'Distinctly average' - Casemiro savaged for disastrous performance in Man Utd's defeat to bitter rivals Liverpool as Premier League legend admits it's 'tough' to watch midfielder's downfall

The Brazilian was hooked at half time in United's 3-0 loss to Liverpool after a mistake-ridden 45 minutes at Old Trafford on Sunday. Now, Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has criticised the 32-year-old's performance and admitted he hates seeing great players fade - but believes manager Erik ten Hag is playing him in a different midfield role that didn't help his cause.

He told Betfair: "On Casemiro, I hate seeing great players fail on the football pitch, and with what Casemiro's achieved, where he's played, what he's won, he's had a phenomenal career. But it happens to all of us. You're not as good as you used to be. Having said that, I think he's being asked to play a slightly different role in this Man United team, and it's not something he's used to, and they got punished. It is tough to see a great player making the errors that he made - it's not nice to see because, throughout his career, he's been a great and has played for great teams. At the weekend though, he looked distinctly average. He's the only one who can tell you how he feels but on Sunday he looked like a very average player that's tough to see for anyone."

The former Real Madrid ace appears to be a shadow of the player he once was. At one time, he was one of the best defensive midfielders in the world and won a host of La Liga titles and Champions League crowns during his time with Los Blancos. But now, the 6ft 1in player is becoming something of a liability, despite Ten Hag backing him to bounce back from this disappointment.

While it remains to be seen if Casemiro will be in the starting line-up for United's next block of games, the Red Devils have the chance to bounce back from their recent losses - including a defeat at Brighton - later this month. Firstly, they take on Southampton in the Premier League on September 14, followed by Barnsley in the Carabao Cup three days later.