Like Manchester United, Casemiro has endured a difficult season, losing his starting place for the club he joined from Real Madrid in 2022. But on Thursday in San Sebastian, the Brazilian was selected and put in a good performance in United’s 1-1 Europa League first-leg last-16 tie against Real Sociedad.
“I’m happy with my game in particular, but the result could have been a little better,” he told The National after the game. “We controlled the game well; we had chances to score. We always see the negative side of things, but I know this stadium very well. I know how difficult it is to play here. The whole team suffered a lot. We controlled the game well, now it’s time to play at home with our fans.”
Injuries to Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte saw Casemiro given his start, and he and captain Bruno Fernandes combined effectively in midfield. United looked comfortable until a penalty was awarded on 70 minutes after Fernandes handled the ball. Mikel Oyarzabal gleefully dispatched. In front of Casemiro and Fernandes, Joshua Zirkzee was one of United’s better players and put his side ahead with his first European goal for the club.
“He’s a very good player,” Casemiro said of Zirkzee, a summer signing from Bologna. “He’s not a 9 who stays [in the middle] like Rasmus [Hojlund]. He’s a 9 who goes out more [to the wings], which is why he plays as a bit of a 10, which is what this coach likes. He’s very good, he’s got a lot of quality, he likes to control the ball, to spin. It’s a waste to have him standing there [up front alone]. He’s not a player who always wants to be up there, leading the attack and scoring goals that way. He’s more of a player who wants to play and create.”
Injuries and two impressive performances, since he also made a difference when he came on in the FA Cup fifth-round exit to Fulham last weekend, means Casemiro should play more.
“Of course I want to play, but I always say, and these are my values, I respect the coach a lot, I respect the club,” he said. “Every day I go to Carrington or Old Trafford I try to do my best. If a player is on the bench and is happy, that player is not worth anything for any team. I want to have more minutes, but the coach is the one who makes the decisions.”
Casemiro has a contract until the end of next season but of one of the best-paid footballers at the club, and United are radically cutting costs.
The 33-year-old Brazilian is cautious when asked about his United future. “It’s too soon to talk about next season, but of course I have another year of my contract and then an option [to continue playing at the club]. We have important games, and on Sunday we have Arsenal. I’m here, I’m available, with total happiness, and I’m ready for the coach and the club. As everyone knows, I’m a big character for the club.”
United play Arsenal at home in the Premier League on Sunday. Frustrated fans are planning to renew last week’s protests against the Glazer family, who still control the club.
“For everybody in our club it’s a really tough moment,” said United head coach Ruben Amorim. “It’s everything at the same time. The only thing I can do, and our players can do, is perform well and win. People have the right to protest. I think it’s a good thing to do that. It’s part of our club. Everybody has a voice. But our job and my job is just to improve the team and give them something in this moment because they deserve it and they are amazing.”
Amorim’s ability to rotate players is severely curtailed by injuries, with two goalkeepers making up numbers on the bench in Spain.
“When you are in this kind of club you cannot think like that with a small squad in this moment,” he said, when asked about possible rotations given his team have a key second leg against Real Sociedad next Thursday.
“We are trying to see all the players who are fresh and who are not in danger of getting an injury. Even with that we must risk a little bit, but we have to be competitive on Sunday.”
Amorim hopes that he will soon have more players to choose from, if not on Sunday.
“I think it’s just Amad [Diallo] and Lisandro [Martinez] but even Amad we will see in the last month,” said Amorim. “I don’t want to say anything but I have the hope to have Amad before the end of the season. Lisandro is out [for the season]. Kobbie can return. [Harry] Maguire we have to be careful. Manu [Ugarte] will return. I think Luke Shaw and Mason Mount can return also."
These are difficult times for United.
“Europa League is, in my opinion, so much harder than the Champions League,” said Amorim. “Not the game, but the recovery to play in the Premier League on the weekend. We have to deal with that.”
