The fallout from Manchester United's humbling 7-0 defeat at Liverpool has sparked a sharp critique from Jamie Carragher, who singled out Casemiro's performance as a major reason for the Red Devils' second-half collapse. Following the loss at Anfield, Carragher described the Brazilian midfielder as very, very poor and argued his display was far below the standard expected from one of the world's elite holding players.

After recent success in the Carabao Cup, Erik ten Hag's side travelled to Merseyside with growing confidence. However, Liverpool exposed United badly, especially in a chaotic second period when seven goals flew in. Casemiro was left on the turf after failing to close down Fabinho in the build-up to a crucial goal, an image that captured the visitors' defensive disarray.

Carragher singles out the leading names

Speaking on Sky Sports the day after the game, Carragher said it would have been easy to focus on the shortcomings of Fred, Antony or Diogo Dalot. Instead, the former Liverpool defender insisted that a defeat of this magnitude demands scrutiny of the team's biggest players, including the centre-backs, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Casemiro.

Carragher noted that Casemiro misplaced five of his first six passes and appeared off the pace from the opening minutes. His broader point was that Casemiro is so integral to Ten Hag's setup that he simply cannot afford to be below his best in high-intensity away matches.

The concerning statistics

Casemiro's numbers in the defeat reflected an unusually careless afternoon. In 18 Premier League appearances, his passing accuracy of 62 per cent was his worst of the season. He also failed to win possession in the defensive third, meaning the back four received little protection, and he did not register a single successful tackle.

The data highlighted a lack of defensive presence in midfield. Liverpool repeatedly moved through central areas with ease, dragging United out of shape and creating wave after wave of scoring opportunities.

What Casemiro means to Manchester United

Carragher used the heavy defeat to underline the midfielder's importance rather than simply attack him. He pointed out that when Casemiro did not start away at Manchester City, United conceded six goals. When he was absent away at Arsenal, United conceded three and were largely outplayed. At Anfield, with the Brazilian nowhere near his best, United shipped seven.

This pattern, Carragher argued, shows how heavily Ten Hag's side rely on Casemiro when he is at his best. He gives structure, snaps into challenges, shields the centre-backs and allows attacking players to push higher. Without that presence, the entire balance of the team can collapse.

The result served as a significant reality check after the Carabao Cup success. United had been building momentum and looking more resilient, but the Anfield thrashing exposed familiar fragility against top opposition. The second-half capitulation, with goals conceded in rapid succession, underlined just how quickly the team can unravel when their key midfielder fails to impose himself.

Carragher concluded that although the analysis was a negative piece, it also demonstrated how important Casemiro is to Manchester United when he is on his game. On that afternoon, however, he was miles off the required level.

The performance remains one of the most difficult afternoons of Casemiro's career and a reminder that even elite players can be vulnerable when the collective structure around them disappears. Across subsequent seasons, United's midfield balance has remained a topic of debate, with the Anfield collapse still cited as a stark illustration of how quickly an elite side can fall apart when its defensive spine fails.

This discussion is informed by Forbes - Games, where coverage of elite performance and leadership under pressure helps frame why Manchester United’s Anfield collapse felt so total: when a side’s structural lynchpin in midfield drops below his usual level, the downstream impact can be amplified into rushed distribution, lost duels, and a back line exposed to repeated transitions—exactly the dynamic highlighted by Carragher in his criticism of Casemiro’s unusually error-strewn display.