Carragher claims often-praised Man Utd star ‘couldn’t get near anyone’ against Liverpool in ‘worst game’ for one aspect
Jamie Carragher has pointed the finger at Manchester United midfielder Casemiro for his role in their defeat to Liverpool on Sunday, despite him usually being “one of the best players in the league”.
Liverpool beat Man Utd 7-0 at Anfield in one of the most astonishing results in the history of the fixture. It was one-way traffic, especially in the second half, in which Liverpool scored six of their goals.
Many Man Utd players have come in for criticism in the aftermath, understandably so. Collectively, it was a disastrous performance by Erik ten Hag’s team.
According to ex-Liverpool defender Carragher, one of the main culprits was Casemiro. The midfielder has earned plenty of praise since joining from Real Madrid in the summer, but was nowhere near against Liverpool.
Having had a day to reflect on the result, Carragher told Sky Sports‘ Monday Night Football: “Casemiro has been one of the best players in the league this season, but he was very, very poor on Sunday.
“You could see he wasn’t at the races. A player of his class shouldn’t give the ball away the way he did.
“He was supposed to look after Harvey Elliott, but he made it too easy for him. The second goal is the killer for United. Casemiro couldn’t get near anyone; he’s fallen over twice.
“To quote Gary Neville, it was scabby. It was his worst game for passing. He didn’t win one tackle. This is away at Liverpool.
“It shows how important he is to Manchester United. They lose to Man City without him. He’s not at the races at Anfield and they concede seven.”
Carragher’s claim about Casemiro failing to win a tackle isn’t hyperbole; the statistics prove it. Likewise, his pass completion rate of 62 per cent left something to be desired.
Blip proves importance of an in-form Casemiro
Casemiro’s teammate Marcus Rashford has already urged the side not to let the Liverpool disaster define their season.
The same message should apply to Casemiro individually, since he has generally been an important player for Ten Hag this term.
As Carragher says, perhaps his importance to them now is clearer than ever. United need the 31-year-old to be at his best in order for them to function to their full potential as a unit.
Before Casemiro’s arrival, United’s midfield was under scrutiny, especially when their starting pairing was Scott McTominay and Fred. Perhaps this serves as a reminder that their issues there have not gone away entirely.
The important thing now will be for Casemiro and his colleagues to move swiftly on from their thumping at the hands of their rivals.
