CASEMIRO has warned Manchester City and Arsenal that he is coming to get them.
The brilliant Brazilian knows it will take some time, but he is certain that Manchester United are on the right path and can now see their rivals on the horizon.
The five-time Champions League winner has not come to Old Trafford just for one final pay day.
The former Real Madrid midfield ace is here to make his own mark in the club’s rich history and that means beating their main rivals to the biggest prizes.
Casemiro said: “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.
“When you arrive at a new club, you always dream of making history, especially when you see the greatness of this club. We know the history.
“But of course, I was aware of needing some time to adapt and of the rivals having a long-term plan before ours… Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool all have managers that have been there for a while and, therefore, have an advantage.”
Still, it is United who are the only team in the country still in all four competitions, even if the title is now a distant dream again after recent slip-ups at Crystal Palace and Arsenal.
Casemiro’s two goals against Reading on Saturday night put the Red Devils in the last 16 of the FA Cup with a Wembley date in the Carabao Cup final all but booked following their 3-0 semi-final first leg victory away to Nottingham Forest.
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Then there is the mouthwatering knockout tie against Barcelona in the Europa League to come.
Casemiro is central to it all, dictating games and, as we saw on Saturday, finishing them off too.
He said: “Last time I scored twice in the same match was against Sevilla at Bernabeu and we won 2-1.
“My main job is to give more balance to the defence, help my team-mates and give more quality to the build-up… but to score is also important and satisfying.”
Casemiro is clearly loving life at Old Trafford.
After achieving so much at Real Madrid there were obviously fears the 30-year-old may not be able to find the motivation to help raise a fallen giant.
It was a challenge for me to keep growing and developing in my career (at United)
Casemiro
Quite the opposite. When he said he was relishing a new challenge he meant it, and how he has grasped it.
He said: “I’m very comfortable at Man Utd, extremely happy to be here and enjoying every moment like a 15-year-old kid. But the most important thing is to see the team growing.
“We have to see what the reality is and we are still a 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, if we look at the titles, it’s the biggest in England. In our lives we have to have goals and challenges.
“It was a challenge for me to keep growing and developing in my career.”
A fine through ball from Antony on 54 minutes allowed Casemiro to open the scoring with a clipped finish over the advancing goalkeeper Joe Lumley before curling home a low 30 yarder for the second.
He said: “Every goal that we score is a result of a collective effort. Every goal we concede is a collective consequence, there’s no individual error in this squad, we’re together.
“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.”
Fred came on to flick home number three with his instep on 66 minutes before Amadou Mbegeu got a consolation for the Championship side six minutes later.
Andy Carroll’s return to a big stage had ended in the 65th minute for two bookings after a series of reckless challenges – one of which saw Christian Eriksen leave the ground on crutches.
So for Reading boss and United title winner Paul Ince this was not quite the return to Old Trafford he had hoped for.
Nor was the United team sheer as Erik Ten Hag showed no mercy in his quest for silverware.
Ince said: “You’re thinking all week who is going to play and then all of a sudden you look at the teamsheet and think Jesus, he’s going full throttle in this one.”
And Ten Hag aims to keep his foot on the pedal.
