{"id":51017,"date":"2022-08-20T11:00:47","date_gmt":"2022-08-20T11:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/casemiro-and-fred-the-brazil-midfield-partnership-manchester-united-are-banking-on\/"},"modified":"2022-08-20T11:00:47","modified_gmt":"2022-08-20T11:00:47","slug":"casemiro-and-fred-the-brazil-midfield-partnership-manchester-united-are-banking-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/casemiro-and-fred-the-brazil-midfield-partnership-manchester-united-are-banking-on\/","title":{"rendered":"Casemiro and Fred: The Brazil midfield partnership Manchester United are banking on"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>Successful World Cup sides are often partially based on successful club sides.<\/p>\n<p>In 2010, Spain&#8217;s starting XI bore a striking resemblance to Barcelona, \u200b\u200bwhile Germany&#8217;s class of 2014 was dominated by Bayern Munich players.  It doesn&#8217;t have to be about a whole team, either.  Italy&#8217;s triumphant side of 2006 featured Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo in the middle, bringing their successful Milan relationship to the Azzurri.<\/p>\n<p>Can it work in reverse, with club sides leaning on international partnerships?  Manchester United will certainly be hoping so.  Their signing of Real Madrid holding midfielder Casemiro means Erik ten Hag will be able to deploy the first-choice central midfield partnership Brazil boss Tite has fielded over the past couple of years.  This was \u2014 supposedly \u2014 a key reason United suddenly moved for Casemiro, having spent the summer flirting with Frenkie de Jong, a very different type of deep midfielder.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"podcast-frame-5972\" class=\"iframe-podcast-height\" style=\"width: 100%; border: 0; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;\" src=\"https:\/\/theathletic.com\/report\/podcast-clip?clip_id=5972\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s difficult to find much precedent for this type of move in the Premier League.  Chelsea&#8217;s signing of Marcel Desailly in 1998 meant they could field the World Cup-winning centre-back partnership of Desailly and Frank Leboeuf, although that signing was completed before the tournament and Leboeuf was only a substitute for the suspended Laurent Blanc.  Tottenham&#8217;s signing of Toby Alderweireld meant they reunited him with his Belgium colleague Jan Vertonghen, although they didn&#8217;t always play together at centre-back for their national side, and their time together at Ajax was probably more relevant.<\/p>\n<p>Casemiro and Fred, though, have regularly played together for Brazil in recent years.  They started five of Brazil&#8217;s seven games, including the final defeat to Argentina, in last year&#8217;s Copa America.  They&#8217;ve started together another five times since, including World Cup qualification games against Chile, Ecuador and Colombia, as well as summer friends away in Japan and South Korea.<\/p>\n<p>On paper, the move for Casemiro makes sense, bringing some much-needed quality in front of the United defense, while also allowing Fred to feel more at home.  But how does it actually work on the pitch?<\/p>\n<p>Well, the answer to that question is that it depends on which game you watch.  In Casemiro and Fred&#8217;s three most recent competitive games together, their partnership has worked in different ways.<\/p>\n<p>There are a couple of consistent features of their partnership.  Tite&#8217;s Brazil generally play a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Fred and Casemiro playing as a typical midfield partnership without possession.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Fred always has a more advanced role than Casemiro, but the extent of that has varied.  In this 1-0 victory over Colombia in November, Fred often held his position alongside Casemiro, so Brazil were using a double pivot when they had possession.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-3522200\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101517\/B1-1.png?resize=720%2C400&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101517\/B1-1.png?resize=720%2C400&#038;ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101517\/B1-1-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Fred did sporadically push forward into attack.  Here, as Brazil are trying to progress the ball, Casemiro and Fred are initially in the same position\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-3522202\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101524\/C1-1.png?resize=720%2C400&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101524\/C1-1.png?resize=720%2C400&#038;ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101524\/C1-1-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\u2026 before Fred pushes into a more advanced role.  Dani Alves, still going at 39, often looks more like a deep playmaker rather than an overlapping full-back and offers an option for a square ball from midfield.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-3522203\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101531\/C2-1.png?resize=720%2C400&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101531\/C2-1.png?resize=720%2C400&#038;ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101531\/C2-1-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n<p>In a scrappy 1-1 draw in Ecuador \u2014 famously a tough place to go because of the altitude \u2014 Tite was even more cautious with his use of Fred.  He sat solidly alongside Casemiro (who opened the scoring by bundling home in the second phase of a corner) in possession.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-3522205\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101538\/D1-1.png?resize=720%2C400&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101538\/D1-1.png?resize=720%2C400&#038;ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101538\/D1-1-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n<p>However, they didn&#8217;t work particularly well as a partnership without possession in this game.  