Gary Neville blasted Casemiro for his role in Arsenal‘s opening goal against Manchester United.
The Gunners faced a potentially difficult task in what was considered by most to be a must-win game at Old Trafford on Sunday, but any early nerves were eased by an early goal from Leandro Trossard.
United were up against it going into the game, with Erik ten Hag‘s side still plagued by injuries and fielding their 14th different centre back pairing of the season.
Despite a better start than they managed in their 4-0 humiliation by Crystal Palace on Monday, it quickly unravelled with Trossard poking in when Casemiro struggled to get forward following a goal kick.
Neville slammed the makeshift defender for his role, insisting that the error has nothing to do with the 32-year-old playing out of position.
Gary Neville slammed Casemiro (pictured) for his role in Leandro Trossard’s goal on Sunday
The makeshift defender (left) failed to get up the pitch, playing Kai Havertz onside to cross for the goal
Neville (pictured) led the criticism of the Brazilian, saying he should have used his ‘experience in the game’ to identify the issue
‘Casemiro has got some criticism recently and he’s going to get a little bit more,’ the former United defender said on Sky Sports. ‘Brilliant from Arsenal, those Arsenal fans in the corner recognise it’s been a difficult 20 minutes.
‘As soon as he goes past Amrabat, Casemiro has to get up. Look at him jog, you see that ball being played and, once he doesn’t he is in trouble. Trossard does what every good wide player does, makes that diagonal run inside the full back, Wan-Bissaka is caught out and it’s a simple one in the end.
‘Casemiro’s experience in the game, he must have seen the ball had broken down and where Havertz was, he had to get up that bit quicker.’
The Brazilian, whose international future was plunged into doubt when he was left out of his nation’s Copa America squad despite being captain, has been filling in at the back since United’s FA Cup semi-final against Coventry on April 21.
Since then, the Red Devils have conceded 10 goals in four games – which have included fixtures against Sheffield United, Burnley and Coventry – with Casemiro clearly struggling to fill a position he isn’t familiar with.
Arsenal’s goal came from a home goal kick, with Casemiro showing for a short kick before Andre Onana kicked it long.
Arsenal won the ball, and, with Casemiro struggling to get up, Kai Havertz was able to break behind the rest of the back line, staying onside and breaking in the box to cross for Trossard to score.
‘There’s no doubt it’s not going to be easy for him,’ Neville added. ‘Before in the studio they said he needed protecting more, he’s actually had that.
‘That is a basic error. You have to get up quicker and he ambles out and there is no excuse for that.’
The play ended up with Havertz crossing for Trossard to score the first goal of the game
Neville branded Casemiro’s actions ‘a basic error’ and said ‘there is no excuse’ for failing to get up the field
Wayne Rooney (left) and Roy Keane (right) also chipped in on the goal and echoed Neville’s views
At half time, Roy Keane and Wayne Rooney chipped in on the goal and were equally as unforgiving as Neville.
‘I don’t know what he was doing doing it because I’m not even sure he needed to make an angle for the goalkeeper,’ Keane said. ‘When it goes back to the goalkeeper, why is he making a silly angle, as if he’s going to get it there?
;I’m not saying about sprinting. I’m not saying sprinting like a 100 meter sprinter, but you got to get up the pitch, just move your feet. He’s got to look across and go, “We’re in trouble here”.
‘I don’t think he has to make an angle here. Why does he make an angle? Just stay up the pitch. This game is hard enough. Whatever you have to do, you have to do the basics right. And they have not done the basics right at this moment in time and again. An experienced player, he’s got to get up there. He doesn’t.’
Rooney, meanwhile, added: ‘But that’s the way United’s been playing, so Casemiro will have been working on that. So he has to get up. As soon as Onana kicks the ball, he has to get up.
‘And then Wan-Bissaka on the back post. I think it’s a difficult one, because Trossard’s come off his back shoulder being clever. It starts from obviously Onana kicking the ball out, and, as Roy said, Casemiro has to get up the pitch.’
