Didn't see it discussed. How do you think?

Of course, he's easily almost the most important cog. Since it is a cog that we have been missing the past two seasons, I'd say that he may just very well be the most important cog. He allows Modric and Kroos to play their game, not to mention constantly annoying and hustling the oppositions midfield, not allowing them to dictate the terms. On top of that, he also makes our forward venturing Marcelo less of a defensive liability as he is the one who ensures we're not left exposed during counters.

And one thing that is probably the most important of all, he is the reason, the sole reason we are not falling to counter attacks.

Basically what he does is..

Perhaps some people may overlook his contribution or underrate him but I think any fan of the game worth his salt will ultimately say something along these lines, and will have nothing but praise for Casemiro.

Ha, Casemiro is the most important player in the system Zidane runs. Not sure if I can explain this without images, but I'll try.

Let's assume the formation and players are as follows:

Navas

Marcelo - Pepe - Ramos - Carvajal

Casemiro

Kroos - Modric

Ronaldo - Benzema - Bale

The first thing we have to understand is that Bale and Ronaldo will not track back. Even if they do, it won't be within 30 yards of their own goal line. Benzema would fall more into a CAM position at that point to pressure the backline. That leaves Kroos and Modric (both forward thinking players, let's not forget) to occupy the centre of the field. At that point, when the other team has possession, it looks something like this:

Navas

Marcelo - Pepe - Ramos - Carvajal

Opposition strikers

Kroos - Modric (in line with opposition CMs)

Benzema (pressing CBs)

Ronaldo - Bale (being defensive liabilities, looking to try and start the counter the other way, somewhere near the halfline)

The lack of an ability to indent on this forum without killing formatting is actually cancerous. Hopefully you still get what I'm trying to convey.

This system is dead, btw. All the other team has to do is beat Kroos/Modric, and they have a free shot from about 20 yards out. If Ramos or Pepe step up to block the shot, it's one easy through ball and a one-vs-one with Navas. Marcelo and Carvajal can't pinch inside either, or the overlapping fullback (not being tracked by Bale or Ronaldo) has an easy path to the goal line, where a quick squared ball to the striker equals a goal. FIFA sweat is real.

Now, we factor in Casemiro, who is quite possibly the best destroyer CDM in the world right now. If you don't know the difference between a destroyer CDM and a playmaking CDM, educate yourself here:
http://www.fourfourtwo.com/performance/training/patrick-vieira-how-be-midfield-destroyer#:oeATztnHrX3XiA

The first bit of that is what's important, everything else is a coaching guide. Essentially, if ANYONE of the back four and midfield put a toe wrong, it's now the destroyer CDM's problem. It's also worth pointing out that due to the changed nature of referring, it is not ideal to play a destroyer. Most teams play a 4-2-3-1 variation that has two playmaking CDM's that are defensively naive and offer a lot going forward, which actually works because the two guys can cover each other. Usually one of them is a stay-at-home (think Busquets-Inestia), but not always (Pirlo-Vidal/Bastian-Carrick/Kroos-Modric). The final example there is actually what Rafa was running when he was a manager, and you can see for yourself how that works when you play a team that can actually attack:
http://footyroom.com/matches/79910981/real-madrid-vs-barcelona/review

Disgusting. The first goal, scored by Suarez is created by Roberto literally walking past both CM's who can't stop him. One quick through ball when the CB steps up, goal. Second goal, no one challenges Iniesta, and he again, simply walks up to the eighteen and slips a ball through to Neymar and then scores. Interestingly, the CB didn't step up on that occasion, proving it's a no-win scenario for the defenders. For the third goal, Modric is toyed with by Iniesta, since he has no idea where he has to be so gets caught out of position twice is five seconds, and then doesn't track the run of Iniesta, who this time scores himself. The fourth goal is caused by a CB stepping up waaaaaay to high up the pitch, probably simply due to frustration at that point, and the situation once again is undone by one simple through ball.

