Berbatov and Carragher agree on problem that could "waste" Man Utd's season
There is a growing problem at the centre of the Manchester United midfield, and it is in danger of "wasting" their campaign in the same manner that rivals Liverpool went off the rails last season.
That is the view of former United forward Dimitar Berbatov, who has backed up the ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher's view that the drop-off in the displays of the experienced Casemiro are becoming a concern for Erik ten Hag.
The Brazilian was way off the pace in both of United's matches so far this season - the fortunate 1-0 win over Wolves and the disappointing 2-0 loss at Tottenham, a result which Berbatov says Ten Hag's troops need to "f****** wake up" from if they are to have hopes of remaining in the Champions League places this season.
With five Champions League titles under his belt, the hugely decorated Casemiro has been a hit with United supporters ever since he joined the club from Real Madrid last summer, but at the age of 31 and carrying a price tag of up to £70m, those fans have a right to expect better displays.
“Casemiro needs to do better from the standards that he has shown over years and years at Real Madrid and last year at United. The standards for him to perform are really high," Berbatov told Betfair.
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“The first couple of games, he is not at the standard that we saw of him, and I'm pretty sure that he knows it. The team are not playing as well as everybody expected them to play and if they don't wake up, the season will be gone and it will be another wasted season.
“You need to accumulate points as soon as possible so you have the confidence and belief to say 'this is our season' and challenge.
Casemiro has struggled at the start of Manchester United's season (REX/Shutterstock)“The whole team needs to improve, you always point to the star players in the team who are setting the standards and when they don't play well it's always noticeable, you see it straight away. In the case of Casemiro, you know how good a player he is and if he's not up there in his best form then the team is going to suffer.”
Despite his displays impressing fans last season, the warning signs were still there that Casemiro was struggling to get to grips with the physicality of English football.
He was booked 13 times in all competitions for United and sent off twice in the last campaign, at one stage missing a month of domestic action through suspension.
Sky Sports pundit Carragher has raised concerns over Casemiro's place in Ten Hag's side following the games against Wolves and Tottenham, saying: "This guy in midfield, as we saw last Monday night and as we saw constantly on Saturday night, is being left exposed in the middle of the pitch on his own and he cannot cope."
The criticism has raised comparisons with Liverpool's midfield struggles last season, with both Jordan Henderson and Fabinho saw their form dramatically dip before this summer's moves to Saudi Arabia following a campaign when the Reds finished fifth.
With summer arrival Mason Mount now injured and Fred having left the club, Berbatov feels Ten Hag has little choice but to dip into the transfer market to help cover for Casemiro's worrying form.
Liverpool had well publicised midfield issues last season (Getty Images)"Casemiro's support in midfield is a good question for the manager, does he think that Casemiro is getting enough support? If not, how can he fix it?" he continued.
"If he's getting enough support then they continue the same way, another defensive midfield player, McTominay hasn't played yet, he's someone that is of a good quality and is young and hungry to improve and show his talent.
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"If you're not going to count on him, then maybe you go and look for someone to bring into the team, buy someone."
Ten Hag may have little choice but to follow the Bulgarian's advice.
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