[Beachryan]

That was absolutely criminal.

The caf is full of backseat managers demanding that Bruno and Rashford are benched. Replacing Casemiro with a DM who actually tracks runners (and doesn't give the ball away constantly) is what really needs to happen to make us a better football team.

I do put part of this on EtH. Casemiro - despite all the trophies - is just a player, a cog in the system. EtH has to be telling him to do his job for the team.

It might just be amateur psychology, but I get the feeling Casemiro is playing like he's the main man, finaly freed of playing third fiddle to (one of) the greatest midfield trios of all time. And occasionally it comes off, and he's scored loads more goals but is that really his role in the team?

He constantly demonstrates that he has the legs to get forward, but he's not getting back and doing what made him so valuable in the first place.

EtH has to get these players to play better for the team. Casemiro: first job is defense, tracking runners, ensuring we stop conceding at the rate we are. Bruno: for the sweet love of all that is holy pass the ball to f*cking teammate. And so forth.

 

[Oscar Bonavena]

He needs benching or he needs help, but one thing for sure, it can't keep going the way it's going.

 

[Canucantona20]

I think he’s doing too much is the issue. He’s playing everywhere, and should just stick to his position more and let the other midfielders run.
Also he needs to keep it simpler with the passing (same issue with Bruno). A lot of times he just hoofs it forward for no reason.

Overall, he needs to simplify his game as he gets older.

 

[gaffs]

That was absolutely criminal.

The caf is full of backseat managers demanding that Bruno and Rashford are benched. Replacing Casemiro with a DM who actually tracks runners (and doesn't give the ball away constantly) is what really needs to happen to make us a better football team.

Happened time and time again this season.

I don't recall this being such an issue last season.

 

[Yagami]

Happened time and time again this season.

I don't recall this being such an issue last season.

It was for me! I think he's been a problem since day one. I still expect him to improve once Shaw/Reguilon/Malacia come back and we get Amrabat into midfield, though.

 

[lex talionis]

Casemiro should have let him go rather than risk a pk and getting sent off. It's one thing to give up a pk but a last ditch tackle in that situation is always going to get you sent off and banned for at least the next match.

 

[3KDré]

I do put part of this on EtH. Casemiro - despite all the trophies - is just a player, a cog in the system. EtH has to be telling him to do his job for the team.

It might just be amateur psychology, but I get the feeling Casemiro is playing like he's the main man, finaly freed of playing third fiddle to (one of) the greatest midfield trios of all time. And occasionally it comes off, and he's scored loads more goals but is that really his role in the team?

He constantly demonstrates that he has the legs to get forward, but he's not getting back and doing what made him so valuable in the first place.

EtH has to get these players to play better for the team. Casemiro: first job is defense, tracking runners, ensuring we stop conceding at the rate we are. Bruno: for the sweet love of all that is holy pass the ball to f*cking teammate. And so forth.

I agree. If he's constantly giving the ball away and so is Bruno, it has to be by instruction which I find mental.

 

[gaffs]

It was for me! I think he's been a problem since day one. I still expect him to improve once Shaw/Reguilon/Malacia come back and we get Amrabat into midfield, though.

Bizarre that ETH hasn't seen this then.

The reason i say that is because the idea seemed to be to have 2 x 8s playing (Bruno and Mount) and Casemiro holding. We saw that v Wolves.

Now, we are saying that Casemiro needs help and he needs Amrabat next to him.

So how then do we use Bruno and Mount? Seems that only one can play if we are to keep Anthony wide right.

Should have bought an established Premier League proven, box to box midfielder. João Palhinha would have been my pick.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

We should consider selling him at the end of this season. He was superb last season but his legs and speed of thought gave way towards the end of it and have only gotten worse this season. It’s a huge problem for your DM to be constantly exploited by teams every week.

I’d go back to a double pivot for the remainder of the season to give him and the defence more support and then in the summer find the right number 6 for the single pivot.

 

[Matt851]

We should consider selling him at the end of this season. He was superb last season but his legs and speed of thought gave way towards the end of it and have only gotten worse this season. It’s a huge problem for your DM to be constantly exploited by teams every week.

I’d go back to a double pivot for the remainder of the season to give him and the defence more support and then in the summer find the right number 6 for the single pivot.

No one player would be able to cope playing alongside mount and Bruno in midfield. ETHs plan was completely brain dead, particularly when factoring casemiros lack of mobility

 

[joedirt87]

Casemiro should have let him go rather than risk a pk and getting sent off. It's one thing to give up a pk but a last ditch tackle in that situation is always going to get you sent off and banned for at least the next match.

His instant reaction was likely oh sh*t I've got to try and stop this or were conceding, and frankly he's probably right.

 

[DWelbz19]

It might just be amateur psychology, but I get the feeling Casemiro is playing like he's the main man, finaly freed of playing third fiddle to (one of) the greatest midfield trios of all time.

