Casemiro wants to see Man Utd "mirror" Man City under Sir Jim Ratcliffe

04 March 2024 , 07:20

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Casemiro saw Man Utd be outclassed in the derby

Casemiro insists Manchester United must look to "mirror" Manchester City when they begin their rebuild.

Things are set to change drastically from the summer with Sir Jim Ratcliffe now at the helm. Already off-field appointments have been made and the Ineos chief is set to lead a culture shift that will filter onto the pitch sooner rather than later.

United have been in the doldrums for a decade, failing to challenge for a Premier League title whilst City dominate the top flight. Those at the Etihad have spent years implementing a strategy, putting the right people in place to aid Pep Guardiola with their recruitment continuing to serve them well.

Casemiro, who himself was a divisive signing given his age, now wants United to accept that City are top dogs and look to emulate their success. He told ESPN Brasil : "That is the big objective, we also have to be humble to accept that they are at the moment, not in history, as the history of Manchester United speaks for itself, but they are today the team to beat. Everyone wants to beat City. We have a mirror here, which is City, and they have been doing a great job."

City have won the title in five of the past six years as they look to add another this season. Recently they also became just the second English team in history to win the historic treble when they won the Champions League last season, which United themselves won back in 1999 under Sir Alex Ferguson.

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Ratcliffe has vowed to "knock City off their perch" within three years. That could prove to be a tough timescale given the work that’s needs to be done. United have had several false dawns since Ferguson's retirement with the club winning just four major trophies in a decade.

Man City continue to set the standard in England (Nigel Keene/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock)

Casemiro said on the club's plans: "Of course, when people from outside arrive, who want to add and evolve the club's level, it is always important. It is very clear that the company [INEOS] and the new owners want to do this. I hope that they [new owners] arrive and grow together with us, as it is important for the club to have people who want to grow here."

Despite United's lofty plans their immediate concern is another year without Champions League football. Defeat in the Manchester derby on Sunday means they're more than 10 points off Aston Villa in fourth whilst fifth-placed Tottenham also enjoy a bit of a buffer.

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Samuel Meade