Jamie Carragher has raised concerns about Casemiro's legs, says he noticed it last season

Jamie Carragher noticed a flaw in Casemiro's game when he played against Liverpool last season – and it took him back to watching Fabinho.

The Brazilian midfielder, who joined Manchester United from Real Madrid in August last year, was one of the club's standout performances in his debut campaign at Old Trafford.

In fact, the BBC conducted a poll to decide United's Player of the Season, and Casemiro came out on top with 53 per cent of the vote, beating the likes of Marcus Rashford and Lisandro Martinez.

But the experienced Brazil international has struggled in recent weeks as United continue to struggle in all competitions.

Many have raised eyebrows over Casemiro's form, including former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, who thinks his legs "have gone" at the age of 31.

Speaking to YouTube channel Covering Liverpool, the Sky Sports pundit said: "I think Casemiro's legs have gone. I noticed it last season at Anfield and I didn't like what I saw.

"It took me back to watching Fabinho last year for Liverpool. I want to be the first to say it, I don't want to say it when everyone else is saying his legs have gone."

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who has been heavily linked with a takeover of Manchester United in recent months, recently cited the transfer of Casemiro as a reason to shake up the club’s recruitment policy, according to reports.

According to the Guardian, Ratcliffe raised a number of points during a presentation to the United hierarchy on March 17 at the club’s Carrington training base.

The club’s CEO Richard Arnold and football director John Murtough were reportedly among those in attendance.

And prospective bidder Ratcliffe raised concerns about the players signed by United in the past few seasons, and pointed to Casemiro’s £52 million arrival from Real Madrid as an example of questionable business.

The Brazilian midfielder was, of course, handed a four-year contract worth around £350,000 a week.

Image credit: Getty

Another person that has identified Casemiro as a weakness in United's ranks is the club's former assistant manager Rene Meulensteen.

“United have certain shortcomings,” he told ESPN. "[Varane] cannot handle the pace. The Premier League is dynamic. Everything goes at 100 kilometres per hour. That is the big problem in midfield. They have no energy and that is how the defence gets into trouble.

“He [Ten Hag] wants to put a lot of pressure on, with a lot of intensity. Just like at Ajax. But he doesn’t have the players for that. The players don’t have the mentality to constantly put pressure on. Casemiro, for example, can’t handle it at all. Ten Hag has a certain conviction about how he wants to play. But he has to find ways to get there.”

Thoughts on Casemiro's form of late? Do you think his legs have gone, like Carragher has suggested?

Let us know in the comments.

Topics: Casemiro, Jamie Carragher, Liverpool, Manchester United, Premier League

Jack Kenmare

Senior Journalist at SPORTbible with a passion for long-form journalism. Almost 10 years’ experience across online and print.

@jackkenmare_