After a hard-fought point away at Nottingham Forest, Casemiro sent an 11-word message, making a point about Manchester United’s mentality in the game.
Rúben Amorim named an unchanged starting XI as Manchester United travelled to the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest in Saturday’s Premier League fixture.
Both teams started brightly, creating early chances, but Forest gained the upper hand during the opening 30 minutes. Despite their pressure, it was Casemiro who broke the deadlock, heading in from a corner that the home supporters felt should not have been awarded.
Forest pushed hard for an equaliser before the break but were unable to find one. After half-time, Sean Dyche’s side came out strong and were rewarded within minutes when Morgan Gibbs-White headed past Senne Lammens to make it 1-1.
Just 39 seconds later, Nicolò Savona struck from close range to put Forest ahead and leave United chasing the game. Both sides traded chances as the match opened up, and with ten minutes remaining, Amad produced a brilliant first-time volley to bring United level.
Amad came close to finding a late winner, but Murillo’s superb goal-line clearance ensured the points were shared after an entertaining contest at the City Ground.
Casemiro’s post-match message
Casemiro was once again a stand-out player against Nottingham Forest as he continues to prove his doubters from last season wrong and continues to look back to his best.
After scoring and assisting against Brighton last weekend, Casemiro added another to his tally, heading home from a Bruno Fernandes corner in the first half to give his side the lead.
After the game, Casemiro took to Instagram to reflect on the game and revealed the mentality of his side after conceding two quickfire goals at the beginning of the second half.
It read: “We fought until the end. Good effort of all the team!
Casemiro’s influence is crucial
It can surely be no coincidence that Casemiro’s uptick in form has also coincided with Manchester United going on a run of four games unbeaten in the league.
After a great debut season, his form took a steep downturn after several injuries and discipline problems, leading to the suspicion that, going into last summer, the Brazilian’s future didn’t look like it would be at Old Trafford, with rumours of a move to Saudi Arabia emerging.
Read More: Ruben Amorim explains why he didn’t bring on Joshua Zirkzee or Mason Mount vs Nottingham Forest
His form this season, however, has taken a huge U-turn. Manchester United have conceded just five goals while the Brazilian has been on the pitch, as opposed to 13 without him.
Away from the pitch, to bounce back from serious scrutiny from the English media and seeing his performances improve shows that he has the mentality and resilience traits that would be greatly beneficial for the younger players trying to break through into the first team. His winning mentality, which he picked up at Real Madrid, could also be a key trait to try and pass on to the rest of the dressing room, as United continue to look to change their fortunes around.
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