Roy Keane blasted Casemiro’s central defence role in Manchester United’s humiliating 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace on Monday.
He also butted heads with Ian Wright again, after the pair clashed last month in a discussion on Bruno Fernandes, and whether the Red Devils captain is a good influence in the club dressing room.
Keane was particularly scathing of Casemiro’s performance during the game, as he was involved in two of Palace’s four goals on the night – and also blasted his Man United team-mates for failing to help him out.
On the latest episode of the Stick to Football podcast, there was intense discussion about Manchester United, with the Irishman arguing that ‘Casemiro is the last player you’d want to play at centre-half against Palace’, following the recent goalscoring form of Oliver Glasner’s side, by scoring five against West Ham, and even twice against Man City – but admitted that the Brazilian defender did have a ‘shocker’.
He later added: ‘Of all the players at Manchester United, including the reserves and youth team, if there was one player I wouldn’t play at centre-half against Crystal Palace, he’d be the one I wouldn’t play. Aaron Wan-Bissaka or someone else!’
Roy Keane was scathing on Casemiro’s performance in central defence against Crystal Palace
Casemiro was involved in two of Palace’s four goals against Manchester United on Monday
Keane and Ian Wright had another heated chat following Man United’s defeat at Crystal Palace
Keane added: ‘Casemiro was isolated. He was isolated by his own fault, because he wasn’t getting people around him, and you have to take responsibility for that.
‘But if we’re talking about it being a team game, structure-this and structure-that, playing between the lines, that’s all well and good but when you’re up against it, you need your teammates around you. There’s the whole idea of playing in a team.’
The Irishman also noted: ‘I looked at Casemiro the other night and he was having a bad time, but he wasn’t getting any help from the other players. If your legs are going a bit, you get people around you [to help], and that’s where he should’ve done better with his experience.
‘But defensively, he got no help from anyone whatsoever. Defensively they were all over the place!’
Fellow podcaster Jamie Carragher had a brutal assessment of Casemiro‘s performance against Crystal Palace, telling the Brazil captain to ‘call it a day’ – which Wright previously opposed.
Wright told the podcast: ‘ I remember watching [Casemiro vs Palace] and I’m always fighting someone in the paper whether it’s you [Gary Neville], you [Carragher] or you [Keane], people always digging me out saying ‘what’s your mate talking about now?!
‘I was thinking about it myself when I was coming to the end and people were saying “you’re done, it’s over”. We are talking about a player who’s a Brazilian captain, only 32 and in a team with no structure and he’s just there in space getting exposed. I just felt like, only in that moment, like with the League Two [Keane’s previous comment on Man City’s Erling Haaland] it just takes it to another place.
‘At the same time, you look at his career and how well he’s done but when you’re that exposed, it’s like “what can he do?!”‘
Jamie Carragher did not hold back in his criticism of Casemiro as he urged him to ‘call it a day’
Crystal Palace’s speed and trickery proved too much for Casemiro and Man United to handle
Keane previously blasted Manchester City striker Erling Haaland as a ‘League Two player’
Keane made headlines in March for his scathing criticism of Man City‘s Norwegian forward, who he slammed for his general play in a period when he was struggling for form.
Wright and Keane also clashed over a discussion on managerial styles, after Glasner’s Crystal Palace side put in a stellar performance against Erik ten Hag’s Man United.
Wright, who was on the books at Palace from 1985 until 1991, said: ‘I’m thinking to myself with [ten Hag], what more is that manager going to do? [With Glasner] In 13 games, look at Palace, they have changed.
‘Obviously they went with [Frank] de Boer. It didn’t work. Then they went to Roy [Hodgson]. They then went with Patrick [Vieira] and it didn’t work. Back to Roy.
‘They want to do something where they can go somewhere else and they’ve now found a manager who has won stuff as well. Let’s face it. And look at the Palace team -‘
Keane interjected here: ‘Are you comparing Crystal Palace to Man United? Where are Palace in the league? Palace are in a good little run at home.’
‘Yes, but Palace have just changed their manager’, Wright replied.
Keane asked: ‘So Palace have got all the answers then?’, before furiously talking over the former Arsenal legend. ‘Do you know why they’re doing well, Palace? They’ve got two of their best players playing. They’ve got two very good players. Palace are 14th in the league so don’t get all excited about Crystal Palace.’
Keane was frustrated that Wright chose to compare Manchester United with Crystal Palace
Wright was ‘excited’ that new manager Oliver Glasner had changed things in South London
Glasner has proven himself in the first 13 games since taking charge at Selhurst Park
Wright responded: ‘Yeah, I’m not bothered about where they are. It’s got nothing to do with getting all excited about Crystal Palace. What I’m excited about with Palace is that their manager is changing something.’
Manchester United face Arsenal, Newcastle and Brighton in their final Premier League games as they look to secure a European-placed finish, whilst Crystal Palace take on Wolves and Aston Villa.
Roy Keane and Ian Wright were speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet.