Now, I'm not saying those aren't great goals by Barcelona. What I am saying is that if you have a CDM on any of those situations, the ensuing goal does not happen that easily, probably doesn't happen at all. To be fair to Rafa, he does recognize that and drops Modric into a CDM at halftime, but as the third goal painfully illustrates, Modric is not a CDM.

When Zidane came in, he realized that if he was going to let both Ronaldo and Bale loose, and one of either Marcelo and Carvajal all at the same time, playing with a CAM and two true CMs was impossible, which is why James has been on the bench. Even when Isco comes on, he plays as a true CM with defensive responsibility, which James is apparently incapable of.

The obvious solution that he then employed was to drop the CAM for a CDM that could cover his overlapping fullbacks and tactically retarded central midfielders. When Casemiro is in the side, Ramos and Pepe never step up because they never have to. The space between the backline and the CM's literally doesn't exist. Casemiro is so good that he covers from sideline to sideline by himself. If Marcelo gets lost on the wrong half of the field (happens at least once a game) Casemiro covers for him.

If you somehow still don't understand what I'm talking about, here's another example:

Almost every goal scored from open play is created in the space between the backline and the midfield. And yes, that example has a depressing amount of space available to the player on the ball. Let's assume, for the sake of what I'm trying to explain, that the player on the ball has about half that space. Ali Krieger is a fullback, pinching inside to prevent the run of the striker, which is the right move, but it leaves (Swedish?) fullback in acres of space. At the level we're examining, someone with that much time to cross WILL find a player that ends up resulting in a shot. Even so, unbelievably, she's the least dangerous player right now. Becky Sauerbrunn, the CB, is stepping up because she has to, if she does not the player on the ball takes a free shot from the top of the eighteen and probably scores. This leaves Klingenburg, the other fullback to cover the run of the second striker. If that ball is played through, Klingenburg will never win it, and the Swedes score an easy goal. Also of note is that the Swedish RW/RM/RB is nowhere to be found, but if she were there, it's another easy goal.

It's a total no-win scenario. Unless the Swedes screw up really badly, that's a goal any five different ways.

Now, let's factor in Casemiro. He sits right in the middle of that lovely patch of space the ball carrier is in, and ends the play right there, he doesn't even have to win the ball, he just has to be there. Neither CB has to step up, and the FBs don't need to pinch in. Everyone is covered, and the ball carrier now has to get past Casemiro with all the passes cut off.

That's the beauty of Casemiro in Zidane's system. The balls it must have taken to bench James for him are as big Florentio Perez's ambitions, but if Zidane doesn't, you don't see that CL trophy.

A huge amount of luck in the draws and in the final were important to reals triumph

@Rai

Stop being so butthurt. Get over it.

Yes, Casemiro was tremendously important to Real's triumph and is the most significant player in the squad right now. We need a back-up CDM because if Miro gets injured then our whole system will fall apart. He's more important to maintaining our shape than Ronaldo or Bale are right now.

he had some impact!

Butthurt? Am I not allowed an opinion backed by the fact that Real Madrid had the single easiest routes to the final? Or the fact Ramos goal was offside? Or the fact Ramos then should have been sent off for his tackle to the player from behind on a counter? Get over yourself.

@Rai: First of all, considering how close offside was, complaining about this much IS being butt-hurt. The Ramos tactical faul was a yellow, not a red. You need to read up on the rules of game before saying something so ridiculous and showing your bias in all its disgusting glory.

The challenge was not overly rash or physical, so that wouldn't justify giving a red card. The fact that Atletico could've possibly had a good opportunity to score plays absolutely no effect on which card should be given because Sergio Ramos was NOT the last man before the goalkeeper.

If he was, I would certainly agree with you that he should've been sent off. However, he was not the last player. For a tactical faul like that, in the position that he was in with regard to the fact that the player on the ball still had a defender in front of him - the card that should be given is yellow. End of story.

Every single referee out there would do the exact same thing.

