Fred believes he is a better player when paired alongside Casemiro after he produced arguably his best performance for Manchester United in the win against Tottenham.
The Brazilian midfield colleagues started for the third successive game, but this was the night when the Erik ten Hag era had lift-off and Fred and Casemiro were at the heart of it.
It was a complete performance from United, but it was driven by Fred, who had a greater licence to get forward with the protection afforded by a top-level defensive midfielder.
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Nobody had more than his six shots during the game but the deflected effort that opened the scoring just after half-time was just his ninth in 169 games for the club.
His intensity off the ball was impressive as well, however, and for the first time his understanding with Casemiro, who was afforded a standing ovation when he was replaced late on, was clear to see.
United spent £70million on signing the 30-year-old from Real Madrid in the summer and after a shaky start he has been excellent in recent weeks.
"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," said Fred.
"It’s very important being side by side with him and playing with him improves my football. A big player like Casemiro can play there and Scott McTominay is also a big player. They are both very important.
"I can’t say anything about Casemiro, everybody knows his qualities and how important he is for the team, and Scott is also a great player.
"We have big games at this club all of the time; it’s a midfield where we have big players. We have to be good to help the team all the time and this is the most important thing."
Fred and Casemiro weren't the only Brazilians starting for United, with Antony also looking sharp as he settles in after his £85.5million move from Ajax.
The 22-year-old scored in his first three Premier League appearances for the club, but this was probably his most complete performance so far.
"Antony is a very good player, very young. He arrived and took his place in the team which is difficult," added Fred. "He has big qualities. Today he didn’t score but soon he will get goals again. He's already shown he can score for this team."
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