When Casemiro played for Real Madrid, he would baffle fans and pundits alike with his ability to escape censure from match officials.
No one could quite pinpoint why the defensive midfielder avoided red cards, but Casemiro was so good at doing the dirty parts of football without getting noticed that Spanish newspapers joked he wore an invisibility cloak.
That cloak appears to be malfunctioning in 2023.
Casemiro had gone 336 games at Real Madrid without receiving a direct red card, but he now has two in the space of seven weeks at Manchester United.
His latest offence came in the 32nd minute against Southampton after VAR judged his tackle on Carlos Alcaraz as serious foul play. The midfielder will receive a four-game suspension because it was his second red card of the season after he was sent off at Crystal Palace in February.
“What I think is the inconsistency, players don't know anymore what is the policy,” said United manager Erik ten Hag following the 0-0 draw. “So, what is the policy?
“There is another one inconsistent. (The) referee is coming at the start of the season with a policy (of) 'We are Premier League, we want intensity'.
“Casemiro… in over 500 games he had never a red card and now he has two. He plays tough but he plays fair. Same as against Crystal Palace. It is debatable.”
Casemiro's suspension will come into play for United's FA Cup quarter-final against Fulham this weekend and he will miss all domestic games until United visit Nottingham Forest on April 15.
If Marcel Sabitzer is not fit, Ten Hag could return to the flawed (and often derided) midfield partnership of Fred and Scott McTominay, with the Scotsman working as the deepest midfielder and Fred operating box-to-box.
Casemiro is the first player to receive two red cards in a single Premier League season for Manchester United since Nemanja Vidic in 2013-14. So it begs the question, why?
His responsibilities as Ten Hag's enforcer mean he will always run the risk of yellow card offences when attempting to stop opposition attacks. His influence in possession means he is often targeted in pressing efforts by the opposition, too. The midfielder's worst tackles frequently come after he has been pressed and he attempts a tackle in an attempt to win possession back.
If you factor in the one-game suspension he received after an accumulation of bookings against Crystal Palace in January, Casemiro will have missed eight United fixtures for disciplinary reasons. A booking in the Europa League second leg against Real Betis on Thursday would mean he is suspended for the first leg of United's quarter-final — if they make it that far. There will be a resetting of bookings once the last-eight matches begin.
Ten Hag will need to find a way to recalibrate Casemiro's on-field responsibilities to ensure his safety net doesn't find himself in danger.
Despite his many successes this season, the midfielder cannot be United's sword and shield simultaneously. Within United's squad, he is in need of both a backup and a partner better suited to him in Ten Hag's 4-2-3-1 pivot. For all of Christian Eriksen, Fred and Sabizter's qualities, the United of 2023-24 should hope to pair the Brazilian with a passing midfielder comfortable receiving and progressing the ball from deep.
Much of the Southampton game's promise evaporated with Casemiro's dismissal. A partially rotated side saw Ten Hag use Jadon Sancho as the No 10 of his 4-2-3-1, while Bruno Fernandes was deployed in a deeper role alongside Casemiro. The opening half-hour at Old Trafford was a scrappy affair, with United's attacking players lacking the quickness of pass to get around a stubbornly disciplined Southampton side.
Casemiro is consoled by Antony after his red card against Southampton (Photo: Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images)
Sancho's above-shoulder talents should make him a fit for Ten Hag's style of play. He is one of the faster-thinking attacking players within the squad and his appreciation of playing angles and close-control dribbling ability mean he can receive the ball in tight spaces before travelling into space.
However, his below-shoulder abilities make him more of a theoretical rather than practical fit. Sancho is neither explosively quick nor an especially strong player; he can encounter problems getting past defenders without the assistance of others.
A number of United attackers make aggressive off-ball runs whenever Sancho comes into possession but, for much of the first half against Southampton, the 22-year-old misjudged his weight of pass.
Shorn of a central attacking presence in the second half, Sancho and the rest of the attack did what they could but lacked a knockout punch. A 67th-minute attempt from Fernandes was pawed onto the woodwork by goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu. It was United's best effort in the game.
It is still admirable that this side played for the better part of 60 minutes with 10 men and still came away with a point.
The 0-0 draw is not devastating for United's top-four hopes but it does illustrate the gap between them and the two teams challenging for the Premier League title.
United are now good at scrappy and sensible performances. During a stage in the season when they play every three days, results take precedence over performances.
But Ten Hag will need to find a way to flip the switch and get his side playing spectacular football again — without Casemiro for the next month.