That's been apparent from his first game, in my opinion. Kroos and Modric are players you just naturally bow to and play as a water carrier for because they can do everything you can do and then some with it. They're also players who value ball circulation. Who's going to tell him to show some care on the ball here -- Bruno Fernandes; master of first time punts over the top? Scott McTominay?

 

[pratyush_utd]

No one player would be able to cope playing alongside mount and Bruno in midfield. ETHs plan was completely brain dead, particularly when factoring casemiros lack of mobility

Would say mostly Bruno. Runs around like headless chicken and misplaces easy passes which makes us vulnerable to counters. No midfield will be able to cope up with that level of uncertainty. As others have pointed out, his creativity cannot make up for his lack of consistency in midfield.

 

[lex talionis]

His instant reaction was likely oh sh*t I've got to try and stop this or were conceding, and frankly he's probably right.

You’re correct that that was his reaction, but his reaction was a cure that was worse than the disease, unless we are now of the mind that we’re better off with Casemiro off the pitch than on the pitch, which may be a sound conclusion but I doubt that conclusion was going through his mind in that instant.

 

[Matt851]

Would say mostly Bruno. Runs around like headless chicken and misplaces easy passes which makes us vulnerable to counters. No midfield will be able to cope up with that level of uncertainty. As others have pointed out, his creativity cannot make up for his lack of consistency in midfield.

Don't disagree but still don't buy mount is an 8 so think he needs an 8 alongside casemiro behind him to thrive

 

[sugar_kane]

Sometimes the way he plays comes across as so casual and it does my head in, suggestive of a man who has won it all already and is just along for the ride.

He's been doing it on and off since he signed, but I was especially tearing my hair out against Galatasary when he was attempting half hearted little dinks and giving the ball away on more than one occasion.

His experience, professionalism and ability shines through whether he has his game head on or not, but I sometimes wonder if we'd be better with someone in that position who has more to prove.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

That's been apparent from his first game, in my opinion. Kroos and Modric are players you just naturally bow to and play as a water carrier for because they can do everything you can do and then some with it. They're also players who value ball circulation. Who's going to tell him to show some care on the ball here -- Bruno Fernandes; master of first time punts over the top? Scott McTominay?

Presumably the manager. So I can only assume either the manager isn't telling him to stop being so careless in possession, he isn't listening, or he is incapable of being any less slap-dash. All three scenarios are bad and what McT/Bruno do with the ball is irrelevant to which one applies.

 

[poleglass red]

His instant reaction was likely oh sh*t I've got to try and stop this or were conceding, and frankly he's probably right.

He lets other teams midfielders make runs every game and makes little to no effort to track their runs. It's instances like this where he can try and stop them we'd prefer he went "oh sh*t", not scenarios where he has no chance of making a clean tackle and will now be suspended.

 

[fergiewherearethou]

He's an elegant destroyer, with good ball skills, very good heading and positioning and an eye for goal. He's our best midfielder for God knows how long.
The problem is that playing alone and covering tens of meters by himself is not viable and it exposes his weaknesses, mainly being slow on and off the ball. For that reason we needed at least one engine type midfielder besides him with a lot of pace and capable of covering a lot of ground. We don't have that.

 

[Iker Quesadillas]

Real Madrid got one over us again I see.

No one got anything over United, the club just ruins players.

Ruined Varane's fitness too.

 

[el3mel]

No one got anything over United, the club just ruins players.

Ruined Varane's fitness too.

Varane fitness has been shit for few seasons before joining United. In fact this was a major concern when we signed him, but people didn't listen.

 

[Oranges038]

Varane fitness has been shit for few seasons before joining United. In fact this was a major concern when we signed him, but people didn't listen.

His injury problems at Madrid were a bit overblown, obviously Madrid might have known this downturn was coming. But he came off 4/5 seasons starting up on 40+ games to starting 10-15 less at Utd.

 

[KeanoMagicHat]

I don't think Casemiro is done like people are saying he is. It's a bad run of form but at 31 he can still prove to have some left in the tank. My biggest issue isn't his athleticism but his positioning. When he first arrived it was great but for some reason this season he spends half the game trying to high press in almost an attacking midfield position, leaving the centre wide open. The midfield is completely dysfunctional as a result. Whether that is a coaching/tactical decision or himself going rogue, it's a big issue. If he just sat in front of the defence, especially with someone like Hannibal to do the pressing, he can still be top class I believe. But the way he's playing, it's pointless.

 

[Iker Quesadillas]

Varane fitness has been shit for few seasons before joining United. In fact this was a major concern when we signed him, but people didn't listen.

Varane averaged 3700 minutes per season in his last three years at Real Madrid. He was the 2nd most used player in 18/19, 4th in 19/20, and 5th in 20/21. He was the most used defender in all those seasons. So this "fitness was shit for a few seasons" narrative is completely made up.

