Rio Ferdinand has taken aim at Jamie Carragher for his memorable criticism of Casemiro, after the Brazilian’s impressive performance against Manchester City on Saturday.
The 33-year-old played 81 minutes of Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Pep Guardiola’s men at Old Trafford, looking good alongside Kobbie Mainoo in midfield.
The former Real Madrid star has been a regular in the first team this season, making 21 appearances under Ruben Amorim, Darren Fletcher and now interim manager Michael Carrick.
Carragher did not foresee this when he made brutal comments about the Brazil international’s career in May 2024, telling him that his career at the top level was over after a loss to Crystal Palace.
‘I think Casemiro, deadly serious, should know himself tonight that he should only have another three games left at the top level,’ Carragher told Sky Sports. ‘The next two league games and the cup final, then he should be thinking, I need to go to MLS or Saudi.
‘His agent or people around him need to tell him this has to stop because we are watching one of the greats of the modern time, Champions Leagues, playing for Brazil, playing for Real Madrid.
‘But I always remember the saying “leave the football before the football leaves you”. The football has left him. At this top level, he needs to call it a day at this level of football and move.
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‘The level of that player, he should not be putting himself through this. He is too good of a player to be putting in a performance like that and being laughed at by Crystal Palace. He needs to call it a day.’
Casemiro went on to play 42 times for Manchester United last season and remains a mainstay in the starting XI, with Ferdinand mocking Carragher’s claims from two years ago.
The former Manchester United defender suggested there were other reasons for Casemiro’s form in 2024 which Carragher missed.
‘Has football left Casemiro, is it gone? I dunno, is it back? That statement looks worse and worse all the time, because even this season he’s done well most of the time,’ he said on Rio Ferdinand Presents.
‘I always think this when you look at players in teams and they’re not doing well, it’s more than just that they’re not good enough.
‘There are sometimes big reasons as to team structure and shape of the team, and maybe the relationship with the manager, that isn’t enabling them to perform.
‘It isn’t just about a basic – he isn’t good enough, you’ve got to get rid of him – you’ve got to look into these things a bit more at times.’
Casemiro is now into the final six months of his contract at Old Trafford, but a one-year extension will be triggered if he starts 35 games this season, reports the Daily Mail.
With Manchester United out of all cup competitions already, he would need to start every Premier League game for the rest of the campaign to reach that amount.
The Brazilian will likely be in the starting XI on Sunday as the Red Devils travel to north London to take on league-leaders Arsenal.
