Casemiro has been at Manchester United long enough now to feel the weight of history at Old Trafford, and he believes the club is on the way back under Erik ten Hag.
The Brazil star has been a revelation since moving from Real Madrid in a £70million deal last summer. His two goals against Reading on Saturday night put United on course for the fifth round of the FA Cup, and they are set to secure a place in the Carabao Cup final on Wednesday after opening up a three-goal first-leg lead over Nottingham Forest.
A serial winner in Spain, Casemiro believes the signs are there that United are heading in the right direction with Ten Hag’s side still challenging in four competitions.
Manchester United’s Casemiro has been a revelation since joining the club last year
‘When you arrive at a new club, you always dream of making history, especially if we see the greatness of this club,’ he said.
‘We know the history. But, of course, I was aware of needing some time to adapt and of the rivals like Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool having a long-term plan before ours. They all have managers that have been there for a while and, therefore, they have an advantage.
‘We have to see what the reality is, and we are still club under construction. Of course, we are already respected: the opponents know we’re strong, that we have good dynamics, the manager is doing a good job, the players as well.
‘Manchester United is a big club. In my opinion, if we look at the titles, it’s the biggest in England.
He said the club was on a ‘good path’ after bagging a brace in their 3-1 win over Reading
‘The job is on with a lot of humility by knowing there’s a lot to improve, but all the players need to be congratulated now. We’re on a good path. This is the way to win titles, but we need to keep growing.
‘We know we’re progressing within a plan, step by step we’re building a well-structured team and this is important. To win titles in the future, you have to build a solid foundation.’
Ten Hag routinely refers to Casemiro as ‘the cement between the stones’ but there is so much more finesse to him than the manager’s compliment suggests. Two excellent goals with his right foot took the game away from Reading as United eased to victory.
His goals put United into the fifth round of the FA Cup, as they continue to challenge in four competitions
‘The last time I scored twice in the same match was against Sevilla at the Bernabeu and we won 2-1 (in January 2020),’ he added.
‘I’m happy about tonight especially for helping the team. My main job is to give more balance to the defence, help my teammates and give more quality to the build-up, but to score is also important and satisfying.’
Amid the celebrations for the opening goal, Casemiro was quick to point to his Brazil teammate Antony who made the assist having faced criticism in recent weeks.
‘Every goal that we score is a result of a collective effort,’ he added. ‘On my first goal, Antony’s pass was incredible. I know that people focus on who scored, but I wanted to give him a bit of love as the pass was magic. He’s an important player for us.’
The 30-year-old midfielder also spoke of how he ‘feels at home’ in Erik ten Hag’s side
Another Brazilian, Fred, scored United’s third goal in the space of 12 minutes, and afterwards Casemiro spoke about how much he is enjoying life at Old Trafford.
‘Everyone here has been lovely with me, and since the first day I feel at home here. I appreciate all the effort that the club has done to bring me here.
‘In our lives we have to have goals and challenges. It was a challenge for me to keep growing and developing in my career.
‘I’m happy with my adaptation here. My teammates and the staff are really helping me. Also with the English language, it’s been quite hard but I’m really trying to get better.
‘I’m very comfortable at Manchester United, extremely happy to be here and enjoying every moment like a 15-year-old kid. But the most important is to see the team growing.’
Source:dailymail
