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Former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov feels that Red Devils midfielder Casemiro is struggling to maintain his usual standards this season.
Erik ten Hag's side have made an underwhelming start to the season, as they sit 12th in the Premier League with three points after two games. They earned a narrow 1-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers in their opener, but succumbed to a 2-0 loss against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.
Casemiro, who played 90 minutes against both teams, is among those who have struggled to impress in the two games. Berbatov has, therefore, stressed the need for the Brazil international to improve going forward, having set high standards for himself.
"Casemiro needs to do better, based on the standards that he has shown over several years at Real Madrid and last season at United," Berbatov wrote in his Betfair column. "The standards he has set for himself are really high."
Berbatov added:
"In the first couple of games, Casemiro has not played at the standards that we saw of him. I'm sure that he knows it. The team are not playing as well as everybody expected them to play and if they don't wake up, the season will be gone and it will be another wasted year."
The former Manchester United striker also said that the whole team is going to be poor if any important player like Casemiro is not at his best:
"The whole team needs to improve, you always point to the star players in the team who are setting the standards and when they don't play well it's always noticeable. In the case of Casemiro, you know how good a player he is and if he's not in his best form then the team is going to suffer."
Manchester United will be determined to return to winning ways when they face Nottingham Forest at home in the Premier League on Saturday (August 25).
How did Manchester United's Casemiro fare against Tottenham?
Casemiro started alongside Mason Mount in a double pivot against Tottenham last weekend. His performance against the north London club was arguably his worst between the two games he has played this term. The midfielder was one of the lowest-rated players, earning a 6.8 rating on Sofascore.
The Brazil international was dribbled past twice. Only Manchester United teammate Lisandro Martinez (3) fared worse among players from both teams. He also committed two fouls, with only Spurs' Destiny Udogie (3) conceding more freekicks.
Casemiro, 31, registered 55 touches of the ball and conceded possession nine times. He contributed at the back, making three tackles, two clearances and one interception. The former Real Madrid star won seven of the 12 duels he competed in as well.
