“They’ve had their trousers taken” - Graeme Souness singles out 2 players Manchester United should not have signed
Liverpool legend Graeme Souness reckons Manchester United erred in signing Casemiro and Raphael Varane. The Brazilian midfielder has struggled to keep up with the pace of the Premier League this season, while the latter has failed to recapture his form at Real Madrid due to his injuries.
The Red Devils signed Varane from Real Madrid in the summer of 2021 for a reported fee of £41 million. However, the four-time Champions League winner has missed 46 games across all competitions due to injury since then, including 12 this season.
Manchester United also recruited Casemiro from Real Madrid the following summer reportedly for £70 million. The 32-year-old had a decent debut campaign, winning the Carabao Cup. However, he has looked like a shell of his former self this season, with his lack of mobility being the primary reason.
Souness made an appearance on William Hills' Three Up Front podcast, where he said (via Manchester Evening News):
“Yeah he [Casemiro] can point to the medals which he won but he was a bit-player in a very special team. I never saw him coming to United and being the difference. I saw him as ‘he’s okay, not a big player’. I think they’ve had their trousers taken with both Raphael Varane and him. If you’ve got something to offer Real Madrid don’t sell you."
He added:
“Real Madrid sold Raphael Varane and Casemiro to Man United. They [United] paid a premium and I’m sure they’re on lots of money those two and it’s a football decision, that I feel, they got wrong again. He’s [Casemiro] been found out, not stitched up. If you’re a big player and you’ve got the chance to go United, you’re going to take it to make them better.”
Casemiro has made 29 appearances across all competitions, scoring five goals and providing three assists. Meanwhile, Varane has made 30 appearances but is currently sidelined with a muscle injury.
"Everybody knows he can’t run!" - Mark Lawrenson makes bold claim on Casemiro while making score prediction for Manchester United v Arsenal
Mark Lawrenson has singled out Casemiro for his lack of pace this season while making his prediction for Manchester United's upcoming Premier League fixture against Arsenal. The two sides are set to face each other at Old Trafford on Sunday, May 12.
Manchester United were recently beaten 4-0 by Crystal Palace and are languishing in eighth place with 54 points from 35 games. In contrast, Arsenal are still in contention to win the title and are first with 83 points from 36 games.
Lawrenson wrote (via Paddy Power News):
"I don’t know who’s going to play at the back for Manchester United or whether they’ve got someone coming back to fitness, but they were just a mess against Palace."
"What I couldn’t understand was, if you’ve got no centre backs you’ve just got to play defensively and hope your three lads up front can nick a goal but there was none of that they were just wide open."
He continued:
"As poor as Casemiro was I felt a bit sorry for him because he got massive blame and everybody knows he can’t run! That’s football, but I’ll go for a comfortable Arsenal away win – hopefully!"
Lawrenson's Prediction: 0-3