The Premier League season has come to an end and everyone is picking their team of the season. BBC football pundit Garth Crooks picks a combined XI of Premier League players every week, so it’s only right that he does it for the whole campaign as it concludes in May.
There is just one Manchester United player in this year’s BBC Sport team of the season, though, and it’s not Marcus Rashford our Player of the Year.
Instead Crooks went for Casemiro, who I’d argue was United’s most important player this season, especially in midfield where he made things a lot easier for the players around him.
In fact, Crooks credits Casemiro with saving United’s season. He came in as the midfielder we’ve all been crying out for – for multiple years – and none of us expected him to have such an impact in the final third throughout the season.
A proper leader.
Crooks wrote: “I’m convinced the arrival of the Brazilian saved Manchester United’s season. Before Casemiro appeared on the scene they were in freefall.
“Cristiano Ronaldo was making demands of the club that were nothing short of outrageous and there was nobody who seemed capable of doing anything about it. Suddenly Casemiro came along and showed Ronaldo how a superstar should really conduct himself. Casemiro put his reputation to one side, rolled up his sleeves and dug in.
“He gives everything for the team. In fact Casemiro did the one thing Ronaldo couldn’t do and that was take United back into the Champions League. A world-class player with a reputation to match.”
Meanwhile, Premier League winners Man City dominated the team with 6 players featured. The rest of the XI is made up from two Arsenal players, one each from Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur.
Garth Crooks end-of-season XI
Garth Crooks has named his Team of the Season!
Agree? Disagree? Let us know 👇 #BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/XilPOeJrNT
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) May 29, 2023
Ederson; Trippier, Saliba, Dias, Akanji; De Bruyne, Gundogan, Casemiro, Odegaard; Kane, Haaland.
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