Casemiro was so bad against Crystal Palace on Monday night that Man United should “pay him off” to get him out of the club.
That was the “deadly serious” suggestion from Jamie Carragher after the Brazilian midfielder put in one of the worst performances of his career at Selhurst Park.
The 32-year-old, who had to play at centre-back due to Man United‘s injury crisis at the back, was caught completely out of position for Michael Olie’s early opener.
Casemiro was beaten to the ball by Tyrick Mitchell for Palace’s third before needlessly losing possession in the lead-up to the host’s fourth of the night.
Reflecting on his own decision to retire in 2013, Carragher believes the former Real Madrid star should choose to step away from the top level of the game at the end of the season and move to the US or Saudi Arabia.
“Casemiro should know tonight as an experienced player that he should only have another three games left at the top level – the next two league games and the cup final – then go to the MLS or Saudi,” he told Sky Sports.
"He needs to call it a day at this level of football and move."@Carra23 believes Casemiro should be going to the MLS or Saudi after this season. pic.twitter.com/kHCGe8sUHq
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 6, 2024
“I’m deadly serious – his agent, the team of people around him, they have to tell him: this has to stop. We are watching one of the greats of the modern times, playing in the best midfields we have seen who have dominated Europe – him holding, Kroos and Modric alongside him.
“I am nowhere near on what that man has achieved, winning the Champions League five times, playing for Brazil and Real Madrid. But I always remember something when I retired myself, there’s a saying I always remember: Leave the football, before the football leaves you. The football has left him at this top level. He has to call it a day and move.”
Casemiro still has two years left to run on his contract, with the option for an additional year. But Carragher strongly believes Man United should try to end the deal early, even if it costs them a pretty penny after playing like “a joke tonight”.
“They should pay him off and do some sort of deal,” he said. “The level of that player, he should not be putting himself through this. He is too good of a player to be putting in that performance and being laughed at, by Crystal Palace. He’s not playing Manchester City or Real Madrid, all due to respect to Crystal Palace.
“A man of that level should not go what he’s going through, and he needs to call it a day.”
Man United manager Erik ten Hag refused to single out Casemiro for criticism after the game, claiming his squad didn’t stick to the script as Palace ran out 4-0 winners.
“You can’t put this [down to] one player,” the Dutchman told Sky Sports. “It’s a team performance. The throw-in when you concede the first goal, that shouldn’t happen.
“That’s the team because we don’t follow the rules, we don’t adapt to a slightly different situation, to organise, to keep control in that situation. Five players over the ball and they have a throw-in, it’s not possible.”