It was just a brilliant, brilliant deduction by Sergio Ramos. I applauded him when he made that faul and stop which would've probably been the most dangerous chance Atletico had all game to score, including the penalty.

That faul is one of the reasons why Sergio Ramos is rated so highly among all football pundits, coaches, managers, and players. An average football fan would look at that challenge and think he's a terrible defender, even expect him to get sent off. However, that is part of football just as it is anything else, and if you've ever watched a single Serie A game, you would appreciate such important tackles/fauls. That is one area where the Serie A really excels in.

@Rai

That foul was not a scissor-type cut down. Neither was Ramos the last man. It was a tactical foul we see from every player in every game. It was meant to break down the counter-attack, and Clattenburg knew that perfectly. That's why he simply showed the yellow and ended it there - he sees those types of challenges on a regular basis.

You're being extremely biased here. We already know RM had the easier route to the final compared to Atletico and that Ramos' goal was off-side. But you never cared that Atletico beat Bayern off a Griezmann goal that was also off-side, right? Oh, that's right - it doesn't matter because it was Atletico getting the benefit of the doubt. Not Real Madrid.

We already discussed/are discussing these matters on the other thread. Feel free to post your distaste there. I think you're being too butthurt about this.

Disgusting glory? Jesus you are hilarious. Bias no. The ramos faul is not just my opinion but its a shared opinion from the match commentators which know a hell of a lot mode about the game than us. Watch the tackle again and youll see why its a red. You cant tackle like that and claim its only a tactical faul because there are ways to do ot without chopping a player down from behind.

Offside by a millimeter or by a meter is offside, I'm not complaining as it didn't matter who won to me. Offside os an offside but I guess it only matters when its against you and not when its fair.

@Rai

We admitted to the off-side. There's undeniable proof of that. The fact of the matter is that those calls are incredibly hard in live-time for the linesmen. Why is it so difficult to understand that? You know what else was unfair? The penalty by Torres. He stuck his leg in front of Pepe to earn the foul. He successfully fooled the referee, but you don't see anyone complaining about that, do you? Referee decisions went both directions with Ramos' goal and Griezmann's penalty. The game is over. Let us enjoy our win in peace.

Hence why i used the term luck. I'm not saying its the refs fault or complaining. I don't see how you guys don't see that. It's been blown out of portions due to your responses. No one is complaining about the penalty because it wasn't converted, unlike ramos' goal. Or is that just another biased opinion.

Raim, you can complain about the draw, but Real still had to win their games. They beat Atleti, something neither Barca nor Bayern could do. The reffing decisions you're complaining about are either within acceptable reason or you're just plain wrong.

Real Madrid earned the win, and did. There's really nothing to investigate.

Guys, you do realize Rai just made a small phrase that was easy to ignore and you decided to make an argument out of it? I'm just sayin. :(

@Dyn:

The game is over. Let us enjoy our win in peace.

Now you know how it feels like being a Chelsea supporter lol. After the win in 2012, it was impossible to access any football-related site because everyone was hating on Chelsea. 4 years later, people still complain about it. I suppose that the incidents in this years' CL final (or campaign) will be used as an argument against Real Madrid for a long, long time, so you're better off if you Real fans just ignore them instead of wasting your time.

Sigh :( I wanted discuss about player. Not about the game

@JM

No matter to us. At least Chelsea and RM didn't cheat to the titles in 2012 and 2016. We played fair and square and that's how we won.

@Dynastian98

It is not beeing butthurt saying Real Madrid had lucky draws considering to what Atletico got. Yes you guys were the luckiest of the team draws this year.

BUT

Real Madrid deserved it and won it fair and square. Ramos goal as said was impossible to see that it was offside and Griezmann failed to score a penalty.

Although I feel Ramos should get a red for that tackle because if the ball had left the guys foot to another one it would prolly be a goal but then again they might have missed it. The only deserved red was not shown and it was for Pepe acting like a disgrace of football.

Lol gotta check Sunflash's essay later on. Looks great from eyeing it quickly.