After the final whistle of the 3-2 victory over Fulham in the Premier League, with the decisive goal in injury time, the name that Manchester United fans chanted the longest and loudest was Casemiro.
It feels like he started a long breakup at Old Trafford. Once a symbol, a person who made a difference, and then became the focus of satire when his form declined. Now, Casemiro seems to be leaving in the position of a beloved legend. And that departure may leave a significant gap in midfield.
The 3-2 victory over Fulham gives two clear reasons. This season, there is enough evidence to show why Man United is so dependent on a player who is about to turn 34. And if part of the reason lies in the decline in form during the time Casemiro played alongside Manuel Ugarte, plus M.U did not strengthen the midfield last summer, then Casemiro's importance is so great that even if he is injured, the Champions League target may be shaken.
The Red Devils" seemed to be at peace when Casemiro - who rarely played all 90 minutes - left the field. But Fulham equalized 2-2. This is the third time this season that Man United has conceded 2 goals after Casemiro left the field in the second half, after matches against Brighton, Tottenham Hotspur and now Fulham.
It is worth mentioning that in all 3 matches, he played at least 70 minutes. Casemiro is no longer as agile as before, but the team easily loses control when he leaves the field. It may be the aura of someone who has won the Champions League many times, or it may simply be because of the gaps that Ugarte has not filled.
In the opposite direction, Man United's 2-0 advantage also came from Casemiro himself. He scored the opening goal and with a delicate pass, the Brazilian midfielder again assisted the second goal. With a defensive midfielder, he is an incredibly effective attacking player. Man United may focus on strengthening the midfield according to many other criteria in the summer, but in this aspect, Casemiro is almost irreplaceable.
If recruited to shine mainly around the area in front of the home field, Casemiro proves himself to be a formidable threat in the opponent's penalty area. He finishes well, chooses positions well like a striker, and has an attraction that makes the ball often come to the right place where he appears.
The goal against Fulham was Casemiro's 22nd goal after 148 matches for Man United. For comparison, Marouane Fellaini scored 22 goals but needed more than 29 matches. In Man United's defensive midfielder group, Casemiro is only 2 goals behind Carrick, while Carrick played 316 more matches. Darren Fletcher also scored 24 goals, but played 194 more matches.
On average, Casemiro scores one goal every 6.72 matches for Man United - a significantly better performance than Paul Ince (1 goal/9.68 matches) and Roy Keane (9.41 matches), although both have started at Old Trafford as box-to-box.
If that reflects the forte of scoring from set pieces - like Bruno Fernandes' header from a free kick against Fulham - then it is even clearer that Casemiro still knows how to create important moments.
The most memorable goal in his 22 goals at Man United came in the 2023 Carabao Cup final, when Casemiro played excellently and received the best player of the match award against Newcastle United. Meanwhile, his first goal was the equalizer in the 90+4 minute against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Although he no longer regularly plays full 90 minutes, Casemiro once had a late double against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in 2023.
The most recent European match that left a big mark on him in the Man United shirt was probably one of the most memorable comebacks in club history - winning 5-4 against Lyon. Casemiro earned a penalty for Bruno Fernandes in the 114th minute, then assisted both Kobbie Mainoo's equalizer in the 120th minute and Harry Maguire's winning goal in the 121st minute.
Man United's task is to find someone strong enough to shoulder the midfield and perhaps, whoever it is, it is difficult to create a level of danger in attack like Casemiro.
