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When Manchester United won the derby at Wembley in 2024, Casemiro was first dropped from the team and then out of the squad altogether, his hamstring injury appearing after being left ill. When we lost the derby at Wembley a few months later, he was the captain, the creator, the goalscorer.
Casemiro could not lift the Community Shield. Maybe he’s got an indication — even beyond the armband on his sleeve — to suggest there’s a way back. Erik ten Hag said there is “no signal” Brazil will leave this summer; it may mean that no Saudi club is willing to absorb the colossal salary.
A shift in the pecking order can prove a short-term relationship. Casemiro’s end-of-season demotion under Sofyan Amrabat felt ignominious in itself, given Morocco’s form for much of the season, although it was justified by an excellent display against Manchester City at Wembley. It also represents the horrendous Brazilian spring; the nadir came in the 4-0 thrashing at Crystal Palace, although there was also a strangely bad version of the offside trap when Arsenal opened Old Trafford.
It came when he was a central defender. If the Community Shield suggests Casemiro is given a more appropriate role than last season, it is not only because he is restored to midfield; with Matthijs de Ligt primed to accompany Leny Yoro amid summer arrivals, he may not need to be drafted into defense again this year.
Given United’s trauma in 2023-24 it may look dire for Casemiro even if he is in midfield. While Ten Hag’s team became more flexible, because their tactics were more confusing, as the opponent regularly collected 20 shots per game, United appeared to be a team without a midfield; or Casemiro player without company. A high press and a low block create a great gap between them: hardly suitable for a midfielder, still less for an elderly, who cannot walk.
And United have been more compact in their two trips to Wembley. The Ten Hag system can be described in various ways: perhaps most accurately it is called 4-2-4-0, with twin false nines making up the central square. Amrabat benefited in the FA Cup final, Casemiro in the Community Shield.
The distance around is small; he is less likely to be isolated, outnumbered, outrun. “So he’s a great fit at this point,” Ten Hag said. “As a team we work well together, so it’s easier for ‘Case’. He’s a good footballer and can improve his skills and you say he’s important to the game for our team.
His skills were evident for two good openings. They may lack mobility, but they lack ability. In a one-two with Amad Diallo and a pass to find Marcus Rashford, when the last corner shot, Casemiro showed his ability to unlock the defense. Indeed, there was a case that his greatest attribute last season was his attack: he was a defensive midfielder with a scorer’s mentality and a threat at set-pieces.
However, United’s basic requirement is for someone who can excel on the ball, too. This explains the continued search for a defensive midfielder. There is interest in Manuel Ugarte, but not at the price Paris Saint-Germain wants. United are considering bringing back Amrabat or bringing in Monaco’s Youssouf Fofana or Burnley’s Sander Berge.
Norway may not be seen as a nullifier; but then Casemiro is supposed to be a top defensive midfielder, a Champions League Series winner. But in a more ragged form of United, the way it has started to look very illegal; or, at least, very obviously illegal. Two seasons brought three red cards, 18 yellows and more than one substitution to avoid his early exit.
He could have been cautioned at Wembley when he went to the ground to upend James McAtee; there was a persistent rashness to some of his tackling. But if he can exercise authority in a smaller area, with more friends around him, there may be room to improve his discipline record.
But there’s also a chance he’ll find himself learning a new sign. Compared to his teammates in Real Madrid’s excellent midfield, he did not like it: Luka Modric was also a substitute at club level, but for the Champions League winner, at the age of 38, and during the summer of international football failed. Croatia, while Casemiro has lost his place in the Brazil squad. Toni Kroos retired at the peak of his powers, with Real Madrid wanting more, only for Germany’s Euro 2024 defeat to Spain to deny him the ultimate farewell. For Casemiro, it’s goodbye again; There was a time in the last year when it seemed like it was going to be more embarrassing. But Wembley gave hope that someone whose career at United could end this summer could even be resurrected and return to some form of excellence.
