TeamViewer Trending: How Case changed Ruben's mind

The resurgence of legendary Brazilian midfielder Casemiro had been bubbling nicely for weeks, but after that epic Europa League tie against Lyon and Thursday night’s immaculate 3-0 win over Athletic, the 33-year-old’s revival has gone global.

 

In the cauldron of San Mames, our no.18 was the smartest man in the room, guiding the team through a crazy first half that could have seen United fall two or three behind, and ended with us three up.

 

Amid the intensity of Athletic’s pressing, at set-pieces both defensive and offensive, around the chaos of that VAR review and red card for Dani Vivian, Casemiro was a serene presence. Along with Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire, he authoritatively led the Reds through a game that many pundits predicted would end in a home win. A draw, at best.

 

It's been a really challenging last 12 months for the player. Publicly criticised by former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher in May of last year, Casemiro then missed the dramatic FA Cup final win over City later that month, which only intensified speculation that his future might lie away from Old Trafford. Such conjecture only increased when he struggled for minutes during the early months of Ruben Amorim’s tenure.

 

But in February and March, the amiable five-time Champions League winner responded with a series of strong performances that powerfully made the case that he still has plenty to offer a struggling United team. And in April, we received compelling evidence that, contrary to Carragher’s infamous soundbite from last year, the football has not quite left Casemiro just yet. With United 4-2 down and deep into extra-time against Lyon, it was the veteran who inspired each of the three late goals that forged a staggering 5-4 win.

 

And as the Reds inch towards a potential return to Bilbao for the Europa League final, Casemiro’s influence is swelling. It’s been an admirable turnaround for the serial winner, whose competitive juices seem to be flowing fluently, just as the Europa League nears its climax…

STAND-OUT MOMENT

Just one? How about that predatory header at San Mames to kickstart one of United’s greatest-ever European away wins? You could very easily pick any of the Brazilian’s contributions to that remarkable three-goal blitz against Lyon, too. The presence of mind he showed to win the penalty that catalysed our comeback. The cute, round-the-corner flick to Mainoo that gave Kobbie an opportunity to deliver those three touches of pristine perfection. But the piece de resistance has to be that delightful, clipped cross onto Maguire’s grateful bonce.

Harry was our hero at Old Trafford that night, but Casemiro’s pass was a triumph of vision and execution; a piece of poise that probably only a handful of players could pull off at a moment of such excruciating tension. Joga bonito, indeed.

 

Ruben Amorim recently suggested that he has now learned how to best use Casemiro within United’s 3-4-2-1 system – hinting that the key was bringing the player up to speed after a spell out of the starting XI, but also managing his minutes. After the 4-1 win against Real Sociedad in the Europa League last 16 – a game in which Casemiro wowed Old Trafford with some magical passing – Amorim explained that Case adds “calm” to the team. The Portuguese also noted his importance in the first phase of our build-up, during which Casemiro offers crisp passing through the lines or in behind the opposition back four. His composure on the ball in this part of the pitch also has another benefit: enabling our best player, Bruno Fernandes, to move closer to the goal.

 

And it’s not just on the ball that the Brazilian is so important. In Bilbao, he opened the scoring with a header, and was also aerially dominant in our own penalty area whenever Athletic won dead balls. In the recent Manchester derby, he made a remarkable 11 tackles – the joint-most made by a United player in a Premier League match (alongside Owen Hargreaves and Patrice Evra). Casemiro might not be as fast as he once was, but his competitive hunger and ability to read football matches remain immaculate. 

 

“I have won what I have won, but I always want more. I always want to win; that is the winning mentality. People only see the 90 minutes, but I always say the matches are the mirror [reflection] of what you do every day. And that is me: always working. If I play, don’t play, I am there every day. That is me as a person, that is me.”

 

“The important thing with Casemiro is that he won everything with Real Madrid,” noted Amorim, earlier this month, when invited to discuss the player’s recent form.

 

“He wasn’t playing [earlier in the year] because I understood that in that moment he wasn’t the best option for how we want to play, but he continued to work.

 

“I look at my players in the same way. If you improve what we ask of them, they have the opportunity. If they play well, they continue to play. That was the situation for Casemiro. The credit is all [for] the player.”

 

According to StatMuse, no player has made more tackles per 90 minutes in Europe’s top five leagues than Casemiro (5.18). Bournemouth’s Tyler Adams is currently in second, while our own Manuel Ugarte is in sixth, with 3.88 per 90.

 

Meanwhile, no player across the top five leagues in Europe (England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain) has made more tackles in any game during this season than Casemiro did in that derby against Manchester City (11).