“What’s all the noise about?” – Andy Cole comes to defence of ‘brilliant’ Man United player

Former Manchester United striker Andy Cole has questioned the backlash against Casemiro at the beginning of this season.

Erik ten Hag’s side have won two of their opening three Premier League fixtures but the performances have left a lot to be desired.

United have been getting counter-attacked with ease and will be wary going into the game against Arsenal this weekend as if that trend continues, they could be punished by Mikel Arteta’s men.

It has been suggested by some that the reason for United looking so open at the moment is due to the makeup of their midfield. Ten Hag initially played Mason Mount alongside Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes but reintroduced Christian Eriksen against Nottingham Forest after the England international picked up a hamstring injury.

Read More: Manchester United’s injury crisis – when players are expected to return

Casemiro has been targeted in particular for his early season form, with the Brazilian looking off the mark in the opening fixtures, although, his display against Forest showed an improvement and he also scored an important goal in the comeback for United.

It has not only been supporters who have questioned the Brazilian, with Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher stating: “He has made a really poor start. I would be really worried about him going forward and the make-up of this Manchester United midfield.”

However, Andy Cole has come to the defence of the former Real Madrid midfield and wonders why there is so much noise around his form after only a handful of games so far this season.

“I know there’s been critics regarding how much Manchester United paid for Casemiro last summer and some people believe that the club should have moved for a young player such as Declan Rice, but ultimately they chose Casemiro and he’s been a brilliant signing for them,” he told BetFred.

“We’re only three games into the new season, so what’s all the noise about? Let’s at least get to Christmas before we start making judgements. Casemiro is only three games into the new campaign, so let’s give him time to settle down. People are jumping to conclusions about him too soon, at the moment.”

One of Carragher’s main criticisms of the midfielder came after the loss to Tottenham Hotspur, where he highlighted an example of Casemiro ‘flying’ into a challenge against James Maddison and mistiming the interception.

“If he’s being criticised for flying into tackles in a rash fashion, he could be doing that out of frustration,” added Yorke. “When Casemiro does start playing well again, what are the critics going to say then? People are always going to criticise Manchester United when they haven’t started the season in the best fashion and football isn’t always a bed of roses.”