Hargreaves snubs Rashford when asked for the best player. Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves selected Casemiro as the best Red Devils player this year while passing over Marcus Rashford.
For Erik ten Hag’s team this season, which has already ended their six-year trophy drought, both Rashford and Casemiro have been crucial. The pair scored a goal each when their team defeated Newcastle United 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final in February.
Rashford is having his greatest season to date and has been in excellent form. In 47 appearances across tournaments, he has scored 27 goals and provided 10 assists.
But Casemiro, in Hargreaves’ opinion, has been the difference-maker for Manchester United this year. Although Marcus Rashford is garnering all the attention, the Brazilian midfielder is crucial, he told the club’s official website: “Marcus has gotten all the attention, but I believe if you look at Casemiro, the team is so different when he’s not playing, just in every phase,” the author said.
Hargreaves declared Casemiro to be the team’s “glue” as he continued to praise the player. In the 40 games he has played this season in all competitions, the Red Devils have prevailed 32 times: “Marcus will get the headlines and properly so because he’s been devastating in a way. The glue man is Casemiro. It would be difficult since I want to award it to Marcus, but I believe Casemiro has advanced the team.
For £70 million, Casemiro moved to Old Trafford from Real Madrid last summer. Given his advanced age (31) there were concerns regarding his price tag.
The “cement between the stones” has, however, been the defensive midfielder. Throughout the course of the campaign, Ten Hag gave him the title. In 40 games, he has five goals and six assists to his credit.
The Brazilian has had his share of issues, and this term’s two suspensions have made him a liability. Without Casemiro, Manchester United has appeared to be a completely different team. Newcastle wore out their midfield in a 2-0 league loss at St James’ Park last month while he was serving a four-game suspension.
Marcus Rashford may return for the Red Devils:
When Marcus Rashford sustained a muscular injury during his team’s 2-0 victory over Everton on April 8, his brilliant season came to an abrupt end. Since then, the English forward has been absent, missing a 2-2 Europa League draw with Sevilla.
Ten Hag has suggested that Rashford is on the verge of recovery and might be available for the Red Devils’ second meeting with Los Nervionenses. According to The Evening Standard, the forward has been offered a “chance” to travel to the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium on Thursday, April 20.
The second leg of the Red Devils’ Europa League quarterfinal matchup is against Sevilla. Following Manchester United’s second-half collapse in the first leg, the two teams are tied at 2-2 overall.
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