Ten Hag defends Manchester United man despite dreadful performance against Palace

Who would have imagined, following a largely impressive debut season under the former Ajax boss, that we’d be talking like this about Erik ten Hag and Casemiro 12 months on? The manager of the future and a midfielder with an outstanding early impact seemed to place him alongside Bruno Fernandes as one of the most transformative signings of the modern era.

That capitulation in south London was proof of how bad things have gotten, almost 12 months to the day since Chelsea secured Champions League qualification 4-1.

Casemiro calamity in Crystal Palace knocking

“We had five players, that’s a goal that shouldn’t happen because we’re really giving clear instructions on how we should defend this,” Ten Hag said at full-time, refusing to blame Casemiro, despite the centre-half diving into a frankly ridiculous challenge near the halfway line and leaving his fellow defenders horribly exposed.

“They didn’t bring it on the field and we got hammered. That was a problem – but also on the left side, there were two players doubling up on one player and that’s very poor defending.”

“You can’t put that (down) on a player,” adds the United boss when pressed further on Casemiro’s display. “It’s a team performance.”

It’s true, of course. But this was certainly one of the worst individual performances in recent memory. A performance so error-strewn, so mind-bogglingly naive, that even Jamie Carragher found himself on the “time to learn Arabic, mate” route, live on Sky Sports.

Manchester United’s exit seems inevitable

“I said at half-time that (Ten Hag) had to get Casemiro off,” said the Liverpool legend. “I think Casemir – I’m being extremely serious – should know tonight as an experienced player that he should only have three more games at the top level.

“The next two league games and the (FA Cup) final, and thinking; “I have to go to MLS or Saudi Arabia.”

“I am extremely serious. His agent or people around him have to tell him to stop. We’re looking at one of the greatest of modern times played in one of the best midfielders of modern times.

“I’m nowhere near what that man accomplished, but I always remember something when I retire. It was a saying that I always remember as a footballer; “Leave football before football leaves you.”

“Football left him at the highest level. He has to call it a day at this level of football and move on.”

As Ineos plan a brutal cull in the summer window, Casemiro won’t be expecting anyone at Old Trafford to barricade the exits if Saudi Arabia do come calling.

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