Fred doesn&#8217;t seem particularly diligent in terms of covering when Casemiro pushes forward to close down \u2014 here, Casemiro gets bypassed and Ecuador can easily poke the ball past him into a position between the lines.  This is typical of the way Brazil play in midfield, often with a surprisingly large distance between their two central midfielders.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-3522206\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101544\/D2.png?resize=720%2C400&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101544\/D2.png?resize=720%2C400&#038;ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101544\/D2-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n<p>A more interesting approach featured in the 4-0 thrashing of Chile in March.  Here, while again Fred was theoretically playing alongside Casemiro \u2014 and did so in the defensive phase \u2014 in possession he consistently pushed much higher up the pitch, effectively turning Brazil into a 4-1-4-1.  This is typical of how they played \u2014 Casemiro is standing still and directing others, while Fred is pushing on.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-3522207\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101551\/E1-1.png?resize=720%2C400&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101551\/E1-1.png?resize=720%2C400&#038;ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101551\/E1-1-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n<p>And the extent to which Fred pushed forward is remarkable \u2014 this shows him 20 yards in advance of his midfield colleague Casemiro.  To emphasise the point, the other players highlighted here are the two central attackers, Neymar and Lucas Paqueta, who were coming deep to receive the ball to feet, essentially leaving Fred as the side&#8217;s temporary striker.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-3522208\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101559\/E2-1.png?resize=720%2C400&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101559\/E2-1.png?resize=720%2C400&#038;ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101559\/E2-1-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n<p>And perhaps those attackers came so deep because Casemiro found it very difficult to progress the ball when left alone in midfield.  On two occasions in the first half, he tried to play forward passes into Fred but failed miserably, first seeing his pass intercepted by an opponent\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-3522209\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101606\/e3-1.png?resize=720%2C400&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101606\/e3-1.png?resize=720%2C400&#038;ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101606\/e3-1-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\u2026 and then not noticing Fred&#8217;s run infield, and passing it beyond him.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-3522211\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101612\/e4.png?resize=720%2C400&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101612\/e4.png?resize=720%2C400&#038;ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101612\/e4-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Again, Casemiro looked more comfortable when Alves pushed infield to become a safer passing option \u2014 it&#8217;s notable that Fred isn&#8217;t even in the shot here.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-3522213\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101618\/e5.png?resize=720%2C400&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101618\/e5.png?resize=720%2C400&#038;ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101618\/e5-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Fred actually played his more advanced role well, particularly when Neymar or Paqueta came deep to provide some inspiration on the ball.  Here, he responds to Neymar&#8217;s forward pass with a neat backheel to allow Neymar to drive towards goal\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-3522215\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101623\/e6.png?resize=720%2C400&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101623\/e6.png?resize=720%2C400&#038;ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19101623\/e6-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n<p>But there&#8217;s no getting around it \u2014 Casemiro and Fred are a somewhat functional midfield duo at international level.  That&#8217;s in keeping with the way Brazil almost always play: the No 5 stays deep to the left and protects the defense without ever advancing, while the No 8 pushes forward a little to the right when appropriate.  Fred and Casemiro aren&#8217;t overwhelmingly cohesive in the defensive phase, and there isn&#8217;t a lot of passing quality from this combination, with that problem generally solved when an attacker drops deep.<\/p>\n<p>Their relationship is likely to improve after playing together for United, though, and therefore the big winner here is surely Tite.  He was seemingly already set on fielding Casemiro and Fred together in Qatar, and three months of playing alongside one another at club level won&#8217;t do any harm.<\/p>\n<p>Granted, given United&#8217;s malaise, by November they&#8217;re unlikely to be at the level of Milan&#8217;s Pirlo and Gattuso in 2006, Barcelona&#8217;s Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta in 2010, or Bayern Munich&#8217;s Bastian Schweinsteiger and Toni Kroos in 2014. But Brazil , already the bookmaker&#8217;s favorites for the World Cup, have just become slightly stronger.