Rio Ferdinand launches into stunning Casemiro rant as major new Man Utd headache for Erik ten Hag emerges

Rio Ferdinand has explained why Casemiro may soon quickly start regretting his summer switch to Manchester United after a stunning claim about his start to life at Old Trafford.

The Brazil midfielder moved to United over the summer, costing an initial £60m, with a further £10m in add-ons. Coming with a wealth of experience, the 30-year-old has also signed a deal worth £300,000 per week. However, little has gone to plan so far for Casemiro.

Indeed, in his two months at the club, Casemiro has been limited to one just start for the Red Devils. That came in a Europa League tie away to Moldovan side FC Sheriff, a side Ferdinand labelled as a “dead team”.

In the Premier League, however, it’s an altogether different story. The former Real Madrid star has been limited to just four appearances off the bench, the latest coming in Sunday’s 6-3 mauling at Manchester City.

And while Ten Hag was allowed to spend £216m over the summer, United have rarely looked further away from catching City. Indeed, our feature explains the five positions Ten Hag needs to address in the January transfer window.

The case of Casemiro’s lack of starts though is beginning to raise eyebrows. Arriving with a big reputation, he was quickly expected to find a role in the United XI.

But with Paul Scholes recently labelling Casemiro as a ‘panic buy’, Ferdinand has taken it one step further in a stunning rant.

He has questioned the wisdom of Ten Hag leaving him benched, while also making stunning claims over how Casemiro will be feeling as a result.

“Casemiro’s another one. He’s sitting there going, ‘I’ve won five Champions Leagues with this team’,” Ferdinand told his FIVE YouTube channel after United’s humbling at the Etihad.

Casemiro may soon regret Man Utd move

“I’ve heard people today say, ‘if he plays he needs legs around him, he can’t play with Eriksen and Bruno’. This geezer played with two snails in Modric and Toni Kroos – he just knows his way around a football pitch.

“He is a fantastic defensive midfielder, one of, if not the best, in the world before he came to Man United.”

Ferdinand was then asked if the Brazilian’s form so far has not been good enough to warrant a place in the starting XI.

However, a less-than-impressed Ferdinand hit back with a strong reply, before labelling Casemiro a ‘Carabao Cup signing’.

“You can’t say that,” he added. “The geeze hasn’t been given a chance, he hasn’t been given a fair crack of the whip. He’s come in and played in a Europa League game against some dead team.

“He ain’t been given a start in the team when he’s fit and ready. He’s regressed in terms of fitness, so he’s now worse off than when he came. He still had to get up to speed when he came from that league to this league.

“I wonder the impact it’s having on someone like him. Yes he’s experience and whatnot. But he must be sitting there thinking, ‘wow, I’m happy to be here at Man United but I’m feeling a little bit disrespected here, given what I’ve done’. I’d be surprised if he’s not feeling like that.

“I think we will [see Ronaldo and Casemiro play], but I think it’s the context of what games they’re playing in – they could be playing midweek Europa game. That won’t sit well with them.

“They’d be sitting there going, ‘wow, I’m like the Rumbelows Cup player right now, the Carabao Cup player’.”

Erik ten Hag told situation will soon create big problem at Man Utd

Casemiro was expected by many to be one of the first names on the teamsheet when he signed. But his persistent benching has left Ferdinand to suggest Ten Hag will soon have another big problem on his hands.

And with Roy Keane highlighting two major problems, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Ferdinand says Ten Hag may soon have a frustrated player on his hands. Indeed, he believes the egos of some of these stars will soon be an issue in their own right.

“These are the sub-plots to what Ten Hag has to deal with. This is what management is about, he’s got to manage that type of player. That type of ego, the pride that comes with these types of players. If you’re not playing, you’ll see a difference in the way they look at you now. And that’s what you’ve got to manage.

“He didn’t have those problems at Ajax with the players he had. He was very much in control, the master of the universe there.

“Here you’ve got big egos to deal with and this is the task when you come to a top club.”

Frenkie de Jong was clearly the top United manager’s top target over the summer. After settling for Casemiro, questions will soon be asked over whether Ten Hag actually wanted the Brazilian at all.

If he didn’t, then the £46.8m the club has committed to paying him in wages over the next three years is one almighty mistake to have made.

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