During Sunday’s latest North West thriller – Manchester United and Liverpool playing out another enthralling clash just weeks after that FA Cup classic at Old Trafford – two members of Erik ten Hag’s starting XI arguably summed up the good and the bad of this most baffling of Red Devils’ sides.
In Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro, a pair of midfielders 14 years apart, one very much looks like a player at the beginning of his journey while the other trundles towards the end of the road, rusting and leaking oil.
Even a man who spent seven years at Liverpool in the 1990s and early noughties would have to admit that, in Mainoo, Carrington has unearthed more than a gem, but a gleaming diamond of English football.
If the 18-year-old is the player Manchester United should base their rebuild around, then Casemiro is precisely the opposite. Sir Jim Ratlcliffe reportedly questioned the logic of signing a 30-year-old on a long-term contract to the tune of £60 million when negotiating Ineos’ takeover. And less than two years later United’s co-owner is seeing his worst fears become reality with every wince-inducing performance from a man who these days appears to be staggering through treacle.
Mainoo marvellous as Casemiro clods along
“Desire, discipline and effort,” Murphy tells BBC’s Match of the Day, highlighting Casemiro’s inability to keep up with Liverpool’s far more dynamic midfield options.
“For me, the reason why it’s there’s it’s not punished is that same players end up playing week-in, week-out. You don’t see players do that at Liverpool or Man City because they won’t be playing next week,
“I was watching the game in disbelief at some of things that were happening. If I was playing in midfield alongside Casemiro and he kept letting Szoboszlai run off the back of him, I’d be telling him! This is basic stuff! They are so easy to play against.”
Casemiro – who was bypassed by a simple one-two in the build up to Mo Salah’s late penalty – is averaging only 0.7 interceptions per game this season, per WhoScored, down from last year’s average of 1.2. Remarkably, though maybe not surprisingly given his youth and energy levels, Mainoo’s ball-winning numbers are actually superior to that of the veteran Brazilian.
Manchester United fight back in Liverpool draw
His off-the-ball work still has a long way to go, of course, but this is becoming an increasingly underrated part of Mainoo’s game, the teenager hitting the headlines for more attacking reasons after curling a maiden Old Trafford goal into the top corner of Coaimhin Kelleher’s net.
“To be fair to (Man United), they showed resilience,” Murphy adds, Man United coming from behind to get a result against Liverpool just like they did in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
“And the young lad in midfield, wow.”