 

[el3mel]

Varane averaged 3700 minutes per season in his last three years at Real Madrid. In two years at United he's averaged 2500 minutes.

https://www.transfermarkt.com/raphael-varane/verletzungen/spieler/164770

Ever since 2016/2017 his injuries record has been increasing one year after another. It was bound to increase even more with United with him aging. The writing was on the wall.

 

[NicolaSacco]

He had to make that challenge and stop what was going to be a goal.

It was take the red card and hopefully they miss the penalty which they did.

Same as Ole a few years back when he had to do the same thing.

He absolutely didn’t ‘have to’ make that challenge. This scenario (a player running in for a 1-on-1 being pursued by a defender) has probably happened 20 or 30 times in the Premiership this season. And none or virtually none of those resulted in the defender fouling the player for a penalty.

Also, wasn’t solskjaer’s outside the area? So he effectively took a red card to turn an attack into a free kick? Which is very very different to taking a red to turn it into a penalty. I might be wrong on this, maybe it was a pen.

 

[lex talionis]

The clear answer to managing Casemiro is rotating him, but not every other match. We’ve got a reinforcement now in Amrabat who can handle lesser opposition. Hopefully Mainoo as well, but any kind of regular action for Mainoo will have to wait until the second half of the season. With fewer games to worry about, Casemiro will return to last season’s form.

 

[Iker Quesadillas]

https://www.transfermarkt.com/raphael-varane/verletzungen/spieler/164770

Ever since 2016/2017 his injuries record has been increasing one year after another. It was bound to increase even more with United with him aging. The writing was on the wall.

The link doesn't show that. He is out 116 days in 16/17, 33 days in 17/18, 16 days in 18/19, 0 days in 19/20, and 17 days in 20/21. So his injuries record isn't increasing, if anything it's decreasing. Until, that is, he goes to United.

 

[kouroux]

He absolutely didn’t ‘have to’ make that challenge. This scenario (a player running in for a 1-on-1 being pursued by a defender) has probably happened 20 or 30 times in the Premiership this season. And none or virtually none of those resulted in the defender fouling the player for a penalty.

Also, wasn’t solskjaer’s outside the area? So he effectively took a red card to turn an attack into a free kick? Which is very very different to taking a red to turn it into a penalty. I might be wrong on this, maybe it was a pen.

Completely agree. Casemiro has this dumb tendency to lunge everytime and him doing that particular wasn't a surprise.

 

[OrcaFat]

He's an elegant destroyer, with good ball skills, very good heading and positioning and an eye for goal. He's our best midfielder for God knows how long.
The problem is that playing alone and covering tens of meters by himself is not viable and it exposes his weaknesses, mainly being slow on and off the ball. For that reason we needed at least one engine type midfielder besides him with a lot of pace and capable of covering a lot of ground. We don't have that.

I don’t think he is supposed to be getting so far forward so often but, as you probably know, the system with the two “high 8s” requires a CB or a FB or both to step into MF to help Case. It’s not going that smoothly yet but it’s the way forward.

 

[Rake]

Completely agree. Casemiro has this dumb tendency to lunge everytime and him doing that particular wasn't a surprise.

They speculated on Talk Of The Devils that Casemiro did not trust Onana enough to make a save and that is why he decided to commit.

In similar fashion, I have no trust in the current Casemiro to be even remotely able to make such a tackle. It was a bad decision and there are no two ways about it. Last info I saw was that the conversion rage on penalties is 70+%. He stopped a potential goal by leaving us with man down, facing a situation that is highly likely to end up in a goal anyway and leave us at a big disadvantage for the rest of the game.

 

[FerociousCorgis]

They speculated on Talk Of The Devils that Casemiro did not trust Onana enough to make a save and that is why he decided to commit.

In similar fashion, I have no trust in the current Casemiro to be even remotely able to make such a tackle. It was a bad decision and there are no two ways about it. Last info I saw was that the conversion rage on penalties is 70+%. He stopped a potential goal by leaving us with man down, facing a situation that is highly likely to end up in a goal anyway and leave us at a big disadvantage for the rest of the game.

as well as now being out for the next game as well, furthering our disadvantage in a situation that will be must win.

 

[dcrompton]

Maybe, just maybe you look a better player next to Modric and Kroos rather than Bruno and Mount

 

[AltiUn]

Onana is getting the brunt of the grief for the goal but what an absolute fecking donkey this man is

 

[acnumber9]

Bad pass for the first goal but the ball should never have went to him.

 

[Idxomer]

He's finished, ship him off to Saudi Arabia in January.

 

[Dorris]

Get him sold to Saudi in Jan, he’s absolute shit.

 

[3KDré]

Needs dropping immediately.

 

[T_Model101]

He can contribute if his minutes are managed, he absolutely can not be allowed to play more than 1 game a week

 

[sullydnl]

Needs to be benched. He's been terrible both on and off the ball this season.