Graeme Souness' outrageous comments on Casemiro joining Man Utd have aged so, so badly
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Graeme Souness couldn't have gotten his assessment of Casemiro's talents more wrong before his transfer to Manchester United in the summer.
The Brazil international put in a midfield performance for the ages on Tuesday evening as United returned to Premier League action with a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest.
Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial gave Erik ten Hag's side a 2-0 lead inside 22 minutes before Fred added a third late on.
United fielded a weakened backline due to a virus going around the camp. Victor Lindelof missed the game, while captain Harry Maguire was only fit enough for the bench.
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It meant Raphael Varane, who played in the World Cup final nine days ago, played alongside left-back by trade Luke Shaw in the heart of defence.
Neither man looked troubled, thanks to Casemiro's exploits in the middle of the park. He shielded the pair comfortably, winning seven duels and making five tackles.
Casemiro also showcased his passing ability by setting up Fred after a rampaging run into the Forest half. All in all, a worthy Player of the Match performance.
The 30-year-old is a three-time La Liga and five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, who he left to seek a new challenge.
Souness wasn't convinced by Casemiro back in August. The Liverpool legend slammed Casemiro's £67 million price tag while claiming he wouldn't improve United.
He then claimed Casemiro was surrounded by great players at the Santiago Bernabeu and not a great player himself. Yes, we can't believe it either.
During an appearance on talkSPORT, Souness said: "He was playing with great players. He’s not a great player. He has never been a great player.
"I see him as a steady Eddie who will help United be more solid in midfield. I don’t think he has got a great range of passing. I don’t think he is going help other people play.
"I think he was lucky to be in that Real Madrid team. I never look forward to watching Casemiro. [Karim] Benzema, definitely. The other midfield players, definitely. I never thought, 'I’m really excited to watch Casemiro play today'."
Souness doubled down on his criticism, saying United wouldn't improve on the ball with Casemiro in midfield.
He continued: "He is 30 years old and it’s £70m. Too much money. It is Manchester United all over again.
"Manchester United will pay a premium because it is Manchester United and the Premier League and people know it’s awash with money. But I don’t see him making them any better when they have the ball."
We'll file that one under things that have aged horrifically. United return to action against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon.
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Featured Image Credit: talkSPORT & Alamy
Topics: Casemiro, Manchester United, Graeme Souness
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