Rio Ferdinand has slammed Jamie Carragher’s “disdain” for the Manchester United star, who has been proven wrong under manager Ruben Amorim this season.
It looked like he was destined to be sacked in the 3-1 defeat at Brentford a month ago, but three Premier League wins have given Amorim some breathing space at Old Trafford, with United currently fifth in the table.
And in recent weeks, Ferdinand praised Casemiro’s rejuvenation this term, with praise heaped on summer signings Brian Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Senne Lamence.
“Casemiro’s game is not to chase high up the pitch all the time,” the former United defender said on Rio Ferdinand Presents.
“He built a great career on the back of being the glue, the guy who tied the backline and midfield together and just bridged the gaps. He wasn’t asked to run here and there or be a creator. He was asked to take it and give it to those who could create it.”
“He might have scored the odd goal here and there when he got a bit loose, but he was someone who could mop up, do all the dirty work, stay in the area and keep the area tidy.
“This is what we saw recently: he looked like the Casemiro of old.”
Casemiro arrived from Real Madrid for £70 million and did well in his first season at United, but it has been two bad seasons for the Brazilian. Casemiro was heavily linked with an exit from Old Trafford throughout that inauspicious period.
And Carragher urged Casemiro to “just quit today” after a particularly poor performance in a 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in May 2024.
“Get away from football before it leaves you,” he said. “Soccer has kept him at this top level. He has to end this level of football and move on.”
More coverage from ManUTD on the F365…
👉 Premier League winners and losers: Sunderland, Nuno, Arsenal, Wolves, Brentford, Liverpool and more
👉 Despite being better than Liverpool, Manchester United still miss out on Ruben Amorim
👉 Romano laughs off potential move to Manchester United after Red Devils ‘reject’ ‘£50m offer’ for PL star
But of the 16 goals United have conceded this season, just three have come when Casemiro has been on the pitch, and Ferdinand will use evidence of this resurgence to aim for a jab at Carragher.
“It reminds me of what Jamie Carragher said: ‘I’m going to step away from football,'” Ferdinand continued.
“I said this at the time: I thought it was very disrespectful to talk about a player who has won the Champions League five times, who has changed his approach to football, who has gone through periods where things have gone awry.
“Sometimes players lose confidence, get out of shape, and can’t move their legs, but I think that judgment was premature and I thought it was very disrespectful to a player who has achieved so much in the game.
“Sometimes you have to think beyond just finding the individual. We love finding scapegoats. Sometimes you have to look at the way the team is playing and see if it’s having a negative impact on a player or if it’s really a player who’s gone.”
“When you see how the system is changing and adjusting little by little, I think you can see that it’s beneficial for a player like Casemiro.
“Amorim spoke passionately about him, his character and his resilience. Without those two aspects, you can’t win the Champions League five times.”
“Right now he is a reference point for players who are going through hardships at this football club.”
