da betsson： Casemiro was defended by an ex-Manchester United legend after the Brazilian was subbed off at half-time in Luton Town victory.
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Casemiro picked up a first-half caution against LutonTen Hag subbed him to avoid redcardLouis Saha hails him as a "terrific" playerGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
The Red Devils churned out a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Kenilworth Road, thanks to a well-taken brace from Rasmus Hojlund in the opening seven minutes. However, Casemiro was lucky to escape a second yellow for a late challenge on Ross Barkley, with the Hatters' appealing to referee David Coote to send the Brazilian off. This prompted Ten Hag to remove the Brazilian during the half-time break so that United did not go a man down in the second half.
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Casemiro has come in for criticism this season, but Louis Saha believes talk is unfair and thinks that he still "has the legs" to shine at the top level.
He told: "Casemiro is not too old for the Premier League. Journalists are really on his back, maybe because Manchester United’s style of play hasn’t been quite right. Since last season, he’s been asked to do too much, and he still managed to do it. He was getting more goals, and I don’t think he got many goals at Real Madrid, but he’s taken on a bit more responsibility at United.
“He’s trying to press and win the ball higher up the pitch which has been difficult for him. People will talk about whether he has the legs for it, and yes, he’s older than he was three years ago but he's still a terrific player. When he recovers the ball, his first or second touch will always be into the strikers’ feet or to Bruno Fernandes to start the counterattack.
“Those elements are crucial and especially when he’s playing with young boys alongside him, it’s very important. People tend to focus on Manchester United more than anyone else and it used to be Cristiano Ronaldo but now it’s Casemiro because he’s a top player who has won the Champions League. The attention is always more aggressive on these types of players, and I think that’s unfair.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Casemiro was sent off twice last season against Crystal Palace and Southampton and ended up being banned for eight games over two months in an otherwise excellent debut campaign at Old Trafford. However, he endured a sluggish start to this campaign at Old Trafford but is slowly regaining his form since his comeback in Janaury following a hamstring problem.
GettyWHAT NEXT?
United's recent form has seen them win their last four Premier League matches, putting them in contention for a top-four finish alongside Tottenham and Aston Villa. Their next challenge will be to maintain this winning streak when they face Fulham at home on Saturday.