Amorim admits ‘exemplary’ Man Utd star is now undroppable, but INEOS wants him out | OneFootball

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim heaps praise on Casemiro who has now become a fundamental part of the tactical jigsaw.

The Real Madrid legend endured a torrid first half of the season, failing to cope with younger and faster opponents.

His dip in form saw him relegated to the bench for several months, but an injury crisis forced Amorim to resort to his services in recent weeks, and the Brazilian has been making the most of the opportunity.

The 33-year-old has been one of the club’s best performers as of late. He was also the main catalyst behind the sensational comeback against Lyon in the Europa League quarter-finals, winning a spot-kick and producing two fabulous assists to turn the result upside-down.

Revitalised Casemiro re-emerges as Man United pillar

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Casemiro was once again a protagonist on Thursday, scoring the opener for United in the 3-0 over Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of the semi-final. He almost came away with a brace, but was denied by the post.

Therefore, Amorim admits it is becoming increasingly difficult for him to drop Casemiro from his starting lineup.

“He has improved a lot, not just the way he plays, but the way he runs,” said the manager in his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s Premier League contest against Brentford.

“He is a great example. Even Toby [Collyer] was sometimes playing in front of him. And now, it’s hard to take Casemiro. It’s a lesson for all the players at Manchester United. No matter what is the past or what happened in the last month, everything can change in one moment.”

Amorim tweaked his tactical system for Casemiro

Nevertheless, Amorim admits he had to make some tactical tweaks to accommodate the Brazil international who can no longer press high throughout the match.

“We understood he can no longer jump all the time, pressing high. So sometimes it’s better to let him be the fourth defender and then put the wingbacks pressing high, so these are small things we’re trying to understand, trying to cope with all the characteristics of all the team, but the credit is for Casemiro.”

The midfielder still has one year left on his contract, but INEOS are hoping to offload him, as he remains the club’s highest-paid player with a salary of £365,000 per week. Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ractliffe had branded him and four other MUFC players as ‘overpaid’ and ‘not good enough’.

Therefore, it remains to be seen if Amorim’s new stance on the revitalised star will impact the management’s decision come the summer.