- Manchester United suffered a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday
- Casemiro played Kai Havertz onside in the build-up to Leandro Trossard’s goal
- Erik ten Hag has ‘lost the plot’ in ‘CAR-CRASH’ head coaching role at Man United – Listen to the It all starts! podcast
Martin Keown has claimed that Erik ten Hag is also responsible for Casemiro’s decline in form after he made another mistake in Manchester United’s loss to Arsenal.
The experienced midfielder was again deployed as a stopgap defender alongside Jonny Evans at Old Trafford on Sunday, with Ten Hag missing all but one centre-back but making a careless error in the build-up to Leandro Trossard’s goal.
After Andre Onana launched a long ball across the pitch, Casemiro failed to put Kai Havertz offside, allowing him to fire a low cross for Trossard to score.
He also suffered a disastrous performance in United’s 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace and Keown insisted the performance should have prompted Ten Hag to make a change.
“It’s schoolboy stuff and it’s remarkable,” Keown told the BBC.
Casemiro made another bad mistake in Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal
The centre-back (left) played Kai Havertz onside before Leandro Trossard scored
Martin Keown thinks that Erik ten Hag is also responsible for Casemiro’s alarming decline in form
‘He is not a specialist central defender and that is why we look at Ten Hag and say: okay, what information do you put into the players?
‘You’ve had a chance to think about the Crystal Palace game. Casemiro, top player, but he is not a central defender, so change that. And I think the importance of cooperation between your centre-backs is, and Arsenal have shown that.
“If you have strength in that position, then you have a platform to build on.”
Shay Give was surprised by Casemiro’s slow attempts to get to United’s high line in the build-up, especially when only 20 minutes had been played.
“The thing about that goal, if it was the last 10 minutes and he was leggy and tired… but it’s only 20 minutes into the game,” Give said. ‘It’s not that he’s tired.
Pundit Keown insisted there should have been a change after United’s loss at Crystal Palace
Trossard hit Havertz’s cross home at the near post to send Arsenal top of the league
United legends Wayne Rooney (left) and Roy Keane (right) also roped in Casemiro
‘He should sprint. It’s really very simple. Even as a central midfielder, as a defensive midfielder, you have to squeeze the field.’
United legend Wayne Rooney also attacked the 32-year-old, telling Sky Sports: ‘It’s lazy. He is lazy. The rest of his teammates are pushed away and get caught.
‘Whether you are a midfielder or a centre-back, you have to be prepared to play with the rest of the team. If not, you play everyone onside and you get punished.’
Roy Keane then added: ‘Casemiro cannot play at centre-half in the Premier League. Whatever shortcomings you have, you can’t coach the pace. There was also a bit of laziness in getting out that led to the goal.
‘We are not saying that Casemiro can cover 60 or 70 metres, it is 10 or 15 metres. You have to get on the field. Just move your feet. Casemiro will be discovered at center back, which he did again today. it was the decisive moment of the match.’