Ten Hag's arrival at United ushered in a new era, but the summer transfer window of 2022 gave a glimpse of the similarities between 2013, David Moyes' first year in charge of the club. In 2013, when Woodward became chief executive, he did not give Moyes any support, and the team ended up bringing in Fellaini at a high price. Woodward then tried to make amends, but Di Maria, who bought him for a high price, was ultimately unsuccessful.
In 2022, Manchester United's CEO became Alexander-Arnold. The transfer window was another disappointing start when United signed Casemiro for £60 million in the final minute. Casemiro's first season was very successful, at one point becoming one of the best midfielders in the world. However, the 2023/24 season turned out to be somewhat disastrous. Ten Hag's tactical overuse, injury problems and dipping form have put Casemiro's performances into question. Signing the Real Madrid superstar may be useful in the short term, but it is not a good idea in the long run. United are currently sixth in the Premier League, 11 points clear of the Champions League qualification zone. Casemiro, a five-time Champions League winner, is not happy with the current situation at Manchester United.
Casemiro said in an interview after the Liverpool game: "It's difficult, and not being able to compete for the title is what bothers me the most. We're more than 20 points off the top of the table and sometimes I can't even sleep and want to do something about it, that's the reality. It's pointless to think about a title or Champions League qualification now, we need to think about the game at hand. We have to focus on the day-to-day games because in the last few games we had chances to get nine points but only two points. We were frustrated. We have to play game by game and focus on the next game against Bournemouth.
Casemiro, accustomed to winning, was shocked by United's situation. Manchester United are actually 22 points behind leaders Arsenal. Casemiro's remarks are reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo. The former Real Madrid striker, who returned to Manchester United from Juventus in 2021, has also not been able to adapt to the reality that his team will not be able to compete for the title.
Casemiro shouldn't be surprised because he knows exactly what kind of team he's joining. When United signed Casemiro, the team had just suffered a 6-1 aggregate defeat in the first two rounds of the 2022/23 season. Casemiro also knows that his former Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo is seeking to leave because the team cannot compete for the title. The Brazilian star has done his best and he can't be blamed for the team's failures, but he is not the solution to United's problems either.
In 2014, Manchester United signed Di Maria from Real Madrid at a high price, but it ended in failure. Now it seems that the signing of Casemiro in 2022 looks like the same. With Rajue and INEOS taking over Manchester United's football operations, the chances of Manchester United buying from Real Madrid again seem slim.
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