Revealed: Why Ten Hag has surprised Casemiro

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:55 CDT
• 3 min read

Manchester United summer signing Casemiro has been admitted he's been surprised by Erik ten Hag's "obsession for winning" since joining from Real Madrid in August.

Casemiro, 30, left the reigning European champions Real Madrid to join Man Utd's project during the summer window, claiming he was enticed by the prospect of helping the Red Devils get back to their former glories.

Furthermore, Real Madrid's €100 million signing of Aurelien Tchouameni had cast doubts over Casemiro's role at the Santiago Bernabeu, and after a slow start to life at Old Trafford he's become a key player under Ten Hag.

In fact, Man Utd have conceded just one open play goal in the last eight games Casemiro has started in. Despite not landing key target Frenkie de Jong, Man Utd did manage to sign the Brazil international, who netted a late equaliser against Chelsea to rescue a point for Man Utd and has settled into his role under Ten Hag very quickly.

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Playing mostly alongside former Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford midfielder Christian Eriksen in Man Utd's double pivot, Casemiro has provided solidity and steel to a midfield previously lacking in these areas, which has helped the Red Devils climb up fifth place in the Premier League.

What has Casemiro said?

Speaking before Man Utd's Europa League win over Real Sociedad on Thursday night, Casemiro was quick to praise his new head coach. He said: "After being in football for quite a while even though I'm only 30, his obsession for winning is what surprised me the most.

READ: Man Utd fans react to Maguire’s No.9 role: Ten Hag told him to defend the other goal!

"I think he's got many strengths; we all know it's a process and we're growing together.

"We want to win and [Ten Hag] is obsessed with teaching us and making us better to the millimetre. That obsession with winning is something I've only seen with very few managers."

Casemiro of course worked under the likes of Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane during his time at Real Madrid, winning the Champions League with both of them, so Ten Hag is in very good company.