were worse than Scott McTominay's.
That is hardly a jolt when Casemiro held the fort in the sedate La Liga and was flanked by peerless passers in Toni Kroos and Luka Modric. It does possibly inform Erik ten Hag's preference for McTominay in the Manchester derby.
By not playing Casemiro, Ten Hag played him out of the team. It was six weeks ago today Casemiro was paraded by United on the Old Trafford pitch and warmly welcomed by Roy Keane, another midfield heavyweight.
