Manchester United are a club in crisis at the moment, and although they may pick up the occasional win here and there, it merely papers over the cracks of numerous underlying issues.
Whilst Erik ten Hag seeks to find a solution to solve his woes, one outstanding problem which persists is the underperformance of Casemiro. The Brazilian was a vital cog in their unlikely success last term, but this season has become even more rash and reckless, without offering the control and composure he previously showcased.
How is Casemiro playing?
Having joined for a mouth-watering £70m fee just last summer, and described by his Dutch boss as "the cement between the stones", it must be alarming to see just how physically fragile the 31-year-old seems to be after just 11 games this term.
His performance against Brentford, in which they were staring down a fifth league defeat of the season before Scott McTominay's late brace rescued them, was particularly abysmal.
Having handed the ball to Bryan Mbuemo for the opener, he was profligate in possession on numerous other occasions, earning a 6.9 match rating after losing the ball five times, and having been dragged off at half time.
Interestingly, his decline is a trend acutely showcased in the data, as last season saw him average 1.2 interceptions and 3.2 tackles per game, whilst winning 55% of his duels, via Sofascore.
Meanwhile, the new season has seen all three of these figures drop, now only posting 0.6 interceptions and 2.6 tackles, and winning just 46% of his total duels.
Something drastic has to change, and if Sofyan Amrabat is to drop deeper, then perhaps there are worse ideas than returning Donny van de Beek into the starting lineup.
How good is Donny van de Beek?
Whilst this may seem like a ridiculous solution, at the very least his return to the side would mark someone for Ten Hag to rely on, given their years shared together across two clubs now.
He may have been limited to just 62 senior appearances since joining in 2020 but remains highly rated, with former Everton boss Frank Lampard noting just last year: "I've been really impressed with him. On a professional level, since speaking to him, him coming and seeing him train, I am absolutely impressed with his fitness and his game sharpness. When you're watching training it doesn't surprise you."
Although his favoured ten position may be occupied by Bruno Fernandes, perhaps a box-to-box role could benefit him more, with his positional intelligence set to help out the Moroccan enforcer more than McTominay might do.
After all, the 26-year-old remains young enough to reignite a career at Old Trafford, and showcased plenty of ability during that final year in his homeland before moving. Whilst his eight goals and five assists would be useful nowadays, it is the 1.8 key passes and two tackles averaged per game by the £120k-per-week ace that would be of more importance to Ten Hag, via Sofascore.
When trusted, there is a tireless creator just waiting to be unleashed, with journalist Rob Blanchette seeking to emphasise that back in 2021: "Van de Beek is really intelligent, a typical Dutch player who wants to play pick & pop, & ghost late into the box."
To combine this with Amrabat, whilst perhaps not quite as solid as Casemiro might have been last season, at the very least the engine room would be injected with some much-needed mobility that could transform their season.
McTominay, therefore, can remain an impact player off the bench, with Van de Beek perhaps deserving of a rare chance to impress from the off once the international break is at an end.
