Casemiro’s demand for high standards has raised the bar at Man United ahead of the FA Cup final

Picture the scene: it’s back at Wembley in February and for a moment you might have thought that Manchester United had lost the Carabao Cup final to Newcastle and not the other way around.

Casemiro trailed Bruno Fernandes at the final whistle and pulled the back of his teammate’s shirt.

When Fernandes turned around, he was asked to explain why he went for goal in the last seconds instead of sending the ball to Jadon Sancho or Wout Weghorst. United, remember, were already leading 2-0 deep into stoppage time.

A similar scene played out after United’s victory over Aston Villa in late April. A wide-eyed Casemiro again confronted Fernandes to criticize him for giving the ball away towards the end of the game, sparking an animated conversation in the middle of the Old Trafford pitch.

This is what Casemiro does. What he brings to a team. You can’t have a career at Real Madrid and Brazil without demanding the highest standards, even if the man you tackle is the captain of Manchester United and the ‘engine’ of the team to millions of people.

When Erik ten Hag took over as United manager last summer, he wanted more leaders. More character. Fernandes and Raphael Varane were already at the club. Lisandro Martinez brought a talismanic presence. Christian Eriksen, a quiet reassurance. No one, it’s fair to say, has had the same impact as Casemiro.

The 31-year-old midfielder was United’s main man as they won the Carabao Cup that day, and there’s no reason to believe it will be any different when Ten Hag’s side return to Wembley on Saturday to face Manchester City in the FA Cup final. . Fernandes, for example, knows what is expected of him.

“We could talk all day about how good Bruno is because he’s a fantastic player,” said Casemiro. “But to be honest – and I say this to him – I expect a lot from him because in my eyes he is one of the most important players in the team.

“So if he misses an opportunity, if one of his passes fails, we always want him to do everything perfectly.

“But these are normal conversations. I never had an argument with Bruno, on the contrary. I just always demand a lot from him, and he demands a lot from me too.

“Behind the scenes we sometimes say to each other: “you could have scored, you could have done better there, because you have the quality to do it”.

‘But I have a very good relationship with Bruno. When I arrived here, and it was due to the language, I was lucky that Bruno always helped me well. He was always brilliant with me. He taught me a lot about the club and what it means.

“It’s a pleasure to play alongside him because he’s the driving force of the team, the one who helps us the most. The engine, if you will.’

Others would bestow that compliment on Casemiro instead. He was a colossus from the moment he entered Old Trafford in August, ready for a new chapter in his career after a brilliant nine years at Real Madrid, where he won the Champions League five times.

A fee of £70 million and wages of £375,000 a week weren’t cheap for a player in his 30s, but he’s been worth it.

United were beaten 4-0 by Brentford in negotiations, but Casemiro was undeterred as he watched the match at home in Spain. “Just tell me I’ll arrange it,” he is said to have said to his agent.

“To be honest, I did say that. I was aware that my time at Real Madrid was coming to an end and I was very optimistic to come here and take on this new challenge. It was clear in my head.

“I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy challenge because it was a heavy loss for us. But no concerns at all. I am very happy and I enjoy like I am a 20 year old kid.

“The club and the fans have been great with me from day one. I feel their love for me and what I try to do is show it on the pitch, by giving everything, my soul, in every game.’

The adaptation to English football has not been without problems. Two red cards and 13 yellow cards meant that Casemiro is suspended for eight games this season. Of the 10 Premier League games he has missed in total, United have lost four.

If he has lived up to his reputation as a combative defensive midfielder, Casemiro’s seven goals – including the opener against Newcastle at Wembley and a bicycle kick over Bournemouth two weeks ago – are a welcome bonus. Like Rodri at City, he is also a launchpad for the attack.

“In the history of football it was the number 10 who was the playmaker,” he explains. “The central defensive midfielder was always someone who helped the centre-backs and full-backs, filling in and stopping counter-attacks. Football has changed and the way central defensive midfielders have had to adapt has changed a lot.”

Casemiro was still busy with the Premier League as United lost 6-3 in the Etihad derby in October. His team was already four goals behind when he came on in the 59th minute.

By the time the teams met again at Old Trafford, he was firmly established in the heart of a United team that won 2-1.

City, chasing a triple pursuit, are favorites to win their third meeting of the season, the first Manchester FA Cup final, but Casemiro are not used to losing. Of the 17 cup finals he has played for Real and United, he has won all but one: the UEFA Super Cup in 2018.

That is undoubtedly an important statistic. Experience counts for something, doesn’t it?’ he says.

“It’s true that when you’ve played in so many finals and you’re 31 years old like me, of course you try to pass on that experience to bring calm.

But every final is different. We know it’s going to be a very tough game, but we’re not thinking about City’s Treble. We are thinking about winning another trophy for ourselves.

“They play very good football and have a great manager and great players. But every game is a different story – a different movie, as we like to say.”