“He is better on the ball, but he can’t run” - Gary Neville suggests Casemiro should look to emulate ‘beautiful’ Arsenal player
Prominent pundit and Manchester United legend Gary Neville believes Casemiro should emulate Arsenal midfielder Jorginho amid his recent struggles.
The Brazilian has received criticism from fans and critics alike for his performances this season. As per The Athletic, his interceptions and possesions won per game have dropped from 1.44 and 4.61 last season to 0.84 and 2.52 respectively this season. He has also been dispossessed 0.79 times and lost 2.73 challenges per game this term compared to 0.59 and 1.86 last season.
Most recently, Casemiro, playing as a centre-back, was slammed for failing to stop Crystal Palace's attackers in Manchester United's 4-0 defeat at Selhurst Park. He won just eight of his 17 duels in that game, was dribbled past seven times and was dispossessed on 17 occasions.
On the back of that display, Neville has stated that the former Real Madrid superstar should take cues from Jorginho's time at Arsenal. The footballer-turned-pundit hinted that Casemiro could still play well in a certain system and said on the Stick to Football podcast (via TBR Football):
“Jorginho is a good example [for Casemiro]. Jorginho can’t run, he is better on the ball, but he can’t run. He was finished at Chelsea, everyone said he can’t run.
“He goes to Arsenal and he looks a beautiful player in that Arsenal midfield with Declan Rice one side and [Martin] Odegaard the other, with that centre-back partnership. You can play in that position and not run.”
Jorginho recently signed a contract extension with Arsenal
It is worth noting that Jorginho signed a one-year extension with the Gunners only on Thursday, May 9.
The Italian initially joined Arsenal from Chelsea in January last year on a 18-month deal. The club have now decided to extend his deal until the end of the 2024-25 season. Manager Mikel Arteta praised Jorginho in an official statement, saying:
“We’re delighted that Jorgi has signed a new contract with us. Jorgi is such an important part of our team, a role model with great leadership skills and a unique playing style ability which makes everybody better around him on the pitch.”
This season, Jorginho has started in only 19 of his 35 appearances across all competitions. In his 23 Premier League appearances, he has laid out two assists while averaging 1.0 tackles, 2.1 recoveries and 2.1 duels won in limited minutes.