Erik ten Hag: 'Casemiro has exceeded our expectations'

Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has said that Casemiro has exceeded the club's expectations during his first season at Old Trafford.

The Brazil international moved to Manchester from Real Madrid last summer, and he has proved to be a vital player for the Red Devils during the 2022-23 campaign.

The 31-year-old has featured on 48 occasions for Man United this season, scoring six goals and registering six assists, and he hit the winner against Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

Ten Hag was asked about the South American after the one-goal success over the Cherries, and the Red Devils head coach detailed the midfielder's contribution.

"He keeps surprising us," Ten Hag told reporters. "He's such a brilliant football player, we know him as very good organisation, positioning, anticipating, intercepting a lot of balls, winning duels, a fighter, keeping the team together, but also in possession his passing, his distribution, but also finishing. Just a great football player.

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"We emphasise a lot and where we train on a lot, it's about the movements when we are in the final third and movements of course has to come from the front line, second line just behind but also from the third line with fullbacks and with Casemiro coming from there.

"The movement is great, the touch from Christian Eriksen I think is great and the finish is brilliant.

"Absolutely, by far (he has exceeded expectations). One of the things that came out of our analysis, we missed a player in the midfield.

"A strategist and we searched for the strategist – it was not easy because they are not many in that profile who fits to the standard of Manchester United and so we are happy we found him.

"His contribution is massive and I think even we miss him over eight or nine games by suspension. He was in the start of the season, he was not even there, so many games he was not even there, but I think when we played him in midfield it's good in balance. We had a lot of wins with this midfield."

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The 20-time English champions now only need one point from their final two matches against Chelsea and Fulham to be sure of a top-four spot in the Premier League.

Ten Hag's side are currently fourth in the table, level on points (69) and matches (36) with third-placed Newcastle United, while they are three points ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool with a game in hand.

"I am telling you already for weeks it's not about our opponents," Ten Hag added. "We are in the lead, it's only up to us. We have everything in our hands, we don't have to look behind.

"We have to make our performance, when we do it – nothing to do with any other team. We have to do with the opponent on the day."

Man United will welcome Chelsea to Old Trafford on Thursday evening before hosting Fulham next Sunday, and they will then switch their attention to the FA Cup final against Manchester City on June 3.