Rio Ferdinand hits out at Jamie Carragher for 'disrespecting' £70m Man Utd star

Rio Ferdinand didn’t like Jamie Carragher’s ‘disrespectful’ comments about one Man Utd star (Photo: YouTube/Getty)

Rio Ferdinand says Jamie Carragher was too quick to criticise and ‘disrespect’ one Manchester United star whose form has picked up under Ruben Amorim .

After a shaky start to the season, United are beginning to find their feet, winning three consecutive games to move up to fifth in the Premier League table.

The impact of summer signings like Bryan Mbeumo, Senne Lammens and Matheus Cunha has been widely-acknowledged but Ferdinand has reserved special praise for one player, who many thought was finished.

‘ Casemiro ’s game is not about chasing high up the pitch constantly,’ the former United defender said on Rio Ferdinand Presents .

‘He built a stellar career on the back of being the glue, the person that knitted the back line and the midfield together and just plug the gaps. He wasn’t asked to run all over the place or be a creator. He was asked to get it and give it to the people that can create.

‘He might have scored the odd goal here and there when he went a bit loose, but he was the one who was mopping up and doing all the dirty work and being able to stay in an area and marshal that area.

‘Recently, this is what we’ve seen. He’s looked something like the old Casemiro.’

Casemiro looks revitalised this season (Photo: Getty)

United paid Real Madrid up to £70m for the defensive midfielder in 2022 and while he performed well in his first campaign, his second was a nightmare and he was poor again last season as Erik ten Hag was sacked and replaced by Amorim.

Many have said on numerous occasions that the 33-year-old is way past his best and should be sold, none more notably than Carragher after the player was humiliated in a 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace in May 2024.

‘Leave the football, before the football leaves you,’ the former Liverpool defender said. ‘The football has left him at this top level. He has to call it a day at this level of football and move.’

But against the odds, Casemiro is enjoying a mini-revival, with Ferdinand bringing up the statistic that of the 16 goals United have conceded this season, only three of them came when the Brazilian was on the pitch.

Carragher’s comments came after Casemiro was humiliated by Crystal Palace (Photo: Getty)

Casemiro started last Saturday’s 4-2 win over Brighton but was subbed off for Kobbie Mainoo before the Seagulls found the back of the net.

‘It takes me back to what was said by Jamie Carragher about, “leave the football”,’ Ferdinand continued.

‘I said at the time, I thought it was highly disrespectful when you’re talking about a five-time Champions League winner who’s going through a change in approach to football, going through a time where he looked out of sorts.

Has Ruben Amorim got Casemiro back to his best? (Photo: Getty)

‘Players lose confidence, they lose form, sometimes players’ legs go, but I think the call was too early and I thought it was highly disrespectful for someone who’s achieved so much in the game.

‘Sometimes you’ve got to look beyond just trying to find an individual. We’re very fond of finding a scapegoat. Sometimes you got to look at the way a team is playing and work out is that impacting a player negatively or is it actually the player who’s gone?

‘I think by looking at the way that the system’s changed a little bit and been tweaked, you’re seeing the benefits for someone like Casemiro.

‘Amorim spoke glowingly about him, about his character, his resilience. You don’t win five Champions Leagues without those two aspects in your makeup.

‘Now he’s the reference point for any player that’s going through a hard time at this football club.’

Casemiro will be looking to continue United’s winning run when the Red Devils visit struggling Nottingham Forest this Saturday