The running theme of Man Utd’s season since Michael Carrick arrived is him fixing his predecessor’s mistake, and one of the big ones has now been fixed.
From restoring Kobbie Mainoo to the team and pushing Bruno Fernandes further forward, some were no-brainer decisions that have aged as such.
However, there was a lot to do behind the scenes as well, which isn’t visible to fans, and a big thing regarding that is the dressing room.
Ruben Amorim deserves some credit for resetting the dressing room culture, but he did so without including Man Utd’s ‘silent leader’ in the club’s leadership group.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim issues instructions to Casemiro during the Europa League match against Bodo/Glimt at Old Trafford in 2024 in Manchester.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
I would pay a MAXIMUM of £___ per-week to Casemiro to extend his contract
Fill in the blank with your offer. Casemiro earns around £350k/week right now. Will you go high or walk away?
Casemiro showing the Manchester United badge
Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP via Getty Images
Ruben Amorim excluded Casemiro from Man Utd’s leaders group
All was well between Amorim and Casemiro by the time the Portuguese manager left Old Trafford, but they hardly had a smooth sailing.
Casemiro was dropped entirely by Amorim, and it was because of the Brazilian’s doggedness and determination that he made himself undroppable eventually.
To Amorim’s credit, he did soften that stance and accept that Casemiro changed his mind by working hard, but he was still clearly conscious of the influence the midfielder held in the dressing room.
More United News
That’s why Casemiro wasn’t in Man Utd’s leadership group formed by Amorim at the start of this season, a group that included Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire, Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, Lisandro Martinez, and Tom Heaton.
It can be argued that Casemiro, as the five-time Champions League winner and one of the elder statesmen of the team, should have been the first choice alongside the captain.
That’s the argument Andy Mitten made in a recent Talk of the Devils podcast, saying that Casemiro is a ‘silent leader’ who should have been part of the leadership group.
Still, better late than never, because Carrick has fixed that error by restoring Casemiro to the front and centre of his plans at the club.
Michael Carrick is propping up Casemiro like a true leader
Amorim valued Casemiro’s professionalism, but he wanted his hold on the group to be paramount.
Ruben Amorim deserves ___ % credit for Michael Carrick’s BRILLIANT start at Man Utd
Fill in the blank. Did Amorim lay the foundation for success at Old Trafford?
Michael Carrick and Ruben Amorim as Man Utd managers split image
Michael Carrick and Ruben Amorim as Man Utd managers
Carrick, in contrast, is leading by community, and that means taking his senior players with him for the ride and trusting their professionalism to come through.
He has paid special attention to Casemiro and ensured he is having the best time despite being ready to leave at the end of the season.
In return, he has received an extremely driven and motivated version of a player who could have easily phoned it in and saved himself for a lucrative summer move on a free transfer.
Carrick has restored the veteran spine of the club, and Casemiro is a shining example of the same.
Multiple players have since spoken about the impact of Casemiro’s leadership in the group, as the Brazilian has been allowed to become a big presence in the dressing room again.
It won’t last for long, but Carrick has ensured that the time during which it does last gives Casemiro the respect he deserves.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox