Manchester United will be playing in the fifth round of the FA Cup after picking up a 4-2 victory over League Two opponent Newport County at Rodney Parade.
Erik ten Hag will take a few positives from the performances of individuals, but on the whole, the boss will be frustrated and disappointed in his team's lack of togetherness.
The Red Devils fielded a very strong side, with Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Casemiro, and Antony all getting some much-needed minutes on the field, but the probable plan to rotate in the second half wasn't executed.
Next up for United is Wolves on Thursday evening, where they will look to kickstart their Premier League campaign.
How Newport County vs Man United played out
As expected, the visitors came flying out the blocks and played with intent from the off, which was rewarded in the seventh minute.
Bruno Fernandes and Antony combined brilliantly before the United captain drilled the ball into the bottom left corner. Six minutes later, Kobbie Mainoo guided the ball home with a clever finish, and at that point, it looked like the Red Devils could end up scoring double figures.
However, the crowd was lifted just after the half-hour mark when Bryn Morris unleashed a strike from range, which deflected off the Argentinan centre-back and flew into the net. It was a frustrating way to concede for United, especially considering they had the opportunity to go completely clear.
Two minutes after the break, Will Evans latched onto a cross to bring the score to 2-2, following a quick counterattack and poor defending from the Premier League side.
Luckily, Antony was on hand to score his first goal of the season, finishing into an open net after Shaw hit the post. Rasmus Hojlund scored for the third game in a row, minutes before the final whistle.
Casemiro's stats vs Newport County
Casemiro returned to the starting XI for the first time since November on Sunday evening after picking up an injury, and the Brazilian completed 81 minutes. However, the performance of the 31-year-old was far from impressive.
Manchester Evening News handed the midfielder a 5/10 rating for his showing, with Samuel Luckhurst stating "he fell off the pace," and unfortunately, his statistics don't paint a pretty picture either.
Pass accuracy
66%
Touches
59
Duels won
4/11
Possession lost
17
Fouls
4
Casemiro was ineffective both in and out of possession this afternoon. The former Real Madrid star failed to control the tie, often being wasteful on the ball and forcing it at times, as shown by his dismal 66% pass accuracy and the fact he lost the ball 17 times.
He's in the side for his defensive capabilities and ability to stop danger at the source, but much like the rest of the season, he was left chasing shadows with his lack of athleticism and ability to cover ground on display.
The number 18 only won four of his 11 duels all game, winning one out of five on the ground. Casemiro also committed four fouls and picked up a yellow for an erratic late lunge, which proves he was struggling in the middle of the park.
A poor showing due to a lack of sharpness or a sign that Ten Hag must look to move him on in the near future? Time will tell.
