irishexaminer.com

How Casemiro has proved the Manchester United doubters wrong

In a dreary domestic campaign, Casemiro has proven a rare ray of light in a grey Manchester sky. Pic: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images

Watching Manchester United’s 4-0 loss to Brentford in August 2022, Casemiro reportedly messaged his agent: “Tell them I’ll fix this.”

Having been heavily linked with a move for Frenkie de Jong, United ultimately turned their attention to Casemiro in Erik ten Hag’s first summer at the Old Trafford helm. In dire need of a new central midfielder, the Brazilian’s willingness to swap Madrid for Manchester was a welcome one.

And Casemiro didn’t disappoint in his debut season in the Premier League. Indeed, United finished third and won the League Cup. The Dutchman made a flying start to usher in a new era for the Premier League powerhouse. It proved to be a false dawn. An FA Cup triumph last year papered over the cracks in what was a dire season as United finished eighth.

Even so, Ten Hag was given a stay of execution, and a full window with which to bring in his own players before his October dismissal. One of those to arrive was Uruguayan ball winner Manuel Ugarte, and this addition suggested that Casemiro was on his way out. As United faltered last season, so too did the Brazilian, who was restricted to just 24 league starts. A parting of ways seemed a foregone conclusion.

Yet as Ruben Amorim took charge of United in November, Casemiro began to force his way back into the former Sporting CP boss’ plans. Injury to Kobbie Mainoo, who nominally would have partnered Ugarte in his favoured 3-4-2-1 setup, proved a blessing for the 33-year-old. That’s not to say that United’s season took a turn for the better – Amorim has endured a very tough opening few months in the Old Trafford hotseat – but in a dreary domestic campaign, Casemiro has proven a rare ray of light in a grey Manchester sky.

As United gear up for the Europa League final on Wednesday, Casemiro has a key role to play in the middle of the park. Ahead of another trip to Bilbao – their second in the space of a month – Casemiro has featured in all but two of United’s 14 games in their unbeaten European campaign. There is an argument to suggest he’s been one of United’s most important players prior to their third major cup final in as many years.

Indeed, he’s maximised the wealth of experience he has garnered during his time at Real Madrid to play an influential role in United’s progression to the final, with his best showings coming in the knockout stages of the competition. This is the Casemiro supporters had come to expect when he arrived from Los Blancos three years’ ago.

What’s been key is that he’s putting in the same defensively sound showings that established him as one of the best in his role.

Of those to have registered at least 800 minutes of game time in the Europa League this season, Casemiro’s return of 3.2 tackles per 90 ranks third. This hard work off the ball means United are conceding the seventh fewest shots per Europa League game (11.3) and as a team are being dribbled past just 5.9 times per match, that the fourth lowest. For a United side whose greatest weakness was the inability to prevent opposition chances, this defensive resolve has been welcomed with open arms.

It's this renewed tenacity off the ball that means United should fancy their chances of lifting the Europa League trophy. Even before James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski pulled up with injuries earlier in the month, Tottenham would have found it difficult to get the better of Casemiro, and his ball-winning partner Ugarte. Their flourishing partnership, one not too dissimilar to defensive shield of Hidemasa Morita and Morten Hjulmand in Sporting’s title triumph last season, allows the wing-backs to push forward to stretch the play and, crucially, grants creator-in-chief Bruno Fernandes the chance to pry apart defences.

Fernandes does, after all, rank second for key passes (41) in the Europa League this season, and easing the defensive burden on the creative Portugal international means he can focus his efforts on hurting opponents. Seven goals and four assists in the competition shows how much of a benefit to United it is to having Ugarte and the rejuvenated Casemiro mopping up in midfield.

And while the former may have been signed to take over the latter’s midfield responsibilities, Casemiro has gone from disposable to indispensable for a United side looking to land a second Europa League.