Casemiro had a game to well and truly forget as Liverpool outclassed Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The Real Madrid legend may have won it all in his career, but since his transfer to Manchester United in 2022, he has looked a shadow of himself and someone who just isn’t good enough to grace the Premier League stage.
Arne Slot’s Liverpool rocked up to their rivals’ ground with a 100% start to the new Premier League season, without conceding, but without really being tested in their opening two matches.
Manchester United was supposed to be that test, but by the half-time break, Liverpool were 2-0 up and Casemiro was being hooked off for a youngster.
For Liverpool’s opening goal, the Brazil international gave the ball away and it was pounced on, before Mohamed Salah lofted a brilliant ball at the far post for Luis Diaz to head home.
Paul Scholes was raging at that moment and how the whole team just wasn’t organised and, in the end, it was ‘five against three’.
That moment alone was enough for it to be a nightmare for Casemiro, but then things went from bad to worse when he was robbed of the ball and punished in devastating fashion – Salah and Diaz combining again.
Michael Owen stated that when the ball was taken off Casemiro, his manager Erik ten Hag was ‘certainly complaining for the foul’, but of course, it was just really poor player from the 32-year-old.
Scholes agreed that the ball was won fairly and how it was a ‘tough’ 45 minutes for the veteran midfielder, as he told Premier League Productions (01/09/24 at 4:55 pm).
Casemiro horror show against Liverpool
“Mainoo is ahead of the game, the Liverpool lads are behind them and look at the space they have got,” said Scholes about Liverpool’s opening goal. “One, two, three. It’s five against three. It’s not good enough. You have to be so much more disciplined in them areas”
Owen then spoke about Liverpool’s second goal: “We will have a look at the challenge. I know Erik ten Hag was sitting right in front of us and he was certainly complaining for the foul.”
Scholes on Liverpool’s second goal: “I think there is a small nick there (to win the ball off Casemiro) just with the outside of his foot. It has been a tough half for Casemiro. They have been so outnumbered. Liverpool have played right through the middle of it numerous times.”
Erik ten Hag’s future
Manchester United beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final last season, but many felt that papered over the crack of their Premier League performances.
Despite that, Manchester United handed ten Hag a new deal, but that’s back-to-back defeats already and it’s not even the end of September.
You know the noises about ten Hag’s future will now hit boiling point and it will be the talk of the international break and beyond.
As for Liverpool, it’s still a 100% start, they didn’t make much noise in the transfer market – Federico Chiesa was Liverpool’s late buy – and that calmness and lack of panic is showing on the field.