Summarize and humanize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in EnglishCasemiro’s latest performance at the heart of Manchester United’s midfield was bookended by two slide tackles that give cause to think his intention to see out the final year of his lucrative contract next season may not be the bane to the club’s hierarchy that it once appeared.Early on in Sunday’s goalless Manchester derby, he reacted quickly to Harry Maguire’s loose pass to opponent Phil Foden by launching into a one-man rescue mission, claiming enough of the ball to evade sanction from referee John Brooks and leaving the Manchester City player in a heap on the floor.Casemiro was still at it four minutes from time, seizing possession from another of City’s creators, this time Jack Grealish. After chopping at Grealish with the heft of a lumberjack, he got the scalpel out for Rico Lewis, staying on his feet to open up a pass down the wing to Alejandro Garnacho, although City were able to intercept.They were two defensive actions, at the start and end of the game, that headlined a strong performance by Casemiro, who finished having made 11 tackles, the most by a United player in a Premier League game since Patrice Evra against Portsmouth in August 2008 (also 11). On seven of those 11 occasions, United came away with the ball.Casemiro also won 12 of his 13 ground duels against City, at 92 per cent the highest proportion by any player in the Premier League this season with more than 12 attempted in the game concerned.City are not the offensive force they have been in their recent title-winning campaigns, but Casemiro’s ability to read play and intervene at the age of 33 was still notable. It came a month after he had exerted similar influence during the visit of Arsenal, where he made as many tackles (nine) as all the seven other starting midfielders on the pitch that day combined.Casemiro made flinging himself to the ground his unexpected signature in his 2022-23 debut season in England, but he is getting cleaner. His first year with United saw him rack up 13 yellow cards and two reds, while last term he got nine cautions and one sending-off. There was also footage from the referee camera during the 4-0 loss at Crystal Palace in May where it looked like he was aiming for a different post-code when trying to tackle Michael Olise.
Casemiro tackles Phil Foden in Sunday’s draw (Martin Rickett/Getty Images)That game was regarded as possibly terminal to his United career, and after a summer where an exit to Saudi Arabia or Turkey was explored, he stayed at United to find opportunities limited. Manager Erik ten Hag dropped him following a chastening game against Liverpool in early September, while the Dutchman’s November replacement Ruben Amorm did likewise after he and Christian Eriksen got overrun by Newcastle’s midfield in late December.Casemiro did not feature for the next month and his next start came at Tottenham Hotspur on February 16 amid an injury crisis. But from there he has built back and nearly 12 months on from that nadir of Selhurst Park he is again an important figure, starting seven of United’s past 10 matches in all competitions. This season his disciplinary record is only five bookings in 34 appearances.“The important thing is that Casemiro won everything with Real Madrid,” Amorim said. “He wasn’t playing (in January and February) because I understood in the moment that he was not the best option to the way we want to play. But he continued to work. I look at my players in the same way. If they improve what we ask, they have the opportunity. If they play well, they continue to play. That was the situation of Casemiro. The credit is all to the player.”It is no coincidence that Casemiro’s harder games have come against the athletic midfields of Newcastle and Liverpool, while City yesterday deployed Mateo Kovacic, who is less physically imposing. That being said, Declan Rice was anchoring Arsenal’s core when Casemiro shone at Old Trafford that day in March.But, as Amorim suggested, keeping Casemiro’s job description to a smaller range of space, surrounded by three central defenders and a midfield partner, does protect him from being exposed.Manuel Ugarte alongside is a better blend than Eriksen. But the awkward theme that has emerged is Casemiro being preferred to somebody a decade his junior who was signed in a €60million (£51.3m/$66.3m at current exchange rates) deal last summer.Ugarte came off at half-time at Nottingham Forest in midweek and was replaced with 71 minutes on the clock against City.Questions over the 23-year-old Uruguayan’s ability to last the distance in English football persist following his move from Paris Saint-Germain in France’s less-demanding Ligue 1. He has only completed the 90 minutes six times in the Premier League so far from 18 starts. Ugarte did look good alongside Kobbie Mainoo away to Liverpool and Arsenal (in the FA Cup) in January, and the 19-year-old’s recent return to training after two months out with an unspecified injury will give Amorim a decision to make in midfield.But Casemiro appears dialled in.Having faced scrutiny over his fitness at United previously, he revealed his excellent shape when taking off his shirt to give to a fan at the final whistle of the Real Sociedad away game in early March. He played well in that match and is set for a pivotal role in the Europa League tie that holds such significance for United, against Lyon in the quarter-finals, beginning in France on Thursday. He offers an attacking threat too, twice winning headers from Bruno Fernandes corners at Forest, and firing in a low shot yesterday that Ederson saved.Winning the Europa League and so qualifying for the Champions League would propel Casemiro’s salary back up to around £350,000 per week, a deal that United’s new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe identified as too much money for a player of his age. It is why transfer options will again be investigated, with Ratciffe wanting to maximise value from United’s wage bill.Casemiro is on record as wanting to stay though, and while that could be a negotiation tactic ahead of any talks over a settlement on his deal’s final year, his re-emergence signals he may yet be able to see out his fourth season at Old Trafford while providing meaningful input.“He’s our player and continues to be our player,” said Amorim.(Top photo: Simon Stacpoole/Getty Images)
