Close your eyes and think back to the days of McFred….. Lucky us because now we have Eriksen and Casemiro!! When Manchester United were in the market for a midfielder in the summer of 2022, the club was being linked heavily with French midfielder Adrien Rabiot. While a majority of the fanbase scowled at the prospect of seeing Rabiot in United colors, it was Rabiot’s agent (mother) who decided to play hardball and eventually caused United to lose interest. I must say that if I ever get the opportunity to thank his mother, I will.
Thanks to the collapse of that transfer, United swiftly moved to approach Real Madrid for their Brazilian starlet Casemiro, and what an impact this man has had! Casemiro had a slow start to life at Old Trafford. Initially, fans felt that manager Erik ten Hag did not rate him, but the Brazilian grew into the squad and is now an un-droppable player. Casemiro has shown immense commitment to this new challenge. There have been several posts highlighting a conversation between Casemiro and his agent while watching United get humiliated by Brentford. During this game, United were close to signing Casemiro but the deal was far from completion. While most players would be apprehensive of such a move, Casemiro instead said “Tell them I will fix this.” Old Trafford greeted Casemiro during his unveiling and he has won the hearts of fans worldwide.
Casemiro’s United tenure started shakily. Versus Southampton, he gave the ball away in some key moments but United escaped with a victory. However, Casemiro has not looked back since. Since his first Premier League start, he has played 11 games where United have picked up 26 points with a +11 differential, second only to Arsenal. He has scored twice in the league versus Chelsea and Bournemouth. The first was a late-late equalizer and the second was an excellent volley into the net. He has also picked up 3 assists with an 80% passing success rate and 74% tackle success rate. He has developed a strong friendship with Brazilian counterparts Fred and Antony as well.
His impact has been nothing short of impressive and as United push for bigger goals, Casemiro’s role will be crucial. United’s midfield trio have burst into life and some attacking additions can make the squad a strong unit!
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