There was a running joke among fans after Manchester United’s UEFA Europa League semi-final opponents were revealed to be Athletic Club—that Casemiro’s eyes must have lit up at the delightful prospect of playing in Spain again, and that there was no way he would let the Red Devils slip this up.
But looking at the performances the Brazilian veteran has put in over the past couple of months, you can’t help but wonder if this is the same player who was told to “leave the football before the football leaves you” by Jamie Carragher last season.
Here is Casemiro’s uncanny redemption—from a non-option to a key cog in Ruben Amorim’s enigmatic system.
There was a time this term that Casemiro’s career at Old Trafford looked dead and buried. The green shoots of improvement he had shown at the start of the season were a distant memory, and it seemed like he no longer had the legs for the intensity and rigour of Premier League football.
In fact, there was a point this season that saw Casemiro play a grand total of just 97 minutes across a 13-game stretch for United. To make matters worse, minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe even went as far as to name-drop him when referring to the poor business the club had done over the years.
The fans wanted his head, the new sporting ownership had classed him as poor business, and the manager—Erik ten Hag, at the time—did not rate him. It was the equivalent of being stuck between a rock and a hard place.
But then came Ruben Amorim, who, after a period of getting to know his players, decided that keeping things simple would be best for Casemiro.
You see, in the 2023/24 season, the major reason why Casemiro became a shadow of the all-conquering behemoth he had been at Real Madrid was because of Ten Hag’s playing style. With the Dutchman prioritising utter chaos in attack, the midfielders around Casemiro would abandon their positions from time to time, leaving him to defend ridiculously open spaces all by himself—something he was clearly not comfortable with.
The stick and the criticism he received from all quarters was a classic case of failing to identify the fine line between a poor player and a player playing poorly. Now, he is turning on the screws and rolling back the clock, showing bona fide signs of exemplary leadership.
Casemiro has come back to the side and made that starting spot his own. Having Manuel Ugarte in the side has clearly helped his performances well, for the Uruguayan’s ability to carry the ball as well as cover substantially more ground means the Brazilian can do what he does best in compact spaces.
His Europa League outings are a testament to this. An accomplished performance against Real Sociedad over two legs, followed by the heroically game-changing impact he had in the improbable second-leg victory over Lyon, and then yesterday’s all-action display. Casemiro’s appetite for the big games is insatiable, and despite all the accolades he has won in his career, the 33-year-old is still turning up and playing like he has not won a thing.
Casemiro may be past his peak. He is playing in a Man United setup that is dysfunctional and unable to fully cater to his skills. Yet his big-game presence, coupled with an unwavering sense of determination, has well and truly seen those premature obituaries prove to be foolish words.
So back to the running joke at hand. Casemiro in Spain is unbeatable. There is one more game to take care of at home to ensure he returns to the the San Mamés, which incidentally hosts this season’s Europa League final. The lights are bright, but the current version of Casemiro is arguably brighter.
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