Erik ten Hag, manager of Manchester United, recently provided an explanation for the rationale behind the club’s decision to acquire Casemiro from Real Madrid last summer. After the Red Devils’ 4-0 Premier League loss to Brentford, the Brazilian midfielder signed for £70 million. Casemiro has been of great assistance to the club ever since.
Ten Hag’s team has won one of four competitions this season, the Carabao Cup, thanks to his leadership, experience, and skills. Ten Hag recently said (via ManUnitedZone_) about the kinds of players Manchester United wanted to sign last summer:
“We were looking for players with character and personality when we went through the recruitment process last summer. We were looking for players who were resilient and willing to take responsibility, despite the fact that many of the world’s players possess excellent technical skills or can run extremely fast.”
Ten Hag continued, bringing Casemiro’s significance into focus:
“Casemiro is such an important leader for us. This is true not only of his performances and abilities to link play, intercept passes, and score goals, but also of his organization, mentality, and culture. We are overjoyed to have signed him.” Casemiro, 31, has played 34 games for Manchester United across all competitions and has contributed five goals and five assists.
Erik ten Hag on the upcoming matchup between Manchester United and Liverpool:
On Sunday, March 5, the Premier League rivals Liverpool and the Red Devils will meet at Anfield. Erik ten Hag, manager of Manchester United, claims that his team is prepared for the challenge despite anticipating a hostile environment.
The Dutchman stated (via manutd.com) in his press conference prior to the match:
“I’m looking forward to it because I know the atmosphere will be wonderful. We welcome its hostile attitude toward us. Naturally, it is a test. However, we are up against Liverpool and are really looking forward to it. I am confident that my team, my players, and I will be ready to fight, but we are aware that it will be difficult. We are aware that in order to achieve success, we must suffer and make sacrifices.”
After a disastrous first half of the season, Liverpool appears to have recovered in recent games. They have kept a clean sheet in all six of their previous Premier League games and are unbeaten. They are sixth in the league right now, but if they beat Manchester United, they can move up to fifth. In contrast, the Red Devils are third, 10 points ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s team.