Brazil international Casemiro was one of Manchester United’s best players under Erik ten Hag last season but has faced criticism since the return of the Premier League
Casemiro is enduring a tough season at Manchester United
Stuart Pearce believes Casemiro has “jacked it in” at Manchester United following a third consecutive defeat for Erik ten Hag’s side.
United lost 4-3 at Bayern Munich in their Champions League opener on Wednesday, placing further pressure on Ten Hag. The Red Devils boss needs to turn results around quickly having also lost to Tottenham, Arsenal and Brighton in the Premier League.
It’s claimed club captain Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro held an inquest in United’s dressing room after their 3-1 defeat to Brighton at Old Trafford last Saturday. Both players spoke of the need to rebuild team unity and show resilience when under the cosh.
Yet Casemiro, who scored two late goals on Wednesday, has been accused of forgetting that never-say-die attitude by Pearce. The England legend thinks Casemiro and United team-mate Marcus Rashford were only “half running back” against Bayern.
“Man Utd are under the cosh because too many of their players have jacked it in,” Pearce told talkSPORT. “Rashford half running back and Casemiro half running back… now is the time to have a rant at the back line - not just the back line but the whole team.
“Too many players who have given up the ghost and that is alarming. United are so off the pace and they are lucky that Bayern have not been more clinical.”
Casemiro, a five-time Champions League winner, joined United from Real Madrid in a £70million deal in August 2022 and did well during his first season. He produced a man-of-the-match performance to win the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle.
Casemiro scored twice against Bayern Munich but was on the losing side (
Image:
Getty Images)
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Yet Casemiro has struggled this season and faced criticism from several pundits, including Jamie Carragher. “I never believed Casemiro would be value for money,” Carragher wrote in The Telegraph. “Not because there is any doubt that he has been a world-class player.
“But because he is at a stage of his career when he cannot not fully repay United’s massive fee. He was a panic buy when he joined a year ago… an ageing, stellar name signed for big money and on a massive salary to appease increasingly disgruntled fans.”
Carragher claims Casemiro’s “peak years” are “behind him”. He also believes “Madrid do not allow players of that ilk leave unless they feel they have had the best from them”.
Ten Hag defended Casemiro’s early-season form at the beginning of this month. “When we play with Casemiro and (Christian) Eriksen and Bruno we are very successful,” he told Sky Sports. “It was absolutely a team problem (at the start of the season).”
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