Casemiro and Ruben Amorim have a few things in common. The Manchester United coach and midfielder share a common language; they have both played in the Portuguese top-flight, for Porto and Benfica, respectively; and they both been written off completely by Jamie Carragher live on Sky Sports. But the next time they see the former Liverpool defender, they can look him in the eye and tell him he was completely wrong.
Carragher produced one of his most memorable pieces of punditry in his 12 years with Sky when he laid into Casemiro after United were thrashed 4-0 by Crystal Palace in May 2024. The Brazil international was drafted in at centre-back at Selhurst Park due to a United injury crisis and had a nightmare evening that included being torn to shreds by Michael Olise for the first goal and then surrendering the ball in the build-up to the Frenchman completing the rout.
Carragher, who had already declared that Casemiro's legs had gone earlier in the season, saw his opportunity and subjected the ex-Real Madrid star to a humiliating takedown on 'Monday Night Football': "I always remember something when I retired, a saying I'll always remember: 'Leave the football before the football leaves you'. The football's left him at this top level. He needs to call it a day at this level of football and move. A man of that level should not be going through what he's going through now, he needs to call it a day."
Last month, meanwhile, Carragher took aim at Amorim in the aftermath of United's 3-1 defeat at Brentford. He had already criticised the coach repeatedly, including claiming that he was only still in a job because he was good looking, and he showed no mercy on 'Monday Night Football' after United had lost for the third time in six league games: "This has been a disaster for Amorim and United. This has to end as quickly as possible."
Since then, United have won three league consecutive games, while at the same time Liverpool have lost four on the spin, leaving them below the Red Devils in the table. And Casemiro has been at the heart of this United resurgence…
AFPUndroppable
Nearly 18 months after Carragher urged Casemiro to tear up his United contract and head to MLS or the Saudi Pro League, the Brazilian is far from in the twilight of his career as predicted. Rather, he is a nailed-on starter for both club and country, the latter of whom he captained in their most recent friendly games against Japan and South Korea.
And he is much more than just another name on the teamsheet at United, too. Casemiro scored and assisted in the 4-2 win over Brighton on Saturday, while the previous week he was one of the star performers during United's first win at Anfield for 10 seasons. He also scored what proved to be the winning goal against Chelsea in September, though he was later sent off before half-time.
Casemiro might not play every minute any more as Amorim is very aware that the midfielder is 33 years old and with many, many miles on the clock at the highest level. But when he is not on the pitch, United sure notice it; they have lost four of their 10 matches this season in all competitions, but Casemiro has only started one of them, the defeat to Arsenal on the opening weekend of the season. He was an unused substitution against Grimsby Town, meaning he played no part in one of the most embarrassing results in the club's history, while he was suspended for the defeat at Brentford and only came on for the final 10 minutes against Manchester City.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportOn his way out
But Casemiro is even more important than the results suggest. United have not conceded a goal with him on the pitch since Jaidon Anthony netted for Burnley in August, while within five minutes of Amorim taking Casemiro off against Fulham the previous week, the Cottagers levelled. When he was sent off against Chelsea, Enzo Maresca's side got back into the game and nearly levelled, and when he was taken off against Liverpool after being booked in the 58th minute, United lost their momentum and then their lead before Harry Maguire's late winner. He was also replaced in the 70th minute against Brighton, and within four minutes the Seagulls scored the first of their two goals, threatening a comeback until Bryan Mbeumo's late sinker.
Winning at Liverpool, with Carragher on co-commentary duties, must have been particularly satisfying for Casemiro. But to be fair to Carragher, he was far from the Brazilian's only critic during a very difficult 2023-24 season. Casemiro suffered two injuries in his second season with United after a brilliant first campaign, and a couple of weeks after the debacle at Selhurst Park he was dropped from the starting line-up for the FA Cup final against Manchester City.
Amid much confusion, he was initially named on the bench at Wembley, only to then be removed from the squad completely, and could be seen dressed in a suit while his team-mates danced on the pitch after pulling off the shock win over their local rivals. That looked like it might be his last act as a United player and he was effectively put on the market that summer as the club slapped a £30 million price tag on him.
Getty Images Sport'Intensity' questions
Although moves to Saudi Arabia and Turkey were reportedly explored, there were no takers, and while there was some optimism regarding Casemiro's improved fitness that summer, it all went out of the window weeks into the campaign when he made two mistakes in the dreadful 3-0 home defeat to Liverpool and was taken off at half-time for the inexperienced Toby Collyer. Casemiro didn't start another league game under Ten Hag for six weeks.
Interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy did use the veteran heavily in his four games in charge after Ten Hag was sacked, and Amorim started Casemiro in the first two league games of his tenure. But the new boss apparently didn't like what he saw as Casemiro was then an unused substitute in 12 out of the next 15 matches.
The three games he did play during that period included him being brought on for just one minute against Leicester City in the FA Cup and an abysmal team performance in the 2-0 defeat by Newcastle, when he and Christian Eriksen were overwhelmed in midfield. Casemiro only returned to the team against Tottenham after an injury crisis afflicted Kobbie Mainoo and Collyer, and asked in January why Casemiro was barely featuring for him at the time, Amorim gave a less-than-complimentary assessment of the Brazilian.
"We understand that Casemiro has other things nowadays," he told . "The intelligence he has, understanding the game, understanding where the ball is going to fall but we’re in a league that I can see, even in European competitions, the difference in intensity is big. And so, I feel that this team also needs players with a very high intensity. I needed some players in certain positions with a slightly different pace."
Amorim would later criticise Antony in a similar manneer when he began to shine on loan at Real Betis.
Getty Images SportRoaring back to life
Casemiro roared back to life in the spring, starting eight of United's final league games and all seven of their Europa League knockout games, during which he contributed to three of the goals in the incredible extra-time comeback win over Lyon and scored in the semi-final first leg against Athletic Club. Those performances earned him a recall to the Brazil squad under Carlo Ancelotti, his former boss at Madrid, and it was a quiet summer on the transfer front as it was clear that Casemiro was still a valuable member of United's squad as he entered the final year of his contract.
Amorim subsequently changed his tune, and in April he praised the midfielder for playing his way back into the team: "He wasn’t playing because I understood in the moment that he was not the best option to the way we want to play. But he continued to work. I look at my players in the same way. If they improve what we ask, they have the opportunity. If they play well, they continue to play. That was the situation of Casemiro. The credit is all to the player."
Despite Casemiro's improvement, United did want to sign an extra midfielder in the summer. Carlos Baleba was their top priority, but Brighton were not interested in selling him, and United should be thankful about that because – so far – Casemiro has out-performed the 21-year-old Cameroon international, who was taken off before the hour-mark on Saturday. And so while Baleba was subjected to pantomime boos as he left for not moving to United, Casemiro was given a raucous reception from the home fans when he was taken off, his name reverberating around Old Trafford.