Jamie Redknapp has warned Kobbie Mainoo that Casemiro’s poor performances could have a negative impact on his development at Manchester United.
Mainoo has been a revelation for Erik ten Hag’s side ever since his first league start last November and the 18-year-old already has a strong case to secure a place in England’s squad for their Euro 2024 campaign this summer.
United’s senior players have faced criticism for failing to provide better support for Mainoo since his first-team breakthrough and Redknapp believes Casemiro’s performance in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on Saturday set another bad example for the young midfielder.
‘He gets a lot of stick, Bruno [Fernandes]. Some of it I get but I also think it’s unfair,’ Redknapp told Sky Sports.
‘When I watch him play I see a player who genuinely cares, there’s a frustration, yes there’s sometimes pettiness, sometimes he’s calling out his players.
‘But if I was coming into that club, or if Erik ten Hag keeps his job, he’s the sort of player you want to build the team around, he’s a player, he makes things happen.
‘He cares about the club, the team, I just see a player you can build a team around and I don’t see too many others who are showing the appetite he has.
‘It’s a culture at the club, I see players, multiple Champions League winners, at times walking around the pitch like they don’t care and you can’t have that.
‘I get the culture thing but I’m also big on good players, players who want to care, players who want to run around and do well for their team.
‘I think if you’ve got the right players in and around him [Fernandes], he’s done it for Portugal, I get his frustrations, it must drive him insane.
‘You look at the second goal that they conceded by [Justin] Kluivert, he’s trying to get his team up the pitch and he sees Casemiro walking around and jogging.
‘Kobbie Mainoo has got to be careful, he doesn’t want to get dragged into that as well, I want to see more energy from him.’
After criticising Casemiro’s performance against Bournemouth in which he likened the Brazilian to a player playing in a charity game for Soccer Aid, Redknapp added: ‘This is my point with Kobbie Mainoo, he’s got everything, the world at his feet, but you need great role models to get to the top, you need people who you’re going to look up to and aspire to be like.
‘And at the moment, he’s [Casemiro] not setting the right examples to the young players around him. Like I said, I’m a massive fan, but that isn’t good enough, if you’re sprinting you could’ve stopped that.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
MORE : Two Arsenal stars missing from training session before Aston Villa clash
MORE : Alejandro Garnacho ‘likes’ post criticising Erik ten Hag after Manchester United draw vs Bournemouth
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