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n        {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n        n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n        if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n        n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n        t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n        s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n        'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n        fbq('dataProcessingOptions', []);\n        fbq('init', '207679059578897');\n        fbq('track', 'PageView');<\/script>    .<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Successful World Cup sides are often partially based on successful club sides. In 2010, Spain&#8217;s starting XI bore a striking resemblance to Barcelona, \u200b\u200bwhile Germany&#8217;s class of 2014 was dominated by Bayern Munich players. It doesn&#8217;t have to be about a whole team, either. Italy&#8217;s triumphant side of 2006 featured Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/casemiro-and-fred-the-brazil-midfield-partnership-manchester-united-are-banking-on\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Casemiro and Fred: The Brazil midfield partnership Manchester United are banking on<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[6],"tags":[8914,2643,1938,1939],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":49832,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/manchester-united-close-on-casemiro-with-real-madrid-set-to-accept-offer-manchester-united\/","url_meta":{"origin":51017,"position":0},"title":"Manchester United close on Casemiro with Real Madrid set to accept offer |  Manchester United","date":"August 19, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Manchester United are closing in on the signing of the Brazil midfielder Casemiro, with Real Madrid expected to accept an offer of \u20ac60m (\u00a350.7m) plus add-ons.Erik ten Hag's side have been looking to reinforce their midfield all summer, and will look to close the deal on Friday after submitting an\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":49593,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/casemiro-transfer-main-focus-for-manchester-united-before-window-shuts\/","url_meta":{"origin":51017,"position":1},"title":"Casemiro transfer main focus for Manchester United before window shuts","date":"August 19, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Manchester United's key focus before the summer transfer window closes is signing Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro and a deal between the two clubs is progressing. Casemiro has given positive indications of his desire to join United, who are willing to make the 30-year-old one of their top earners. A United\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":50998,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/casemiro-manchester-united-seal-transfer-deal-for-real-madrid-midfielder-casemiro\/","url_meta":{"origin":51017,"position":2},"title":"Casemiro: Manchester United seal transfer deal for Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro","date":"August 20, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"United is set to pay Madrid $60 million up front with $10 million in add-ons for the midfielder's services, British media reported on Thursday.\"Manchester United is delighted to announce that the club has reached agreement with Real Madrid for the transfer of Casemiro,\" the club said in a statement announcing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":50095,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/real-madrids-casemiro-intent-on-joining-man-united\/","url_meta":{"origin":51017,"position":3},"title":"Real Madrid&#8217;s Casemiro intent on joining Man United","date":"August 19, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"7:15 AM ETAlex KirklandRodrigo FaezCasemiro wants to join Manchester United, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed, saying the midfielder wants \"a new challenge\" away from the Bernabeu.ESPN reported on Thursday that the Brazil international midfielder -- who has won five Champions Leagues and three LaLiga titles in nine years\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":50537,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/official-casemiro-signs-for-manchester-united\/","url_meta":{"origin":51017,"position":4},"title":"OFFICIAL: Casemiro signs for Manchester United","date":"August 19, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"It's official. Real Madrid and Manchester United have announced the transfer of midfielder Carlos Henrique Casemiro for a reported fee of \u20ac72 million which could reach \u20ac85 million depending on bonuses. Casemiro gave the green light to this transfer on Thursday night and passed his medical with Manchester United today.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":53019,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/i-want-to-win-the-league-casemiro-targets-success-at-manchester-united-manchester-united\/","url_meta":{"origin":51017,"position":5},"title":"&#8216;I want to win the league&#8217;: Casemiro targets success at Manchester United |  Manchester United","date":"August 22, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Casemiro has said joining Manchester United made him \u201clike an 18\u2011year\u2011old kid who is super excited about his new project\u201d, and that he hopes Cristiano Ronaldo stays at the club.United have reached an agreement with Real Madrid to sign the 30\u2011year\u2011old Brazil international subject to a medical and a visa\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cdn.theathletic.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/08\/19122753\/3-2template_article_bravschi-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51017"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51017"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51017\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51017"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51017"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51017"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}