Manchester United midfielder Casemiro has suggested that the club’s new minority owners should look to Manchester City as a model to guide them in returning the team to the pinnacle of English football.
United suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of City at the Etihad Stadium, despite initially taking the lead through Marcus Rashford.
The match served as a stark reminder of the disparity between the two sides, especially following the confirmation of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s stake in Old Trafford.
Asked whether he sees positive signs from the new minority ownership group and if there is a long way for United to go to reach City, Casemiro told ESPN Brasil: “That is the big objective, we also have to be humble to accept that they are at the moment, not in history, as the history of Manchester United speaks for itself, but they are today the team to beat. Everyone wants to beat City.
“We have a mirror here, which is City, and they have been doing a great job.”
Ratcliffe, chairman and CEO of chemical company INEOS, has pledged to “knock City off their perch” within three years.
There is hope that the arrival of the British billionaire, 71, will trigger a resurgence after more than 10 years without a title — a period during which City have won the Premier League six times.
“Of course, when people from outside arrive, who want to add to and evolve the club’s level, it is always important,” Casemiro said.
“It is very clear that the company [INEOS] and the new owners want to do this. I hope that they [new owners] arrive and grow together with us, as it is important for the club to have people who want to grow here.”
United seized the lead against City courtesy of a spectacular goal from Rashford, but found themselves outplayed for the majority of the match.
Guardiola’s side registered 27 shots on goal compared to United’s mere three attempts. However, Erik ten Hag contended that the outcome did not accurately reflect a substantial difference between the two teams.
“No, I don’t think so, absolutely not,” the United manager said.
“You can see we have many problems with injuries and still we had an opportunity. Really small margins and we could have scored the second goal in a debatable moment.
“It’s not that big [a gap] and when we have everyone on board, we can be competitive. I think we also showed up in the cup final against them when it was really close but City is, at this moment, the best team in the world. Don’t forget this. We were really close to winning or at least get a point here.”