Manchester United midfielder Casemiro suggests that the club’s new minority owners should take inspiration from Manchester City as they aim to elevate the team back to the summit of English football.
United’s 3-1 defeat to City at the Etihad Stadium served as a stark reminder of the gap between the two Manchester clubs, coinciding with the confirmation of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s minority ownership stake in Old Trafford.
When asked about the potential impact of the new ownership group and the distance United must cover to match City’s current dominance, Casemiro emphasized the importance of humility and learning from their rivals. He stated to ESPN Brasil, “Our primary objective is to reach the level where Manchester City currently stands. While Manchester United boasts a rich history, we must acknowledge that City is presently the team to surpass. They are the benchmark, and everyone aspires to compete with them.”
Ratcliffe, the chairman and CEO of chemical company INEOS, has boldly declared his intention to dethrone City from their pedestal within three years. United fans are hopeful that the involvement of the 71-year-old British billionaire will catalyze a resurgence after more than a decade without a league title, during which City have clinched the Premier League trophy six times.
“Of course, when people from outside arrive, who want to add 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 took the lead against City thanks to a wonder strike from Rashford, but were second best for much of the afternoon.
Pep Guardiola’s team managed 27 shots on goal compared to three from United, but afterwards Erik ten Hag argued that the result had not shown there is a significant gap 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 also we showed in the cup final against them when it was really close but City, is in 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.”
