Man Utd implored to sell struggling star labelled as bad role model for Kobbie Mainoo

Manchester United midfielder Casemiro is under serious scrutiny after one pundit claimed he ‘looks like he’s in Soccer Aid’ and another insisted the club ‘have to move on’ from players of his category.

Had Sir Jim Ratcliffe had any power at Man Utd back in 2022, they may never have signed Casemiro. When outlining his plans for the club prior to his partial takeover, which went through earlier this year, he highlighted the addition of the experienced Brazilian as a questionable investment for their long-term strategy.

Ever since those reports emerged, it has seemed likely that Ratcliffe will oversee Casemiro’s sale in the summer – or at least attempt to – and the player’s performances since have not gone very far to persuade him otherwise.

On Saturday, Man Utd could only draw with Bournemouth, which means doubts are being fired towards a number of their key personnel.

Casemiro has once again come in for criticism, with Jamie Redknapp blasting his lack of pace and example to rising midfield star, Kobbie Mainoo.

“He has to see that danger first of all, it’s his mistake he’s made [for Justin Kluivert’s goal],” Redknapp told Sky Sports. “But for me, what I’m on about is the culture of just running and sprinting and helping your teammates.

“Casemiro, I’ve watched him for years and he’s been one of my favourite defensive midfielders in world football, I’ve loved watching him play.

“But right now, it looks like he’s in Soccer Aid, he’s playing at such a pace where it looks like he’s just there for a bit of fun and there’s celebrities on the pitch. This is the Premier League! You have so much experience!

“I think to myself, what would Rodri do in that situation? He’d be flying out there to protect his teammates and I don’t know why he’s not.

“This is my point with Kobbie Mainoo – that kid has the world at his feet and he needs good role models, people you want to aspire to be like in that changing room and at the moment, [Casemiro] is not setting the right examples to the players around him and it’s not good enough.

“He should be running, he would’ve stopped that goal.”

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Casemiro becoming ‘a massive problem’

In fairness to Casemiro, pace was never his strong point even during his Real Madrid heyday. His declining awareness, though, is becoming a major issue.

Maybe Ratcliffe was right all along and these problems could have been averted. Come the summer, Man Utd will have the chance to try and sell the 32-year-old – something they should definitely be trying to do.

That’s the opinion of another pundit, Tony Cascarino, who has pointed out how his flaws were exposed last week against Liverpool too.

“Casemiro is a massive problem, for me,” Cascarino told talkSPORT. “I watched him against Liverpool. He was the reason why Liverpool kept opening up United, especially in the first half.

“He has never been the quickest, he was never blessed with pace, but, boy, he has got a parachute on now, which is that he has lost a yard, a yard he never really had, because he was never quick.

“He was a very solid player. They have to move on from players like that, United.”

Casemiro still has a contract with Man Utd for another two years after the current season.

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