CASEMIRO LOOKED IN front and then behind in the split second before he received the pass.
Like all good midfielders he had the full picture in his head.
But the problem was his legs.
He took a touch to open up his body, and the pitch, and took the ball forward. It just wasn’t with any kind of purpose.
He was going nowhere fast.
For Liverpool’s first goal, the Manchester United midfielder had rushed a needless first-time pass under no pressure and provided the away side with a dangerous counter attack that was duly punished with Luis Diaz scoring a back-post header on 35 minutes.
This time, the Brazilian tried to be positive with a touch to take United on the attack and feed Marcus Rashford wide on the left.
Before he knew it, though, Diaz was over his shoulder and prodded the ball away from him to the feet of Alexis MacAllister.
Casemiro was sent sprawling on the floor. As he began his descent it seemed as though he had already started to look up at referee Anthony Taylor.
Of course he wanted the foul but it felt like something more.
Maybe it was pity, maybe it was mercy.
There was none shown.
Certainly not by Liverpool.
Casemiro lay prone for a second or two and by the time he was up from his knees Liverpool were in the box. He began to jog back as Mo Salah fed an inviting pass between centre backs Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt from the right.
And who was there to meet the pass? Diaz. Casemiro had a perfect view 25 yards away as the Colombian cushioned a delicate finish low to Andre Onana’s left.
There were three minutes to half-time and United made it in with the game not beyond them – but it was when Mo Salah scored the third early after the interval.
Casemiro’s race was run by that point.
He was replaced by Toby Collyer at the break, the club’s latest academy graduate tasked with helping to stem the tide of Liverpool’s dominance.
Casemiro was afforded a sorry kind of dignity as he could disappear in the shadows, away from view.
The end could have come last May when he was named on the bench for the FA Cup final only to then report an injury that forced him to be withdrawn from the squad altogether.
He is 32 years of age (the same as Salah but you’d never guess) and the expectation among some at Old Trafford this summer was that he would depart for Saudi Arabia. Whatever the reason for why that move didn’t materialise, United could be stuck with him until at least the end of the 2025/26 season.
There is even an option for an additional year.
United signed another South American to replace him this week, Uruguayan Manuel Ugarte arriving from PSG but not in time to start.
He won’t solve all of United’s midfield problems but should at least provide help.
United need all they can get and it’s only 1 September.
Again the questions will centre around whether Erik ten Hag is actually capable of knowing how to inspire, and sustain, any kind of progress.
There were boos and jeers from the Old Trafford crowd after Salah scored the third goal of the game on 56 minutes.
When Marcus Rashford was presented with an opportunity to take on Ibrahima Konaté down the left a few moments later he instead decided to turn back and play it safe.
More jeers.
Liverpool fans could afford to mock from the hour mark and began a chorus of Olés as Onana, Martinez and De Ligt played the ball around their own 18-yard box.
When Alejandro Garnacho was taken off around the 75 minute mark there were more boos.
The Sky Sports cameras flashed to Alex Ferguson in the stand as tends to be the case whenever United find themselves in the midst of such a humbling.
Had Dominik Szoboszlai just shot from eight yards out with the goal gaping it would have been 0-4. Instead he chose to be smart and tried to chop back. The chance was gone but the result was never in danger.
Joshua Zirkzee did force Alisson into two decent saves – one a shot from distance the other a close range header with not enough power – but Liverpool had it won long before then.
As brittle as United were, Liverpool were brilliant. Their new manager, Arne Slot, has shown that life post Jurgen Klopp doesn’t have to begin with confusion or concern.
Slot has set the bar with three wins from three and a commanding victory at Old Trafford.
They will relish what is to come.
Written by David Sneyd and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
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