Casemiro emerged from the tunnel with his son, Caio, and daughter, Sara, as his chosen mascots. He wore a wide smile, reflecting the shift in his recent experiences.
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After a tough outing in a loss to Liverpool—where Erik ten Hag substituted him at halftime—many critics had begun to suggest he should consider stepping away. ..Continue Reading
Casemiro now acknowledges that his rough performance in that game was his only misstep in what he considers a solid season overall.
The 32-year-old, along with several other Manchester United players, faced criticism amid the conclusion of Erik ten Hag’s tenure.
However, since Ruud van Nistelrooy stepped in as interim manager, Casemiro seems to have regained his form.
The Brazilian insists he has been playing well most of the season, with the Liverpool defeat being the only instance where he struggled, a game in which the entire team underperformed.
During that 3-0 loss, he was replaced at halftime by young player Toby Collyer, after being involved in two of Liverpool’s goals.
‘I only had the Liverpool game, right?’ said Casemiro of questions over his form. ‘The whole team was not good in that game, or this season.
‘This match, but individually, of course when the goals are missed, of course it ends up hurting the team more, but I think it’s been a good season for me.’
Casemiro has hailed a budding partnership in midfield between himself and Manuel Ugarte, who he is a fan of on and off the field.
‘I have a good connection with him,’ he said. ‘When one goes forward, the other covers, and vice versa. That is how it has to be, one compliments the other.
‘He is a great person. He’s a good kind of person. Then, little by little he is also showing that he is a national team player from Uruguay, from a team that has good players. Then he has total respect, not only mine, but all the players.’
Casemiro scored in Van Nistelrooy’s first game in charge as Man United thrashed Leicester 5-2 in the Carabao Cup and the former striker was thrilled for the midfielder.
‘I was delighted for Case, the way he’s been training and helping the team and the club, he’s such an example. You also see the crowd’s reaction and they also know what he’s about,’ said Van Nistelrooy.
‘Of course, going through difficult moments, the Liverpool game, he got a lot of criticism. It was so hard, he was almost the one to blame for that game and it’s not fair, he didn’t deserve that, it was not true.
‘If you see him in training and the way he prepares for games, with the history and all he has achieved with five Champions Leagues, he’s an example for us. That was part of my celebration, I’m happy for him.’
