Casemiro has regained form of late for Man United and received a standing ovation against Real Sociedad.
Ruben Amorim believes readjusting Casemiro’s positioning in the Manchester United midfield is behind his recent revival.
Casemiro has started in four of United’s past six games and he received a standing ovation when he came off in the second half of the 4-1 Europa League victory over Real Sociedad on Thursday night.
The 33-year-old went a month without playing after the 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle United on January 30 but Casemiro was arguably United’s most consistent performer over the two-legged 5-2 aggregate win against Sociedad.
“I think he’s improving his game and I’m improving the way I should use a player like Casemiro,” Amorim admitted. “I’m not trying to put Casemiro pressing really high.
“I think you can feel that our team is more connected, even defending. That can help Casemiro a lot. Because he’s so smart, intelligent, reading the game. In short spaces he can understand where the ball is going.
“So it is everything together: the team is better, the players can play better, I understand the characteristics better and everything combined can help us win.”
Joshua Zirkzee has also cemented his status as a first-teamer by lining up in seven successive games. The 23-year-old has played as one of the two No.10s in all but one of those matches and Zirkzee, like Casemiro, received a warm ovation when he was substituted in the second half against Sociedad.
The Dutchman, signed from Bologna for £36.5million in July, has only contributed six goals this term and Amorim stressed that is the critical area for Zirkzee to improve.
“I think all the team play really well,” Amorim added. “I think the moments that we lost some of the control of the game was our fault but I think we did a very complete exhibition. We defended quite well, sometimes one against one in the back, we try to play and show some moments. Josh was part of that.
“He’s so much more aggressive when he doesn’t have the ball. He is improving without the ball, that can help Josh with the ball because he has the talent. And some plays he can be more direct.
“He has a lot of class touching the ball but sometimes he needs to think more as a striker: ‘I need to score, no matter what.’ It doesn’t need to be the most beautiful goal or control. But he’s improving.”
