More gym sessions and no complaining - behind Casemiro's revival at Manchester United
Casemiro has gone from unsellable to undroppable for Man United and is one of their most important players again.
Casemiro made a beeline for Ruud van Nistelrooy in the Old Trafford tunnel on his return with Leicester City in February.
Van Nistelrooy, a fluent Spanish speaker, was the conduit between Casemiro and Erik ten Hag after his Portuguese-speaking assistant Mitchell van der Gaag left. Van Nistelrooy started Casemiro in all four of his matches as caretaker manager. Casemiro lingered as Van Nistelrooy spoke, as attached to him as a comfort blanket.
At that time, Casemiro had not started for United in 39 days. He did not get a kick between December 30, the night of the Newcastle United debacle, and January 30. He emerged on 70 minutes in Bucharest with United 2-0 up. The transfer window was still open but the chances of United shifting Casemiro were, like the Trinity test igniting the atmosphere, near zero.
People at United's Carrington training complex noticed Casemiro's personality never wavered during a trying first half of the season. They have always found him to be a warm presence.
His transformation at United in the past two months has been as unexpected as their 3-0 triumph in Bilbao. This is the midfielder who was dropped for last year's FA Cup final and replaced by Toby Collyer with United 2-0 down to Liverpool at half-time eight months ago. Casemiro’s declaration that he was keen to see out his contract in March was framed as more bad news for the club.
Casemiro used his head before Athletic lost theirs in San Mames. Returning to Spain emboldens Casemiro. In San Sebastián and Bilbao, he has reminded Spanish audiences he can still cut it nearly three years on from leaving their shores. United supporters serenaded Casemiro on Thursday night.
The draw with Real Sociedad in mid-March has marked a late turning point in Casemiro's third season in Manchester. With Manuel Ugarte out injured, Ruben Amorim had little choice but to turn to the older defensive midfielder.
Casemiro has since been a fixture in the United starting XI, his importance highlighted by the early withdrawal at Bournemouth last week to preserve him for Bilbao. Ugarte admitted this week he is copying him.
Within a matter of months, Casemiro has gone from unsellable to undroppable. If or when United reach the Europa League final, Casemiro is a shoo-in in midfield. The 3-4-2-1 system Amorim swears by has closed the yawning gaps that developed between the defence and midfield under Ten Hag and Casemiro has the safety net of a third centre back.
United have adjusted Casemiro’s running and pressing triggers. “I think he has improved a lot also,” Amorim opined. “You can see not the way he plays but the way he runs. You can see it, we have the data to show him where he worked really hard.
“He is a very good example. Even Toby sometimes was playing in front of him and [that] it is hard to take for Casemiro. So it is a lesson for all the players in Manchester United.
“No matter what is the past or the last month, everything can change in one moment. Then we understood that he cannot jump all the time pressing high. We need to let him understand and sometimes it is better to put three defenders and let him be the fourth defender and put the wing-backs pressing high. These are all things we are understanding and trying to cope with all the criticisms of the team. But the credit is for Casemiro.”
Amorim has been impressed by how hard Casemiro has worked to meet his demands to regain his place in the team. He noticed that he never complained during those winter weeks warming the bench.
Selflessness is a natural trait of Casemiro's. It was also his undoing this time last year. With United depleted at centre half, he dropped back and was humiliated in the 4-0 drubbing by Crystal Palace.
With Kobbie Mainoo and Christian Eriksen a flimsy shield and Jonny Evans his creaking partner, Casemiro abandoned his position to engage Michael Olise, overcommitted, lost his balance and Olise scored. Six days later, he trundled out of the United third and played Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli onside to square for Leandro Trossard’s tap-in. Sofyan Amrabat was ushered back in from the cold and played his way into the FA Cup final XI.
Jamie Carragher urged Casemiro to “leave the football before the football leaves you”. Casemiro had been pencilled in to flank Amorim for pre-match press duties against Athletic and he would be a worthy choice at Carrington next week. He is a positive story again and one of the squad’s figureheads. United view Casemiro as a quiet leader, mind.
The 33-year-old shared Raphael Varane’s view that a “disconnect” had developed between the players and Ten Hag. It is not a coincidence that Casemiro scored two goals in the first game after Ten Hag was finally sacked. He was committed enough to claim the last goal of the Ten Hag era at West Ham.
When Casemiro discussed the possibility of joining United, he wanted to know three things: where he would live, where he would train and where the stadium was. During FaceTime conversations, he requested to see the club’s gymnasium at Carrington.
United sources have been struck by how leaner Casemiro is this season. People in Madrid said Casemiro used to be in the club's Valdebebas gym at 8am and he often has gym sessions before and after training at Carrington.
Casemiro has struck up a close rapport with some of the masseurs and his English is now a very good level of conversational. He understood our questions in the mixed zone two years ago, when his handshake grip was as tight as a vice. Casemiro's wife, Anna, and children Sara and Caio, are happy in Manchester amid the prospect of a fourth year in England's north west.
Staff at Carrington regard Casemiro as one of the most respectful players they have encountered and that he is strident in protecting the club's image. Sir Jim Ratcliffe dubbed Casemiro as "overpaid" and "not good enough" in March. Three days later, Casemiro trumped his first-leg performance against Sociedad in the 4-1 win at Old Trafford.
His steep decline over 18 months - dropped for Amrabat, substituted for Collyer, omitted from the Brazil squad - makes Casemiro’s revival so singular. If United win the Europa League it would be churlish to argue someone who has won three trophies in three seasons has been an unsuccessful signing.
Casemiro drove United to a successful 2022-23 season. Without him, they would not have qualified for the Champions League. Ten Hag dubbed him the “cement between the stones”, essentially the glue in the team. Casemiro was central to the Latino rebranding of the United defence that kept the most clean sheets in the Premier League.
Casemiro has returned to that level of influence he wielded in his first season. In Europe, at least. The concern if United do not triumph in Bilbao again this month is Casemiro could be redundant in a campaign devoid of Champions League midweeks. His recent domestic form has been inoffensive but not stellar and United need a young and dynamic new central midfielder in the summer.
The senior figures made the difference in Bilbao, though. Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, two 30-something Portuguese speakers, are naturally close.
“We've got a lot of senior players who need to step up in their moments,” Harry Maguire explained. “I think Case was brilliant tonight. Bruno as well. So we have senior players who need to handle these moments really well.”
Van Nistelrooy, a champion of Casemiro’s, merits credit for that.