How Casemiro revived his Man Utd career
- Published
Once, the Brazilian looked leggy and exposed in midfield. Now, Casemiro shines. The midfielder will leave Old Trafford when his contract expires at the end of the season - and it looks as if he will do so on a positive note. How has the veteran turned it around?
When Ruben Amorim was United's head coach, between November 2024 and January 2026, Casemiro had to play in a physically demanding role.
But his pre-season preparation was key in matching those demands this season, with the midfielder visibly leaner and stronger.
"Pre-season [is] a time to really grind, and really do some real work, then during the season you can focus more on the games themselves," he said about his summer.
In his short time as United head coach since replacing the sacked Amorim in January, Michael Carrick has improved the conditions that Casemiro has found himself in on the pitch.
Defensively, moving from Amorim's 5-2-3 shape, which required players to press high at times, to a more conservative and compact 4-4-2 shape has reduced the distances he has to cover.
Under Amorim, Casemiro was often left having to defend large spaces by himself...
By comparison, the defensive tactics Carrick has employed protect Casemiro far more, playing on his strengths
Admittedly, United have played teams that look to dominate the ball, but under Carrick, Casemiro is averaging 10.3km per 90 minutes compared to the 10.7km per 90 minutes he ran under Amorim.
In wide areas, particularly during the 2-0 win over Manchester City on 17 January, the full-back, winger and striker near the ball would come over to apply pressure alongside the closest United central midfielder. This reduced the distances Casemiro had to defend alone, allowing him to win the ball more effectively.
Conserving his energy and making the most of his actions is a theme that continues into his duelling statistics under Carrick. Casemiro has contested an average of 9.5 duels per 90 minutes under Carrick - compared to 12.6 under Amorim. His success rate, however, has jumped up from 51% to 58%.
In attack, Casemiro boasts five goals and two assists in the Premier League this season, one goal away from his most prolific league campaign ever.
With more non-penalty goals than Viktor Gyokeres, Mohamed Salah and Bukayo Saka, Casemiro's contributions in attack have put United in contention for Champions League qualification.
Read the rest on how all-time great Casemiro revived his Man Utd career here
