Ruben Amorim changes stance on Man Utd player deemed 'not good enough' | OneFootball

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim revealed that he is "learning" how to get the best out of the divisive midfielder Casemiro, which represents a considerable shift in opinion.

The 33-year-old midfielder was one of five players called out by United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe during a brutal assessment of the club's squad in a recent interview. When asked about the comments which labelled some players "not good enough and some probably are overpaid" earlier this week, Amorim didn't defend his team, instead taking it upon himself to actively name Casemiro as someone who "can play so much better".

A raft of injuries running throughout the squad has forced Amorim to repeatedly turn to the Brazilian. After some difficult moments, United's painfully honest head coach revealed that there could be hope for Casemiro going forward.

"I think I'm also learning how to use players like Casemiro and, like you said, without a lot of options, we are trying to put our players in the best positions and that helps us a lot," Amorim beamed following United's convincing 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad on Thursday night.

Casemiro has been forced into Ruben Amorim's plans this season / Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/GettyImages

"I think you can feel that they have more freedom," Amorim continued. "So I'm trying to find the best solution for the team, and that helps us to play all the time with the same team. It was hard, sometimes we lost some pace in the end of the games, but we are learning.

"I think Casemiro gave us a little bit of calm. Sometimes, he takes a little bit long when he was not playing too much, you feel it in the game against Newcastle. The pace was not there but he is giving that first moment of build-up, and then you can push Bruno [Fernandes] near the goal, so he's dangerous there."

Casemiro has a lucrative contract at United until 2026, with the option of a further 12 months included. There have been repeated links concerning a move away this summer for the veteran midfielder, but he has insisted that it is "too soon to talk about next season".

If Amorim continues to find a way to get the best out of the five-time Champions League winner, United may want to keep him around.