Carragher and Ratcliffe force-fed humble pie by reborn Casemiro | OneFootball

While Harry Maguire’s revival has been built on moments, Casemiro has plugged away to make a mockery of the criticism from Liverpool-leaning pundits and Man Utd’s actual owner…

When it was written that Manchester United’s refusal to buy a midfielder in the summer offered a chance to one of their current engine room operatives to step up, we were right. We just picked the wrong one.

And when it was said that Ruben Amorim’s players, in their bid to make United credible again, have the template to follow in one of their renaissance men, we were also right. Again, though, we may have fingered the wrong fella.

Amorim believes that shining example is coming not from Harry Maguire, but a star similarly maligned. “The other guys need to look at Casemiro,” said the boss after the Brazilian presented more evidence to suggest that he is once again one of United’s most important players.

Look at the difference between United pre and post Casemiro’s withdrawal against Brighton. With the veteran midfielder, Amorim’s men were in control against a side more used to winning at Old Trafford than United of late. At 3-0 up with three-quarters of the game gone, Amorim thought it wise to give the Brazil star a break for the last 20-plus minutes.

It is not often Amorim has been in such a privileged position so we can forgive him for fumbling this particular decision. Because removing Casemiro might have allowed the 33-year-old a breather, but it also breathed new life into Brighton, who had significantly less trouble playing around and through a midfield of Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo.

It is not necessarily their fault. We are learning that Fernandes can play deeper as long as he has Casemiro to hold his hand. Mainoo has only partnered Casemiro for a half or longer once in the last 11 months since United beat Everton 4-0 at Old Trafford.

Regardless, the contrast with and without Casemiro was stark enough to recognise the importance of the Brazilian. But if you prefer to trust numbers over your eyes, here you go…

As comebacks go, Casemiro’s is certainly up there with Harry Maguire’s. In the context of Jamie Carragher’s criticism, it might rival Jesus Christ’s.

Carragher went in two-footed on Casemiro 18 months ago, back in May 2024 after a calamitous display at centre-back, but the pundit was certainly no lone voice, even if his tone prompted more than the odd wince.

No question, Casemiro’s second season at Old Trafford was poor. He told Ed Woodward that he would ‘fix’ United when he signed from Real Madrid and his first year suggested he was serious. What happened, though, in the summer of 2023, perhaps one day we’ll find out, because Casemiro returned for season two hungover or haunted from his lay-off. Possibly both.

By any measure or metric, his form plummeted and the serial winner, as one of the Premier League’s highest-paid players, became one of the poster boys for United’s decade-long decline.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe even namechecked Casemiro in March – not for the first time – when discussing players recruited in the past who were ‘overpaid’ and ‘not good enough’ for Manchester United.

Being bunched with Antony, Jadon Sancho, Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana must have been a humbling experience for Casemiro, a five-time Champions League winner. Indeed, his performances suggest he took it personally. Unlike some targets for criticism at Old Trafford in recent years, and others who were on the fringes in the early days of Amorim’s reign, Casemiro focused his energy on proving his doubters wrong and himself worthy of his wage.

As Amorim got his feet under the table and assessed which characters he could trust, Casemiro’s role became more prominent. He played a major role in taking United to Bilbao for the Europa League final, but while fattening himself up for the summer market, in Ratcliffe’s eyes at least, he also became one of his manager’s most-trusted lieutenants. When those in the United boardroom would have piggy-backed him to anywhere they might find a club who would take his salary off their books, Amorim was reluctant to lose an ally.

It benefits Casemiro that United have a shamefully light schedule this season. Even so, Amorim is at pains to rest him when he thinks he can get away with it.

Casemiro has started all but two of the games for which he has been available – the two missed: a derby humping and Grimsby-gate – and is now one of the first names on Amorim’s team-sheet, a fact all the more remarkable in the wake of the manager’s admission on Saturday.

“In the beginning, he was behind every midfielder, even Toby Collyer,” who is currently struggling for starts at West Brom. “But he fought and he worked, and now he’s back in the national team. He’s so important for us.”

No doubt it helps that Amorim has now got Casemiro surrounded by team-mates willing to run and carry out the manager’s game plan. The front three, especially Bryan Mbuemo and Matheus Cunha, can be trusted to fill the holes at the top of United’s midfield, and the centre-backs appear to be learning how and when to step in around Casemiro and Fernandes to make a trio when required.

Such a framework, woefully absent for much of Casemiro’s career at Old Trafford, facilitates the kind of performance that saw Casemiro outshine Carlos Baleba, the £100million man the Red Devils were supposedly so keen on. It is said that they now have ‘serious doubts’ about him, but the hunt for a midfielder will become considerably more urgent next summer when Casemiro’s contract is up.

Carragher’s advice to ‘go to the MLS or Saudi’, taking ‘the football’ and a restored reputation with him.