AS the dust settled on another thumping for United away at City, in the sprawling Etihad press room Erik ten Hag unconvincingly explained why he did not maximise a Portuguese-speaking five-times Champions League winner out of 'big respect for his career! The Reds boss was speaking about Cristiano Ronaldo, but might as well have referred to Casemiro.
The Brazilian had not yet lined up in the Premier League and the ramifications of his slow integration crystallised at the Etihad in the first Manchester derby of the season.
United were 4-0 down at the interval and trailed 6-1 going into the final 10 minutes.
Casemiro emerged on the hour to plug the gaps, but City scored two more. "They were better than us in that game," the player concedes ahead of today's FA Cup final between the sides.
"They deserved to beat us but when you talk about a 6-3 in the context of a league, it's still three more points that you get.
"Of course, in the end, your morale drops and it's boosted when you score six in victory but it's three points like any other game. So, it was another three points. We beat them at home." Casemiro started in the Old Trafford derby in January. One of the most enduring images is of him enveloping two young supporters as he wildly celebrated Marcus Rashford's winner. A euphoric supporter tugged at Casemiro's shirt, so he received a bearhug, too.
Though City stewed over Bruno Fernandes's contentious equaliser, United were wilier than their naive approach in the reverse fixture and Casemiro's inclusion was key.
"We know we have to play very well," says the Brazil international.
"They play very good football, have a great manager, players but every game is a different story, a different film, as we great like to say.
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