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Ten Hag is under pressure yet again after Manchester United lost to Liverpool last week. The common critique of the manager is that his tactical structure is poor, which is causing gapping holes in midfield.

While there is some legitimacy to that argument, I would offer up that it is a simplistic conclusion to make.

I had the opportunity to re-watch the game after emotions had cooled and I came to a whole other different conclusion.

Midfield is indeed a serious problem for Ten Hag. At the base of the midfield set-up he has a very talented player in Kobbie Mainoo. Some are quick to forget that this is only his second season in the first team at the tender age of 19yrs. His physicality is a major concern and that was demonstrated when he was bullied off the ball, which resulted in the third goal.

On the other hand, you have Casemiro. I have to admit that on a personal note I was sucked in by his relatively good performances over the pre-season games. He seemed more mobile and back to his brilliant debut season best. Oh, how I was wrong!

Last week Casemiro hit rock bottom. Two pathetic mistakes gifted Liverpool two clean breaks against our exposed defense leading to two goals.

This is where I feel that what some people are calling poor tactics is really more about wrong individuals. Casemiro is not the kind of player you want screening your defense. His legs are gone, he is too reckless with his passes and he has this annoying habit of making last ditch sliding tackles that fail more than are successful. He is a passenger at this point.

Can Ugarte Solve This Problem?

Yes!

Ugarte gives us legs, high pass completion and he will actually win more possession. Pass completion in particular is very key for Ten Hag. The last thing you want is your DM playing hero ball from deep, trying to force through balls and losing possession on a regular basis.

You want a DM who will circulate possession when under pressure and allow the team to get back into a descent shape in order to progress the ball forward. No wonder we were so good against City in the FA Cup when it was Amrabat in that DM position.

Conclusion

Ultimately, Man United's fortunes will not simply improve by sending Casemiro to the bench.

Zirkzee was particularly poor against Liverpool. It is obvious that he is feeling the pace of the Premier League. If he had put away his two absolutely clear cut chances, Rashford comes away with two assists and puts to shame the radicalized 'fans' that are after his neck. Hojlund coming back into the team will be fantastic.

Also, who knows? We might have made a spirited push for a draw and salvaged a point and it would have been a whole different story.