Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will not be worried about Casemiro's Europa League performance on Thursday night.
Real Sociedad claimed a 1-0 victory over United at Old Trafford thanks to a controversial penalty decision. Former Man City midfielder David Silva saw his shot blocked by Lisandro Martinez on the edge of the area, as the Argentinian flung himself between the goal and the ball.
The strike cannoned off Martinez's knee and on to his arm, yet bizarrely the referee pointed to the spot. As the replays filtered through, it appeared obvious that VAR would overturn the on-field decision - yet to the bemusement of those watching, the spot kick stood and Sociedad took the lead.
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Ten Hag gave Casemiro his first start at United as he named the Brazilian in the starting XI alongside Christian Eriksen and Fred. The former Real Madrid man struggled to get up to speed with the game, registering the lowest passing accuracy percentage of any outfield player to play the full 90 minutes.
His role as a holding midfielder emphasises the importance on breaking up play and making tackles, not necessarily demanding that he always completes every pass. However, Scott McTominay did boast a 100 per cent passing accuracy against Arsenal during the 3-1 win over the Gunners.
The £60million signing has impressed with his ability to calm the game down when coming off the bench so far this season, but his first full start did leave more to be desired.
However, Ten Hag's comments earlier in the season show exactly why the Dutchman will not be overly concerned with Casemiro's performance against Sociedad.
Speaking ahead of United's 1-0 win over Southampton last month, Ten Hag told BT Sport why he had named Casemiro on the bench: “I think we have a squad that’s competitive so it’s always a difficult decision. But we had a really good performance on Monday so you stick with it.
“It’s also to give Casemiro the time, he’s not played 90 minutes, he has to adapt to England, adapt to Man United and integrate into the team.”
Every player takes a different amount of time to adapt to a new league when they make a move away. Having spent nearly a decade at Real Madrid, the differences between the Premier League and La Liga will feel much greater for the 30-year-old than it might do for others.
Rather than see the recent performances of McTominay as a way to bemoan the signing of Casemiro, they should be seen as a demonstration of the benefits of squad depth. It gives Ten Hag more time to slowly introduce the former Madrid man into his set-up, in a position where a player is arguably the most exposed to the intensity of the Premier League.
When or where Casemiro is next introduced to the starting XI, only time will tell. One thing that is for sure though, is that the Brazilian would have gained a lot of vital experience from his first start at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag might not have learned as much as his new midfielder, but that's because he already knew what to expect - and the former Ajax manager certainly won't be worried.
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