“His performance was sublime. He could have won the Community Shield for us if his teammates were more supportive.I will do everything in my power to protect him and I will make sure he starts every match during the new Premier League season” – This is according to Erik Ten Hag as he has praised the most consistent player in the derby match against Manchester City for his ‘sublime’ performance.

After Manchester United’s defeat to Manchester City in the Community Shield on Saturday, manager Erik ten Hag praised Casemiro.

Despite United putting up a strong fight against their rivals, they couldn’t capitalize on their clear chances, managing only one goal in regular time.

The loss was sealed when both Jadon Sancho and Jonny Evans missed their penalty kicks.

Following the match, Ten Hag highlighted that Casemiro has been in top physical shape since the start of preseason and is a crucial player for the team.

The Dutch coach also emphasized that there’s no indication the Brazilian star will leave the club, and United are very happy with him.

According to Goal, Ten Hag stated, “Casemiro? I don’t think it’s about the system. He’s in great physical condition because he’s been in preseason for a long time.

We work well as a team, which makes things easier for Casemiro. He’s an outstanding player and a key figure for our group.”

He added that there’s no sign of Casemiro departing, and the club is pleased about that. Earlier this month, Casemiro had a poor showing against Liverpool, losing possession 16 times and winning only 28 percent of his duels.

However, his performance against Pep Guardiola’s side was much better. He succeeded in 78 percent of his tackles (7/9) and won ten duels.

Though he lost possession 12 times, he compensated by recovering the ball eight times and making several crucial clearances.

Despite this improved performance, it is likely that the club will look to sign a new defensive midfielder to provide competition for Casemiro, who has struggled with consistency over the past year.

While he controlled the midfield yesterday, the outcome might have been different if Rodri had been playing for the defending English champions.