Rio Ferdinand reveals the factor fuelling Casemiro’s dramatic uptick in form | OneFootball

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has outlined the secret behind Casemiro’s stunning resurgence under Ruben Amorim.

Casemiro impresses vs. Brighton

Casemiro produced an exceptional performance on Saturday as United cruised to a 4-2 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion at Old Trafford.

The Brazilian assisted the opener and scored the second of the match to help United secure a third consecutive Premier League win.

As he came off in the second half, Casemiro was treated to a resounding standing ovation by the home crowd. After the final whistle, Ruben Amorim hailed the veteran midfielder, labelling him an example for the squad. Amorim revealed that at one point, Casemiro was firmly at the bottom of the pecking order, even behind Toby Collyer.

Casemiro has started seven of United’s nine Premier League games this term and he appears to be one of the first names on the team sheet.

Speaking on his Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Ferdinand opined that Amorim’s tactical tweak is responsible for Casemiro’s revival.

Ferdinand also aimed a fresh dig at ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, who last year told Casemiro to ‘leave the football before the football leaves him.’

Ferdinand speaks up on Casemiro

Ferdinand said, “I think by looking at how the system has been tweaked in the approach and you’re seeing the benefits in someone like Casemiro.”

“This isn’t a 20-game sequence so we’re not going to go too crazy but the games we’ve seen where there’s been an upturn in form [he has had an impact].”

“You don’t win five Champions Leagues without resilience, character and work ethic. Now, he’s the reference point for any player that’s going through a hard time at this football club.”

Ferdinand further explained, “He built a stellar career, a five-time Champions League-winning career on the back of being the glue, the person that nitted the backline and midfield together and just plugged the gaps. He wasn’t asked to run all over the place, or be a creator. He was the one who was mopping up and doing all the dirty work and marshalling an area.”

“Recently, this is what we’ve seen. We’ve seen something like the old Casemiro.”

The six-time Premier League winner continued, “It takes me back to what was said by Jamie Carragher about ‘leave the game.’ I said at the time I thought it was highly disrespectful when you’re talking about a five-time Champions League winner who is going through maybe a changing approach to football at a time where he looked out of sorts.”

“Players lose confidence, players lose form. But I think the call was too early and it was highly disrespectful for someone that has achieved so much in the game.”

Casemiro and United are back in action on Saturday when they make their way to the City Ground to take on Nottingham Forest.

Featured image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images

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