RevSportz Comment
It’s one of the oldest taunts in football – ‘Show us your medals!’ In the aftermath of Manchester United’s dismal 3-0 home loss to Liverpool, that was exactly what Casemiro’s wife did, giving a glimpse of the many trophies the Brazilian defensive midfielder had won during the course of a glittering top-flight career. While Casemiro was well below par at the base of United’s midfield – he was yanked off at half time, after being partly responsible for both Liverpool goals – she wasn’t alone in thinking that he was a convenient scapegoat for a tactical disaster-class from Eric ten Hag.
Much has been made of the five Champions League wins that Casemiro was part of with Real Madrid, and rightly so. While he was not yet a regular starter when the Decima was won in 2013-14, he was very much integral to the hat-trick under Zinedine Zidane (2016-18) and the backs-to-the-wall effort that defied Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool at the Stade de France in 2022.
Casemiro played 336 times for Real, and was often exceptional at what he did. He shielded the back four, threw himself into tackles, made last-ditch blocks and moved the ball on quickly to the playmakers in front of him. Unlike other No. 6s, Manchester City’s Rodri being a prime example, he was never the one who dictated play. Unlike peak Thiago at Bayern Munich, Casemiro was more of a spoiler than a creator.
He also was no one-man army. Toni Kroos and Luka Modric were the midfield artists, but both possessed such exceptional positional sense that Casemiro was never left isolated. They would always be in the vicinity for Casemiro to slip them a short pass that relieved the pressure.
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On occasions when the midfield was overrun, Federico Valverde, who possesses an engine like few others, would drop back and help out. In short, Casemiro was never made to feel like he was trying to douse an inferno with a bucket of water.
Contrast that with the situation on Sunday. From back to front, Liverpool pressed like beasts all afternoon. Of the forward line, Diogo Jota didn’t score, but he was as pivotal as anyone in repeatedly burgling the ball back. Casemiro made costly mistakes, no doubt, but he was often asked to make 20 or 30-yard passes because there was no one else in sight.
Liverpool’s midfield trio of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominic Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch rampaged through the middle of the park as they pleased all afternoon. Through ball after through ball broke the United lines, and the sight of the promising Kobbie Mainoo getting booked for one desperate foul too many summed up United’s afternoon.
Bruno Fernandes isn’t known for his positional discipline and with Mainoo also roaming all across the park, Casemiro was painfully isolated at times. To compound those problems, United’s front three did very little by way of effective tracking back. Throwing in the inexperienced Toby Collyer to try and plug the gaps in the second half was a bit like sticking a band-aid on a severed limb.
More than any other club, Liverpool would understand Casemiro’s frustration. For four years when Klopp’s team were at their peak, Fabinho, his fellow Brazilian, would be one of the first names on the team sheet. He was a superb No. 6, mopping up trouble with a minimum of fuss and recycling the ball quickly.
But when Fabinho’s legs lost their impetus in the 2022-23 season, his struggles looked more acute because the cover around him had also gone. Jordan Henderson, another midfield stalwart, had lost whatever pace he had, while James Milner was closer to 40 than 30. Suddenly, a unit that had hunted like a pack of hyenas – Gini Wijnaldum was central to the group before his departure in 2021 – resembled old dogs lying in the shade. The trio that played United off the park were all signed before the last season in response to that dramatic decline.
There’s little doubt that Casemiro’s best years are behind him. But while he may not be able to reprise his Real years, he’s nowhere near as bad as Liverpool, and ten Hag’s non-existent system, made him look. A football team’s defence is not just about the goalkeeper, the back four (or three) and a No. 6. It starts with the forwards turning the ball over. United looked slow, unfit and bereft of ideas for much of the 90 minutes on Sunday. And you can’t place that at Casemiro’s door.
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