Casemiro on Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes: “I expect a great deal from him” | OneFootball

Casemiro has spoken candidly about his Manchester United teammate Bruno Fernandes.

Ahead of this afternoon’s FA Cup final against Manchester City, the Brazilian sat down with Laurie Whitwell of The Athletic to discuss a number of topics, one of which was the club’s on-pitch captain, Bruno Fernandes.

Fernandes, alongside Casemiro, has been United’s best, most consistent, and most important midfielder this season.

Making 58 appearances under Erik ten Hag in all competitions, the Portuguese has scored 13 goals and registered 15 assists.

His elite creativity, which has often been overlooked by fans during the team’s rocky spells, has been increasingly recognised. Fernandes averages over six shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, making him one of the very best in the world at setting up goal-scoring opportunities for teammates.

Casemiro, who is learning English whilst currently being fluent in Portuguese and Spanish, appears to share a close friendship with Fernandes, who is capable of speaking various languages.

As the de facto captain of United, Fernandes has seemed to take on the responsibility of helping new additions settle into the squad. Amad Diallo noted that he received regular text messages from the 28-year-old during his loan-spell at Sunderland.

Casemiro reflected:

“When I arrived here, and it was down to the language, I was fortunate that Bruno would always help me a great deal.

“He was always brilliant with me. He taught me lots about the club, what it means.

“I have a very good relationship with Bruno, we get on really well, and as you get to know him as a player — I can say this with complete confidence — he is one of the most important players at the club. We could spend all day talking about how good Bruno is because he is a fantastic player.

Casemiro has enjoyed a trophy-laden career, being an essential part of five Champions Leagues trophies at Madrid. Fernandes, meanwhile, has been seen as the most crucial signing by United since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club. Playing in a variety of positions, he has contributed 63 goals and 54 assists. Prior to moving to Old Trafford, Fernandes lifted the Taça de Portugal, the FA Cup equivalent, as Sporting CP’s captain in 2019.

With such pedigree, Casemiro remarked on his expectations of his teammate:

“But to be honest, and I say this to him, I expect a great deal from him. So, when his misses a chance, when one of his passes goes astray, we always want him to do everything perfectly, but these are normal conversations.

“I’ve never had an argument with Bruno, the opposite in fact, I just always demand a lot from him, and he demands a lot from me too.

“Behind the scenes too, sometimes we’ll say to each other, ‘You could have scored, you could have done better there because you’ve got the quality to do it.’

“It’s a pleasure to play alongside him because, in the end, he’s the driving force of the team, the one that helps us the most. The team’s engine, if you like.”

Seeming to echo teams of old in which teammates held each other accountable and to high standard, the United culture of demanding success from one another appears to have been reinstated by the Portuguese-speaking midfield maestros.