Casemiro has opened up about how his Manchester United career might have taken a very different path if Michael Carrick had arrived at Old Trafford sooner. The Brazilian midfielder, who turned 34 in February, has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence this season, playing a key role in securing Champions League football for the Red Devils with three games to spare.
Since Carrick took over as manager, no other Premier League team has accumulated more points than United. With ten wins, three draws, and just two defeats, their form has been nothing short of title-challenging. At the heart of this transformation is Casemiro, who has formed a formidable partnership with 21-year-old Kobbie Mainoo in midfield. The veteran has silenced critics who doubted his ability, proving that reports of his decline were greatly exaggerated.
The former Real Madrid star has even rediscovered his scoring touch, netting nine goals this season—six of them assisted by Bruno Fernandes, and five coming under Carrick's guidance. The mood around Old Trafford is now optimistic as the club looks ahead to a crucial summer transfer window. Carrick appears set to stay, and the futures of key players like Fernandes and Mainoo are looking secure.
This recent success, however, stands in stark contrast to the gloom that enveloped the club during the Christmas period under Ruben Amorim. The Portuguese manager was dismissed by INEOS in early January following a heated fallout with sporting director Jason Wilcox. His 14-month tenure had been turbulent, and performances on the pitch had long justified a change.
In a series of missteps by INEOS, hiring a manager with no experience in English football and a rigid system that didn't suit any of the players stands out as a significant error. Carrick's success has been achieved largely by reversing Amorim's major decisions rather than implementing his own, highlighting just how far off the mark the previous regime was. The simple switch back to a more fluid, familiar system has been the game-changer Casemiro believes could have extended his prime years at the club.