Although Manchester United could still finish this season with the Europa League trophy, Casemiro didn’t mince his words while speaking on his club’s performances this season
The 2024/25 Premier League season has been a disastrous one for Manchester United, with the club recording their lowest-ever points total and league finish. With just one game remaining, United sit in 16th place, only one point clear from Tottenham in 17th.
This sharp decline comes just a year after lifting the FA Cup and securing an eighth-place league finish. Erik ten Hag entered his third season with hopes of building on that momentum, but a string of poor performances led to his dismissal. Former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy was appointed on an interim basis before the club turned to Ruben Amorim in November.
Adapting to Amorim’s tactical demands—particularly his 3-4-2-1 system—has proven difficult. The Portuguese coach has often had to guide players through matches in real time as he works to instill his philosophy.
Despite their league struggles, United have found surprising success in Europe. They’ve reached the Europa League final, where they’ll face Tottenham Hotspur, following a dramatic quarter-final triumph over Lyon and a dominant 7-1 aggregate win over Athletic Bilbao in the semi-finals.
One of the star players in their quarter-final and semi-final performances in the competition was Casemiro, with the 33-year-old providing three assists in his club’s epic comeback against Olympique Lyonnais, and scoring twice against Athletic Club.
Casemiro offers scathing review of United’s season
Speaking to Telemundo Deportes before United’s 1-0 loss to Chelsea, he provided a damning verdict on what has been a very disappointing season Premier League season for the club.
“We know that in the Premier League, it didn’t go as we had hoped,” he said. “Well, we have a great opportunity against Tottenham to bring happiness and joy not only to ourselves but also to the club and the fans. That is very important.
“We’ve had many ups and downs. We changed managers and then systems. It’s true that in the last five or six matches we were completely focused on the Europa League.
“But of course, when it comes to Manchester United, you need to win and be at the top of the table. There are no excuses.
Many have said that although they finished so low in the Premier League, if United qualified for the Champions League, their campaign would ultimately be a success.
Casemiro dispelled that sentiment, saying: “It’s very difficult to say if it saves the season or if the season was good or not; every person has a different opinion. For me, it wasn’t good, and we need to be higher up in the table.
“We need to think bigger when it comes to Manchester United.”
What’s next for Casemiro?
The Brazilian international signed for United in August 2022 for £60 million, and was a key part of the squad in his debut season at Old Trafford.
His second campaign turned out to be much more challenging for the midfielder, with his age looking to have caught up to him, appearing to struggle with the pace of the league.
While he’s had some inconsistent displays this season, his Europa League form has been fantastic, putting in key performances throughout the tournament.
If United leave Bilbao with the Europa League trophy on the 21st, Casemiro will be set for a bumper pay rise going into next season owing to a Champions League contract clause when he signed, something the club can’t really afford with the financial crisis they find themselves in.
While Casemiro’s experience and leadership in the squad is invaluable, rumoured offers from Saudi Arabia of a summer transfer may see the Brazilian leave the club.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.