Rio Ferdinand blasts fellow pundit for “highly disrespectful” comment about Man United star

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has slammed Jamie Carragher for his criticism of Casemiro over the last 24 months.

Carragher who has been critical of Manchester United’s signing of Casemiro from the beginning of the Brazilian’s Old Trafford career, was particularly blunt in his appraisal of the midfielders’ situation back in May of this year.

Speaking after United lost 4-0 to Crystal Palace last season, in a game where Casemiro made an error leading to a goal, Carragher urged Casemiro to bring a close to this chapter of his career.

Speaking on Sky Sports‘ Monday Night Football after the game in May, Casemiro was told to “leave the football before the football leaves you” by the former Liverpool defender.

Following Casemiro’s poor performance against Liverpool over the weekend, Carragher’s comments resurfaced, with Ferdinand taking umbrage with his fellow pundit’s remarks.

“I just think that’s highly disrespectful. I just think it’s really disrespectful,” Ferdinand stated on his Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel. “Especially given what my man’s won.

“There’s more to it than just he’s made a couple of mistakes. Because, if you look at the two games before this season, he’s been probably arguably Manchester United’s best player.

“I think it’s easier to say that ‘he’s gone, he’s finished.’ He’s 32 or he’s almost 32, but I believe when I look at him, I feel he’s being asked to do a lot of things, like play 30-yard balls, and dictate the pace of the game etc.

“These are things, that Man United would never have recruited him for, because he was never asked to do it at Real Madrid.

“He was cleaning up, security in front. Slide tackling. Covering all the gaps. Then giving it to other people to play football.”

Additionally, in a post on X of the clip from his show, Ferdinand would state that Carragher was “out of order” for his analysis of Casemiro over the last few months.

Now in his third season in the Premier League, the two errors leading to a goal that Casemiro made against Liverpool, are more than he made in his two previous seasons in the competition combined.

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