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In a season full of disappointment from a Manchester United perspective, it is hard to pinpoint exactly one issue which stands out as the worst.
An absurd tactical switch to a transition-based team, a porous defence and a crazy injury list that has seen key players like Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw barely feature all season, are all reasonable candidates.
However, the massive drop-off in form of Casemiro surely has to be near the top of the pile.
The Brazilian was majestic in his debut season, making United much more solid and providing the steel while his midfield partner, Christian Eriksen, provided the silk.
The Real Madrid legend also added crucial goals to his game as he scored seven goals, including the opening strike in the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United, which the Red Devils would go on to win, ending a six-year trophy drought.
However, his second season at Old Trafford has been a nightmare.
The 32-year-old’s decline was on full show on Monday night against Crystal Palace in his side’s 0-4 drubbing at Selhurst Park.
Casemiro was dribbled past eight times in the match, more than any player in the Premier League this season, as he could not live with Palace’s energetic side.
The Brazilian was also caught out of position numerous times and left Jonny Evans to deal with numerous situations by himself.
His performances have already been picked apart by the press as Sky Sports pundit, Jamie Redknapp, laid into the player’s role in United’s shambolic defensive performance in a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth last month.
Paul Scholes became the latest pundit to tear into the defensive midfielder when he claimed that he probably should not be playing for a team of the calibre of Manchester United anymore.
The latest pundit to comment on the shocking decline of the player is former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf. Speaking to ESPN, he stated his confusion at how Casemiro is playing.
“We don’t know what’s going on in the dressing room but how come, from Real Madrid, even if you’re not the player you used to be, you can lose almost everything in almost two seasons?”
“I don’t get it. I don’t believe (it) because I was such a fan of Casemiro. What I saw yesterday (Monday) is somebody who lost the appetite, lost the feeling and is not the one that I know with all the football knowledge we’ve seen throughout the years he played for Real Madrid and Brazil.”
“That’s not understandable for me”.
Such has been the decline, that United are looking to get rid of him in the summer, as they plan to sell him for £30 million to Saudi Arabia.
However, in all honesty, United fans would be delighted to get anything close to that figure due to the player’s physical decline.
In the interest of fairness, Erik ten Hag’s chaotic transition-based style of football does not do the midfielder any favours.
Moreover, he has had to play out-of-position as a centre back as of late, with a revolving door of partners due to the obscene amount of injury issues at the club.
Nonetheless, he must take responsibility for his own performances and the legendary midfielder’s decline in a United shirt is surely one of the saddest sights of the 2023/2024 season.
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