There were several posters, myself included, that commented on Casemiro's enduring value to the squad. Most of us were shouted down by the "he's useless", "his legs are gone", "he's a waste of space", "a terrible signing" brigade. However, as he has transitioned from being misused under ETH, to finding the right balance for his role under Amorim, we have seen how valuable he remains for us. He has been one of our best players over the second half of this season, and in all likelihood while he could be moved on due to his wages and age, he would remain an important and valuable player next season if he stays beyond this summer.
Frankly, going into next season with Casemiro and Bruno as our starting two in midfield, is something I would be very happy with, especially when we have Ugarte and Mainoo as two younger options to regularly rotate them with. The key here will be bringing in another 10, who can allow Bruno to make that permanent transition to CM. Given the age of Case, as well as Bruno, it is important we bring in another CM in the summer, as we start to make that transition from an ageing legend to a long term solution. It will also give us the flexibility to use Bruno as a 10 whenever we need/want to.
If it wasn't for injuries, the central quartet of Casemiro, Fernandes, Mount and Amad, is top class. With each player playing in their optimal position. We need two players for every position, with each player being good enough to start, offer a real alternative in that position and provide top level competition for places. If our other quartet is Ugarte, Mainoo, Cunha, and Garnacho, I feel that does exactly that. To compensate for injuries, and unexpected difficulties and/or dips in form, we need a 5th player in each position. In the 10 that can be Zirkzee, but in CM I think we need to sign a player who is ready to step into the starting line up and potentially take over from Cas. My eye has always been on Ederson.
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