Casemiro and Fred's World Cup partnership in the Brazilian national team didn't get off to a great start last week as the latter failed to start in their opening clash.
The Selecao won their first game of the World Cup against Serbia on Thursday evening with a superb brace from Richarlison, though the job was a complete performance throughout with their opponents registering just five shots throughout the entire game. Dragan Stojkovic's men had to soak up 24 shots from Brazil; and whilst the attackers stole the show, those in midfield made it easy for them.
Consisting of Lucas Paqueta and Casemiro, the amount of quality in the midfield pivot will be hard to match by any team vying for success in Qatar, especially with Casemiro having strutted his stuff for many years at the Santiago Bernabeu for Real Madrid, building an impressive collection of the most prized trophies in world football over a nine-year period.
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That can only bode well for United. Not only do they have a player in their ranks who has one of the best mentalities on the continent, but the midfield now finally looks like it could have sufficient quality to help earn success United have not seen in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
If United are to start challenging for silverware then Casemiro will be key, and it's something Gary Neville and his teammate Fred are all too aware of. The duo have both singled Casemiro out for one quality - improving those around him as his illustrious career continues to impress across the globe.
Last month, Fred said: "I’m very happy playing next to Casemiro. He’s a big player for the Brazilian team, we’ve already played a long time together in that team.
"It’s very important being side by side with him and playing with him improves my football. I can’t say anything about Casemiro, everybody knows his qualities and how important he is for the team."
And Neville, who played with central midfield stars such as Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and even those coming into the end of their careers like Bastian Schweinsteiger, backed his claims too - claiming that players of his knowhow can boost a team in multiple ways by making their teammates better.
"He is (improving players). None of Eriksen, Casemiro or Fernandes are quick or what you would call true defensive midfielders," Neville said.
"But you think of that midfield three he played in at Madrid with Kroos and Modric, then look at him alongside Eriksen and Fernandes - Kroos and Modric are far better players, but there are similarities to what we are seeing here in the style.
"Those three ruled Europe for many years, playing in the biggest games and controlled them, but there is something similar to what Casemiro is seeing here to what he seen at Real Madrid."
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