Paul Parker reveals why key man so vital to Man Utd cause as ‘all the players’ let themselves and club down
Paul Parker feels Manchester United rely too heavily on Casemiro and has urged the rest of the squad to up their game in his absence.
Casemiro, 30, was a summer signing from Real Madrid, with the Red Devils paying in the region of £60m for his signature. And it has proved to be money well spent as the Brazil international has been outstanding. His displays have helped the Old Trafford outfit to third in the top-flight standings.
And they have every chance of returning to the Champions League next season.
Ahead of Sunday’s trip to face Leeds United, the north-west giants had won 13 and drawn four of their 22 games.
However, they have sometimes struggled when Casemiro has not been in the side.
The South American has started 13 of his 17 Premier League outings, scoring twice. However, he was suspended for United’s 3-2 loss to Arsenal at the Emirates.
He was back in the ranks for the 2-1 triumph over Crystal Palace on February 4 but picked up a red card in that game.
Erik ten Hag’s side then struggled to a 2-2 draw with Leeds on home soil without the defensive midfielder in the side.
Casemiro will miss Sunday’s clash with the Whites at Elland Road as well as the visit of Leicester City next weekend.
Parker feels they might struggle and was less than complimentary about Casemiro’s team-mates.
“I’m not surprised that Man United rely that much on Casemiro,” he told Apostagolos.
“The reason for that is that I have seen all the players let themselves and the club down before. So why should things change now?
“Everything works amazingly well with Casemiro in the midfield. He is an amazing player but they should be able to play a decent game without him on the pitch.”
Casemiro vital to Man Utd cause
A few eyebrows were raised when Manchester United paid so much money for a 30-year-old last summer.
Recent recruitment has not always proved successful, with many stars not living up to their price tag when arriving at the Theatre of Dreams.
However, Casemiro has bucked that trend and is now the first name on the team sheet when fit.
Parker has been impressed but believes it is not a good situation to have one player so dominant.
“Man United’s team is like Jekyll and Hyde with and without Casemiro,” he added.
“It’s quite fascinating actually how one player can change a team that much.”
The former Sao Paulo schemer will watch United’s next two league matches from the sidelines.
However, he will be able to play when they face Barcelona in their Europa League clash on Thursday.
The Nou Camp encounter will be special for Casemiro, having enjoyed the El Clasico showpiece many times while plying his trade for Real.
He started five of United’s six Europa League group games that saw them finish second on goal difference behind Real Sociedad.
The return leg is on February 23, just three days before United face Newcastle in the EFL Cup final.
